Course Syllabus
Course Prefix / Number: HSC 5506
Course Title: Advanced Epidemiology
Course Credit Hours: 3
Instructor Name and Contact Information:
Dr. F. Stephen Bridges,
Professor of Community Health Education
Office Address: Bldg 72 / rm 258, 11000 University Parkway, Pensacola, FL 32514
Telephone Number: 850.474.2051
Fax Number: fax: 413.473.5891
Email: fbridges@uwf.edu
Virtual Office Hours: M & W 10:00-noon, and Tu 1-3pm, or by appt.
Friendly email tip: To receive an email response from your Professor, please put create a 'sig file'
in MS Outlook go to TOOLS/OPTIONS/MAIL FORMAT/SIGNATURES. Here is mine ...but
yours does not need to be this fancy as mine below. Please recognize that email is considered to
be public info. Be aware of the security risk of putting personal/private info in a sig file.
Dr. F. Stephen Bridges
Professor of Community Health Education
Department of Health, Leisure & Exercise Science
The University of West Florida1
11,000 University Parkway
Pensacola, Florida 32514
voice: 850.474.2051
Web: http://www.uwf.edu/hlsd/bridges.htm
"A man who is right every time is not likely to do very much." Dr. Francis Crick, 1962 Nobel
Laureate in Medicine
Note: emails without a signature file (sig file) at the end of the message text will not be
answered. I have many students and do not always immediately recognize which class or classes
you are enrolled in ok? thanks:>)
Prerequisites or Co-Requisites: none
Course Description
Examines the use of epidemiological procedures as they apply to community health planning.
Emphasis is placed on the application of epidemiological concepts in determining the
effectiveness of current and potential medical and public health interventions.
Course Goal
The essential role of epidemiology is to improve the health of populations. The course goal is to
provide an introduction to the basic principles and methods of epidemiology.
Topics
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topic 1 What is epidemiology?
topic 2 Measuring health and disease
topic 3 Types of studies
topic 4 Basic biostatistics: concepts and tools
topic 5 Causation in epidemiology
topic 6 Epidemiology and prevention: chronic noncommunicable diseases
topic 7 Communicable diseases: epidemiology surveillance and response
topic 8 Clinical epidemiology
topic 9 Environmental and occupational epidemiology
topic 10 Epidemiology, health policy, and planning
topic 11 First steps in practical epidemiology
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of:
1. the nature and uses of epidemiology
2. the epidemiological approach to defining and measuring the occurrence of health-related states
in populations
3. the strengths and limitations of epidemiological study designs
4. the epidemiological approach to causation
5. the contribution of epidemiology to the prevention of disease, the promotion of health and the
development of health policy
6. the contribution of epidemiology to good clinical practice
7. the role of epidemiology in evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of health care
In addition, at the conclusion of the course the student will be expected to have gained a variety
of skills, including the ability to:
8. to describe the common causes of death, disease and disability in his or her community
9. to outline appropriate study designs to answer specific questions concerning disease causation,
natural history, prognosis, prevention, and the evaluation of therapy and other interventions to
prevent and control disease.
Texts / Materials
Required texts:
There is one textbook titled Basic Epidemiology (BE)
Author Bonita, R., Beaglehole, R., Kjellström, T.
Year 2006
WHO Order Number 11502395
ISBN 9789241547079
The UWF bookstore has copies for sale or you may go online to purchase this textbook. For
UWF Bookstore contact information Mr. Danny Worden [dworden@uwf.edu] or
bookstore@uwf.edu.
Go to the World Health Organization's Online Bookshop
(http://apps.who.int/bookorders/anglais/home1.jsp?sesslan=1 ) and use the search term
epidemiology or click here to go there directly:
(http://apps.who.int/bookorders/anglais/detart1.jsp?sesslan=1&codlan=1&codcol=15&codcch=2
395) Please note both paperback and PDF versions are available.
Required Materials:
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Internet Access (broadband is recommended)
Activated UWF ArgoNet E-mail Account
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Free MERLOT account....
To register for one go to:
http://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm
Use your UWF email address and no other when registering for a MERLOT account
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Grading / Evaluation
Responses to weekly learning review questions— (22%) includes your response (10pts each
for a total of 110 pts) to each question. Subtotal of 110 total points.
Participation— (22%) includes your direct feedback (10pts each for a total of 110 pts) to 2 or
more classmates' responses in a threaded discussion manner. Subtotal of 110 points.
Quizzes, midterm exam, electronic activity portfolio— (56%) There are 9 quizzes (worth
variable points but totaling 90pts), one 40 pt midterm exam in week 8, and an Electronic
“Photoshare” Activity Portfolio which is worth 150 points. Subtotal of 280 points.
