Requirements and Guidelines

for the Graduate Group in Epidemiology


2008/2009 Academic Year

Last Updated 08-03-09

Table of Contents

I. Guidance

A. Major Professor
B. Guidance Committee
C. Designation of Students to Advisers
D. Area of Emphasis, Special Topic and Course Plan

II. Courses

A. Transfer of Credit

1. Concurrent Courses
2. Summer Sessions
3. Undergraduate Status
4. University Extension
5. University of California
6. Other Universities
   

B. Non-graded S/U Courses and 298 Courses

C. Unit Load

D. Required Courses

1. Required Seminar for all GGE Students

E. Annual Evaluation of Progress

F. Double Majors

III. Degree Programs

A. Master's Degree

1. Requirements for MS Degree
   1. Residency
   2. Scholarship
2. Choice of Degree Plan
3. Degree Plans and Unit Requirements
4. Required and Suggested Area of Emphasis Courses
5. Advancement to Candidacy
6. Thesis Proposal (Plan I)
7. Thesis Committee (Plan I)
8. Examination (Plan II)
9. Transfer to the PhD Program

B. Doctoral Degree

1. Residency
2. Scholarship
3. Pre-Qualifying Written Examination
   1. Materials Covered
   2. Examination Committee
   3. Nature of Examination
   4. Examination Outcome
4. Research Proposal Seminar
5. Qualifying Examination
   1. Timing of the Examination
   2. Eligibility
   3. Selection of the Committee
   4. Student Responsibilities
   5. Format and Administration
   6. Examination
   7. Assessment of Student Peformance by Committee
6. Transfer from PhD to MS
7. Advancement to Candidacy
8. The Dissertation
9. Selection of Dissertation Committee
10. Dissertation Topic
11. Dissertation Exit Seminar
12. Dissertation Defense
13. Filing the Dissertation
14. Abstracts
15. Filing Fee
    1. Eligibility
16. Non-resident Tuition Reduction after Advancement to Candidacy

Progress Outline

Faculty Areas of Interest

Appendix A - Guidance Committee Form

Appendix B - Area of Emphasis

Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Health Services and Health Economics
Epidemiologic Methods and Biostatistics
Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology
Nutritional Epidemiology
Wildlife Epidemiology
Zoonotic and Vector-borne Diseases

Appendix C - Required Coursework

Appendix D - Reseasrch Proposal

A. Major Professor
The term “major professor” is used by the Group to indicate the faculty member who is or who will be guiding the student in his/her research. Before advancement of the student to candidacy, the Chair of the Guidance Committee acts in the capacity of the major professor for both MS and Ph.D. students. The Chair of the Guidance Committee may be changed by the Graduate Adviser, after consultation with the student, if the new Chair is more closely aligned with the student’s research interests or if the previous chair cannot serve due to sabbatical leave or illness. After advancement to candidacy (completing at least half the coursework on their program of study for MS students and passing of the Oral Qualifying Exam for Ph.D. students) and after consultation with the student, a faculty member is nominated by the Graduate Adviser to serve as Chair of the Dissertation Committee. The major professor should be considered to be the principal faculty contact for the student. Back to top

B. Guidance Committee Initially, each student will have a Guidance Committee composed of three Academic Senate faculty, at least two of whom must be members of the Graduate Group in Epidemiology (GGE), appointed by the Graduate Adviser in consultation with the student. The GGE faculty member whom the student suggests as Chair of his/her Dissertation or Thesis Committee (“major professor”) will be appointed Chair of the Guidance Committee. If the student does not know who will be his/her major professor, an interim chair will be appointed by the Graduate Adviser until the third quarter of the first year, which is the deadline for determination of the major professor. If the major professor is different from the Chair, the major professor will be appointed as the new Chair of the Guidance Committee. The Chair must be a member of the GGE. Guidance Committees are appointed via the GGE “Guidance Committee” form (Appendix A) which accommodates signatures of the three members and the Graduate Adviser. The Guidance Committee shall recommend to the Graduate Adviser: 1) the equivalency of any prerequisite and required courses taken at an institution other than UCD, 2) the course work needed to fulfill the requirements in an appropriate field of emphasis and special topic, and 3) whether the student has met course requirements, and is eligible to request advancement to candidacy (M.S. students) or the qualifying examination (Ph.D. students). The Guidance Committee should meet as a group with the student during the first quarter after admission and at least once a year thereafter, or when there are changes in the course of study. More frequent meetings are recommended. After the student has been advanced to candidacy, the Guidance Committee will be replaced by the Thesis (M.S.) or Dissertation (Ph.D.) Committee. Back to top

C. Designation of Students to Advisers Each student is asked to choose an adviser from the Committee of Graduate Advisers during the first quarter of enrollment. This person will serve as their Graduate Adviser. If a student does not choose one, a Graduate Adviser will be assigned by the Committee of Graduate Advisers. See the Policy and Procedure Manual on the GGE web site for more details. Back to top

D. Area of Emphasis, Special Topic, and Course Plan The area of emphasis is the major focus of research the student will pursue within the broad scope of epidemiology, and the special topic is the specific disease, condition or problem the student will investigate in his/her research. The area of emphasis, special topic, and appropriate course plan are determined by the student in consultation with his/her Guidance Committee and approved by the Graduate Adviser. For satisfactory progress to be made, the area of emphasis, special topic, and course plan must be filed by the end of the first quarter of the student’s enrollment as a graduate student in the GGE. The area of emphasis, special topic, and course plan may be changed later, with approval of the Guidance Committee and Graduate Adviser. All students (Ph.D. and M.S.) must complete a minimum of 9 elective units in their area of emphasis. Ph.D. students and M.S. students on Plan II (exam option) must take a minimum of 12 elective units total in approved courses, which includes, the 9 area of emphasis units (see Appendix B). Within the various areas of emphasis, certain classes may be required of all students selecting that area. To request an area of emphasis other than one of those suggested, a request must be made in writing by the Chair of the Guidance Committee to the Adviser. In consultation with the Graduate Group in Epidemiology (GGE) Educational Policy Committee, the Adviser will determine appropriateness of the suggested area of emphasis. GGE faculty wishing to add a new suggested area of emphasis or a course to an existing area of emphasis should submit a request to the GGE Educational Policy Committee. Back to top

II. Courses

A. Transfer of Credit With the consent of the Graduate Adviser and the Dean of Graduate Studies, some work taken elsewhere may be credited toward degree requirements. The limit for the transfer of such credit is six units from another institution or up to one-half of the unit requirement from another campus of the University of California, if the units were not used to satisfy the requirements for another degree. Back to top

1. Concurrent Courses
A student may be allowed to transfer up to twelve units of credit for upper division and graduate work taken through UC Davis Open Campus (Extension) courses prior to admission to a graduate program. A letter from the Graduate Adviser indicating approval of the transfer must be sent to Graduate Studies before the transfer can be made. The student will be required to submit an official copy of the current University Extension transcript if one is not already on file in Graduate Studies. Students will receive unit and grade point credit for their transferred concurrent course work. Back to top

2. Summer Sessions Credit for work taken during the Davis Summer Sessions prior to admission may be transferred towards the graduate program provided the work was done after receipt of the bachelor’s degree and was not a requirement for admission. Back to top

3. Undergraduate Status
Under current regulations at UC Davis, as many as six units of graduate course work taken by a student in undergraduate status may be credited towards a graduate degree program provided they were not used in satisfaction of the unit or any other requirements for the bachelor’s degree. Only 200-level courses are eligible for transfer. Back to top

4. University Extension
By Academic Senate regulation, University Extension X300 level courses cannot be used to satisfy unit requirements for graduate degrees. Back to top

5. University of California
Up to one half of the unit requirement may be transferred from graduate level enrollment at another UC campus. Grade points and residency are transferable. Back to top

6. Other Universities
Up to six units may be transferred from another university if the student was in graduate status. 100 or 200 level courses may be transferred; grade points do not transfer. Back to top

B. Non - graded S/U Courses and 298 Courses
Students who have not advanced to candidacy may take one S/U course per quarter with approval of the Graduate Adviser and the Associate Dean of Students. The course must be in an area that is new or exploratory for the student (e.g., not in the special topic or area of emphasis). Courses designated by the number 298 have not been approved by the Academic Senate and, therefore, are not acceptable to fulfill either required courses or the 9 units of electives necessary for the area of emphasis. Back to top

C. Unit Load
Graduate students are expected to enroll for a minimum of 12 units each quarter. Exceptions are part-time students, first quarter international students and students with special circumstances. If a student has special circumstances, the Graduate Adviser should advise Graduate Studies, so a “hold” is not placed on the student’s registration. Units of 299 should be assigned for students doing supervised preparation for qualifying examinations. For budgetary purposes, Graduate Studies wants students to enroll in course work (12 units) each quarter, before the last day of the third week of classes. The following are suggestions from Graduate Studies for course loads for full-time students. Back to top

1. Students should not enroll for more than 16 units of 100 and 200 level courses combined or for more than 12 units of 200 level course work.

2. Teaching Assistants are not expected to enroll in more than 9 units of seminar or graded course work, but should try to attain the expected 12 unit load with appropriate 299 units and credit for courses in techniques of teaching and laboratory supervision. Credit for these legitimate activities can increase the number of credits the T.A. receives without increasing the workload.

3. Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs) should enroll in 12 units. These 12 units can be made up of courses on the student’s program of study, any other elective courses, and 299s.

