Note: This is the 2022–2023 eCalendar. Update the year in your browser's URL bar for the most recent version of this page, or .
Program Requirements
Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the patterns and causes of disease in human populations. It forms the core discipline of public health by identifying excess illness and by gaining the etiologic understanding to intervene toward the improvement of population health. The PhD program in epidemiology at McGill trains scientists and health professionals to design and conduct studies, analyze health data and effectively communicate scientific results, and to gain novel insights into the causes and prevention of diseases at the population level. Epidemiologic work at the doctoral level involves a thorough integration of biological knowledge of pathogenesis, statistical knowledge of quantitative analysis and causal inference, and sociological knowledge to place these insights in the context of dynamic and interconnected human populations. Major areas of strength at McGill include epidemiologic methods, clinical epidemiology, infectious diseases, social epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, public and population health, global health, environmental epidemiology, chronic diseases and aging, and perinatal epidemiology.
Thesis
A thesis for the doctoral degree must constitute original scholarship and must be a distinct contribution to knowledge. It must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate ability to plan and carry out research, organize results, and defend the approach and conclusions in a scholarly manner. The research presented must meet current standards of the discipline; as well, the thesis must clearly demonstrate how the research advances knowledge in the field. Finally, the thesis must be written in compliance with norms for academic and scholarly expression and for publication in the public domain.
Required Courses (16 credits)
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EPIB 701 Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination
Overview
Epidemiology & Biostatistics : The comprehensive examination is a written examination. The objective is to assess the degree to which students have been able to assimilate and apply the principles of epidemiologic research. Examinations held twice yearly.
Terms: Summer 2023
Instructors: Infante-Rivard, Claire (Summer)
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EPIB 702 Ph.D. Proposal
Overview
Epidemiology & Biostatistics : Essential skills for thesis writing and defence, including essential elements of research protocols, formulation of research objectives, the design, and strategies.
Terms: Fall 2022, Winter 2023
Instructors: Nandi, Arijit; Abrahamowicz, Michal (Fall) Nandi, Arijit; Abrahamowicz, Michal (Winter)
Note: Required for Ph.D. students.
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EPIB 703 Principles of Study Design (2 credits)
Overview
Epidemiology & Biostatistics : This course will provide an overview of the concepts and principles underlying epidemiologic study design. Focus will be on the importance of appropriately formulating the research question, identifying the target population, defining the relevant entities, and on how these factors affect the validity of study findings. Examples from the published literature will be extensively used to illustrate the crucial points and will be discussed in class.
Terms: Fall 2022
Instructors: Basso, Olga (Fall)
Restriction(s): Registration in the Ph.D. Epidemiology program, or permission of the instructor.
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EPIB 704 Doctoral Level Epidemiologic Methods 1 (4 credits)
Overview
Epidemiology & Biostatistics : Estimation of epidemiologic effect measures and their confidence intervals in a variety of different study designs. Emphasis on analysis of sample data sets using regression models, graphical and tabular presentation of results, causal interpretation of effect estimates, writing reports for scientific publications, and sensitivity analyses for violated assumptions.
Terms: Fall 2022
Instructors: Brophy, James; Carabali, Mabel (Fall)
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EPIB 705 Doctoral Level Epidemiologic Methods 2 (4 credits)
Overview
Epidemiology & Biostatistics : The course has a conceptual and analytical causal inference perspective. The nature of specific study biases resulting in non-causal components in the observed association between exposure and outcome are discussed, including endogenous selection bias, measured and unmeasured confounding, and measurement error. Methods to recover the causal effect with such biases are presented. Causal mediation analysis is discussed. Models for survival analysis are discussed as well as the problem of- and some solutions to missing data. A brief overview of genetic epidemiology principles is covered.
Terms: Winter 2023
Instructors: Platt, Robert (Winter)
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EPIB 706 Doctoral Seminar in Epidemiology (3 credits)
Overview
Epidemiology & Biostatistics : This course aims to provide an opportunity to students who have completed the Epidemiology course series in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, to optimize their training in ways that will be helpful to their thesis research and to the development of their career as epidemiologists. The content of this interactive course and the delivery of the material is primarily determined by students based on the knowledge gaps that they identify. The course will allow students to expand their methodological tool box, explore controversies in epidemiology, and gain experience synthesizing and communicating complex concepts to an informed audience.
Terms: Winter 2023
Instructors: Harper, Sam (Winter)
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EPIB 707 Research Design in Health Sciences (3 credits)
Overview
Epidemiology & Biostatistics : Lectures and discussions and student oral and written presentations with the aim of providing guidance and experience in the development of objectives, background and methods for both the formulation of, and the constructive peer criticism of, research protocols in the health sciences.
Terms: Fall 2022
Instructors: Yang, Seungmi (Fall)
Complementary Courses (9 credits)
9 credits of coursework, at the 500 level or higher, with a minimum of 3 credits in biostatistics and 6 credits in epidemiology and/or substantive topic (normally related to the thesis topic). Courses must be chosen in consultation with the student’s supervisor and/or the degree program’s director or adviser.
Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences—2022-2023 (last updated Sep. 7, 2022) (disclaimer)
