What You'll Learn in an MPH in Epidemiology Program at Texas A&M

Epidemiology is a force for good in an age of significant and often alarming health challenges. Focused on the origins and patterns of disease, this field is highly complex and highly impactful. Epidemiologists faithfully serve their communities, ensuring that the public understands how diseases spread and what individuals and organizations can do to limit their risk.

There is no denying the public value of epidemiology, but this field is also personally meaningful. From a professional perspective, epidemiology provides the ultimate reward: the chance to make a meaningful difference across broad populations.

Epidemiologists are deeply passionate about — and proud of — their work. This field is demanding, however, and it requires targeted, research-intensive preparation to make the transition from grad school to the epidemiological workforce. 

The Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology at Texas A&M supports this transition, offering the guidance that aspiring epidemiologists need. Flexible and practical, this degree program promises well-rounded preparation for the epidemiologists of tomorrow. This means covering a wide range of topics, including everything from research design to biostatistics and beyond. Read on to discover what epidemiological coursework involves and how this relates to career advancement.

What is an MPH Degree?

Some students prefer to focus exclusively on the field of public health, with the goal of building public health skills and insights into their future careers. Given the advanced nature of public health research and discourse, though, graduate-level education is increasingly expected from aspiring public health professionals. 

So, what is an MPH degree? The master’s in public health is a graduate-level, career-focused degree program that emphasizes research, interdisciplinary studies, and practical application. This purpose-driven program prepares students to research and help protect the health of entire populations. As a flexible degree, the MPH can be adapted to reflect specific public health goals or interests — such as epidemiology, environmental health, and occupational safety. 

Core Competencies in an MPH in Epidemiology Program

The MPH in Epidemiology is a comprehensive program that prepares aspiring epidemiologists to enter the public health field and make a positive difference. To accomplish this, MPH students need to thoroughly explore a variety of epidemiological concepts as well as gain hands-on practice by applying key theories and research in the field. Along the way, they can expect to develop these core competencies:

Understanding the Foundations of Epidemiology

The MPH curriculum offers foundational epidemiological coverage, ensuring that aspiring epidemiologists understand basic terminology along with core concepts like the distribution and determinants of disease. Foundational courses also highlight the principles of health behavior, along with standard epidemiological methods and the application of these methods to address public health challenges.

Biostatistics and Data Analysis

Biostatistics allows epidemiologists to make sense of a growing volume of public health data, using advanced mathematical models to transform raw data into epidemiological insights. This is a central component of the MPH program, with dedicated biostatistics courses that touch on basic probability while also exploring crucial statistical techniques such as regression and variance analysis.

Research Design and Methodology

The MPH prepares future epidemiologists to conduct in-depth research. This begins with understanding study design, including cohort, cross-sectional, and case-control studies. These can help future epidemiologists select the appropriate study design according to various hypotheses or research challenges. The degree also introduces students to the nuances of qualitative and quantitative research, examining how gaps in understanding can emerge if either area is left unaddressed.

Public Health Surveillance and Outbreak Investigation

Field epidemiology involves urgent investigations meant to address health crises. This branch of epidemiology aims to produce quick insights regarding the causes and impacts of severe outbreaks, allowing for swift interventions that can limit the spread of disease. MPH programs introduce students to outbreak investigation strategies, revealing what is involved in rapid assessment while covering surveillance systems and opportunities for real-time data collection.

Additional Key Topics You'll Study

In addition to the foundational concepts outlined above, the MPH explores numerous complementary topics that can provide deeper insights into the spread of disease. These electives or specializations may even influence career progression. Examples might include:

Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology

Many epidemiologists are eager to determine how environmental or workplace concerns impact human health. This may delve into matters such as air pollution or water quality, along with workplace exposure to dust or potentially harmful chemicals. Passionate epidemiologists find that this niche provides a meaningful way to support workers or entire communities, offering practical tools for tackling health risks in a range of environments.

