This course is part of the Epidemiology in Public Health Practice Specialization

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stars
2,756 ratings

Aruna Chandran, MD, MPH

45,434 already enrolled

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Epidemiology in Public Health Practice SpecializationJohns Hopkins University

About this Course

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In order to make a difference in the health and well-being of a population, we must understand the burden of all problems and conditions that affect the population, as well as how well our efforts to mitigate these problems are actually working. This course provides you with some essential skills and tools that will enhance your ability to describe and understand the health of your community. The tools that epidemiologists use are in fact useful for all public health practitioners, including data scientists, program officials, agency leaders, and policymakers. Whether you are deeply enmeshed in your career and looking to augment your skills, or are looking to change career paths into the field of public health, this course will give you some of the practical knowledge and skills that we hope you can apply in your professional endeavors.

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Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Course 1 of 5 in the

Epidemiology in Public Health Practice Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 4 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

Be conversant in public health history, services, governance, and workforce.
Perform numeric estimates to assess public health problems and evaluate the burden of a condition in a population
Use data visualization as an epidemiological tool to describe risk factors
Apply basic mapping skills and a tool for epidemiologic descion-making

Skills you will gain

Estimation
Geographic Information System (GIS)
Statistical Methods
visualization

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 1 of 5 in the

Epidemiology in Public Health Practice Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 4 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.8/5 (965 Ratings)

Aruna Chandran, MD, MPH

Associate Scientist

Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

45,434 Learners

1 Course

Offered by

Johns Hopkins University

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating98%(4,552 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

1 hour to complete

Role of Epidemiology in Public Health

1 hour to complete

7 videos (Total 36 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

Week2

Week 2

1 hour to complete

Numeric Estimates in Epidemiology

In this module, we will examine the definitions for and sources of the core numeric values we need to describe the health and well-being of a population, which are numerators, the counts of an event or disease, and the denominator, the population from which events are drawn. We will then manipulate those numbers to derive ratios, proportions, and rates, which are core measures used to describe the burden of public health problems.

1 hour to complete

5 videos (Total 29 min)

Week3

Week 3

1 hour to complete

Depiction of Epidemiologic Data

In this module, we will explore the tool of data visualization, understand basic components of effective visualizations, and walk through practical exercises of identifying strengths and weaknesses of specific visualizations towards meeting their stated goals. You will then have the opportunity to create a data visualization from data regarding risk factors for common public health problems using the global disease-burden database of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

1 hour to complete

4 videos (Total 30 min)

Week4

Week 4

1 hour to complete

Basic Mapping of Epidemiologic Data

Maps and geographic information systems have become a cornerstone in public health and epidemiologic work in all communities. In this module, we will discuss how place matters in public health and how understanding the geographic distribution of a disease or risk factor is an important component of designing appropriate interventions. We will then discuss GIS as a tool for displaying spacial data and conduct a detailed exploration of how spatial data is stored and displayed by GIS software. You will download an open source GIS application known as QGIS, extract both spatial and epidemiologic data from the US Census Bureau, and create a map of your own.

1 hour to complete

5 videos (Total 18 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

Reviews

4.7

696 reviews

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TOP REVIEWS FROM ESSENTIAL EPIDEMIOLOGIC TOOLS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE

by AJan 19, 2021

It was great. A very usefull introduction to the epidemioly. As the title, it was about the essential epidemiological tools, i really liked it. Now I have a clear knowledgment for the public health.

by IOApr 9, 2020

I totally loved the course content. The only limitation was the inability to contact the tutor or any other support staff (for the times the site was down). The tutor is a great one too

by KEApr 22, 2021

Great introductory course! The Week 4 course could maybe improved especially the activity attached to it. I gave up towards the middle as I was having difficulty following the instructions.

by SSAug 8, 2022

The teaching was very clear. It was easy to follow and understand. This is a great course for the beginner and anyone looking to further their knowledge of tools used in public health.

View all reviews

About the Epidemiology in Public Health Practice Specialization

This specialization is intended for people working or aspiring to work in the field of public health at the local, regional, and national level. Over five courses taught by faculty from the preeminent school of public health, you'll learn to use the core epidemiologic toolset to measure the health of populations, assess interventions, collect and analyze data, and investigate outbreaks and epidemics.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Essential Epidemiologic Tools for Public Health Practice

About this Course

What you will learn

Skills you will gain