D. Required Courses
Required courses (Appendix C) are those required of all students in the program (M.S. and Ph.D.). These requirements cannot be waived, and Ph. D. students must meet these requirements prior to taking their Oral Qualifying Examination. Back to top

1. Required Seminar for all GGE Students
The EPI 290 course, offered Fall and Spring quarters each year with one unit of credit, is required of all GGE students for both quarters each year until a student advances to candidacy, after which attendance is strongly recommended. It will be the Graduate Adviser’s responsibility to ensure that all students satisfy this important requirement.
The seminar series will be organized in such a way that a broad number of topics are considered. Research topics should be included, but topics need not necessarily be exclusively in this category. The purpose of this seminar is to provide as wide a forum as possible, which shall include discussions of epidemiological and relevant statistical methodology and their applications to the study of various species, in order that students and faculty alike will have regular access to the variety and richness of topics that relate to the core discipline of Epidemiology. While this richness is certainly available across the campus in the form of a collection of separate seminars, we recognize the need to provide a single forum which covers this breadth. Back to top

E. Annual Evaluation of Progress
The median time to degree depends on whether students have a prior related degree, such as a Master’s Degree in Statistics or an MPVM degree, because the time to complete course work differs for these two groups. The median times to degree for MS students are 2-3 years and for PhD students are approximately 4 years (with prior degree) and 6 years otherwise.
Graduate Council policy requires the Graduate Adviser to file an annual, written evaluation of the academic progress of each graduate student. This procedure is intended to ensure that each student receives from the faculty (Major Professor or Guidance Committee Chair) a careful, written assessment of his/her progress at least once during every academic year. On the basis of this evaluation, each student who is rated as making unsatisfactory progress receives a warning letter from Graduate Studies indicating specific conditions that must be met in order to continue in graduate status. A satisfactory progress report does not necessarily imply that a student will ultimately succeed in completing a graduate program. These reports do, however, serve to provide the student and Graduate Studies with a more accurate assessment of performance than might otherwise be available.
Students will be evaluated annually (July of every year) on their progress. Ph.D. students must maintain a G.P.A. of 3.3 (B+) or better and M.S. students 3.0 (B) or better in all graduate and upper division course work to maintain satisfactory progress. For PhD students in the GGE, satisfactory progress consists of:

1. GPA of 3.3 or better
2. Successful completion of Oral Qualifying Examination and advancement to candidacy filed within 2 quarters of becoming eligible to take the examination, within 2 years of entering the program for students with a prior related degree and within 3 years of entering the program for students without a prior related degree
3. Completion of all degree requirements, including successful exit seminar on the dissertation and filing of the dissertation, within 3 years of advancing to candidacy and within 5 or 6 years of entering the PhD program, depending on prior degree status. Students who exceed either of the above requirements by less than one year at the annual evaluation of progress (June 30) will be given a “marginal” evaluation, and students who exceed either requirement by more than one year will be given an “unsatisfactory” evaluation. Appeals for exceptions to this policy may be made to the Committee of Graduate Advisers. Back to top

III. Degree Programs
The Graduate Group in Epidemiology offers MS degrees under Plan I (Thesis Option) and Plan II (Comprehensive examination Option), and Ph.D degree under Plan B. The specific requirements for these degrees as listed below: Back to top

A. The Master’s Degree
A Master’s degree is awarded to recognize a student’s command of a wide range of knowledge in a specific area or field. A Master’s degree may be awarded upon completion of one of two basic plans in which either a thesis or a comprehensive examination is required. Back to top

1. Requirements for M.S. Degree

a. Residency: Candidates for the M.S. degree must be in residence at least three academic quarters. Two consecutive six-week summer sessions may be counted as the equivalent of one regular quarter. A minimum of two units must be taken in each session. Back to top

b. Scholarship: Only courses in the 100, 200, 300 or 400 series in which the student receives grades of A, B, C and S may be counted in satisfaction of the requirements for the Master’s degree. A course in which a student receives a D+ or lower cannot be used to satisfy the unit requirement for the Master’s degree but will count in determining the grade point average. Courses in the 300 or 400 series may be accepted as 200 series courses if they have been approved by Graduate Council as graduate-level courses. Students must maintain a G.P.A. of 3.0 or better in all upper division and graduate courses elected during their residence as graduate students. Back to top

2. Choice of Degree Plan: Students must satisfactorily complete either a Thesis (Plan I) or a Comprehensive Examination (Plan II). Back to top

3. Master’s Degree Plans and Unit Requirements
There are two degree plans for Master’s students: 1) The Thesis Plan (Plan I), and the Examination Plan (Plan II). In the Thesis Plan (Plan I), students are required to take a minimum of 30 units of courses and a minimum of 6 credits of research units (EPI 299). In Examination Plan (Plan II), students are required to take a minimum of 36 units of courses. Back to top

4. Required and Suggested Area of Emphasis Courses for M.S
Required classes (Appendix C) are those required of all students in the program (M.S. and Ph.D.), with the exception of EPI 208, Analysis & Interpretation of Epidemiologic Data. EPI 208 is no longer required for the Master’s degree due to the fact that it will now be offered in the Fall quarter, which would make it impossible for some students to complete the MS program in two years or less. However, in lieu of taking 208, MS students must select a suitable alternative regular course, with the approval of the Committee of Graduate Advisers (in conjunction with the GGE Educational Policy Committee if necessary). EPI 208 would of course be an acceptable choice. These requirements cannot be waived. A minimum of 9 credits in Area of Emphasis courses must also be taken (Appendix B). Back to top

5. Advancement to Candidacy
Master’s degree students should file an official application for Advancement to Candidacy after completion of at least one-half of the course requirements for the degree and at least one quarter before completion of all degree requirements. The forms can be obtained from Graduate Studies, Rm. 250 Mrak Hall or found on their website (http://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/) Back to top

6. Master’s Thesis Proposal (Plan I)
For students in Plan I, a research topic must be approved by the student’s Guidance Committee prior to commencing research, usually by the end of the first year or beginning of the second year. Back to top

7. Thesis Committee (Plan I)
For students in Plan I, after Guidance Committee approval of the topic, a thesis committee with three members will be nominated by the Graduate Adviser, in consultation with the student, and appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies or Chair of the Graduate Council. The completed thesis must be approved by the Thesis Committee. The topic should be acceptable to all three members of the Committee when they agree to serve, and a joint meeting of the committee members and the student should be held at that time. The thesis will be presented in a GGE seminar open to the public. Back to top

8. Examination (Plan II)
Master’s students in examination Plan II are required to complete a comprehensive oral examination administered by a committee of at least three members nominated by the Graduate Adviser, in consultation with the student. Back to top

9. Transfer to the PhD Program
MS students who desire to enter the PhD program must have at least a 3.3 GPA in courses taken while enrolled in the MS option, in addition to receiving a letter of recommendation from the proposed major professor. Students then petition the Committee of Graduate Advisers (who should consult with the Admissions Committee) for a change of degree objective (MS to PhD). Back to top

B. The Doctoral Degree
The recipient of a Ph.D. degree is understood to possess thorough knowledge of a broad field of learning and to have given evidence of distinguished accomplishment in that field. The degree is a warrant of critical ability and powers of imaginative synthesis. The degree also signifies that the recipient has presented a doctoral dissertation containing an original contribution to knowledge in her or his chosen field of study. Back to top

Requirements for Ph.D. Degree

1. Residency:
Students working toward a doctorate must be registered and in University (Graduate Studies) residence for a minimum of six quarters. Two consecutive six-week summer sessions may be counted as the equivalent of one regular quarter if at least two units are taken in each. Back to top

2. Scholarship:
Students must have completed all required course work and have achieved a G.P.A. of 3.3 or better in all graduate work. Back to top

3. Pre-Qualifying Written Examination
After completion of coursework and equivalents, and before the oral qualifying examination, students must pass a pre-qualifying written examination. The purposes of the written examination are to determine whether a PhD student has mastered the material offered in the required core courses and to improve assessment of students during the Qualifying Examination by reducing time spent examining the student on material covered in didactic instruction. Back to top

a. Materials Covered: The areas covered in the written examination will be those presented in the required core courses in basic epidemiology, epidemiologic study design, advanced epidemiology, and statistics. Material to be examined will be limited to that presented in those core courses and will be described in a student syllabus, which will identify subjects, topics, and concepts, with the skills, knowledge, and/or abilities expected of the student. EPI 208, Analysis & Interpretation of Epidemiologic Data, will no longer be on the Pre-Qualifying Written Examination; however, EPI 208 material will be on the Qualifying Examination (QE). Back to top

b. Examination Committee: An Examination Committee consisting of 6 faculty will be appointed by the Executive Committee to develop and maintain the syllabus, to develop and grade examination questions, to schedule and administer the examination, and to report results of the examination. The Committee will have a Chair, and will be composed of two statisticians and four epidemiologists, with a membership representing the Schools of Veterinary Medicine and Medicine and another School or College. The Committee will develop questions from a bank of questions presented by GGE faculty members. The Committee will assess the appropriateness of each question and the answer provided by the faculty member who developed the question, after consulting with those who have provided instruction in the core courses. Each question will be graded by at least 2 faculty, the one who proposed the question and 1 of the committee members. Previous exam questions will be available for students to review. Back to top

c. Nature of the examination: Exam questions will test the student’s knowledge of epidemiologic and statistical methods and of their theoretical bases and the student’s ability to evaluate methodology, analyze data, and demonstrate logical interpretation of data. Question types will be essay, problem solving, and derivations. The examination will be an integrated exam which covers basic epidemiology, epidemiologic design, advanced epidemiology and statistics. It is expected that questions relating to epidemiology will constitute approximately 70% of the examination and statistics approximately 30%. The exam will take place during two 4-hour sessions (1 session per day) for 2 days in September, about 2 weeks before the Fall quarter begins.
Early in the following April, students who did not pass one or both parts in their first attempt will retake the part(s) of the exam they did not pass. The duration and scheduling of the sessions will be the same as for the first examination.
Examinations will be identified by a confidential student code, which will be un-blinded after the exam has been graded, the score has been determined, and a ‘Pass’, ‘Not Pass’, or ‘Fail’ decision has been made. Back to top

d. Examination outcome:
The passing score for the examination will be determined by the examination committee for each offering of the examination. Passing scores will not be determined by ‘curve grading’. Within 4 weeks of the last day of the September examination, the Examination Committee will submit the final score and a Pass or Not Pass to the Chair of the GGE and the Graduate Advisers. Students will be notified of a Pass or Not Pass result.
Students who receive a Not Pass on the first examination in September will have an opportunity to retake the portions of the exam that they did not pass in the early spring. In the second, retake examination, the passing score will again be determined by the examination committee. Within 4 weeks of the last day of the examination, the Examination Committee will submit the final score and a Pass or Fail to the Chair of the GGE and the Graduate Advisers. Students will be notified of a Pass or Fail result. A student who receives a Fail in the second examination will be dropped from the program. Students have the right to appeal the Examination Committee’s decision to the Executive Committee and/or to Graduate Studies. Back to top

4. Research Proposal Seminar: The student is required to present a seminar describing the proposed dissertation research topic. The seminar should indicate the specific hypotheses, and reasoning behind the hypotheses, design, materials, assays, methods, statistical tests, and anticipated results. The seminar must be presented prior to the Qualifying Examination. All Qualifying Exam committee members must attend, and the seminar must be advertised by e-mail to the entire GGE. Back to top

