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What is Epidemiology?

An epidemiology degree is an exciting field of study within medicine that analyzes the causes, patterns, and effects of health conditions in defined populations.  As the focal point of public policy, the professionals within epidemiology help shape policy within public health issues.

Epidemiologists utilize data, information, and evidence-based research to identify health risks and healthcare solutions to meet a growing, aging population.  Disciplines that exist within the field of epidemiology include:

  • Disease Transmission
  • Etiology
  • Disease Surveillance
  • Outbreak Investigation
  • Health Screening
  • Forensic Epidemiology
  • Biomonitoring
  • Clinical Trials

Professionals in the field of epidemiology use methodologies to uncover the genesis of diseases and health-related issues in a population.  In medical terms, the community is the patient as individuals are aggregated into a collective whole.  By using science to systematically evaluate empirical data, professionals in the field attempt to unearth the root cause of diseases through distribution patterns, risk factors, and demographics.

Career Summary

MEDIAN SALARY

$77,720

PERCENT ABOVE NATIONAL
INCOME AVERAGE

52.31%

TOTAL SECTOR EMPLOYMENT

5,690

Degree Median Salary vs Adjacent Degree Types

Source: BLS, US Census, and IPEDS

2024 Best Epidemiology Degree

Epidemiology is important to public health. Harvard University, being one of the best schools for epidemiology, can provide you knowledge, training, skills, and experience to be the best in the country. If you finish the epidemiology course MPH master program and want to pursue an additional health graduate research degree, the university can help you prepare for this challenge. HU's health professors and research teams really educate you with the necessary approaches for you to learn and master health studies in epidemiology. 

Acceptance Rate

4.64

Student to Faculty Ratio

7:1

The top ranked epidemiology degree program at Yale University is designed for working health professionals. The MPH health research master program is a combination of on-campus leadership training and online learning. This health degree program utilizes an innovative research program, modern tools, and advanced training. Yet it has a flexible curriculum designed with unique preparation. Whenever you want to pursue a higher degree in epidemiology, you are guided and supported by the school's health research team and MPH professors. 

Acceptance Rate

6.08

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

If you want to focus on a comprehensive epidemiology research degree, consider applying for the world-class MPH program at Stanford University. The research faculty of this university can train and educate you about epidemiology, public health, and how important it is to healthcare.  Note that you must have adequate training and skills to meet global needs, especially that diseases and other health-related concerns can affect the health of the public. Pursuing this health research career at the university will make you stand out from other epidemiologists in today’s hyper-competitive marketplace. The university will help you learn all possible research approaches to master this health field specialty field.  

Acceptance Rate

4.34

Student to Faculty Ratio

5:1

If you want to pursue a degree in epidemiology at Columbia University in the City of New York, you can explore what they have to offer in this public master MPH course. You can check out their admission requirements, financial aid information, and tuition, which you need to pursue this education. However, you need to have an MPH or doctorate first before pursuing this degree. Once enrolled, the Columbia health research university professors can teach you approaches on how to be a professional health epidemiologist in the future. 

Acceptance Rate

5.45

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

At Brown University, master students are required to explore the extensive MPH learning and training of the epidemiology degree research program. It should take students two years to finish the professional MPH degree with a thesis and internship. Master students are also provided the option to pursue a specialized MPH concentration. The university has prepared its research based curriculum to train students to become the best epidemiologist of their abilities with a solid health MPH foundation. 

Acceptance Rate

7.07

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

Health students are encouraged to enroll at the University of Pennsylvania MPH program and gain knowledge about the field of epidemiology. Master degree students understand the research and health prowess at UPenn is one of the best universities offering a master degree in epidemiology. Here, the public research university prepares you to pass an epidemiology examination to be a specialist someday. It will also prepare you if you decide to pursue a master degree, known as an MPH, after completing a rigorous undergraduate education. UPenn has all the research tools and public approaches to train to become the best public epidemiologist.

Acceptance Rate

7.66

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

If you pursue an epidemiology major at Vanderbilt University, you are here to research a two-year degree program in health to become the finest epidemiologist someday. Applicants must have a good background in the field of medicine before studying this degree program. The university teaches you the basics of research an public considerations in health and advanced learning about epidemiology. They will also help you if you decide to take up a Master degree in health program known as an MPH. The university, being one of the best in the country, will prepare you to face the challenges of being an epidemiologist.