TOTAL POINTS in the course possible - 500 points (100%)
Grading Scale:
A 94 - 100% (470-500)
A- 90 - 93.9% (450-469.9)
B+ 87 - 89.9% (435-449.9)
B 83 - 86.9% (415-434.9)
B- 80 - 82.9% (400-414.9)
C+ 77 - 79.9% (385-399.9)
C 73 - 76.9% (365-384.9)
C- 70 - 72.9% (350-364.9)
D+ 67 - 69.9% (335-349.9)
D 60 - 66.9% (300-334.9)
F 0 - 59.9% (0-299.9)
Attendance Policy
The attendance/participation policy for this class is based on the information found on page 69 in
the 2007/2008 University Catalog (see directly below) or go to
http://uwf.edu/catalog/acadattendance.htm.
The University expects students to take full responsibility for their academic work and academic
progress. To progress satisfactorily, students must meet the requirements of each course for
which they are registered. Successful work depends to a large extent on regular class attendance
[or in this case regular online participation in the course].
Class attendance is regarded as an academic matter. Each faculty member will provide a written
attendance policy to each class within the first week of classes. The use of attendance records in
grading and handling of any excuses for absences is left to the discretion of the faculty member
responsible for the course, subject to the guidelines given below:
1. Students will be excused from class to observe religious holidays of their faith. No major
test, major class event, or major University activity will be scheduled on a major religious
holiday.
2. Absences for imposed legal responsibilities (e.g., jury duty, court appearance) will be
recognized as excused absences.
3. Absences resulting from participation in extracurricular activities in which students are
official representatives of the University will be recognized as excused absences.
4. Absences for serious illness, death or serious illness within the student’s immediate
family, military obligations, or other sound reasons offered by the student may be
accepted as excused absences.
It is the responsibility of students to know the attendance policy of each course they are taking.
Students must inform their instructor(s) of absences from classes prior to or as soon as possible
after the absence [Dr. B: 3 business day limit-- fax me at 850.474.2106 with documentation
before the 5 days are up; however, this does not guarantee I will accept the
documentation]. Instructors have the right to request verification for all excused absences.
Students are held accountable for all assignments in each course, whether or not the assignments
were announced during an absence. Faculty are encouraged to provide opportunities for students
to make up examinations and other work missed because of an excused absence.
Reserve/National Guard Duty
To fulfill a reservist or National Guard military obligation of no more than two weeks concurrent
with a normal academic semester at UWF, students must receive written permission for such
absences from the instructors and departmental chairpersons for each course in which they are
enrolled. The approval is not automatic but is discretionary with the instructors and departmental
chairpersons.
Minimum Technical Skills and Special Technology Utilized
by Students
This course is totally online. All instructional content and interaction takes place over the
WWW. In addition to baseline word processing skills and sending/receiving email with
attachments, students will be expected to search the internet and upload / download files. In
addition, students may need one or more of the following plug-ins:
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Adobe Acrobat Reader: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
PowerPoint Viewer:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=048DC840-14E1-467D8DCA-19D2A8FD7485&displaylang=en
Windows Media Player: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/
QuickTime Player: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
Real Player: http://www.real.com/realplayer/search
Adobe Flash Player: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
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eLearning's Accessibility Resource Guides for users:
http://www.desire2learn.com/access/resources/
Expectations for Academic Conduct / Plagiarism Policy
Academic Conduct Policy: (Web Site) | (PDF Format) |
Plagiarism Policy: (WORD Format) | UWF Library Online Tutorial: Plagiarism |
Assistance for Students with Disabilities
The Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) at the University of West Florida supports an
inclusive learning environment for all students. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of
this course that hinder your full participation, such as time-limited exams, inaccessible web
content, or the use of non-captioned videos and podcasts, please notify the instructor or the
SDRC as soon as possible. You may contact the SDRC office by e-mail at sdrc@uwf.edu or by
phone at (850) 474-2387. Appropriate academic accommodations will be determined based on
the documented needs of the individual.
Accessibility Resources
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Follow this link for information on accessibility settings in eLearning.
Follow this link for information on accessibility features in UWF's Learning Management
System (LMS), Desire2Learn.
TurnItIn
UWF maintains a university license agreement for an online text matching service called
TurnItIn. At my discretion, I will use the TurnItIn service to determine the originality of student
papers. If I submit your paper to TurnItIn, it will be stored in a TurnItIn database for as long as
the service remains in existence. If you object to this storage of your paper:
1. You must let me know no later than two weeks after the start of this class.
2. I will utilize other services and techniques to evaluate your work for evidence of
appropriate authorship practices.
Weather Emergency Information
In the case of severe weather or other emergency, the campus might be closed and classes
cancelled. Official closures and delays are announced on the UWF website and broadcast on
WUWF-FM.
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WUWF-FM (88.1MHz) is the official information source for the university. Any
pertinent information regarding closings, cancellations, and the re-opening of campus
will be broadcast.
In the event that hurricane preparation procedures are initiated, the UWF Home Web
Page and Argus will both provide current information regarding hurricane preparation
procedures, the status of classes and the closing of the university.
Emergency plans for the University of West Florida related to weather or other emergencies are
available on the following UWF web pages:
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Information about hurricane preparedness plans is available on the UWF web site:
http://uwfemergency.org/hurricaneprep.cfm
Information about other emergency procedures is available on the UWF web site:
http://uwfemergency.org/