Skip to Main Content
Brown University
School of Public Health Brown University

Department of Epidemiology

Search Menu

Site Navigation

  • Home
  • About
    • Mission Statement
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Career Opportunities
  • Academics
    • Doctoral Program
    • Epidemiology Concentration
    • Student Resources
  • Research
    • Fields of Research
    • Research Centers
  • People
    • Leadership
    • Faculty
    • Postdoctoral Researchers
    • Research Staff
    • Administrative Staff
    • Ph.D. Students
  • Seminar Series
  • News
Search
Department of Epidemiology

Doctoral Program

Breadcrumb

  • Home
  • Academic Programs

Sub Navigation

  • Doctoral Program
  • Epidemiology Concentration
  • Student Resources
SPH students

Ready to apply?

Start the next chapter of your career by studying epidemiology at Brown University.

Application Information
Handbook icon

Epidemiology Department Doctoral Program Handbook

This Handbook is intended to give an overview of the Epidemiology doctoral program at Brown University’s School of Public Health.

Epi Doctoral Handbook

Doctoral Program

Doctoral candidates undergo rigorous training in epidemiologic methods. We prepare students to become leading, independent investigators. Our graduates excel in academia, industry, government and public health practice.

The Doctoral Program in Epidemiology’s mission is to prepare students to become leading, independent investigators with rigorous training in epidemiologic methods, able to excel in academia, industry, government or public health practice.  Using sophisticated study designs, statistical analyses, field investigations, and laboratory techniques, epidemiology students investigate the cause of a disease, its distribution (geographic, ecological, and social), method of transmission, and measures for control and prevention. 

All students in the Doctoral Program in Epidemiology are required to demonstrate mastery of advanced epidemiologic methods, which is assessed via coursework and examinations. For more information about our program, please check out our Doctoral Program Handbook:

Epidemiology Department Doctoral Program Handbook 2024-2025

Courtney Choy
1 of 3

Courtney Choy, pictured answering questions about her Public Health Research Day poster, conducts data collection for the Ola Tuputupua’e study and supports the research efforts of the Obesity Lifestyle and Genetic Adaptation (OLaGA) group in Samoa.

Eric Loucks
2 of 3

Professor Eric Loucks, Director of the Mindfulness Center at Brown, studies the impacts of mindfulness and early life adversity on adulthood well-being.

Shayla Nolen Dissertation
3 of 3

The doctoral dissertation defense is the culmination of at least four years of study and research. A major academic and career milestone presented before a live audience, successful Ph.D. defenses are celebrated with colleagues, friends, family, and a champagne toast.

  • Faculty who are leaders in the field
  • Outstanding student to faculty ratio
  • Numerous research possibilities
  • Emphasis on teaching
  • Training in grant writing (more than half of our recent F31s submitted received funding in their first round)
  • Guaranteed funding
  • Opportunities to work on applied projects at RI State Department of Health; nearby RI hospitals

Upon completion of the Ph.D. program, students are expected to have proficiency in the following areas:

  1.  Develop a strong foundation in contemporary approaches to epidemiologic methods, and major observational study designs
  2.  Design a research study that can appropriately and efficiently examine an epidemiologic research question of interest; write and submit a proposal to support this research
  3.  Use causal diagrams to identify threats to study validity and potential approaches to mitigating such threats
  4.  Conduct appropriate analyses of epidemiologic data using standard regression models in SAS or R
  5.  Distinguish between association and causation based on counterfactual theory to make causal inference using data obtained from observational studies
  6.  Represent a priori subject- matter knowledge and hypotheses with causal diagrams
  7.  Understand the difference between effect modification and interaction
  8.  Learn to interpret and integrate multiple lines of scientific evidence concerning a particular topic of importance to the field of epidemiology
  9.  Effective communication of scientific findings
  10.  Demonstrate a basic understanding of human physiology and pathophysiology
  11.  Demonstrate mastery of a substantive area
  12.  Review, critically analyze and synthesize existing epidemiologic literature to identify meaningful gaps in current knowledge and formulate research objectives
  13.  Strong understanding of what scientific misconduct is and the impact unethical conduct can cause within and outside of the research community.

All students in the Ph.D. program in Epidemiology are required to take 13 courses for credit, including 8 core courses, 2 or 3 more methods selective courses, and 2 or 3 more substantive selective courses. Each of these courses must be taken for credit and for a grade. Ph.D. students are also required to: a) take PHP1001, an online, noncredit introductory course b) take a noncredit online introductory course on SAS data management, c) participate in the journal club series (course credit optional), and d) take the noncredit Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) course.

Core Courses:

  • PHP 2150 – Foundations in Epidemiologic Research Methods 
  • PHP 2200 – Intermediate Methods in Epidemiologic Research
  • PHP 2250 – Advanced Quantitative Methods for Epidemiologic Research
  • PHP 2180 – Interpretation and Application of Epidemiology 
  • PHP 2510 – Principles of Biostatistics and Data Analysis 
  • PHP 2511 – Applied Regression Analysis
  • PHP 2090 – Research Grant Writing for Public Health 
  • PHP 2130 – Human Biology for Epidemiology

Our Commitment to Program Diversity and a Culture of Respect

The Brown University Department of Epidemiology is committed to ensuring that we admit students from diverse socioeconomic, cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. 

The Department of Epidemiology is committed to creating an inclusive, collaborative climate centered on mutual respect, with the goal of cultivating a productive work and learning environment.

Ph.D. funding

As a result of Brown’s commitment to high quality education, all students admitted into the Ph.D. program receive full scholarships that include tuition, healthcare and a research-assistant-based stipend for five years of graduate study.

See details

Graduate Program Director

  • William Goedel

    William Goedel

    Assistant Professor, Doctoral Program Director
    william_goedel@brown.edu
    Research Profile

    William C. Goedel, Ph.D. [he/him] is an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Brown University School of Public Health. He is a social epidemiologist, with significant methodological expertise in the use of geographic information systems (GIS) to guide public health policy and practice. His research uses spatial analytical techniques to quantify the burden of many of the United States' most pressing public health challenges varies from neighborhood to neighborhood, with a particular interest in identifying areas that are overburdened and underserved as points of focus when resources are limited. He currently teaches "Fundamentals of Epidemiology" (PHP 0850), "Foundations of Spatial Analysis in Public Health" (PHP 2015), and "Interpretation and Application of Epidemiology" (PHP 2180). As a scholar of teaching and learning, Dr. Goedel is interested in the implementation and evaluation of graduate admissions review processes and novel grading systems that value both a learner's accomplishments to date and their potential for growth over time regardless of their background. He received his undergraduate degree with a joint major in global public health and sociology from New York University's College of Global Public Health in 2017 and his doctoral degree in epidemiology from Brown University's School of Public Health in 2020.

SPH students

Ready to apply?

Start the next chapter of your career by studying epidemiology at Brown University.

Application Information
Handbook icon

Epidemiology Department Doctoral Program Handbook

This Handbook is intended to give an overview of the Epidemiology doctoral program at Brown University’s School of Public Health.

Epi Doctoral Handbook
Brown University School of Public Health
Providence RI 02903 401-863-3375 public_health@brown.edu

Quick Navigation

  • Newsletter
  • Visit Brown
  • Campus Map

Footer Navigation

  • Accessibility
  • Careers at Brown
Give To Brown

Social Navigation

  • Facebook
  • X/Twitter

© Brown University

School of Public Health Brown University
For You
Search Menu

Mobile Site Navigation

    Mobile Site Navigation

    • Home
    • About
      • Mission Statement
      • Diversity and Inclusion
      • Career Opportunities
    • Academics
      • Doctoral Program
      • Epidemiology Concentration
      • Student Resources
    • Research
      • Fields of Research
      • Research Centers
    • People
      • Leadership
      • Faculty
      • Postdoctoral Researchers
      • Research Staff
      • Administrative Staff
      • Ph.D. Students
    • Seminar Series
    • News
All of Brown.edu People
Advanced Search
Close Search

Doctoral Program