Acceptance Rate

9.12

Student to Faculty Ratio

7:1

Just like the COVID-19 pandemic that is happening today, epidemiology is one of the major health studies when working professionals enroll at the Washington University of St. Louis. Epidemiology is a health study for the public health of everyone around. At Washington University in St Louis, the student is uniquely trained to become a public health servant once he or she finishes the master degree MPH program. People will be approaching this future epidemiologist for health help and health advice.

Acceptance Rate

13.85

Student to Faculty Ratio

7:1

Epidemiology is public health study master degree (MPH) and prevention of epidemics, health, and public diseases. If you pursue this education at the Johns Hopkins University, they will teach you how to master modern and innovative approaches to being a successful epidemiologist someday via the MPH pathway or master degree. Note that this university is the oldest and largest school in the world. Being that experienced, they can provide you all the information you need in your epidemiology education to master the tools of the public health trade. 

Acceptance Rate

11.17

Student to Faculty Ratio

7:1

Make a meaningful change in your career by enrolling in the master of public health degree and studying at Tufts University. The university can provide you the academic foundation and practical skills to be an efficient epidemiologist after graduation. The master of public health students can pursue a combined career as a doctor and epidemiologist. After their epidemiology education is completed and if they become successful in this career, public health professionals will be aligned to make a viable impact on the world around them.  

Acceptance Rate

14.95

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

The coursework of the epidemiology department at the University of Southern California will take around two years to complete this public health degree. Here, as a student, you will be provided public health skills for research and dissertations. If you want to pursue this public health degree program, you need to have finished your field in Medicine. This is often sufficient public health training so you can easily understand what an epidemiologist’s job is in the future. You will be taking a public health screening examination to qualify for this training program.  

Acceptance Rate

11.42

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

The epidemiology public health course at the University of California – Los Angeles is the study of public health for those working doctors who want to pursue this degree. The public health students are provided with information and training to become a public health servant with some knowledge of epidemiology. The public health program is available for those wanting to pursue a Master’s or Doctorate degree. The university will also help students to become mindful public health epidemiologists. 

Acceptance Rate

12.32

Student to Faculty Ratio

18:1

The epidemiology degree at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor is a two-year public health program for practicing doctors in this area. Here, there will be a study of the causes and prevention as well as the impacts of public health diseases and public health epidemics. It will include the current pandemic as it concerns public health. And to be an efficient and successful epidemiologist someday, you need this training and experience. The university is also renowned for its great public health epidemiology education, which is a plus factor for your future.   

Acceptance Rate

22.91

Student to Faculty Ratio

11:1

It will be a great honor and pleasure if you finish your epidemiology degree at the University of California – Berkeley. The public health faculty at UC Berkeley will teach, train, and provide the relevant skills to be an epidemiologist someday. This university will also prepare its public health students should they decide to take up a doctorate or Master’s degree. It should prepare public health students for the outcome of your future and make you a renowned epidemiologist in the future. 

Acceptance Rate

16.25

Student to Faculty Ratio

20:1

Emory University offers a high-quality public health education for the epidemiology major program. However, you need to have the training and skills as a doctor to be accepted in their university. Students will need to furnish school requirements before they can enroll and study at this university and meet all requisite application items of this public health degree pathway. However, once accepted, you can ensure a rigorous academic career in the future. Education in the field of epidemiology is quite a renowned public health learning domain.  

Acceptance Rate

15.6

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

One of the country’s leading schools for epidemiology is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Experienced public health faculty members will teach and train their students on the most efficient research practices and public health techniques to become one of the best epidemiologists in the United States and around the world. Graduates will become thoughtful public health epidemiologists and public health servants in the future, making them successful and earning more in this field.

Acceptance Rate

22.63

Student to Faculty Ratio

13:1

You can pursue an epidemiology degree at Boston University if you want to enhance your knowledge about medicine and public health. The university can provide innovative and advanced public health training and skills to meet global needs. If you want to make an impact in public health, the school offers a robust degree public health program to jumpstart your vocational aspirations. They will also prepare you for upcoming exams to be certified in this field. The public health training you learn from the university will prepare you for a career in epidemiology in the future. 