5. Qualifying Examination: Students must pass the pre-qualifying written and Qualifying Examinations (see Pre-Qualifying and Qualifying Examinations sections of this Document.)
Students in a PhD program at the University of California are required by the University to pass the Qualifying Examination (QE) before being advanced to candidacy for the degree. The Qualifying Examination Committee evaluation will consider relevant portions of the student’s academic record and performance on the examination in making an overall evaluation of the student’s performance and potential for scholarly research.
The purpose of the QE in the GGE is to assess whether the student is prepared for and capable of independent and critical thinking in general, and especially in the broad areas of epidemiology, statistics, the area of emphasis, and in the special topic selected by the student, and to assess whether the student is qualified to pursue the formal research phase of the PhD program.
The QE differs from the GGE pre-qualifying written examination in that the QE evaluates the student’s ability to integrate and utilize the knowledge and skills critical for independent and creative research and analysis. The pre-qualifying examination emphasizes the assessment of mastery, working knowledge, and understanding of the materials presented in the required core courses of the GGE program; whereas the QE focuses on the student’s ability to synthesize ideas and concepts, formulate approaches, problem-solve, and demonstrate the breadth and depth of knowledge at an advanced level of understanding of the theory and concepts in areas being examined. QE assessment often is made partly in the context of the student’s proposed research, whereas assessment in the pre-qualifying examination does not. Back to top

a. Timing of the Examination
If minimal or no required course work has been undertaken prior to admission, the Qualifying Examination should be taken between Spring quarter of the second year and the end of Spring quarter of the third year. If significant course work (e.g., Master in Preventive Veterinary Medicine course work) has been taken prior to admission, however, the student is expected to take the Qualifying Examination before Fall quarter of the third year. Failure to meet these milestones may be considered unsatisfactory progress. Once each quarter, the Graduate Advisers will nominate Qualifying Committees for those students who will become eligible to take the Qualifying Examination by the end of that quarter. The date of the examination will be determined by the student and the committee chair. It is the responsibility of the student to arrange the date and time of the examination with all committee members. The examination should be scheduled at least 3 months from the time committee nominations are submitted to Graduate Studies. Note that some faculty are on 9-month appointments and may not be available during the summer. Back to top

b. Eligibility
To be eligible for the Qualifying Examination the student must have satisfied all GGE course requirements, removed any deficiencies, and have at least a ‘B +’ (3.3 G.P.A.) average for all upper division and 200-series courses taken while registered as a graduate student. The student must be registered for the quarter in which any portion of the examination is taken. In order to take the Qualifying Examination over the summer, the student must be registered during spring quarter. Back to top

c. Selection of the Committee
A Qualifying Examination Committee ordinarily consists of five members. The student should meet with the Graduate Adviser at least three months prior to the proposed date of the examination to discuss the examination. The student is to notify the Graduate Adviser of the field of the special topic, which he/she will defend. The field of special topic is the minor area of specialization the student intends to pursue during the research phase of the program. If a student wishes, he/she may submit names of faculty he/she considers qualified to examine the student in the fields of the Area of Emphasis and Special Topic. During the quarter in which all course requirements will have been met, the Graduate Adviser will submit to the student an initial list of faculty for the Committee. There should be no expectation that any of those listed by the student necessarily will be nominated. One member may be appointed from outside the Group. See the adviser’s document of the Policy and Procedure Manual for further details.
After consulting with the student, the Adviser will submit nominations to Graduate Studies. Any member who serves on the Qualifying Committee is ineligible to serve later as Chair of the Dissertation Committee. Qualifying Committees are appointed by Graduate Studies, which asks that the Graduate Adviser nominate faculty for a Qualifying Examination at least eight weeks prior to the examination date. A student must not take the examination prior to formal appointment of the committee by Graduate Studies. Requirements for membership on Qualifying Examination Committees have been established by the Graduate Council in an effort to ensure that the examination is a fair and accurate measure of the student’s ability and progress. A member of a committee must have earned a doctorate and must have demonstrated creative and independent research and distinguished accomplishment in the field being examined. Under some circumstances, one member of the committee, who is not a faculty member of the University of California, may be appointed on the basis of special expertise and qualifications. The Graduate Adviser must submit to Graduate Studies a brief statement indicating the potential appointee’s affiliation and title and degrees held, and describing the special expertise that is not otherwise available. A curriculum vitae and a letter from the nominated person indicating willingness to serve also should be submitted. If a student is dissatisfied with a nomination, the student should submit an appeal to the Executive Committee of the GGE via the Chair of the GGE. If the student is dissatisfied with the decision of the Executive Committee, the student may submit an appeal to the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. Back to top

d. Student Responsibilities
Prior to nomination of the QE committee, the student should provide the Graduate Adviser with a one-page abstract or summary of the student’s proposed research, including the hypothesis and methods to assist the Graduate Adviser in identifying appropriate faculty to serve on the QE. The student should meet with each nominated QE committee member at least twice before the scheduled examination. Frequency, duration, and number of meetings between an individual committee members and the student are decided by those two individuals. The purposes of the meetings should be to understand the committee member’s expectations for the student’s performance on the QE, to identify relevant material and approaches for preparation, and to familiarize the faculty with the student’s proposed research. Students may enroll in an EPI 299 course with each faculty member, if warranted by the body of subject material and agreed upon by the committee member. Students should notify their Graduate Adviser if a committee member could not accommodate a request to meet at least twice before the scheduled examination. The student must contact each member of the QE committee to determine dates and times available for the QE, and must notify each QE committee member of the final date, time, and location of the QE.
The student must reserve a room for the QE for at least 4 hours for the date and time; the typical time for the examination process is at least 3 hours. The GGE administrative support person can help the student identify available rooms. The student is responsible for scheduling, in conjunction with the QE committee members, the required GGE seminar on his/her proposed research sometime before the QE; the seminar must be attended by all QE members.
In coordination with the chair of the QE committee, the student must provide each QE committee member with a written project proposal at least one week before the scheduled examination. General recommendations for the written proposal are provided in the “Requirements and Guidelines for the GGE”, but the student should consult with the chair of the QE committee to determine any specific expectations the committee members may have for format, detail, and length of the proposal. Back to top

e. Format and Administration of the Examination
The general guidelines for administration of the QE, including responsibility of the QE committee chair, options for passing, not passing, or failing, and advancement to candidacy are available from Graduate Studies, UC Davis, Mrak Hall.
Shortly after the QE committee receives notification of its nomination, the QE committee chair, in consultation with the Graduate Adviser and the QE committee, should determine if the examination should proceed, as judged by a review of the student’s transcripts, to verify that all requirements have been met, to assess performance in required core and elective courses and in the research proposal seminar, and to assess preparation for his/her area of emphasis and special topic. Copies of student’s transcripts and of the approved course plan, which indicates all the courses taken to fulfill the Area of Emphasis and Special Topic, will be provided at the time of notification of nomination by the Graduate Adviser. Although the Guidance Committee, “major professor”, Graduate Adviser, and Committee of Graduate Advisers all are responsible for assessing whether the student is prepared to take the QE, the QE committee assumes the final responsibility in determining whether the examination should proceed. The committee, or a committee member communicating through the chair, however, may determine at any time before the scheduled QE that the student is not prepared to take the QE and that the QE should not proceed as scheduled.
If it is determined that the QE should not proceed, the chair is responsible for communicating in writing to the student, with copy to the Graduate Adviser, why the committee believes the QE should not proceed and what student deficiencies must be met in a specified time frame before the QE can be rescheduled. The rescheduled QE should take place in the most expedient and specified time frame based on student deficiencies that need to be fulfilled, preferable within six months of the first scheduled QE.
If it is determined that the QE should proceed, the QE committee will determine, by majority vote, the specific format of the exam. The format should consider whether, in addition to the oral component, the examination will include a written component from one or more committee members, the specific format for any written component, whether or not the student should present an overview of the proposed research, the duration of any such presentation, the format for oral questioning, and scheduled breaks in the examination. Students should be given at least 2 months to complete any written component of the QE, which should be handed back to the QE committee at least 2 weeks before the scheduled date of the QE. Written questions may also be given for retake of certain portions of the exam on which the student’s performance was not adequate (any written component is considered part of this administration of the QE). While students are encouraged to use library resources, the student may not discuss written questions with individuals other than members of their QE committee. The QE committee is responsible for ensuring that the anticipated effort to be put forth by the student in completing the examination is fair and reasonable.
The content of examination questions or material used by an individual committee member to assess student abilities is determined by the individual member; academic freedom dictates that the content of questions or examination material of individual faculty members is not subject to debate by the QE committee. All members of the QE committee must meet formally as a group with the student to administer the QE, to clarify any written responses to questions administered prior to the scheduled QE, and to assess the student’s overall performance on the examination. All committee members are required to attend (as required by the Academic Senate), and should actively participate, during the entire scheduled QE of the student. The QE should not be allowed to proceed if all members will not or cannot be present during the entire scheduled examination. Back to top

f. Examination
In preparing for the qualifying examination, the following significance and expectation of the Ph.D. degree should be borne in mind by the student and qualifying committee: “The recipient of the Ph.D. degree is understood to possess thorough knowledge of a broad field of learning and to have given evidence of creative and distinguished accomplishment in that field; the degree is a warrant of critical ability and powers of imaginative synthesis” (Graduate Adviser’s Handbook).
The dissertation proposal (Appendix D) is to be prepared by the student and distributed to the committee at least one week prior to the examination. The proposal is to be written in the format of an N.I.H. or U.S.D.A. grant and should not exceed six typed single-spaced pages. The proposal will be considered in evaluating the student’s potential for scholarly research. The student also is to provide the chair of the Qualifying Examination Committee with a curriculum vitae.
An integral part of the examination will involve specific coverage of the materials presented in the capstone course, EPI 208, Analysis & Interpretation of Epidemiologic Data. In addition to the fields of epidemiology, research and quantitative methods, the student will be examined in both a major (the approved area of emphasis) and a minor (special topic selected by the student) field within the broad scope of epidemiology. The special topic is the minor field of interest chosen by the student with approval of the Guidance Committee and Adviser. Informal “mock” examinations with a group of faculty are encouraged. Back to top

g. Assessment of Student Performance by the Committee
A committee member should refrain from making conclusions as to the ultimate disposition of the QE until the final phase of the process when the QE committee deliberates the final decision.
The QE should attempt to assess the student’s performance with respect to his/her ability of independent and critical analysis, including analytical skills specific to epidemiology, statistics, the Area of Emphasis, and the Special Topic; ability to apply principles and knowledge in the subject area; knowledge of current and contemporary issues in the student’s proposed research; general knowledge of science; ability to integrate information and to reason based on examples or situations not necessarily related to his/her proposed research; and ability to hypothesize, extrapolate, and synthesize ideas.
Although the student will have passed the pre-qualifying written examination, and, therefore, will be assumed to possess a mastery of the material presented in the required GGE core courses, QE committee members may in the course of the examination address issues of mastery of core course material, as deemed necessary.
Assessment of student performance should consider the student’s ability to defend methods and concepts, justify analyses, and critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of his/her proposed research, and to be able to provide appropriate reasoning behind the research. The student should be able to demonstrate an appropriate depth and breadth of knowledge in the area of his/her research.
Assessment of student performance should not be based on such factors as the nature of perceived scientific merit of the proposed research, future career goals, academic affiliations, faculty membership, or funding potential of proposed research. Student performance on the QE as a whole is evaluated by all committee members. In reaching a committee agreement on overall assessment, each member should evaluate the student’s performance on a) each of the following areas: epidemiology, statistics, the area of emphasis, and the special topic and b) on the examination overall.
Five outcomes of the first QE are possible:

