Course Syllabus

Below is a syllabus template that includes WSU's required syllabus elements. Please complete all items highlighted in yellow.

Title of Course Principles of Epidemiology

Prefix and Number PUBHLTH 230

Semester and Year Fall 2025

Number of Credit Hours 3

Prerequisites none

Course Details

Day and Time: [T/Th]

Meeting Location: [tbd]

Instructor Contact Information

Instructor Name: [tbd]

Instructor Contact Information: [tbd]

Instructor Office Hours: [tbd]

TA Name: [tbd]

TA Contact Information: [tbd]

TA Office Hours: [tbd]

Course Description

This is a three credit hour course designed to provide students with a critical understanding of the applications of epidemiologic methods and procedures to the study of the distribution and determinants of health and disease, morbidity, injuries, disability, and mortality in populations. Epidemiologic methods for the control of conditions such as infectious and chronic diseases, mental disorders, community and environmental health hazards, and unintentional injuries are discussed. Other topics include quantitative aspects of epidemiology, including data sources, measures of morbidity and mortality, evaluation of association and causality, and study design.

Course Materials

Books: Required Textbook: Friis R.H. (2018). Epidemiology 101: Essential Public Health Series (2^nd Ed). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc. ISBN: 9781284107852

Other Materials: n/a

Fees: n/a

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Course Learning Outcomes (students will be able to:)	Activities Supporting the Learning Outcomes	Assessment of the Learning Outcomes
[Discuss the history, philosophy, and uses of epidemiology]	[white paper, presentation; discussion board, class discussion]	[quizzes, exams, discussion board participation, assignment grades]
[List sources of epidemiologic data and define related measures of morbidity and mortality]	[White paper, quality of life assignment, discussion boards]	[quizzes, exams, discussion board participation, assignment grades]
[Define the term descriptive epidemiology and describe the applications of descriptive epidemiology to the health of populations]	[white paper, presentation, discussion boards]	[quizzes, exams, discussion board participation, assignment grades]
[Define the term analytic epidemiology and differentiate among the types of analytic research designs]	[white paper, presentation, discussion boards]	[quizzes, exams, discussion board participation, assignment grades]
[Describe applications of epidemiology to outbreak investigation, social and behavioral phenomena, policy development, and special topics including work and the environment]	[White paper, quality of life assignment, discussion boards, class discussion]	[quizzes, exams, discussion board participation, assignment grades]
[Understand the genetic and behavioral reasons why there are increasing numbers of antibiotic resistant infections]	[Class discussion, quality of life assignment, discussion boards]	[quizzes, exams, discussion board participation]

Course Schedule [Please note that a WSU semester is 15 weeks + Thanksgiving/Spring Break. The schedule below does not include the break.]
Dates	Lesson Topic	Assignment	Assessment
Week 1 [dates]	Course Overview and Introduction	n/a	n/a
Week 2 [dates]	Health and Disease: Quantifying a Problem	n/a	n/a
Week 3 [dates]	An Historic Overview of Epidemiology	Complete Online Quiz #1	Quiz #1
Week 4 [dates]	Epidemiology and Policy Introduction to White Paper Assignment	Complete Online Quiz #2	Quiz #2
Week 5 [dates]	Health Determinants, Measures, and Trends	Complete Online Quiz #3	Quiz #3
Week 6 [dates]	Epidemiological Determinants, Measures, and Trends	Complete Online Quiz #4	Quiz #4
Week 7 [dates]	Measures of Disease Occurrence	Complete Online Quiz #5 Health Quality of Life Data Assignment	Complete Online Quiz #5
Week 8 [dates]	FIRST EXAMINATION	Part I of White Paper	n/a
Week 9 [dates]	Descriptive Epidemiology		n/a
Week 10 [dates]	Descriptive Epidemiology	Complete Online Quiz #6	Quiz #6
Week 11 [dates]	Association and Causality	Complete Online Quiz #7 Part II of White Paper	Quiz #7
Week 12 [dates]	Analytic Epidemiology and Study Design	n/a	n/a
Week 13 [dates]	Analytic Epidemiology and Study Design	Complete Online Quiz #8 Part III of White Paper	Quiz #8
Week 14 [dates]	SECOND EXAMINATION
Week 15 [dates]	Infectious Disease and Outbreak Investigation	Complete Online Quiz #9 All Presentations and Papers Due	Quiz #9

Expectations for Student Effort

For each hour of lecture equivalent, students should expect to have a minimum of two hours of work outside of class. Some weeks will have a higher workload due to the nature of assignments. Please consult the course schedule and ask your instructor if you have questions.

Grading

Assignment Breakdown
Type of Assignment (tests, papers, etc)	Points	Percent of Overall Grade
[online quizzes]	[9 x 10]	[15]
[Exams]	[3 x100	[50]
[White Paper]	[100]	[16.7]
[White Paper presentation]	[50]	[8.3]
[Quality of Life Assignment]	[50]	[8.3]
[Discussion Board]	[10 x1]	[1.7]

Grading Schema
Grade	Percent
A	[>90]
B	[80 – 89]
C	[70 – 79]
D	[60 – 69]
F	[0 – 59]

Scores will be rounded to the nearest whole percent to assign a letter grade

Attendance and Make-Up Policy

Students should make all reasonable efforts to attend all class meetings. However, in the event a student is unable to attend a class, it is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor as soon as possible, explain the reason for the absence (and provide documentation, if appropriate), and make up class work missed within a reasonable amount of time, if allowed. Missing class meetings may result in reducing the overall grade in the class.

Academic Integrity Statement

You are responsible for reading WSU's Academic Integrity Policy, which is based on Washington State law. If you cheat in your work in this class you will:

-Receive an F in the class

-Be reported to the Center for Community Standards

-Have the right to appeal my decision

-Not be able to drop the course of withdraw from the course until the appeals process is finished

If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask me.

If you want to ask for a change in my decision about academic integrity, use the form at the Center for Community Standards website. You must submit this request within 21 calendar days of the decision.