Acceptance Rate

18.94

Student to Faculty Ratio

10:1

The Tulane University of Louisiana was founded in the year 1834 and has a total of 6,968 students who are taking undergraduate degrees. It is a private institution located in New Orleans and is recognized for its outstanding health medical degrees. The university also provides students an opportunity to enroll in its epidemiology degree program that focuses on what health causes the disease in humans as well as to investigate the behavioral, genomic, environmental, health and social influences on health. Students will enjoy Tulane’s supportive, accessible, and public collaborative environment.

Acceptance Rate

12.87

Student to Faculty Ratio

8:1

To pursue a health degree program in epidemiology, you need to be a practicing doctor for the experience. Wake Forest University provides health strategies to improve public health and prevent the spread of diseases and epidemics. Competent health faculty will guide their students on the right health approaches to become an epidemiologist. The school ensures that the health training and health skills they provide are used by the future epidemiologist on their patients.

Acceptance Rate

29.6

Student to Faculty Ratio

10:1

Epidemiology is the foundation of health. It’s why the University of Rochester is offering a health degree program for interested students who want to practice epidemiology. They are trained by competent and experienced health faculty, who have researched and studied various health approaches to implement good public health. The university is a great school to learn and train the various aspects of this science-based academic health pursuit along with the follow-on careers in epidemiology.

Acceptance Rate

29.71

Student to Faculty Ratio

10:1

Why not pursue a degree in epidemiology and help the government with public health issues at UF.  Thankfully the University of Florida offers this health course to help protect the public. They instill in their students a solid health foundation to become the best epidemiologist possible. If they want to pursue a Master’s or doctorate degree in epidemiology, the university can help prepare help professionals with this challenge. 

Acceptance Rate

36.58

Student to Faculty Ratio

18:1

The University of California – Irvine is offering a health degree in epidemiology to practice as an epidemiologist. Students begin with a two-year health program where they are taught the basics and more advanced health techniques and approaches of epidemiology. Students are provided with relevant knowledge to master epidemiology. At UC Irvine, health students need to experience and train as a medical practitioner, especially if they want to pursue a Master’s or doctorate degree. It will make the program simpler to practice and understand given the health complexities abound. 

Acceptance Rate

26.54

Student to Faculty Ratio

18:1

To pursue a major in epidemiology, you need to be a practicing doctor for the experience. Wake Forest University provides health strategies to improve public health and prevent the spread of diseases and epidemics. The competent faculty UC San Diego will guide their students on the right health approaches to become an public epidemiologist. The school ensures that the health training and skills they provide are used by the future epidemiologist on their patients.

Acceptance Rate

31.48

Student to Faculty Ratio

19:1

As a private institution, Case Western Reserve University offers research and academic opportunities for students in its friendly and welcoming campus environment. It is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and has been operating since 1967. Today, the university serves more than 11,000 students on its 155 acres campus. One of its most popular health programs is the epidemiology degree that was developed by the department of population and quantitative health science. Students can earn a master’s and doctorate degree upon completion of the lower level health requirements.

Acceptance Rate

27.36

Student to Faculty Ratio

11:1

The University of Miami will help prepare you for a health career in epidemiology. You also have the possibility to proceed with an MPH or Master’s or doctorate degree in this field of health. The health training will provide you more options for work as your move along your career. Here, you learn to understand epidemiology and why it’s important for public health. Experienced and trained health faculty will help you familiarize and master the subjects included in the epidemiology program. 

Acceptance Rate

27.13

Student to Faculty Ratio

12:1

What Do Epidemiologists Study?

Epidemiologists focus on a variety of events, diseases, and health-based issues. Many of these events are not commonly associated with this field of study while other public health programs are more overt. A list of the most common areas includes:

  • Natural Disasters: Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Katrina, Haiti Earthquake, Mexico Earthquake, Volcano Eruptions
  • Environmental: Allergens, asthma triggers, heavy metals, lead, radon
  • Diseases: Split between infectious diseases such as influenza, food poison, pneumonia, HIV and non-infectious diseases like birth defects, cancer, blindness, parasites
  • Terrorism: Anthrax release, Terror Cells, World Trade Center
  • Injuries: Domestic violence, homicides, highway

Top Degrees in Epidemiology

Prospective epidemiologists seeking a career in the field of study have a number of degree options to research. Schools found on this resource page offer a variety of undergraduate epidemiology degrees through graduate degrees. To help epidemiologists determine which path is best to pursue, we have created a summary of degrees below. Additionally, some schools may offer the ability to enroll in an online or hybrid epidemiologic program. To learn more about each public health degree program, simply connect to the schools that fit you best on this resource portal.