• a student may pass,
• a student may not pass all or part of the examination,
• a student may fail the QE,
• a “no exam” may be declared,
• a “split vote” may be cast by the QE committee

In order to declare a pass, the QE committee must be unanimous in agreeing that the student has passed each of the four areas of the examination and the examination overall. A pass on the qualifying exam indicates that the student’s performance has been judged to be of sufficiently high quality to recommend him/her to be advanced to candidacy to pursue the formal research phase of their graduate education in epidemiology. Back to top

6. Transfer from PhD to MS
The GGE Educational Policy Committee considered the following 4 scenarios in which a student may be in the PhD program and transfer to the MS program and made recommendations for each:

1. The student passes the PhD written exam but not the qualifying (oral) exam. This by itself is not sufficient for a MS degree because one of the two plans (thesis or oral exam) must be satisfied to fulfill degree requirements. a) the oral exam committee can decide if a MS level of proficiency was demonstrated, and if the student petitions to change to the MS program, the committee can recommend a passing result for a MS oral exam
   b) the oral exam committee can decide that proficiency was not demonstrated at either the PhD or MS level, but the student can still petition to change to the MS program. The committee can recommend the student enter the thesis plan; however, the student may select the oral exam plan.
2. The student does not pass the PhD written exam and has thus not demonstrated basic competency in the discipline. A student in this situation cannot be automatically moved into the MS program. However, the student may petition to the Graduate Advisers Committee (who should consult with the Admissions Committee) to move into the MS program in either the thesis or oral exam plan.
3. The student may after 3 quarters and prior to taking the written pre-qualifying PhDexam petition to the Committee of Graduate Advisers (who should consult with the Admissions Committee) to move into the MS program in either the thesis or oral exam plan (if the student’s academic performance meets the requirement of the MS program, including a minimum GPA of 3.0 in all upper and lower division and graduate level courses taken while in the PhD program).
4. The student passes both the PhD pre-qualifying written exam and the oral Qualifying Exam, but is unable to complete his or her dissertation within the allowable period (i.e, 3 years with an additional year of probation after the successful completion of the qualifying exam). Such a student has effectively met all the requirements of the MS program and should be encouraged to change his/her degree objectives accordingly. Back to top

7. Advancement to Candidacy
Upon successful completion of the qualifying examination, the student is sent an application for advancement to candidacy by Graduate Studies. After the application is filled out and signed by the Graduate Adviser and major professor, the student pays the advancement to candidacy fee at the Cashier’s office and returns the form to Graduate Studies. When the application is submitted to the Graduate Adviser for signature, a letter should accompany it from the proposed Chair of the Dissertation Committee recommending faculty for the Dissertation Committee. Upon advancement to candidacy for the degree, the Dissertation Committee will be appointed to direct the student in his/her research problem and to guide in the preparation of the dissertation. Back to top

8. Dissertation:
The GGE operates under the Graduate Studies Plan B for dissertations. Students must submit a dissertation approved by the Dissertation Committee, which is composed of three to five faculty members who guide the candidate in his/her research and pass upon the merits of the dissertation (see The Dissertation section of this document). Back to top

9. Selection of the Dissertation Committee

• a. The Graduate Adviser nominates to Graduate Studies three members of the Dissertation Committee after consultation with the student. These three faculty members guide the candidate in the research phase and approve the dissertation.
• b. Qualifications for membership on the Dissertation Committee are the same as for members of the Qualifying Examination Committee. The student should consult with his/her major professor about membership before meeting with the Graduate Adviser.
• c. The Chair and at least one other member must be members of the GGE.
• d. Once a committee has been constituted, changes in membership may cause hardship for students as well as additional workload for Graduate Studies. Disagreement over the quality of a student’s performance is not a legitimate reason for a member to be asked to be removed from a committee or for him/her to be replaced. Acceptable reasons for replacement of a member are: 1) extended absence from the campus, 2) illness or 3) a substantial and justified change in the student’s research topic. When membership changes must be made, the Graduate Adviser should nominate a new committee member giving reason for the change. For any change once a committee has been constituted, the Graduate Adviser must submit a statement of the reason for the request for change, and the reason must be acceptable to the Dean of Graduate Studies. Back to top

10. The Dissertation Topic
A dissertation on a subject chosen by the candidate and of such character as to show the ability to conduct an independent, original, and creative investigation must be approved by the Dissertation Committee and by the Graduate Council. A degree cannot be granted only on the basis of completion of a course of study, however extensive. A doctoral student who, after a written warning from the Dissertation Committee, has not made acceptable progress on a dissertation for at least a year, may be subject to disqualification. The research plan must be approved in writing by the Dissertation Committee and submitted to the Graduate Adviser within one quarter after being advanced to candidacy. The plan should indicate that the dissertation will address a subject chosen by the student and contain the following elements:

1. It must be original.
2. It must demonstrate creative and independent work and be of publishable quality for a peer-reviewed journal.
3. It must contribute to the body of knowledge in epidemiology.
4. All aspects must be defensible, including hypothesis(es), quality of data, methods, results and interpretation. The student must participate in sufficient study design, sample collection, biologic tests or assays, and data collection to demonstrate knowledge of respective techniques, errors, and biases.
5. Use of established statistical methods on an existing database is not acceptable for a dissertation. Development of new statistical or analytic methods using an existing database is acceptable, however, provided the student demonstrates experience in appropriate study design and data collection to the satisfaction of the Dissertation Committee.
6. The work must be primarily that of the student; the student should be primary author of all chapters or manuscripts included in the dissertation.
7. The dissertation must be tied together by a unifying theme.

The format of the Dissertation would typically include the following sections:

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Critical review of the literature
• 3. At least three chapters, each representing a publishable paper in journal-ready format for a peer-reviewed journal.
• 4. Summary

A monograph format may be used if deemed appropriate by the student’s Dissertation Committee. It is strongly recommended that at least one manuscript derived from the dissertation be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal before the dissertation is approved. Instructions on the dissertation format are available from Graduate Studies. Back to top

11. Dissertation Exit Seminar:
All students must present their dissertations before their Dissertation Committee in a GGE exit seminar announced and open to the public. The seminar is expected to be a well-organized and succinct presentation of the research. Faculty should be aware that the quality of the dissertation exit seminar is reflective of the quality of support and guidance provided by the dissertation committee. The student will make one copy of the dissertation draft available to faculty and students at least one week before the scheduled public exit seminar. The exit seminar is to be announced to the Group in writing with a brief abstract. Back to top

12. Dissertation Defense
A dissertation defense, separate from the required exit seminar, may be required at the discretion of the Dissertation Committee. The committee should require a defense if no papers have been published or accepted for publication and the dissertation is not in the form of manuscripts for publication. If the student has papers already published (or accepted for publication) from the dissertation, the defense need not be required. If the dissertation is in the form of manuscripts for publication but they have not been published or accepted yet, the committee will decide whether to recommend a defense. The student must be notified by the Dissertation Committee well in advance of the exit seminar if a defense is required and may be cancelled by that committee if it feels the performance on the exit seminar was sufficient. Back to top

13. Filing the Dissertation
The candidate must file with the Office of Graduate Studies one copy of the dissertation approved by the Dissertation Committee, not later than three weeks before the close of the quarter in which the degree is to be conferred. An abstract of the dissertation must be filed by the same date. At the time of filing the dissertation, the student is encouraged to sign an agreement with University Microfilms, Inc. to microfilm the dissertation and print the abstract in Dissertation . Back to top

14. Abstracts
Arrangements for copyrighting the dissertation and for obtaining reprints of the abstract, if desired, must also be made at this time. Students should contact Office of Graduate Studies for additional information. Back to top

15. Filing Fee
The Filing Fee was established expressly to assist those students who had completed all requirements for degrees except filing theses or dissertations and/or taking formal final examinations (Master’s comprehensive examinations or doctoral dissertation defenses). Back to top

1. Eligibility for Filing Fee

To prevent abuses of the Filing Fee, definite limitations on eligibility for the status have been established. In general, these limitations are based upon the principle that students using University facilities or making demands upon faculty time - other than the time involved in the final reading of dissertations or theses or in holding final examinations - are not eligible to employ the Filing Fee status. Students on Filing Fee status are not registered students eligible for the privileges accorded regularly enrolled students. In particular, students on Filing Fee Status:

1. May not make use of University educational facilities, such as the Library (unless the student has purchased a Library use card) or laboratories;
2. Are not eligible for the services of the University Health Center or for University housing;
3. May not take course work of any kind;
4. May not make use of faculty time except as noted above;
5. May not hold any academic student appointment titles (e.g., Graduate Student Researcher, Teaching Assistant, Post Graduate Researcher, Associate In, Graduate Reader);
6. May not receive a fellowship or financial aid.