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)

The social determinants of health describe the various circumstances or conditions in which people live or grow — and how these shape health outcomes. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion outlines a few primary domains:

• Economic stability
• Education access and quality
• Healthcare access and quality
• Neighborhood and built environment
• Social and community context

Global Health and Infectious Diseases

While there is a definite regional component to outbreaks, these must also be analyzed from a global perspective, as our modern supply chains and interconnected way of life contribute greatly to the increasingly rapid spread of disease. MPH in Epidemiology programs encourage students to explore the global manifestations of these outbreaks. An elective focused on global health uses case studies and other immersive learning opportunities to demonstrate the numerous factors that shape health on an international scale, all while revealing how data-driven approaches can be applied to address complex global challenges.

Chronic Disease Epidemiology

The public's perception of epidemiology often revolves around infectious diseases — yet chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease can be just as alarming and just as worthy of attention. Courses on chronic disease epidemiology highlight key trends related to chronic conditions while addressing the methodological concerns that make the study of chronic diseases uniquely challenging.

Practical Training and Field Experience

Epidemiological students enjoy delving into research, but the MPH also emphasizes application to help ensure that epidemiologists can integrate research-backed insights into their efforts to address real-world public health concerns. This means embracing the following opportunities:

Practicum or Internship Opportunities

While case simulations and other forms of experiential learning can deliver powerful insights, it can be difficult to truly grasp the impact of epidemiological research and field work until aspiring epidemiologists get the chance to explore real-world work environments. This is where practicum experiences can prove especially valuable.

Practicums are hands-on learning experiences that center on actual public health challenges and may involve exposure to decision-making in government agencies, nonprofits, and other settings. These field placements clearly demonstrate how epidemiological methods are applied when working toward solutions for complex public health problems. 

Internships expand on this, granting future epidemiologists greater responsibility so they can experience firsthand what it will be like to work in this unique field. This is also helpful from a networking perspective, as internships involve extensive interaction with current epidemiologists and several other public health leaders, who could later help open doors in the professional world. 

Capstone or Thesis Projects

Although in-depth research is a hallmark of the MPH, this entails more than reading or discussing studies. Rather, MPH students learn how to contribute to the field's quickly growing body of research. This begins with an overview of study design but continues with helpful details regarding research integrity and communication strategies. This sets the stage for a successful capstone or thesis. 

An MPH epidemiology capstone provides the ultimate opportunity to synthesize broad-based concepts while reflecting on how these insights play out in various niches or specializations. Thesis projects are similar but tend to involve more in-depth research with the goal of contributing original findings to the epidemiological body of knowledge.

Skills You'll Develop in an MPH in Epidemiology Program

Comprehensive skill development is at the heart of the MPH epidemiology coursework, which emphasizes technical competencies such as data analysis, data management, and statistical modeling. Through hands-on opportunities, students learn to work with advanced software and utilize cutting-edge technological tools — and how to apply the insights these tools produce to address today's most pressing public health challenges. 

Soft skills are just as essential, ensuring that epidemiologists are able to accurately (and persuasively) convey key findings while also collaborating with fellow public health professionals. The MPH in Epidemiology promotes these skills through discussions and projects, which allow students to put their newfound problem-solving skills into action. 

What Can You Do With an MPH Degree?

While graduate students often enter MPH programs with the intention of becoming epidemiologists, this is just one of many promising roles available with an MPH degree. For example, many MPH graduates focus on public health research, continuing to design studies that can influence public health initiatives.

It is also common to focus on health policy; this empowers epidemiologists to shape legislative efforts that could have a broad impact on public health. Consulting roles offer enhanced autonomy, with epidemiology-focused consultants using their unique skills and knowledge to provide targeted recommendations for nonprofit organizations or even in private-sector areas like pharmaceuticals or insurance. 

Prepare for Your Public Health Journey With an MPH in Epidemiology at Texas A&M

As you explore compelling opportunities in epidemiology, consider how your academic accomplishments will influence your career path. A critical step toward success in epidemiology? Earning your Master of Public Health.