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Epidemiology
Explore emerging epidemiological research and develop appreciation of modern biostatistical methods.
Explore emerging epidemiological research and develop appreciation of modern biostatistical methods
Understand the application of statistical and mathematical methods to epidemiological investigation and practice
Conduct a four-month research project, supervised by experienced SPH academics, and develop skills for further PhD study or a career in epidemiology
Course key facts
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Qualification
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MSc
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Duration
1 year
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Start date
September 2024
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Study mode
Full-time
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Fees
£14,900 Home
£43,250 Overseas
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Delivered by
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Location
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South Kensington
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St Mary's
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White City
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Minimum entry standard
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2:1 in mathematics, statistics, medicine (human and veterinary) or biological sciences
Course overview
On this Master’s course, you’ll acquire advanced skills in epidemiology and biostatistics and develop knowledge of research methods commonly applied in epidemiology and public health.
You'll examine emerging research to build expertise in core epidemiological and statistical concepts to understand the distribution and causes of diseases in populations and explore possible prevention and control strategies.
You’ll also learn how to use mathematical models to understand the transmission of infections and to evaluate the potential impact of control programmes in reducing morbidity and mortality.
Using these skills, you’ll embark on an extended four-month research project, exploring an area of epidemiological research in further detail, under supervision of academics at Imperial and external research partners.
Epidemiology Accolades
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1st in the UK (Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care) Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, based on the proportion of world-leading research.
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3rd in the world Medicine and Dentistry, Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2022.
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World-class study experience Benefit from close connections with healthcare partners and cross-departmental collaborations.
Structure
This page is updated regularly to reflect the latest version of the curriculum. However, this information is subject to change.
Find out more about potential course changes.
Please note: it may not always be possible to take specific combinations of modules due to timetabling conflicts. For confirmation, please check with the relevant department.
You’ll take all of the compulsory modules below.
Compulsory modules
Explore core concepts of epidemiology and acquire the skills necessary to describe, analyse, interpret and appraise epidemiological studies.
Develop a practical approach to research application through quantitative and qualitative methods, underpinned by sound ethics and acknowledgment of the important role of the public in research.
Gain a thorough grounding in infectious disease modelling and develop skills in designing, simulating and analysing infectious disease models for public health policy.
Master fundamental statistical methods for epidemiologic analysis through lectures, applied statistics individual and group projects, and R software-based problem sets.
You’ll choose up to six optional modules from the list below.
Optional modules
Build your understanding of the concepts of Bayesian modelling and inference, and the statistical methods used in analysing spatial and spatio-temporal data.
Discover how to interpret key evidence generated by modern infectious disease modelling methods that appears in non-specialist high impact journals.
Build on your existing skills to assess how epidemiological research can address key public health questions relating to the control of outbreaks.
Become familiar with the principles of advanced regression for high-dimensional data and apply these techniques on real data problems.
Develop your knowledge of emerging and neglected tropical diseases and learn practical field tools and techniques for effective monitoring and evaluation of public health control programmes.
Understand the theoretical concepts and the practical methodology used in the genetic epidemiology of infectious pathogens.
Advance your knowledge of how to design, implement and analyse data in the framework of an environmental epidemiological study.
Become familiar with the underlying principles of public health nutrition, and nutritional epidemiology in the context of public health.
Uncover the main types of study designs used in molecular and genetic epidemiologic investigations and identify potential sources of bias and the methods used to limit them.
You'll carry out a four-month individual research project under supervision.
You'll articulate a research question relevant to the fields of epidemiology/ public health and employ a range of data collection and analytical methods to satisfy this question.
Your work will culminate with a written dissertation and oral examination.
Teaching and assessment
Balance of teaching and learning
Key
- Lectures, tutorials, practicals and group work
- Independent study
- Research project
Terms 1 and 2
- 25% Lectures, tutorials, practicals and group work
- 75% Independent study
- 0% Research project
Term 3
- 0% Lectures, tutorials, practicals and group work
- 0% Independent study
- 100% Research project
Teaching and learning methods
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Lectures
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Virtual learning environment
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Tutorials
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Seminars
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Workshops
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Group work
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Office hours
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Quizzes
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Reading and pre-recorded materials
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Discussion forums
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Computing-based practicals
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Independent study
Balance of assessment
Key
- Coursework
- Practical or presentation
- Timed written exam
Term 1
- 60% Coursework
- 10% Practical or presentation
- 30% Timed written exam
Term 2
- 50% Coursework
- 25% Practical or presentation
- 25% Timed written exam
Term 3
- 70% Coursework
- 30% Practical or presentation
- 0% Timed written exam
Assessment methods
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Timed written examinations
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Coursework
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Mini research projects
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Individual and group presentations
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Video blogs
Entry requirements
We consider all applicants on an individual basis, welcoming students from all over the world.
How to apply
Apply online
You can submit one application form per year of entry. You can choose up to two courses.
There is no application fee for MRes courses, Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas, or courses such as PhDs and EngDs.
If you are applying for a taught Master’s course, you will need to pay an application fee before submitting your application.
The fee applies per application and not per course.
- £80 for all taught Master's applications, excluding those to the Imperial College Business School.
- £100 for all MSc applications to the Imperial College Business School.
- £150 for all MBA applications to the Imperial College Business School.
If you are facing financial hardship and are unable to pay the application fee, we encourage you to apply for our application fee waiver.
Find out more about how to apply for a Master's course, including references and personal statements.
An ATAS certificate is not required for students applying for this course.
Tuition fees
Home fee
2024 entry
£14,900
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the College, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
The government has not yet published the loan amount for students starting courses in Autumn 2024. As a guide, the maximum value of the loan was £12,167 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2023.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Overseas fee
2024 entry
£43,250
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the College, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
The government has not yet published the loan amount for students starting courses in Autumn 2024. As a guide, the maximum value of the loan was £12,167 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2023.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Your future career
Develop the skills required for an academic career in epidemiology, beginning with a PhD.
With specialised knowledge, you'll be highly sought after in a range of sectors.
This includes careers with public health organisations, pharmaceutical companies and non-governmental agencies.
Further links
Contact the department
Course Directors: Professor Matthew Fisher and Professor Marta Blangiardo
Course Organiser: Dr Sungano Chigogora
Visit the School of Public Health website.
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Register your interest
Stay up to date on news, events, scholarship opportunities and information related to this course.
Register your interest
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Terms and conditions
There are some important pieces of information you should be aware of when applying to Imperial. These include key information about your tuition fees, funding, visas, accommodation and more.
You can find further information about your course, including degree classifications, regulations, progression and awards in the programme specification for your course.
Programme specifications