Students who plan to make use of Library or other facilities or to take courses must register as regular students. Students who plan to be away from the campus but to be in an instructional relationship with faculty members must register as regular students (a student outside the State of California may be eligible to register for reduced fees). Students planning to take Qualifying Examinations for the Ph.D. must register as regular students. Completion of formal course work or residency requirements does not entitle a student to apply for the Filing Fee Status unless she or he will use no University facilities or faculty time except as noted above.
Students wishing to make use of the Filing Fee Status should secure a Filing Fee application from the Graduate Division, obtain the signatures of the Graduate Adviser and major professor, and return the form to the Graduate Division before she or he stops registering. The Filing Fee is payable at the time the application is submitted to the Graduate Division. The Filing Fee is assessed only once. Back to top

16. Nonresident Tuition Reduction after Advancement to Candidacy:
Nonresident PhD students who have advanced to candidacy by the first day of Fall quarter are eligible for a 75% reduction of the tuition charge beginning that Fall quarter. The student is eligible for the reduced charge for up to 3 years after advancement to candidacy. After 3 years if the student has not completed their degree, the charge will revert to whatever is in place at that time. Back to top

Progress Outline
M.S. and Ph.D

Possible tracks:

Track 1: Proposed Curriculum with probable scenario or MS or Ph.D students who have not completed statistics and calculus requirements before entering the program.

	Summer	Fall	Winter	Spring
Year 1		EPI 205A (4) EPI 205B (2) EPI 290 (1)	EPI 206 (3) PHR 202* (3) EPI 290 (1)	EPI 207 (4) EPI 290 (1)
Prerequisites	MPM 402 (4)	MPM 403 (4)
	or →	STA 102 (4)	STA 106 (4)	STA 108 (4)
	MATH 16A(3) or 21A (4)	Math 16B(3) or 21B(4)	Elective (3)	Elective (3)
Year 2		STA 130A (4) Elective (4) EPI 290 (1)	STA 130B (4) EPI 290 (1) Electives (8)	EPI 204 (4) EPI 290 (1)
Year 3** Ph.D. Students	Take Written Pre-Qualifying Exam. + Prepare for oral Qualifying Examination	EPI 208* (3) EPI 290 (1) Prepare for Oral Qualifying Examination STA 144* (4)	Oral Qualifying Examination → Dissertation Research	Dissertation Research

* Students take one of the sampling courses, STA 144 or PHR 202
**Summer after year 2 course work: MS students complete master’s project or take master’s oral examination.

Track 2 : Proposed Curriculum with probable scenario for Ph.D. students who have completed statistics and calculus requirements before entering program.

	Summer	Fall	Winter	Spring
Year 1		EPI 205A (4) EPI 205B (2) STA 130A (4) EPI 290 (1) Elective (3)	EPI 206 (3) STA 130B (4) PHR 202* (3) EPI 290 (1) Elective (2-4)	EPI 207 (4) EPI 204 (4) EPI 290 (1) Elective (3)
Year 2	Take Written Pre-Qualifying Exam. + Prepare for oral Qualifying Examination	EPI 208 (3) STA 144* (3) EPI 290 (1) Electives (6) Prepare for Oral Qualifying Examination	Oral Qualifying Examination → Dissertation Research	Dissertation Research

* Students take one of the sampling courses, STA 144 or PHR 202

 

YEAR 1

Fall
Meet with major professor, if known, or the special adviser assigned to you in this case, and the graduate adviser to form the Guidance Committee.
Determine Fall classes.
Meet with the Guidance Committee and prepare plan of course work for degree.
File a two-year course plan with the Graduate Advisor.
Investigate scholarships and fellowships.
Area of Emphasis and appropriate course plan must be filed by end of the quarter.
Follow course plan

 

Winter
Follow course plan

Spring
Follow course plan
Prepare grant applications
Student must choose major professor by the end of the third quarter of the 1 st year.

Summer
Track 2 Ph.D. students prepare for written pre-qualifying examination, and take it in late September.

 YEAR 2

Prior to or at the beginning of Fall Quarter meet with major professor, Guidance Committee, and Graduate Adviser to confirm course plan and to make any adjustments. Investigate scholarships and fellowships.

Fall
Follow course plan
Prepare research plan for approval
Track 2 Ph.D. students who passed their written examination, prepare for qualifying examination and take EPI 208.

Winter
Follow course plan
Research
Track 2 students prepare for and take qualifying examination.
Track 1 students follow course plan and research

Spring
Meet with Guidance/Dissertation Committee to review progress
Track 2 students - research
Track 1 students - follow course plan and research

Summer
Track 2 students - research
Track 1 Ph.D. students prepare for written pre-qualifying examination, and take it in late September. Track 1 MS students complete master’s project or take masters oral exam.

 

YEAR 3 (and subsequent years)

Fall/Winter/Spring
Track 2 - Research
Track 1 meet with Dissertation Committee to review progress, take EPI 208, prepare for and take qualifying examination by the end of winter quarter.
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Faculty Profiles

Entomology
THOMAS SCOTT, Department of Entomology. Ecology, evolution, and epidemiology of infectious diseases with a focus on the role of mosquitoes in virus transmission cycles. E-mail: twscott@ucdavis.edu .

Nutrition
KENNETH H. BROWN, Department of Nutrition. Nutrition, infections, and growth of children in less-developed countries. E-mail: khbrown@ucdavis.edu

KATHRYN DEWEY, Department of Nutrition. Maternal and child nutrition, with emphasis on lactation and infant nutrition. Economic, agricultural and dietary factors associated with malnutrition among populations in developing countries. E-mail: kgdewey@ucdavis.edu

School of Engineering
DAVID ROCKE, Department of Applied Science. Robust statistical methods, components of variance and statistical inference in bioassay. E-mail: dmrocke@ucdavis.edu

School of Medicine
LAUREL BECKETT, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. Studies on aging. Methodology related to medical questions, including low-dose risk assessment, population-based study methodology, and longitudinal studies of chronic disease. E-mail lbeckett@epm.ucdavis.edu

LESLEY BUTLER, Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine. Nutritional exposures and biomarkers of cancer.

DIANA CASSADY, Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine. Community nutrition, obesity prevention, reducing health disparities. E-mail dlcassady@ucdavis.edu

STUART COHEN, Division of Infectious and Immunologic Diseases. Epidemiology and microbiology of nosocomial infections. E-mail: stuart.cohen@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu

ROSEMARY CRESS, CA Cancer Surveillance program. Cancer epidemiology

JOHATHAN DUCORE, Department of Pediatrics; Childhood Cancer.

NEIL FLYNN, Department of Internal Medicine. AIDS Epidemiology. Current emphasis on the prevention of the spread of HIV among IV drug users and disinfection of IV drug paraphernalia using commonly available materials. E-mail: nmflynn@ucdavis.edu

D. ROSS GIBSON, Department of Internal Medicine. Epidemiology and primary prevention of HIV; substance abuse and HIV; theoretical and applied social psychology and community psychology. E-mail: drgibson@ucdavis.edu

ELLEN GOLD, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. Epidemiologic investigation of adverse reproductive outcomes (including menstrual cycle disturbances, infertility, spontaneous abortions and menopausal symptoms) and of cancer (including childhood, pancreatic, lung and breast cancer) associated with lifestyle and occupational and environmental exposures. E-mail: ebgold@ucdavis.edu

DANIELLE HARVEY, Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine. Biostatistics, longitudinal data analysis. E-mail djharvey@ucdavis.edu.

CALVIN HIRSCH, Professor of General Medicine, geriatric health-care policy and the organization and delivery of health care to the frail elderly; clinical epidemiology; functional assessment in clinical practice; alzheimer’s disease; teaching geriatric medicine.

IRVA HERTZ-PICCIOTTO, Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine. Epidemiologic investigation of the relation of environmental exposures to adverse reproductive and child health outcomes.

RICHARD L. KRAVITZ, Division of General Medicine, UCDMC. Understanding the clinical, psychological, and ethical aspects of physician behavior in the hope of improving quality of medical care. E-mail: rlkravitz@ucdavis.edu

KIM, Sunny, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UCDMC. sunny.kim@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu.

NATHAN KUPPERMANN, Emergency Medicine, UCDMC. Laboratory evaluation of young febrile children; laboratory and radiographic evaluation of pediatric trauma patients; and emergency department evaluation and treatment of children with diabetic ketoacidosis. Clinical and cost-effectiveness of laboratory testing in the setting of the pediatric emergency department. E-mail: nkuppermann@ucdavis.edu.

J. PAUL LEIGH, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. Costs of occupational injuries and illnesses; applications of econometrics to epidemiology, e.g. instrumental variables; costs of Hepatitis C. E-mail: pleigh@ucdavis.edu

BRUCE LEISTIKOW, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. Occupational medicine, tobacco-related diseases. E-mail: bnleistikow@ucdavis.edu

HONGZHE LI, Internal Medicine/Rowe Program in Human Genetics. Developing statistical methods for genetic epidemiology and molecular biology, and applying these methods to genetic studies of complex human diseases. Statistical and mathematical formulation of problems in genomics and bioinformatics. E-mail: hli@ucdavis.edu .

JAMES P. MARCIN, Pediatrics, UCDMC. Health Services Research. Focus is in measures of quality of care; specifically, length of stay models, severity of illness measures, and clinical prediction rules. E-mail: jpmarcin@ucdavis.edu.

STEPHEN MCCURDY, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. General occupational medicine and occupational health among semiconductor manufacturing workers and agricultural workers, with emphasis on respiratory hazards. E-mail: samccurdy@ucdavis.edu

JOHN ROBBINS, Division of General Medicine. Clinical epidemiology in humans. E-mail: jarobbins@ucdavis.edu

PATRICK ROMANO, Division of General Medicine. Evaluation of the clinical outcomes of medical care, including different systems of health care delivery or payment. Epidemiology of traumatic injury. Quality of medical and surgical care. E-mail: psromano@ucdavis.edu

MARC SCHENKER, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. Environmental and occupational risk factors for respiratory disease and lung cancer; biological monitoring of occupational exposures, health hazards of pesticide exposure; and occupational reproductive hazards. E-mail: mbschenker@ucdavis.edu

ROBERT SZABO, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. The etiology and epidemiology of upper extremity work related disorders; musculoskeletal injury and prevention. E-mail: rmszabo@ucdavis.edu

School of Veterinary Medicine

ROB ATWILL, Veterinary Medical Teaching and Research Center. Assessing the environmental and public health risk from and identifying cost-effective control strategies for minimizing non-point source microbial contamination of surface water from livestock production systems and free-ranging wildlife. Preharvest food safety on rangeland cow-calf operations and dairy calf production medicine. E-mail: ratwill@vmtrc.ucdavis.edu

ROBERT BONDURANT, Department of Population Health and Reproduction. Clinical, epidemiological and immunobiological aspects of bovine venereal disease; increasing the fecundity of ruminant livestock; causes of decreased reproductive efficiency in dairy animals. E-mail: rhbondurant@ucdavis.edu

