All University of South Carolina system institutions will be closed through the end of the spring semester. Columbia campus virtual instruction will continue through the conclusion of final exams in May. Details can be found on the coronavirus landing page.
Public Health was defined by C-E.A. Winslow as the science and the art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting physical health and efficiency through organized community efforts with the goal of enabling every citizen to realize his/her birthright of health and longevity.
The disciplines of epidemiology and biostatistics are essential to achieving the goals of public health, and combining these two disciplines in a single department creates synergies for both training and research. Epidemiologists study the distribution and determinants of health and disease in populations. Biostatisticians develop and apply statistical theory, methods and techniques to public health research data and the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health programs. Given the strong overlap, epidemiologists and biostatisticians often collaborate to work toward the shared goal of generating and analyzing data to advance the public’s health.
Within the department, the degree programs are administered under two separate streams, the Division of Epidemiology and Division of Biostatistics.
Find out more about the department and what we offer in our welcome from the Chair.
We offer eight advanced degrees in epidemiology and biostatistics. Each graduate degree has specific application deadlines and requirements.
The Office of the Vice President for Research has announced the 2020 research-related service awards, and associate professors Jan Eberth and Brie Turner-McGrievy are among those selected from across the university.
Graduate students from across the Arnold School have earned 2019-2020 SPARC Graduate Research Grants from the UofSC Office of the Vice President for Research to fund individual scholarship initiatives.
In October 2019, Kanyangarara joined the Arnold School of Public Health to continue advancing her research in the areas of global health and infectious diseases, particularly those affecting mothers, newborns and children in low- and middle-income countries.
Two doctoral students in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics have won awards for their submissions to the 2019 Spirituality and Public Health Student Essay Contest. Rajat Das Gupta won first prize, and Maxwell Akonde won third prize.
Anthony Alberg, professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and a cancer epidemiologist with extensive experience researching the health effects of cigarette smoking, contributed to the 2020 Surgeon General's Report on Smoking.