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.
Director:
Dr. Robert Moran, Graduate Director for Biostatistics
Directors:
Directors:
As Bailey begins his final semester of the online MPH in Epidemiology program, he sees the experience as incredibly rewarding and extremely challenging and looks forward to teaching his students about a variety of public health topics.
After finding USC's environment to be a welcoming one, Bhola decided to stay at the Arnold School to pursue an M.S. in Epidemiology. She's made lifelong friends, learned valuable life skills, and broadened her community.
Returning to USC for graduate school was an easy decision for Ciara Matthews. As her alma mater, the state's flagship university held a special place for Matthews, but the biggest factor was the program's flexibility.
A recent study led by Ph.D. in Epidemiology candidate Marion Howard compared the health outcomes of planned hospital births vs planned community births (i.e., births that were intended to take place at home or at a birthing center).
Master of Public Health in Epidemiology alumna Emma Boswell is the eighth member of the Rural Health Research Center in the last decade to be invited to join the National Rural Health Association's Rural Health Fellows Program.
USC features Jihong Liu's MCH research into the developmental origins of disease – how the mother’s health in pregnancy affects her children’s – as well as how a woman’s experiences during pregnancy can affect her own health for a lifetime.