Course syllabus

 

 

Overview

The MPH221 Epidemiology and Biostatistics course is a mandatory component of the Master of Public Health (MPH) program and is also available as a stand-alone course.

This course equips students with essential skills to design epidemiological studies, collect, analyze, and interpret data to address different medical and public health issues. The course will also cover ethical principles in epidemiological research. It provides a foundational understanding of biostatistics and epidemiology through a combination of lectures, computer exercises, and seminars. Students will learn core theories and problem-solving techniques, while also gaining practical experience with statistical tools, including Stata software.

Throughout the course, participants will engage in individual and group exercises to apply the knowledge they have gained. In addition, there will be summary sessions and Q&A opportunities to prepare students for their final examinations.

 

Outcome Measures

Computer Exercises: Six computer exercise sessions are mandatory. Participants are required to attend the practical sessions and perform statistical analyses using various datasets. For each mandatory exercise, students must compile an individual report containing the analysis outputs, interpretations, and reasoning behind their approach, and be ready to report and discuss the answers during the mandatory follow-up sessions. One of the exercises, "Descriptive statistics using Stata", requires a written hand-in.

Seminars: Throughout the course, there will be several mandatory seminars. Participants will be divided into smaller groups to discuss selected papers on various topics. Each group will present their discussion findings during moderated sessions.

Part A Exam: In week 9, there is a DISA-exam where the students will be assessed on the learning objectives covered in the first part of the course.

Part B Exam: In week 13, there is a computer-based exam where the students will be assessed mainly on the learning objectives covered in the second part of the course.

Class Participation and Discussion: Active participation and engagement in class discussions are key components of the course, and they contribute significantly to the notes provided. Students are encouraged to attend and participate in all classes.

Additional information

Additional details on course content, objectives, and assessments can be found in the Course Syllabus.

• Course Syllabus
• Course Schedule (note, this schedule is preliminary and changes may occur)
  
• Literature list  
  Note: The fourth edition of Medical Statistics is no longer available as a printed book. However, the fifth edition is now in circulation. Through the GU library, you will have access to e-books for both editions. We will reference sections from both editions throughout the course, so please be sure to note which edition is being referred to in the recommended readings for each session.

Lash et al. and Kumar are not currently included in the literature list, but these are excellent resources that will help students gain a deeper understanding of epidemiology and research. These books will be referenced during the course and will be added to the literature list in the future.

 

For the computer exercise sessions, we will be using regular lecture rooms. All students must bring their own laptops with Stata installed. If a student is unable to bring a laptop, they will be asked to work in pairs with another student during the session.

Please note that for the computer-based exam, you must use the computers in either computer room 2158 (Medicinaregatan) or 3012 (Hälsovetarbacken). We strongly recommend that you spend some self-study time in these computer rooms beforehand to ensure that you can log in to the computer and Canvas, run Stata, and write and save Word documents on the stationary computers. This will help ensure that you are fully prepared for the exam.

 

Download and install Stata

To install Stata on your computer:

• The software Stata/SE can be downloaded through the GU student portal, link: https://download.gu.se/index_eng.php

• Please choose Stata/SE 18 (version 17 is also acceptable if that is your only option). When prompted for license information, leave the "Organisation" field blank. You can find the necessary information for the other fields by clicking the "Licence code" link next to the download links.

• Once you’ve completed the installation, please ensure that you can open and run Stata

 

Contact information
Course coordinators: Anna Rehammar anna.rehammar@gu.se and
                                    Nawi Ng nawi.ng@gu.se 

Course administrator: Teresa Petersson publichealth@medicin.gu.se 

 

General student information

Find your way to and on campus

Programme information on Studentportal

Checklist for new students

Course registration, results and certificates

Written examination 

Disability study support

Study Environment and Rules

Application form for adaptation of exam.pdf

Instructions - Application for adaptation for examination

Academic honesty, updated feb 2023.pdf