Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health in populations and the application of this study to improve health. The course will cover basic epidemiological concepts including study design; measures of disease frequency and association; bias, confounding and effect modification; causality; screening; and disease surveillance. The course will also introduce the basic tools necessary for using and interpreting population health data.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Understand basic principles of epidemiology.
- Identify key sources of population health data and calculate and interpret epidemiologic measures.
- Describe and design basic epidemiologic studies and know the advantages and disadvantages of each design.
- Define major sources of error and bias in epidemiologic research, assess the implications and identify approaches to minimise their impact.
- Use epidemiologic reasoning to evaluate causal inference in epidemiologic studies and to critically review epidemiologic literature.
- Reflect upon the applications of epidemiology for populations, including measuring population impact, prevention and screening.
Indicative Assessment
- Short essays (15) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
- Quizzes (20) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
- Critical appraisal (30) [LO 3,4,5,6]
- Final exam (35) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the semester including:
- In Person delivery mode: Face-to-face component which may consist of 1 x 3 hour block comprising a mix of lecture and tutorials per week. Approximately 94 hours of self-directed study which will include preparation for lectures, presentations and other assessment tasks.
- Online delivery mode: Approximately 130 hours of self-directed study which will include reading, online lessons, exercises and assessment preparation.
Inherent Requirements
No specific inherent requirements have been identified for this course.
Requisite and Incompatibility
You will need to contact the National Centre Epidemiology & Population Health to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Prescribed Texts
Reading materials will be provided throughout the course.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2758 | 23 Feb 2026 | 02 Mar 2026 | 31 Mar 2026 | 29 May 2026 | In Person | N/A |
| 2495 | 23 Feb 2026 | 02 Mar 2026 | 31 Mar 2026 | 29 May 2026 | Online | N/A |