Doctoral Minor in Epidemiology
Options for a doctoral minor in epidemiology
Option 1 (for students with prior epidemiology training) 12 credits total
- PubH 8300 Epidemiology Design and Analysis (Fall) (3 cr)
- PubH 8300 Epidemiology Design and Analysis (Spring) (3 cr)
- PubH 7401 Fundamentals of Biostatistical Inference (Fall) (4 cr)
- Plus: Electives in an epidemiology- or biostatistics-related area (2 cr) (the Epidemiology DGS must approve/disapprove the student’s selection of elective epidemiology courses)
Option 2 (for students without extensive epidemiology/biostatistics training) 12 credits total
- PubH 6341 Epidemiologic Methods I (3 cr)
- PubH 6342 Epidemiologic Methods II (3 cr) [6341 and 6450 are prerequisites]
- PubH 6450 Biostatistics I (4 cr)
- Plus: Elective in an epidemiology- or biostatistics-related area (2 cr) (the Epidemiology DGS must approve/disapprove the student’s selection of elective epidemiology courses)
You also agree to:
1. Ensure your dissertation reflects the Epi minor in some way;
2. Include an Epidemiology PhD faculty member with graduate education status on your preliminary oral and final oral thesis committees; and
3. Obtain Epi PhD program director’s approval of your Degree Program Plan before you submit it to the Graduate School.
If you want to pursue an Epi doctoral minor:
1. Put your request in a memo format and address it to the Epidemiology PhD Program Director, who is currently Dr. Jean Forster. Please email the memo to Andrea Kish, senior coordinator, who coordinates the requests for the program director. Send to Andrea at kish@umn.edu.
2. Include in your request: (a) which option you are choosing and why, (b) proposed electives, (c) the name of your program and your advisor, and (d) a few sentences about the focus of your dissertation/research work.
3. Please attach a copy of your most recent transcript — an unofficial copy is fine. You should be able to do that electronically as a pdf.
4. Include any required course substitution requests with the initial request to the program director. It is required that a copy of the syllabus is included for any course substitution requests.
5. Minor electives should have epidemiology or biostatistical methods focus, for example, one of our “Epi of classes” such as PubH 6385, 6386, 6387, 6381, or 6389; or Biostatistics II (PubH 6452) for Option 2. If you are interested in proceeding onto Epi Methods III, for Option 2, you must take PubH 6452 prior to taking Epi Methods III.
6. Show your memo to your advisor first and get her/his approval, and indicate in your memo that your advisor approves your request.
7. If you know which Epidemiology doctoral faculty member you will ask to be on your committee, please include the name. If you don’t know, indicate who will be assisting you in selecting that person (i.e. your advisor, or your program’s DGS)
8. Either email the memo, transcript copy and any other materials to Andrea Kish (kish@umn.edu) or send via campus mail to: Andrea Kish, Epidemiology, Room 300 WBOB, Del Code 7525. To drop it off at the West Bank Office Building or send via U.S. mail, contact Andrea for directions.
What happens when you send your request?
Andrea will review your request to ensure it is complete. Then she presents it to the program director for review and approval. Andrea will email you when the request is approved, or if there are any questions or concerns. Andrea is also the contact for you to get the program director’s signature on your official Graduate School Degree Program Transmittal Plan when you reach that point.
If the minor request is approved, Andrea is also your contact to get permission numbers for the Epidemiology courses, and she can provide advice regarding the Epidemiology faculty if you need any assistance.