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PU5036: EPIDEMIOLOGY (2024-2025)

Last modified: 20 Jun 2025 15:06


Course Overview

This course in applied epidemiology gives an introduction to disease measurement at a population level, basic epidemiological study design and analysis, and provides an understanding of key methodological issues needed to apply when designing – or critically appraising – an epidemiological study.

Course Details

Study Type Postgraduate Level 5
Term First Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Diane Swallow
  • Dr Jennifer Summers

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Postgraduate Programme (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

Teaching and learning for this course will involve a combination of preparatory work for class, podcast lectures, in-class workshops, self-study and revision, a group assignment, and tutorials (self-directed). You will receive approximately 30 hours of pre-work activities and 10 hours of face-to-face synchronous sessions which will provide you with the theoretical background for each topic and opportunity to engage with and apply epidemiological concepts. Typically you are expected to spend around a further 60 hours in private study and 50 hours preparing for assessments.


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 31 August 2025 for 1st Term courses and 19 December 2025 for 2nd Term courses.

Summative Assessments

Class Test

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 40
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
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Critical Appraisal

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 40
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Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
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Group Data Identification Project

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 20
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Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
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Formative Assessment

Quizzes

Assessment Type Formative Weighting
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Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
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Resit Assessments

Exam

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 100
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Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
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Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
FactualAnalyseCalculate and interpret basic epidemiological measures (e.g., incidence/prevalence) and measures of association (e.g., odds ratio, risk ratio).
ConceptualEvaluateRecognise the potential threats to correctly interpreting results and identify those most relevant to each observational study design.
ConceptualEvaluateIdentify and select appropriate sources of data to address epidemiological questions.
ConceptualUnderstandDistinguish between observational study designs and communicate the appropriate circumstances in which to use each design.
ReflectionEvaluateApply the learning above, to critically appraise observational epidemiological studies in terms of context, study design, methods, analysis, conclusions and causal inference.
ConceptualApplyIdentify, define, and contextualise basic epidemiological terminology.

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