FHE4020 ¨C Public Health Epidemiology

Course content

This course offers an integrated overview of epidemiology, combining clinical and public health epidemiology methods and approaches. Students will learn fundamental epidemiological concepts, including measures of disease occurrence and association with exposures, diagnostic test properties, and screening methods. Epidemiological study designs ¡ª such as cross-sectional design, cohort studies, case-control studies, randomized controlled trials, and systematic reviews ¡ª are covered extensively, along with critical methods for synthesizing evidence through meta-analyses.

Students will be introduced to methods for assessing and enhancing the validity of research, including the identification and management of biases, confounding, and random error. The course also provides training in applying widely recognized methodological tools, such as risk-of-bias assessment tools and standardized reporting guidelines.

Through lectures, interactive discussions, practical exercises, and case studies, students will develop the skills to critically appraise scientific literature, design basic epidemiological studies, apply methods to address public health research questions, and clearly communicate findings relevant to clinical practice and public health policy.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

• Define and explain fundamental epidemiological concepts, including measures of disease occurrence and association with exposures, and describe the properties of diagnostic tests and screening methods.

• Understand and distinguish between different epidemiological study designs (cohort studies, cross-sectional, case-control studies, randomized trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses), describing their key strengths, weaknesses, and appropriate applications in addressing public health problems.

• Explain basic principles of causal inference, including concepts of bias, confounding, random error, and validity, within the context of epidemiological studies.

Skills

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

• Calculate, interpret, and critically evaluate epidemiological measures, such as incidence, prevalence, relative- and absolute risk, odds ratios, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values.

• Critically appraise scientific literature using systematic methods and tools, including risk-of-bias assessments and standardized reporting guidelines.

• Formulate appropriate health research questions, select suitable study designs and analytical methods to answer them, and design epidemiological research projects.

General Competencies

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

• Discuss the role of epidemiology in the broader field of public health.

• Evaluate and apply epidemiological evidence effectively for clinical decision-making and in public health policy formulation, considering both local and global contexts.

• Communicate epidemiological methods and findings effectively and clearly, adapted for both scientific audiences and the general public.

• Recognize ethical considerations in epidemiological research, ensuring the appropriate and responsible use of epidemiological data and results.

Admission to the course

The course is available for students at the following master programmes:

• Folkehelsevitenskap og epidemiologi (master)

Students enrolled in other Master's programmes at the Institute of Health and Society can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.

Language of examination

The examination questions are given in English. You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about?the grading system.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• How to use AI as a student
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.