BI-503 : General Epidemiology

Course, prefix, number, & title: BI-503 General Epidemiology

Hours (Class, recitation, Laboratory, studio): 3

Credits: 3

Pre-requisites (if any): BI-201

Course Description in college catalog:

Academic programs for which this course serves as a requirement or an elective:

A.S. Degree in Public Health

General Education Outcomes: Below is a listing of General Education Outcome(s) that this course supports.

1. Communicate effectively in various forms

2. Use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order to make informed decisions

3. Reason quantitatively as required in various fields of interest and in everyday life

4. Apply information management and digital technology skills useful for academic research and lifelong learning

Course-specific student learning outcomes:

1. Describe the purpose of epidemiological investigations

2. Describe and apply concepts and terms fundamental to epidemiology

3. Apply the scientific method to conducting an epidemiological investigation on a disease or condition impacting their community

4. Conduct background research in the scientific literature relevant to a epidemiologic study topic in order to formulate a logical and feasible research study hypothesis

5. Successfully utilize technologies to conduct data collection and analysis including Microsoft Excel

6. Report their investigative process and study findings via PowerPoint Presentations to colleagues

Program-specific outcomes

1. Analyze public health theory and practice in the following areas: social and behavioral sciences, epidemiology, environmental health, health communication, health care systems and policy.

2. Apply and synthesize basic quantitative and qualitative data, professional and scholarly literature to produce papers and oral presentations related to public health. [integrate knowledge and skills]

3. Analyze and evaluate the biological principles associated with the distribution of infectious and non-infectious diseases of public health importance.

4. Examine the current research related to public health problems and formulate methods for the prevention and control of diseases. [integrate knowledge and skills

Methods by which student learning will be assessed and evaluated; describe the types of methods to be employed; note whether certain methods are required for all sections:

Method of Evaluation                                % of Final Grade

4 Lecture Exams                                                             80   

Research assignment                                                       20

The understanding of the course material will be evaluated through four multiple choice exams,. (20% for each exam). In addition, 20% of the course grade will be based on an assignment on selected research study topic- an epidemiological study on a disease or condition of their choice. The assignment will be presented in the format of a PowerPoint presentation. The PowerPoint presentation should include background information assessing the epidemiological problem, and a review of the literature including several scholarly journal articles pertaining to the topic. In the presentation student will discuss epidemiological study designs including established risk factors with respect to the topic of their choice. A bibliography should be included. A rubric for grading the powerpoint presentation will be discussed in class.

Academic Integrity policy (department or College):
Academic honesty is expected of all students. Any violation of academic integrity is taken extremely seriously. All assignments and projects must be the original work of the student or teammates. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any questions regarding academic integrity should be brought to the attention of the instructor. The following is the Queensborough Community College Policy on Academic Integrity: "It is the official policy of the College that all acts or attempted acts that are violations of Academic Integrity be reported to the Office of Student Affairs. At the faculty member's discretion and with the concurrence of the student or students involved, some cases though reported to the Office of Student Affairs may be resolved within the confines of the course and department. The instructor has the authority to adjust the offender's grade as deemed appropriate, including assigning an F to the assignment or exercise or, in more serious cases, an F to the student for the entire course." Read the University's policy on Academic Integrity opens in a new window(PDF).

Disabilities
Any student who feels that he or she may need an accommodation based upon the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Accessibility Services in Science Building, Room S-132, 718-631-6257, to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. You can visit the Office of Accessibility Services website.