Epidemiologist Bachelor Degree

A bachelors degree in the epidemiological field of study is conferred as a Bachelor of Science (BS). While most employers require students to have a graduate degree in the field, a bachelor degree may suffice for certain jobs. Bachelor degrees are designed to be completed in 4-years with part-time students taking longer.

Course work is split between general education courses and science-rich core classes. Liberal arts classes may include courses such as history, philosophy, communications, economics, creative writing, psychology, and sociology. Core science classes will depend on the area of emphasis prescribed by the school but will generally include similar classes. Typical classes include public health, biology, chemistry, statistics, math, data analysis, medical terminology, healthcare systems, and informatics.

Epidemiologist Master Degrees

Masters degrees in the field are conferred as a Master of Public Health (MPH). A masters degree will take 2-4 years to complete. The time it takes to complete an MPH degree will depend on your qualifications, academic requirements, and time invested in a thesis project. Most public health MPH degrees will allow students the opportunity to select an area of concentration or a general degree path. Areas of specialization in an MPH public health master epidemiology research program may entail:

  • Clinical Research
  • Biostatistics
  • Translational Research
  • Public Ethics
  • Global Health Research
  • Genome Science
  • Trauma Research
  • Emergency Care
  • Aging
  • Health Disparities
  • Womens Health Research

Doctorate in Epidemiology

Doctorate degrees in this field are conferred as either a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) or (PhD). A DrPH is a degree designed for practitioners while the PhD track is geared towards research in defined areas of concentration. Online public health doctoral degrees generally take students 3-5 years to complete.

Factors that influence the completion of a PhD or DrPH graduate program include course load, academic requirements, and time invested in a dissertation. School-required dissertation degrees are created to help extend the body of knowledge in the field and add substantially to the existing body of research.

Online Public Health Education Requirements

Students looking to enter the field of epidemiology can expect to take a number of science and medical courses in school. Curricular requirements can vary by graduate program, but you can expect a host of similar classes to be integrated into graduate and undergraduate programs. Examples of classes required in epidemiology include:

Job Outlook & Public Health Programs

Graduates from an accredited epidemiology program will have a unique set of skills and knowledge. This can be plied in a number of science trades in the field of epidemiology and outside the industry. Career specializations that can leverage the knowledge of an epidemiologist can include any number of the following: post-secondary teacher, research specialist, counterterrorism analyst, gene therapy, immunologist, microbiologist, toxicologist, biomedical engineer, virologist, food scientist, medical doctor, or forensic specialist.

Epidemiology Careers

Thinking forward, students will be interested to know the top public health careers in the epidemiological field. We have gathered data from schools across the country to come up with a list of the most popular careers for graduates. These careers include the following vocational tracks:

  • Medical Epidemiology
  • HIV/AIDS Prevention Specialist
  • College or University Professor
  • Public Policy Director
  • Disease Prevention Officer
  • Research Specialist
  • Biostatistics
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Gerontologist
  • Community Health Advocate
  • Clinical Researcher
  • Microbiologist
  • Survey Researcher

Epidemiologists Salary & Public Health Programs

The median annual income for epidemiologists is $70,820 with the top 10% averaging $114,510 a year and the bottom ten percent just under fifty-thousand dollars a year.  The employment projections by the BLS indicate the industry will grow by 9% in the coming decade.   This pace is 50% higher than the national average for all occupations.

The top employers of epidemiologists are state departments, local government, surgical hospitals, universities, and research centers.  The states employing the most epidemiology majors are California followed by Texas and Georgia.  The top paying states are D.C., New Jersey, and Massachusetts each averaging over $100,000 in annual income.

Additional Resources in Epidemiology

For additional information about the occupation field of epidemiology, consider visiting the American College of Epidemiology (ACE) or the American Epidemiological Society (AES).  Both opportunities student resources are national organizations provide a substantive number of resources, events, training, and certification opportunities in the field of study.

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