TIM CARPENTER, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology. Epidemiology and animal health economics; simulation modeling; epidemiology and economics of fowl cholera. E-mail: tecarpenter@ucdavis.edu

JAMES CASE, California Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Clinical Diagnostic Medicine. Veterinary informatics and the application of geographic information systems to the study of disease distributions. E-mail: jcase@cvdls.ucdavis.edu

BRUNO CHOMEL, Department of Population Health and Reproduction. Epidemiology of zoonoses; relationships between wildlife and domestic animal zoonoses. E-mail: bbchomel@ucdavis.edu

PATRICIA CONRAD, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology. Epidemiology of parasitic infections; molecular and antigenic characterization of protozoal parasites. E-mail: paconrad@ucdavis.edu

THOMAS FARVER, Department of Population Health and Reproduction. Sampling designs for estimating incidence and prevalence of disease in food animal populations. Application of multivariate methods in epidemiology and veterinary medicine. E-mail: tbfarver@ucdavis.edu

JANET FOLEY, Center for Vector Borne Disease. E-mail: jefoley@ucdavis.edu

IAN GARDNER, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology. Clinical an analytic epidemiology, multicausal nature of swine diseases and lowered productivity, especially respiratory diseases. E-mail: iagardner@ucdavis.edu

LYNETTE HART, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology. Animal behavior, companion animals. E-mail: lahart@ucdavis.edu

SHARON HIETALA, California Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Clinical immunology, serology, and applied biotechnology for laboratory diagnosis of food animal, equine, and poultry diseases. Sero-epidemiology. E-mail: shietala@cvdls.ucdavis.edu

DAVID HIRD, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology. Quantitative epidemiologic studies and surveillance systems of health and productivity in livestock in the US and Latin America. E-mail: dwhird@ucdavis.edu

PHILIP KASS, Department of Population Health and Reproduction. Observational study design and inference, analytic epidemiology, biostatistics, public health and companion animal epidemiology; epidemiologic studies of animal models of human health hazards and outcomes. E-mail: phkass@ucdavis.edu

NICHOLAS LERCHE, California Regional Primate Research Center. Epidemiology and pathogenesis of retrovirus infections in nonhuman primates; development of nonhuman primate models of human disease; methods of diagnosis, control and eradication of infectious diseases in populations of captive primates; epidemiology of zoonotic diseases; ecology of parasites and infectious diseases and their impact of free-living populations of wild primates and other vertebrate species. E-mail: nwlerche@primate.ucdavis.edu

JONNA MAZET, Wildlife Health Center. Effects of petroleum products on wildlife, development of diagnostic tests for free-ranging wildlife, marine ecotoxicology, use of key wildlife species as biomarkers of environmental health. E-mail: jkmazet@ucdavis.edu

JOAN DEAN ROWE, Department of Population Health and Reproduction. Epidemiologic aspects of reproductive performance in ruminants; epidemiology of caprine lentivirus infection. Bovine protozoal abortion. E-mail: jdrowe@ucdavis.edu

MARK THURMOND, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology. Application of prospective study designs and survival analyses in identifying and quantifying constraints to health of cattle populations. E-mail: mcthurmond@ucdavis.edu

MIKE ZICCARDI, Wildlife Health Center. Wildlife epidemiology.

Statistics
RAHMAN AZARI, Department of Statistics. Categorical data analysis, time series analysis. E-mail: asazari@ucdavis.edu

CHRISTIANA DRAKE, Department of Statistics. Biostatistics, epidemiologic studies. E-mail: cmdrake@ucdavis.edu

WESLEY JOHNSON, Department of Statistics. Bayesian methods, categorical data analysis, diagnostics, prediction, screening test methodology, survival analysis. E-mail: wojohnson@ucdavis.edu

HANS-GEORG MUELLER, Department of Statistics. Biostatistics, regression analysis, survival analysis, nonparametric curve estimation. E-mail: hgmueller@ucdavis.edu

ROBERT SHUMWAY, Department of Statistics. Time series applications. E-mail: rhshumway@ucdavis.edu

JESSICA UTTS, Department of Statistics. Application of statistics to various areas, including but not limited to medicine. E-mail: jmutts@ucdavis.edu
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APPENDIX A
GUIDANCE COMMITTEE
GRADUATE GROUP IN EPIDEMIOLOGY

 

 

 

 

Student: __________________________________________ Degree Objective: _______

 

 

 

1. __________________________________, Chair

 

Signature

 

 

2. ___________________________________

 

Signature

 

 

3. ____________________________________

 

Signature

 

 

 

 

Graduate Adviser ____________________________________

 

Signature

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APPENDIX B
SUGGESTED AREAS OF EMPHASIS

1. Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Area-specific courses (minimum 6 units; 400-series courses require special approval to be used toward meeting degree requirements; EVE 100-101 may not count toward the unit requirement):

ENT 153	Medical entomology (4)
ENT 156	Biology of parasitism (3)
ENT 253	Advanced medical entomology (3
EVE 100	Introduction to evolution (4)
EVE 101	Introduction to ecology (4)
IDI 211	Epidemiology and prevention of infectious diseases (3)
MIC 162	General virology (4)
MIC 210	Molecular mechanisms of microbial pathogenesis (3)
MIC 215	Recombinant DNA (2)
MMI 115	Ecological parasitology (3)
MMI 200D	Mechanisms of microbial interactions with hosts (3)
MMI 209	Current immunology (2)
MMI 215	Medical parasitology (5)
MMI 280	Molecular pathobiology for diagnosis & therapy of human & animal diseases (3)
PHR 212	Epidemiology of the zoonoses (4)
PHR 213	Food safety (1)
PHR 420	Zoonoses of non-human primates (2)
PMI 126	Fundamentals of immunology (3)
PMI 126L	Immunology laboratory (2)
PMI 128	Biology of animal viruses (3)
PMI 270	Advanced immunology (3)

Related methodologic courses (no more than 3 units can be applied to the area of emphasis 9-unit requirement)

EPI 222	Epidemiologic modeling (3)
EPI 223	Spatial epidemiology (3)
ENT 253	Human and ecologic risk analysis (3)
EPI 224	Advanced topics in epidemiologic methodology (2)
EPI 225	Multivariate biostatistics (3)
PHR 203	Applied analytic epidemiology (3)
PHR 266	Multivariate data analysis (4)
STA 135	Molecular mechanisms of microbial pathogenesis (3)
STA 137	Applied time series analysis (3)
STA 138	Analysis of categorical data (4)
STA 141	Statistical computing (4)
STA 145	Bayesian statistical inference (4)
STA 205	Statistical methods for research (4)
BST/STA 222	Biostatistics: Survival analysis (4)
BST/STA 223	Biostatistics: Generalized linear models (4
BST/STA 224	Analysis of longitudinal data (4)
BST/STA 225	Clinical trials (4)
BST/STA 226	Statistical methods for bioinformatics (4)
BST/STA 252	Advanced topics in biostatistics (4)
VME 217	Evaluation of diagnostic tests (2)

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2. Health Services and Health Economics

Area-specific courses (minimum 6 units; 400-series courses require special approval; ECN 100 and ARE 100A may not count toward the unit requirement):

ARE 100A	Intermediate microeconomics: Theory of production and consumption (4)
ARE 100B	Intermediate microeconomics: Imperfect competition, markets, and welfare economics (4)
ARE 130	Agricultural markets (4)
ARE 147	Resource and environmental policy analysis (3)
ARE 176	Environmental economics (4)
ARE/ECN 204	Microeconomic analysis (5)
ARE/ECN 215A	Microdevelopment theory and methods I (4)
ARE/ECN 215C	Microdevelopment theory and methods II (4)
ARE/ECN 240A	Econometric methods (4)
ARE/ECN 240B	Econometric methods (4)
ARE/ECN 240C	Econometric theory (4)
ARE/ECN 240D	Topics in econometrics (4)
ARE/ECN 240E	Topics in applied econometrics (4)
ARE 252	Applied linear programming (4)
ARE/ECN 256	Applied econometrics (4)
ECN 100	Intermediate micro theory (4)
ECN 102	Analysis of economic data (4)
ECN 103	Economics of uncertainty and information (4)
ECN 104	Intermediate microeconomics (4)
ECN 132	Health economics (4)
ECN 140	Econometrics (4)
ECN 151A	Economics of the labor market (4)
ECN 151B	Economics of human resources (4)
ECN 250A	Labor economics (4)
ECN 250B	Labor economics (4)
ECN 256	Applied econometrics (4)
EPP 273	Health services administration (3)
EPI 291	Seminars in human health services research and clinical epidemiology (1 unit maximum)
MDS 463CR	Methods in clinical research – Health services research (2-4)

Related methodologic courses (no more than 3 units can be applied to the area of emphasis 9-unit requirement)

EPI 222	Epidemiologic modeling (3)
EPI 223	Spatial epidemiology (3)
EPI 224	Human and ecologic risk analysis (3)
EPI 225	Advanced topics in epidemiologic methodology (2)
PHR 203	Multivariate biostatistics (3)
PHR 266	Applied analytic epidemiology (3)
STA 135	Multivariate data analysis (4)
STA 137	Applied time series analysis (3)
STA 138	Analysis of categorical data (4)
STA 141	Statistical computing (4)
STA 145	Bayesian statistical inference (4
STA 205	Statistical methods for research (4)
BST/STA 222	Biostatistics: Survival analysis (4)
BST/STA 223	Biostatistics: Generalized linear models (4)
BST/STA 224	Analysis of longitudinal data (4
BST/STA 225	Clinical trials (4)
BST/STA 226	Statistical methods for bioinformatics (4)
BST/STA 252	Advanced topics in biostatistics (4)
VME 217	Evaluation of diagnostic tests (2)

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3. Epidemiologic Methods and Biostatistics

EPI 222	Epidemiologic modeling (3)
EPI 223	Spatial epidemiology (3)
EPI 224	Human and ecologic risk analysis (3)
EPI 225	Advanced topics in epidemiologic methodology (2)
PHR 203	Multivariate biostatistics (3)
PHR 266	Applied analytic epidemiology (3)
STA 135	Multivariate data analysis (4)
STA 137	Applied time series analysis (3)
STA 138	Analysis of categorical data (4)
STA 141	Statistical computing (4)
STA 145	Bayesian statistical inference (4
STA 205	Statistical methods for research (4)
BST/STA 222	Biostatistics: Survival analysis (4)
BST/STA 223	Biostatistics: Generalized linear models (4)
BST/STA 224	Analysis of longitudinal data (4
BST/STA 225	Clinical trials (4)
BST/STA 226	Statistical methods for bioinformatics (4)
BST/STA 252	Advanced topics in biostatistics (4)
VME 217	Evaluation of diagnostic tests (2)

