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Course & Unit Catalogues


SP50366: Applied research methods and epidemiology

[Page last updated: 15 August 2024]

Academic Year: 2024/25
Owning Department/School: Department of Social & Policy Sciences
Credits: 15 [equivalent to 30 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 300
Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Period:
Semester 1
Assessment Summary: CW 100%
Assessment Detail:
  • Epidemiological Review paper (CW 100%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites:
Learning Outcomes: To demonstrate an understanding of key public health epidemiological measures and methods, including those in health economics
Design, carry out and interpret statistical and other quantitative analysis as applied to public health issues
To explain population level measures and disease classifications for public health and critique their use in describing a range of public health issues
Describe and explain key qualitative research methods and demonstrate an understanding of their utility in public health
Show awareness of screening and surveillance approaches for non-communicable and communicable disease and critique their effectiveness
To identity and use key public health data sources and to show awareness of developments in health information applications that may prove useful for surveillance and monitoring in public health.


Aims: The aim of this unit is to teach students the epidemiological and research methods used in public health to identify public health problems and prioritise public health responses.

Content: This unit will introduce students to the discipline of public health epidemiology. It will discuss the development of it as a discipline and will teach students on relevant contemporary public health epidemiological measures and methods. It will teach students to use a range of public health data to identify key local, national and global health issues, covering both quantitative and qualitative research methods, describing how they can be used in public health to identify public health problems and their determinants. It will then consider the use of screening and surveillance in monitoring public health at a local, national and global level and consider contemporary developments in surveillance, in particular through the use of health information systems and other technological applications.

Course availability:

SP50366 is Compulsory on the following courses:

Department for Health

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2024/25 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2025/26 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2024/25.
  • Courses and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
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