Compartmental modelling is a cornerstone of mathematical modelling of infectious diseases and this course will introduce some of the basic concepts in building compartmental models, including how to interpret and represent rates, durations and proportions. You'll learn to place the mathematics to one side and concentrate on gaining intuition into the behaviour of a simple epidemic, and be introduced to further basic concepts of infectious disease epidemiology, such as the basic reproduction number (R0) and its implications for infectious disease dynamics. To express the mathematical underpinnings of the basic drivers that you study, you'll use the simple SIR model, which, in turn, will help you examine different scenarios for reproduction numbers. Susceptibility to infection is the fuel for an infectious disease, so understanding the dynamics of susceptibility can offer important insights into epidemic dynamics, as well as priorities for control.
This course is part of the Infectious Disease Modelling Specialization
About this Course
What you will learn
Construct valid mathematical models capturing the natural history of a given infectious disease
Interpret compartmental models in terms of rates, proportions and delays
Describe the fundamental processes driving the dynamics of an SIR epidemic and show their relation to important concepts
Explain mechanisms by which susceptibility can change over time and develop a simple SIR model to account for these under given parameters
Skills you will gain
- Mathematical Model
- Infectious Diseases
Offered by
Start working towards your Master's degree
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Modelling the Basics
Anatomy of an Epidemic
Combining Modelling and Insights
Dynamics of Susceptibles
Reviews
- 5 stars90.08%
- 4 stars7.85%
- 3 stars0.41%
- 1 star1.65%
TOP REVIEWS FROM DEVELOPING THE SIR MODEL
Achievable targets, constant feedback, great balance between exercises, video, reading make this course truly rewarding and engaging. Thanks!
This is a wonderful course it helped me a lot in understanding basic and advance concepts of infectious disease modeling.
This is an excellent course. It covers a lot of material, but is very well organized. Gives a great introduction to infectious disease modeling that is intuitive and easy to follow.
A very good course. The right balance between epidemiology knowledge and developer skills. Video lessons were short and lucid. R orientation and notebooks were great.
About the Infectious Disease Modelling Specialization

Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.