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4. Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology
Area-specific courses (minimum 6 units):

ECI 149	Introduction to air pollution (3)
EPI 240	Principles of injury epidemiology (3)
EPI 251	Environmental epidemiology (3)
EPI 260	Epidemiology of chronic diseases and aging (3)
EPI 272	Cancer epidemiology (2)
EPP 222	Social and behavioral aspects of public health (3)
EPP 255	Human reproductive epidemiology (3)
EPP 262	Principles of environmental health sciences (3)
ETX 101	Principles of environmental toxicology (3)
ETX 102A	Environmental fate of toxicants (4)
ETX 102B	Quantitative analysis of environmental toxicants (5)
ETX 103A	Biological effects of toxicants (4)
ETX 103B	Biological effects of toxicants: Experimental approaches (5)
ETX 128	Food toxicology (3)
ETX 131	Environmental toxicology of air pollutants (3)
ETX 135	Health risk assessment of toxicants (3)
ETX 138	Legal aspects of environmental toxicology (3)
ETX 146	Exposure and dose assessment (3)
ETX 203	Environmental toxicants (4)
NPB 121/L	Physiology of reproduction (3/1)
PTX 201	Principles of pharmacology and toxicology I (5)
PTX 202	Principles of pharmacology and toxicology II (4)
PTX 203	Principles of pharmacology and toxicology III (4)
PTX 230	Advanced topics in pharmacology and toxicology (1-3)

Related methodologic courses (no more than 3 units can be applied to the area of emphasis 9-unit requirement)

EPI 222	Epidemiologic modeling (3)
EPI 223	Spatial epidemiology (3)
EPI 224	Human and ecologic risk analysis (3)
EPI 225	Advanced topics in epidemiologic methodology (2)
PHR 203	Multivariate biostatistics (3)
PHR 266	Applied analytic epidemiology (3)
STA 135	Multivariate data analysis (4)
STA 137	Applied time series analysis (3)
STA 138	Analysis of categorical data (4)
STA 141	Statistical computing (4)
STA 145	Bayesian statistical inference (4
STA 205	Statistical methods for research (4)
BST/STA 222	Biostatistics: Survival analysis (4)
BST/STA 223	Biostatistics: Generalized linear models (4)
BST/STA 224	Analysis of longitudinal data (4
BST/STA 225	Clinical trials (4)
BST/STA 226	Statistical methods for bioinformatics (4)
BST/STA 252	Advanced topics in biostatistics (4)
VME 217	Evaluation of diagnostic tests (2)

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5. Nutritional epidemiology
Area-specific courses (minimum 6 units; NUT 111-112 may not count toward the unit requirement):

NUT 111A	Introduction to nutrition and metabolism (3)
NUT 111B	Recommendations and standards for human nutrition (2)
NUT 112	Nutritional assessment: Dietary, anthropometric, and clinical measures (3)
	Students with prior training in nutrition may waive these 100-series nutrition courses, if adequate documentation is provided.
FST 211	Lipids: chemistry and nutrition (3)
NUT 201	Vitamin and cofactor metabolism (3)
NUT 202	Advanced nutritional energetics (2)
NUT 203	Advanced protein and amino acid nutrition (3)
NUT 204	Mineral metabolism (2)
NUT 219A/B	International nutrition (3-6)
NUT 252	Nutrition and development (3)
NUT 258	Field research methods in international nutrition (3)
NUT 259	Nutrition and aging (2)
NUT 293A/B	Current topics in obesity, food intake, and energy balance (3-6)

Related methodologic courses (no more than 3 units can be applied to the area of emphasis 9-unit requirement)

EPI 222	Epidemiologic modeling (3)
EPI 223	Spatial epidemiology (3)
EPI 224	Human and ecologic risk analysis (3)
EPI 225	Advanced topics in epidemiologic methodology (2)
PHR 203	Multivariate biostatistics (3)
PHR 266	Applied analytic epidemiology (3)
STA 135	Multivariate data analysis (4)
STA 137	Applied time series analysis (3)
STA 138	Analysis of categorical data (4)
STA 141	Statistical computing (4)
STA 145	Bayesian statistical inference (4
STA 205	Statistical methods for research (4)
BST/STA 222	Biostatistics: Survival analysis (4)
BST/STA 223	Biostatistics: Generalized linear models (4)
BST/STA 224	Analysis of longitudinal data (4
BST/STA 225	Clinical trials (4)
BST/STA 226	Statistical methods for bioinformatics (4)
BST/STA 252	Advanced topics in biostatistics (4)
VME 217	Evaluation of diagnostic tests (2)

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6. Wildlife Epidemiology
Area-specific courses (minimum 6 units; EVE 100-101 may not count toward the unit requirement):

ECL 200A	Principles and applications of ecological theory (4)
ECL 200B	Principles and applications of ecological theory (4)
ECL 204	Population and community ecology (4)
ECL 205	Community ecology (4)
ECL 208	Issues in conservation biology (4)
ECL 212A	Environmental policy process (4)
ECL 212B	Environmental policy evaluation (4)
ECL 232	Theoretical ecology (3)
ENT 153	Medical entomology (4)
ENT 225	Terrestrial field ecology (4)
ENT 253	Advanced medical entomology (3)
EVE 100	Introduction to evolution (4)
EVE 101	Introduction to ecology (4)
MMI 115	Ecological parasitology (3)
MMI 116	Parasitology for wildlife biologists (3)
WFC 122	Populations dynamics and estimation (4)
WFC 151	Wildlife ecology (3)
WFC 153	Wildlife ecotoxicology (4)
WFC 222	Advanced population dynamics (3)
WFC 293	Seminar in wildlife disease ecology (2)

Related methodologic courses (no more than 3 units can be applied to the area of emphasis 9-unit requirement)

EPI 222	Epidemiologic modeling (3)
EPI 223	Spatial epidemiology (3)
EPI 224	Human and ecologic risk analysis (3)
EPI 225	Advanced topics in epidemiologic methodology (2)
PHR 203	Multivariate biostatistics (3)
PHR 266	Applied analytic epidemiology (3)
STA 135	Multivariate data analysis (4)
STA 137	Applied time series analysis (3)
STA 138	Analysis of categorical data (4)
STA 141	Statistical computing (4)
STA 145	Bayesian statistical inference (4
STA 205	Statistical methods for research (4)
BST/STA 222	Biostatistics: Survival analysis (4)
BST/STA 223	Biostatistics: Generalized linear models (4)
BST/STA 224	Analysis of longitudinal data (4
BST/STA 225	Clinical trials (4)
BST/STA 226	Statistical methods for bioinformatics (4)
BST/STA 252	Advanced topics in biostatistics (4)
VME 217	Evaluation of diagnostic tests (2)

7. Reproductive, Perinatal, Developmental & Pediatric Epidemiology

EPI 240	Principles of Injury Epidemiology
EPI 251	Environmental Epidemiology
EPP 255	Human reproductive Epidemiology
ETX 250	Reproductive Toxicology
MCB 251	Biology of Fertilization
MCP 222	Mammalian Gametogenesis and Fertilization
MCB 255	Molecular Mechanisms of animal Development
NPB 121/L	Physiology of Reproduction
NUT 219A/B	International Nutrition
NUT 252	Nutrition and Development
NUT 260	Nutrition During Pregnancy
NUT 261	Lactation and Infant Nutrition
NUT 262	Child and Adolescent Nutrition
PHR 232	Advanced Reproductive Biology
PHR 446A	food animal Reproduction (approved for graduate credit)
PHR 446B	Equine Reproduction (approved for graduate credit)
VME 446	Small Animal Reproduction (approved for graduate credit)
ANS 123	Animal Growth and Development
ANS 124	Lactation
ANS 131	Reproduction and Early Development in Aquatic Animals
AVS 103	Avian Development and Genetics
AVS 121	Avian Reproduction
MCB 150L	Embryology
NPB 122	Developmental Endocrinology
HDE 200A	Infancy and Early Childhood
HDE 200B	Middle childhood and Adolescence
HDE 201	Social-Emotional Development in Infancy
HDE 213	The Cross-Cultural Study of Child Development
HDE 220	Research Methods in Human Growth and Development
HDE 221	Psychological Assessment of Children
HDE 225	Behavioral Development and food Intake
HDE 231	Issues in Cognitive and Linguistic Development
HDE 234	Children's Learning and Thinking
HDE 237	Parent-Child Interaction
HDE 242	Adolescent Health Behavior: Theory and Programs
EDU 210	Psychology of School Learning
EDU 231	Culture and Learning
PSC 212A	Developmental Psychology: Cognitive and Perceptual Development
PSC 212B	Developmental Psychology: Social, Emotional and Personality Development
PSC 261	Cognitive Neuroscience

Related methodologic courses (no more than 3 units can be applied to the area of emphasis 9-unit requirement)

EPI 222	Epidemiologic modeling (3)
EPI 223	Spatial epidemiology (3)
EPI 224	Human and ecologic risk analysis (3)
EPI 225	Advanced topics in epidemiologic methodology (2)
PHR 203	Multivariate biostatistics (3)
PHR 266	Applied analytic epidemiology (3)
STA 135	Multivariate data analysis (4)
STA 137	Applied time series analysis (3)
STA 138	Analysis of categorical data (4)
STA 141	Statistical computing (4)
STA 145	Bayesian statistical inference (4
STA 205	Statistical methods for research (4)
BST/STA 222	Biostatistics: Survival analysis (4)
BST/STA 223	Biostatistics: Generalized linear models (4)
BST/STA 224	Analysis of longitudinal data (4
BST/STA 225	Clinical trials (4)
BST/STA 226	Statistical methods for bioinformatics (4)
BST/STA 252	Advanced topics in biostatistics (4)
VME 217	Evaluation of diagnostic tests (2)

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APPENDIX C
Required Courses

COURSE NO.	TITLE	OFFERED	UNITS
Prerequisites (Prequisite courses may be taken concurrently with required courses)
Math 16A,B	Short calculus	F,W,S	3 - 3
or
Math 21A, B	Calculus	F,W,S	4 - 4
STA 102	Introduction to Probability Modeling and Statistical Inference	F,S	4
STA 106	Applied Statistical Methods; Analysis of Variance, ANOVA	F,W	4
STA 108	Applied Statistical Methods; Regression Analysis	F,W,S	4
or
MPM 402	Medical Statistics I	Summer	4
MPM 403	Medical Statistics II	Fall	4
REQUIRED COURSES
EPI 204	Statistical Models, Methods & Data AnalysisFor Scientists	S	4
EPI 205A	Principles of Epidemiology	F	4
EPI 205B	Integration of Basic Epidemiologic Concepts	F	2
EPI 206	Epidemiologic Study Design	W	3
EPI 207	Adv Concepts in Epidemiologic Study Design	S	4
EPI 208*	Analysis & Interpretation Epidemiologic Data	F	3
STA 130A	Mathematical Statistics: Brief Course	F	4
STA 130AB	Mathematical Statistics: Brief Course	W	4
PHR 202	Sampling in Health-Related Research	W (alt yrs-01)	3
or
STA 144	Sampling Theory of Surveys	F (alt yrs-01)	3
EPI 290	Seminars in Epidemiology	F,S	1
	a. (Present Research Proposal)
	b. (Present Defense of Thesis or Dissertation)
ELECTIVES
PhD:	12 units required, 9 in the Area of Emphasis.
MS:	9 units required in the Area of Emphasis.
*Epi 208 not required for Master’s students; EPI 208 replacement course required.

