ePost Graduate program in Epidemiology

Admissions open for the December 2021 batch.

Background

Epidemiology is a cornerstone discipline in public health. It is the foundation on which public health decisions are made, implemented and evaluated. Epidemiology also serves as the tool for identifying the risks, determining the relationships, estimating the burden of disease, identifying and instituting appropriate prevention and control measures and finally evaluating the public health decisions. The capacity building of a critical mass of public health professionals and epidemiologists is essential to skillfully assess the dimensions of public health issues, determine appropriate strategies to meet emerging challenges and apply such knowledge to improve the health of the people by empowering public health programs and influencing policy decisions in the health and allied sectors. The eLearning program envisioned by Public Health Foundation of India is particularly suited for healthcare professionals already working with health system and engaged in delivery of health services but have limited access to higher education because of personal or professional reasons.

Aims and Objectives

This program aims to build a pool of trained public health professionals with a special focus on application of epidemiology in public health.

Course Design & Duration

The course is designed as a one year ePost Graduate program. It is an eLearning computer-based online program, largely self-taught complemented with online lectures and comprehensive printed study materials

Eligibility Criteria

The course would be open to:

Applicants currently engaged in public health related activities such as health professionals working in India with directorates of health services, central and state governments, officials engaged in health services at national, state and district level government institutions.
Applicants engaged in health services with National Health Programmes like National Health Mission, Integrated Disease Surveillance Project, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programs, Ayushmaan Bharat and other national health programs.
Applicants with graduate/post-graduate qualifications in medical and allied fields with relevant work experience in public health with health related organizations/NGOs in India.

Only Indian nationals are eligible for the program.

Eligible candidates would be screened, based on their application and statement of purpose, by a specially constituted selection committee. Decisions taken by the selection committee will be final. Preference will be given to in-service candidates from the central and state governments.

The curriculum would cover the broad content areas in epidemiology including basic principles of epidemiology and concepts involved in population research, basic statistical principles and statistical methods for epidemiological research, practical aspects of the design and conduct of an epidemiological study, epidemiological perspective on burden of communicable diseases and practical application of epidemiological methods for specific diseases, burden of non-communicable diseases with special emphasis on cardiovascular diseases and cancers, strategies for their prevention and control, skills of scientific paper writing, reviewing and critiquing.

New addition! Epidemiological aspects of COVID-19, COVID-19 surveillance strategies, prevention, diagnosis and management related issues for COVID-19.

Teaching & Training Methodology

The course utilize a blended online teaching/ eLearning technique. The basic course structure includes a combination of interactive online computer-based sessions, online virtual lectures, assessments and recommended readings from journal articles and text books in a modular format. Online learning sessions would be conducted by designated faculty members and students would be able to log on from their laptops/ personal computers.

Evaluation and award of online certificate

Students will be evaluated at the end of each module as well as through a final MCQ- based examination at the end of the course. Final online certificate will be awarded only to the students who successfully complete the course and clear all the course requirements.