Description

Introduction to Epidemiology for Global Health provides an orientation to the fields of epidemiology and biostatistics for those seeking to conduct research or work on research studies in a global health context. The objective of this course is to provide participants with an understanding of how epidemiologic methods are used to understand the distribution of disease within populations and what factors affect the risk of disease. Through this course, participants will become familiar with the concepts and terminology used to describe disease risk, the common study designs used in epidemiology, the concepts of bias and confounding, and the importance of appropriate measurement in epidemiologic research.

You can also download the course syllabus.

You are required to take a Course Policy Quiz to ensure you understand policies and grading for this course.

Instructor

Instructor: Brandon Guthrie, PhD
Associate Professor, Global Health
Associate Professor, Epidemiology
University of Washington

Dr. Guthrie (he/him/his) is an epidemiologist and Associate Professor of Global Health and Epidemiology at the University of Washington. His specific research interests focus on improving engagement in care among people living with HIV. Dr. Guthrie has NIH-funded research projects based in Nairobi, Kenya that are evaluating interventions to improve linkage and retention in HIV/AIDS care, expedite treatment initiation, and reduce mortality. His research includes both randomized intervention trials as well as mixed methods and implementation science approaches to evaluate interventions that are tailored to achieve both high effectiveness and acceptability.

Student Support

If you have any questions, please reach out to edgh@uw.edu. Our dedicated and knowledgeable staff are ready to assist you promptly.

Course Announcements for System Issues

If you experience broken links or system-wide problems (e.g., videos not playing), please check the course Announcements first. The eDGH support team will post updates and fixes there.

Course Learning Objectives

After completing this course, you will be able to:

  1. Describe the main concepts in epidemiology.
  2. Describe the methodological approaches to measuring diseases in populations and assessing relationships between exposures and diseases.
  3. Describe how to use measures of association to investigate the relationship between exposure and disease.
  4. Explain how statistical approaches can be used to describe data, including measures of location and spread and how statistical testing can be used to draw conclusions.
  5. Describe the characteristics of different study designs, including cohort studies, case-control studies, and randomized trials and provide examples of when each study design would be appropriate and preferred.
  6. List the seven viewpoints that epidemiologists use to assess the likelihood of a causal exposure-disease relationship.
  7. Identify confounding and how to account for confounding to produce valid conclusions.
  8. Describe the most common strategies to control for confounding.
  9. Give examples of how the research question of interest will dictate how subjects are classified in terms of exposure and disease.
  10. Describe how to interpret the various measures of test performance.
  11. Summarize the common regression methods used in epidemiology.
  12. Describe the various types of surveillance systems and the ways in which global health surveillance can guide public health action.

Target Audience

Participants are from multiple countries around the world and include health care workers and clinicians who have a bachelor’s-level degree (or equivalent). The course is appropriate for individuals with experience in a health-related field with interest in understanding epidemiologic principles and research methods.

Format

This is a self-paced, online modular course divided into 10 weeks. It will be delivered entirely online. 

Participants are expected to review the pre-recorded weekly lectures, complete assigned readings and activities, and participate in discussion via the discussion forums. Most participants will also meet with a local study group that is led by a site facilitator. This is meant to increase opportunities for discussion about the relevance of the material to the local setting.

If you have any questions, please look at the course FAQ. If your question isn't answered there, please email edgh@uw.edu.

Materials

Required and recommended readings will be drawn from the following texts. Additional readings will be assigned for each module.

Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice, 3rd Edition. An Introduction to Applied Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Cancer Epidemiology: Principles and Methods. Isabel dos Santos Silva. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Lyon. 1999.

Grading

To be successful in the course you will need to complete all of the learning activities listed.

Activity Percentage
Written assignments 14%
Discussion forums (2 points each, 5 total) 10%
Quizzes (4 points each, 9 total) 36%
Final exam 40%
Total 100%

Submitting Assignments

All assignments for this course will be submitted electronically through Moodle. Assignments must be submitted by the given deadline.

Viewing Grades in Moodle

Points you receive for graded activities will be posted to the Moodle Grade Book.

Quizzes will be graded upon submission. Grades are posted by the end of the day Monday after an assignment is due. If you submit your assignment late (after the due date), please allow at least 24 hours for your grade to be updated. We do not update late submission grades over the weekend.

Participants have access to their course for a defined period, which includes a four-week period after the course ends. During this time, scores on graded activities can be viewed and downloaded from within the course platform. After access ends, grades are no longer available and cannot be retrieved.

Please note:

  • eDGH does not retain or provide grade reports after course access ends.
  • eDGH does not issue academic transcripts.
  • Certificates of completion serve as the official record of participation and include CEUs (Continuing Education Units) earned.

We recommend downloading your grades during the course or shortly after it ends if you wish to retain a personal copy.

Assignments

Written Assignments

The written assignments will be described in Moodle on the assignment pages. Answer keys are provided once you submit your assignment.

Discussion Forums

Your participation in the discussion forums is critical for maximizing your learning experiences in this course. Please refer to the information on posting to discussion forums to read expectations for posting.

Quizzes

Quizzes will open when the module opens. You will have 2 attempts on each quiz. The learning management system will record your highest score.

Optional Learning Activities

In some modules, we have included optional learning activities. These contain additional resources, learning activities, and downloadable resources. Completing these optional activities is for your own enrichment and will not count toward your grade.

Certificate of Completion

Active participation is required in order to receive a Certificate of Completion for the course. To receive a Certificate of Completion from the University of Washington, USA, you must pass the course, which means getting a final score of 70% or higher on all graded activities. Certificates will be distributed digitally after completion requirements have been verified. 

If you are a site participant, you must earn a qualifying score and attend 3 of the site meetings your site will hold. Attendance at more, if offered, is encouraged but not required to meet the site participation requirement. After the course, site participant certificates will be sent to site coordinators for distribution.

Late Work Policy

We will NOT accept assignments submitted by email or posted in discussion forums. Additionally, no assignments will be accepted after the course has ended.

Commitment to Academic Integrity

Commit to Integrity

As a participant in this course you are expected to maintain high degrees of professionalism, commitment to active learning and participation in this class and integrity in your behavior in and out of the classroom.

Definitions

“Plagiarism is defined as the use of the words, ideas, diagrams, etc., of publicly available work without appropriately acknowledging the sources of these materials. This definition constitutes plagiarism whether it is intentional or unintentional and whether it is the work of another or your own, previously published work. Plagiarism is a very serious offense that the University of Washington's eDGH Program does not tolerate it.”

Enforcement

Corroborated reports of plagiarism, cheating, or other misconduct will result in no credit on that assignment and may result in suspension from the course and ban from participation in future courses.

Library Resources

The University of Washington offers a comprehensive collection of resources for continuing education participants, providing access to valuable research materials, academic databases, and global health tools. These resources can help expand knowledge, support research, and facilitate lifelong learning.

  • Unpaywall: A free, legal browser extension that helps you find open-access versions of research articles. If an article is behind a paywall, Unpaywall searches for an openly available copy in institutional repositories or preprint servers.
  • PubMed Central (PMC): A free full-text archive of biomedical and life sciences literature from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). PMC provides unrestricted access to millions of peer-reviewed articles.
  • PubMed: A widely used search engine for scientific and medical research. To access free articles, use the "Free full text" filter on the left-hand side of the search results page.
  • Global Health Toolkit: A UW curated collection of global health resources. Articles and tools without a lock icon are freely accessible to the public, making it a valuable reference for global health professionals and researchers.

Use of AI Tools in This Course

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Google Bard) can be useful for tasks such as clarifying complex concepts or refining your writing for better readability. You are welcome to use AI in these ways to support your learning.

However, using AI to generate or significantly revise responses for course assignments, activities, or discussion posts is not permitted and constitutes academic misconduct. Copying and pasting AI-generated content or feeding assignment prompts into AI tools is not allowed. These practices undermine your learning, as this course is designed to help you develop your own skills and express your own ideas.

Grammar, spelling, and phrasing will not be graded in this course; the focus is on the clarity and depth of your ideas rather than perfect language.

Keep in mind that AI-generated content can contain factual inaccuracies or misinterpretations, particularly in complex scientific discussions. Always verify information before using it.

If you have any questions about the appropriate use of AI in this course, please reach out for clarification.

Watch this video for more information and resources.

Religious Accommodations

eDGH uses the UW’s policy on religious accommodations for participants who need to make special arrangements in meeting course deadlines due to reasons of faith or conscience or for religious activities. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course by contacting edgh@uw.edu.

Copyright Statement

All content associated with this course is copyrighted. This includes the syllabus, assignments, reading lists, and lectures, as well as any material generated by your fellow students. Within the constraints of "fair use", you may copy these materials for your personal use in support of your education. For example, you may download materials to your computer for study, but you may not copy the materials and distribute or upload to a website. Such “fair use” by you does not include further distribution by any means of copying, performance or presentation beyond the circle of your close acquaintances, student colleagues in this class and your family. If you have any questions regarding any use violates the creator's copyright interests, please feel free to email edgh@uw.edu.