 

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APPENDIX C
Required Courses

COURSE NO.	TITLE	OFFERED	UNITS
Prerequisites (Prequisite courses may be taken concurrently with required courses)
Math 16A,B	Short calculus	F,W,S	3 - 3
or
Math 21A, B	Calculus	F,W,S	4 - 4
STA 102	Introduction to Probability Modeling and Statistical Inference	F,S	4
STA 106	Applied Statistical Methods; Analysis of Variance, ANOVA	F,W	4
STA 108	Applied Statistical Methods; Regression Analysis	F,W,S	4
or
MPM 402	Medical Statistics I	Summer	4
MPM 403	Medical Statistics II	Fall	4
REQUIRED COURSES
EPI 204	Statistical Models, Methods & Data AnalysisFor Scientists	S	4
EPI 205A	Principles of Epidemiology	F	4
EPI 205B	Integration of Basic Epidemiologic Concepts	F	2
EPI 206	Epidemiologic Study Design	W	3
EPI 207	Adv Concepts in Epidemiologic Study Design	S	4
EPI 208*	Analysis & Interpretation Epidemiologic Data	F	3
STA 130A	Mathematical Statistics: Brief Course	F	4
STA 130AB	Mathematical Statistics: Brief Course	W	4
PHR 202	Sampling in Health-Related Research	W (alt yrs-01)	3
or
STA 144	Sampling Theory of Surveys	F (alt yrs-01)	3
EPI 290	Seminars in Epidemiology	F,S	1
	a. (Present Research Proposal)
	b. (Present Defense of Thesis or Dissertation)
ELECTIVES
PhD:	12 units required, 9 in the Area of Emphasis.
MS:	9 units required in the Area of Emphasis.
*Epi 208 not required for Master’s students; EPI 208 replacement course required.

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APPENDIX D
Research Proposal
(An Outline)

 

Project Investigator
Project Title
A brief, clear, specific designation of the subject of the research. The title, used by itself, should reflect the objectives and scope of the project.
Project Summary
The proposal must contain a project summary, not to exceed one page single-spaced. The summary is not intended for the general reader; consequently, it may contain technical language comprehensible by persons in disciplines relating to the subject of the project. The project summary should be a self-contained, with a specific description of the activity to be undertaken and should focus on:

• Overall project goal(s) and supporting objectives;
• Plans to accomplish project goal(s); and
• Relevance of the project to potential long-range improvement in plant, animal, and/or human health.

Project Description
The text of the project description should not exceed 15 single spaced pages. All proposals should be submitted on standard 8-1/2” X 11” paper with typing on one side of the page only. In addition, margins must be at least 1”, type size should be 12 characters per inch or larger, and there should be no page reductions. Applicants are encouraged to include original illustrations (photographs, color prints, etc.) to all copies of the proposal. Reviewers are not required to read beyond the 15-page limit. The project description must contain the following components:

Introduction. A clear statement of the long-term goal(s) and supporting objectives of the proposed project should be included. The most significant published work in the field under consideration, including the work of key project personnel on the current application, should be reviewed. The current status of research in this field of science also should be described. Preliminary data pertinent to the proposed research should be included in this section. All work cited, including that of key personnel, should be referenced. Indicate the additional knowledge needed, which the project is expected to provide.
- Rationale and Significance. Present concisely the rationale behind the proposed research. The objectives’ specific relationship to the potential long-range improvement in plant, animal, and/or human health should be shown clearly. Any novel ideas or contributions that the proposed project offers also should be discussed in this section. The facts and reasoning that logically support the hypothesis should be stated clearly (What is the factual and logical justification for each hypothesis?).
- Hypothesis. Provide a clear, logically arranged, and succinct statement of each research hypothesis being tested. For each, also provide the respective alternative hypothesis.
- Experimental Plan. For each hypothesis describe the following:

• A description of the investigations and/or experiments proposed in the sequence in which the investigations or experiments are to be performed including the personnel involved in each procedure;
• Describe all sources of bias (error) that may be present and specifically how the bias will be avoided, corrected, or controlled. Provide calculations for estimation of sample sizes;
• Techniques to be used in carrying out the proposed project, including the feasibility of the techniques;
• Results expected (provide examples);
• Means by which experimental data will be analyzed or interpreted;
• Means of applying results or accomplishing technology transfer, where appropriate;
• Pitfalls that may be encountered;
• Limitations to proposed procedures; and
• A tentative schedule for conducting major steps involved in these investigations and/or experiments. Provide an estimate of the maximum time likely to be required to complete the project and publish results.

In describing the experimental plan, the application must explain fully any materials, procedures, situations, or activities which may be hazardous to personnel (whether or not they are directly related to a particular phase of the proposed project), along with an outline of precautions to be exercised to avoid or mitigate the effects of such hazards.

Facilities and Equipment
All facilities and major items of equipment that are available for use or assignment to the proposed project during the requested period of support should be described. In addition, items of nonexpendable equipment necessary to conduct and successfully conclude the proposed project should be listed.

Budget
A detailed budget is required for each year of study. In addition, a summary budget is required detailing support for the overall project period.

A. Salaries and Wages - Salaries of the principal investigator and other personnel associated directly with the project should constitute direct costs in proportion to their effort devoted to the research. Charges by academic institutions for work performed by faculty members during the summer months or other period outside the base salary period are to be at a monthly rate not in excess of that which would be applicable under the base salary and other provisions of the applicable cost principles.
For other personnel (graduate students, technical, clerical, etc.), only the total number of persons and total amount of salaries per year in each category are required. Salaries requested must be consistent with the regular practices of the institution.

B. Fringe Benefits - If the usual accounting practices of the performing organization provide that the organizational contributions to employee “benefits” (social security, retirement, etc.) be treated as direct costs, award funds may be requested to defray such expenses as a direct cost.

C. Materials and Supplies - The types of expendable materials and supplies required should be indicated in general terms with estimated costs.

D. Travel - The type and extent of travel and its relationship to the research should be briefly specified. Funds may be requested for fieldwork or for travel to scientific meetings.

E. Publication Costs/Page Charges - Costs of preparing and publishing the results of research conducted under the award, including costs of reports, reprints, page charges or other journal costs, and necessary illustrations, may be included.

F. Computer Costs - The cost of computer services, including computer-based retrieval of scientific and technical information may be requested. A justification based on the established computer service rates at the proposing organization should be provided. Reasonable costs of leasing automatic data processing equipment may be requested, if justified.

G. All Other Direct Costs - Other anticipated direct costs not included above should be itemized. Examples are subawards or subcontracts, space rental at research establishments away from the performing organization, and service charges. Reference books and periodicals may be charged to the award only if they are related specifically the research project.
Consultant services should be included in this section. Applicants normally are expected to utilize the services of their own staff to the maximum extent possible in managing and performing the activities supported by awards. If the need for consultant services is anticipated, the proposal narrative should provide appropriate rationale and the proposal budget should estimate the amount of funds which may be required for this purpose. List the names of consultant(s), the name of their organization(s) and, to the extent possible, a breakdown of the amount being charged to the award (For example: services, per diem, etc.).

Budget Justification
All salaries and wages, nonexpendable equipment, foreign travel, and “All Other Direct Cost” for which support is requested must be individually listed (with costs) and justified on a separate sheet of paper.

Current and Pending Support
The proposal must list any other current public or private research support (including in-house support) to which key personnel identified in the proposal have committed portions of their time, whether or not salary support for the person(s) involved is included in the budget. Analogous information must be provided for any pending proposals, including this proposal, that are now being considered by, or that will be submitted in the near future to, other possible sponsors.

Assurance Statements
If the project is expected to involve recombinant DNA molecules, human subjects at risk, or experimental vertebrate animals:

Recombinant DNA and RNA Molecules. All key personnel identified in a proposal and all endorsing officials of a proposed performing entity are required to comply with the guidelines established by the National Institutes of Health entitled, “Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules”, as revised.

Human Subjects at Risk. Responsibility for safeguarding the rights and welfare of human subjects used in any proposed project supported with grant funds provided by the NRICGP rest with the performing entity. The applicant must submit a statement certifying that the project plan has been reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board at the proposing organization or institution.

Experimental Vertebrate Animal Care. The responsibility for the humane care and treatment of any experimental vertebrate animal, which has the same meaning as “animal” in section 2(g) of the Animal Welfare Act of 1966, as amended (7 U.S.C. 2132(g)), used in any project supported with NRICGP funds rests with the performing organization. In this regard, all key personnel associated with any supported project and all endorsing officials of the proposed performing entity are required to comply with applicable provisions of the Animal Welfare Act of 1966, as amended (7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.), and the regulations promulgated thereunder by the Secretary of Agriculture in 9 CFR parts 1, 2, 3, and 4. In this regard, the applicant must submit a statement certifying that the proposed project is in compliance with the aforementioned regulations, and that the proposed project is either under review by or has been reviewed and approved by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

Personnel
List the leader or leaders and other technical workers assigned and % of effort.

Literature Cited
Provide a reference list of pertinent literature cited in the proposal.
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