Cornell University Registrar

Program Description

This minor field offers a graduate program in conjunction with several areas of specialization, including nutrition, biometry, environmental toxicology, sociology, statistics, animal science, and veterinary medicine. Students may pursue an M.S., an M.A., or a Ph.D. degree with a minor in epidemiology. Graduate students enrolled in the program conduct their research in the departments of their major advisors. Applicants should have a sound background in mathematics and in the sciences that are consistent with the requirements of their proposed major field of interest.

The study of epidemiology at Cornell is a minor field, and application for admission is made only to the major fields. After matriculation, a student may select to study epidemiology at Cornell by choosing to minor in epidemiology. As per Graduate School procedures, the student choosing to minor in epidemiology will add an epidemiology field member to their special committee to represent the minor field.

Graduate Minor Requirements

Epidemiology is an academic discipline that requires training in the specific principles of the design and analysis of epidemiologic studies, statistical methods appropriate for such studies, and an area of substantive specialization (such as genetics/genomics, animal science, demography, environmental sciences, nutrition, toxicology, or veterinary medicine).

In accordance with the general guidelines for graduate education at Cornell University, the Field of Epidemiology has no specific course requirements beyond the residence units required by the Graduate School. There is one concentration available in Epidemiology, namely 'human and animal epidemiology'. However, all students will be expected to be familiar with the subject matter covered in three areas.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Basic Statistical Methods
Required Courses
BTRY 6010 & BTRY 6020	Statistical Methods I and Statistical Methods II
Epidemiology Methods
Select one of the following:
NS 6520 & NS 6580	The Foundations of Epidemiology and Advanced Epidemiology: Theory and Practice
VTPMD 6640 & VTPMD 6650	Introduction to Epidemiology and Study Designs
Quantitative Methods
Select one of the following:
BTRY 6030
VTPMD 6660	Advanced Methods in Epidemiology
A course appropriate to your interests and with permission of your Epidemiology minor advisor in consultation with the DGS.

These courses will provide a broad overview of epidemiology and the knowledge essential for the design and analysis of epidemiologic research. Additional courses related to the student's area of intended specialization may also be necessary. In particular, students should be aware that there may be additional course requirements if a statistician represents the Minor Field of Epidemiology on the student's committee. In this case, there usually will be the presumption of a highly statistical thesis, and the student usually will be expected to take BTRY 4080 & BTRY 4090 Theory of Statistics in addition to the courses listed above.