Doctor of Philosophy in Epidemiology

Epidemiology combines concepts and methods in biology, economics, mathematics, and statistics with the goals of understanding the distribution and determinants of disease, injury, and impaired productivity in populations, and recommending actions for prevention or control. The program provides rigorous training in the principles and practice of epidemiology with an emphasis on quantitative analytic methods and the mentoring of novel epidemiologic research. Areas of emphasis include infectious disease epidemiology, wildlife epidemiology, zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, epidemiologic methods and biostatistics, occupational and environmental epidemiology, nutritional epidemiology, health services and health economics, social and behavioral epidemiology, and reproductive, perinatal, pediatric, and developmental epidemiology. UC Davis offers a unique blend of research facilities in the schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, the California Regional Primate Research Center, the Center for Health and the Environment, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and the Division of Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

The Graduate Group in Epidemiology emphasizes the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Students entering the program with prerequisite training can complete required course work in four quarters. Students advance to candidacy by passing a qualifying oral examination. The Ph.D. is awarded following completion of research and a dissertation. A Master of Science degree is also offered. We strongly encourage applications from underrepresented minorities.All PhD students are required to complete a minimum of 45 units of core coursework and 12 units of electives with a minimum of 2 units of epidemiology seminar. Full-time students must enroll for 12 units per quarter including academic, research and seminar units. Courses that fulfill any of the program course requirements may not be taken S/U unless the coures is normally graded S/U. After course requirements are completed, students may take additional classes as needed, although 12 units per quarter are often fulfilled by enrollmen in EPI 299 directed research units. All required courses are taught at the 200 graduate level, unless the student is fulfilling a statistics or sampling requirement which will is offered through the statistics department through the 100 numbered series. Elective courses may be taken at either the 100 or 200 level.

Admission to the Graduate Group in Epidemiology (GGE) is competitive. Students are expected to have a strong quantitative inclination prior to matriculation. Methods, philosophy, and mechanics of epidemiological data analysis are stressed. Minimum requirements for admission are the same for both M.S. and Ph.D. applicants. Applicants should have an undergraduate Grade Point Average of 3.25 or higher. A graduate GPA, if applicable, must be 3.0 or higher.
There is no foreign language requirement for the GGE. If English is not the applicant's native language or the student has not studied at an institution where English was the language of instruction, scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) must be submitted. The minimum TOEFL score required is 80 on the internet-based test. TOEFL scores are valid for two (2) years after the test date. Students from countries that do not have access to the internet-based test system may still submit paper based test scores.
IELTS - Minimum Score 7.0 on a 9-point scale