Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Despite some predictions, infectious diseases remain the leading causes of death worldwide. In the United States alone, more than 50,000 new HIV infections occur annually, more than 11 million people have latent TB infection, and sexually transmitted infections are reported with alarming frequency in specific subpopulations.
Worldwide, the continuing global impact of the HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis epidemics; the emergence of previously unrecognized pathogens; and the threat of resistant pathogens have all focused attention on the need for public health professionals well trained in infectious disease issues.
The Infectious Disease Epidemiology Certificate is dedicated to educating a new generation of epidemiologists with particular expertise in infectious disease. The Infectious Disease Seminar series, hosted by the Epidemiology Department, offers an additional venue for students to be informed of new research findings in key infectious disease areas.
Graduates will be well-poised to work at the local, national, and global level with an in-depth understanding of how disease patterns differ among populations and how that impacts development of new prevention and treatment interventions.
Admissions Eligibility
Infectious Disease Epidemiology is open to Columbia MPH students from:
- Biostatistics
- Environmental Health Sciences
- Epidemiology
- Health Policy and Management
- Population and Family Health
- Sociomedical Sciences
The Competencies for this Certificate are as follows:
- Assess the factors (including social, behavioral, ecological, and biological) that affect the occurrence, effects, and risks of infectious diseases in different settings
- Evaluate the effects of various interventions on infectious disease risk, incidence, transmission, and related social, behavioral and clinical outcomes
- Select among public health approaches available for studying and controlling infectious diseases and propose their applications in different settings
- Appraise sources and types of data, including gaps in current research, related to infectious diseases, and the principal methods that are available for analyzing data relating to infectious diseases
- Analyze quality of work (e.g., publications) in infectious disease epidemiology
Learn More
Visit the Certificates Database to learn more about core and credit requirements.
Sample Courses
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Infectious disease epidemiology monitors the occurrence of infectious diseases and develops strategies for preventing and controlling disease. It requires the use of traditional epidemiologic methods as well as methods that cannot be applied to non-infectious diseases, such as mathematical modeling. In addition to knowing epidemiologic methods, infectious disease epidemiologists need to be familiar with the clinical and biological features of important infectious diseases as well as laboratory techniques for the identification and quantification of infectious agents. This course is designed to provide an introduction to infectious disease epidemiology. It will focus on the tools and methods used in identifying, preventing, and controlling infectious diseases to improve public health. Case studies based on the literature and the work of faculty members will be used to illustrate the real-world application of these tools and methods to address public health problems.