Department of Preventive Medicine

Master of Science in Epidemiology Program

Program Chair: Pamela D. Connor, Ph.D.

Program inquiries: contact

Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health and disease in populations. Its role has expanded over the past twenty years to involve all facets of health care, disease prevention, and health promotion.

The Master of Science in Epidemiology program emphasizes methods, the "tool kit" of epidemiology. This program is designed to provide the necessary methodological skills to enable students to pursue epidemiological research independently in their chosen fields. As part of the program, students receive training in biostatistics, epidemiology, health research methods, health behavior, and health promotion. The program is offered to qualified applicants holding baccalaureate, masters' or professional degrees in a variety of disciplines, including physical, biological, and social sciences, as well as the health and medical sciences. The program also emphasizes training current health professionals to develop and enhance their research design, measurement methods, and data analysis skills.

Minimum Admission Requirements for the M.S. in Epidemiology Program

• Bachelor's degree with a grade-point average of at least 3.0 (based on a 4.0 scale) from an accredited college or university;

• Official academic transcripts (international applicants must arrange for an independent educational-equivalency evaluation company to submit an evaluation of their transcripts to UTHSC at their own expense);

• An application form including 200-word-mininum essay with goal statement describing the applicant's area of interest in epidemiology. The application form that is available online (click APPLICATION) includes space for providing the required essay;

• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) minimum score of 500 on the verbal section, minimum score of 500 on the quantitative section, and minimum score of 3.5 on the analytical writing section (physicians licensed in the United States--and, under certain circumstances, persons with terminal degrees such as Ph.D.--may ask to have the GRE requirement waived; they should mention their request for a waiver in the "Essay/Goal Statement" section of the application form);

• TOEFL score of at least 213 (on computer-based test) or at least 79 (on Internet-based test) for foreign students. Physicians licensed through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) to practice medicine in the United States may request a waiver of the TOEFL requirement because the ECFMG certification includes a test of English language proficiency; such physicians should mention their request for the TOEFL waiver in the "Essay/Goal Statement" section of the application form);

• Three letters of recommendation.

Admissions will be determined based on strength of academic credentials, maturity of interest, and fit with faculty interests.

Minimum Degree Requirements for This Program

This program requires a minimum of 36 credit hours, consisting of the core required courses (21 credit hours including the 6 total credit hours for the Master's thesis or project), departmental elective courses (12-15 credit hours), and other elective courses (0-3 credit hours). Click HERE to view the typical curriculum. Full-time students, taking at least 9 credit hours of courses per semester, can usually complete this program in two years, but part-time students typically need more than two years to complete the program.

Application Process

The application process involves submission of an application form and other related documents (transcripts, GRE scores, TOEFL scores for international applicants, and 3 letters of recommendation) to support the application, as described below. An APPLICATION FORM is available online at http://www.utmem.edu/admiss/application.html.

Prospective students can submit an application form electronically (through the UT Health Science Center website) or print out the application form from that website and send the form by regular mail directly to the

Admissions Director
Office of Enrollment Services
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
910 Madison Avenue, Suite 525
Memphis, TN 38163 U.S.A.

In addition to submitting an application form, the applicant must arrange for official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, official academic transcripts, and 3 letters of recommendation to be sent to the Admissions Director in the Office of Enrollment Services at 910 Madison Avenue, Suite 525, Memphis, TN 38163, by the appropriate testing agency, academic institution, and letter writers, respectively, so that these documents can be added to the application file by the application deadline of April 15, 2009, if the applicant wants to be considered for the fall 2009 semester. If the applicant is not a native English speaker, he or she must also arrange for official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores to be sent to the Office of Enrollment Services (however, physicians who are licensed through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates to practice medicine in the United States may request a waiver of the TOEFL requirement because the ECFMG certification includes a test of English language proficiency; such physicians should mention their request for the TOEFL waiver in the "Essay/Goal Statement" section of the application form).

International Student Transcript Policy

Summary: Applicants who supply foreign transcripts for the purpose of entry into the University of Tennessee Health Science Center are required to submit their transcripts to an independent educational-equivalency evaluation company at their own expense. Foreign transcripts will be evaluated for equivalency of college-level education in the United States. Transcripts from any non-U.S. institution must be verified and certified to generate a grade-point average (GPA). A report from the evaluation company must be sent directly to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Office of Enrollment Services, from the evaluation company for consideration during the admissions review. For more information and details about the International Student Transcript Policy, please contact the Office of Enrollment Services <http://www.utmem.edu/admiss> at UT Health Science Center, 910 Madison Avenue, Suite 525; Memphis, TN 38163; telephone 901-448-5560.

Applicants must meet the application deadline of April 15 to be considered for the next fall semester (for example, submit the application form and all supporting documents by April 15, 2009, to be considered for admission for the fall semester, which would begin in mid-August 2009).

Final decisions regarding transfer college credits, course waivers and exemptions will be determined by the University of Tennessee Health Science Center's sole discretion. For more information on this university's admissions requirements, see the following websites: http://www.utmem.edu/admissions/ and http://www.utmem.edu/admiss/catalog.generalsection.htm#admission.

The Master of Science in Epidemiology program is administered through the College of Graduate Health Sciences (CGHS) at this university. Applicants must fulfill the College of Graduate Health Sciences' admission criteria, as well as the criteria of this program. For more details on CGHS requirements, visit the following website: http://www.utmem.edu/grad.

Program Costs

Click HERE to view information on estimated costs of enrolling in a graduate program of the College of Graduate Health Sciences. Costs are subject to change; updates will be posted when available.

Applicants may check with the UT Health Science Center's Financial Aid Office for information on how and when to apply for financial aid. Click HERE to go to the Financial Aid Office website.

K30 Clinical Research Curriculum Award

A K30 Clinical Research Curriculum Award from the National Institutes of Health is allowing our graduate program in epidemiology to improve and expand multidisciplinary clinical research training and mentoring for new clinical investigators. Click HERE to go to the K30 Curriculum website.

Related links:

• Electronic Application Form
• College of Graduate Health Sciences
• Faculty in the Department of Preventive Medicine
• Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology