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. 

As a result of Brown's commitment to high quality education, all students admitted into the PhD program receive full scholarships that include tuition, healthcare and a research-assistant-based stipend for five years of graduate study (see Financial Support page for more details).

Additional Resources

Epidemiology faculty are members of the Department of Epidemiology and the School of Public Health, which are home to several world-class research centers, such as the Center for Population Health and Clinical Epidemiology, the Center for Gerontology and Health Services Research, the Centers for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, the International Health Institute, the Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine and the Center for Statistical Sciences. Students in epidemiology have the opportunity to collaborate and conduct research with faculty at many of these centers.

Major areas of faculty activity include cardiovascular disease, nutritional epidemiology, cancer, mental illness, HIV/AIDS, international health, and others. Two particular strengths of the program in epidemiology are a high faculty to student ratio, providing excellent opportunities for supervised research, and the opportunity to pursue a minor concentration in health services research.