Epidemiology Curriculum
The Georgetown University M.S. in Epidemiology program centers on health disparities as a unifying theme across local, national and global communities.
Our curriculum combines core courses, focused concentrations, an experiential component with expert speakers, and a thesis or capstone project. Through comprehensive training, hands-on practica and applied research, you’ll build the expertise and real-world experience you’ll need to lead efforts addressing the most urgent health challenges. We offer full-time and part-time options, allowing you to advance your career while managing your other commitments.
What You’ll Learn
Through the M.S. in Epidemiology curriculum, you will:
- Explore the principles of social justice and health equity, developing a deeper understanding of the biological, social and economic factors driving health disparities, both in the U.S. and around the world. You’ll gain this knowledge through rigorous, science-based training in epidemiology theory, policy and research.
- Learn and apply epidemiological methods to investigate health disparities, discovering the critical role of community-based and community-engaged research in addressing these challenges.
- Identify existing disparities across common health conditions and master practical methods to help eliminate them.
Our core courses emphasize epidemiology and health disparities research and include introductions to the three concentration options. Your remaining 11 credits and your thesis or capstone will focus on the concentration you choose so that you can deepen your expertise in your area of interest.
Choose Your Concentration
After completing your core requirements, you will choose one of the three concentrations in the program to complete your 11 remaining credits.
Experiential Learning
You’ll take part in a weekly professional development seminar series exploring timely topics in epidemiology and research ethics. Learning directly from experienced professionals will help you to build your network and to share your knowledge and skills confidently in real-world settings.
Past seminar topics include:
- Cancer Trends and the Role of Viral Etiology in Cancer Development
- How Courts Shape Health Policy
- Research and clinical practice with individuals diagnosed with severe mental illness
- AI Tools in Research and Ethical Use
- Intersection of Tobacco Use, Substance Abuse, and Cancer Disparities
Thesis or Capstone Project
Students choose to complete a two-semester thesis or a one-semester capstone project.
Master’s Thesis
The thesis project brings together your interests, experiences and knowledge. Guided by a faculty mentor, you’ll conduct original research and present your findings as a poster at our annual research symposium, showcasing the skills you’ve developed throughout your time in the program.
Capstone Project
The capstone project is an opportunity to apply the practical skills you’ve developed through the program. You’ll collaborate with a faculty advisor on a project inspired by your interests, experiences, and program concentration. You will produce a final paper and share your findings through an oral presentation or poster session.
Accelerated and Dual Degrees
Georgetown students may be eligible to combine the M.S. in Epidemiology with another program.
For Georgetown undergraduates:
For Georgetown medical students: