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MS in Clinical Epidemiology

Earn Your Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology Online

Become a force in the quest to understand, prevent and treat diseases through life-saving research. Kent State University’s STEM-designated Online MS in Clinical Epidemiology program equips you with sophisticated research methods and biostatistical expertise essential to clinical discovery. You'll develop the analytical skills that power evidence-based medicine and prepare for a rewarding career at the research epicenter of public health.

Program Snapshot

  • 100% online course delivery
  • Annual start date each fall
  • Focused 15-week courses
  • No GRE required
  • Complete your degree in as few as 24 months

Benefits of a STEM-Designated Program

STEM-designated public health programs offer key advantages:

  • Extended OPT for international students: Up to 36 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT), giving additional time to gain U.S.-based work experience after graduation
  • In-demand skills for domestic students: Training in data analysis, quantitative methods, and technical skills valued across public health fields
  • Rigorous, analytical focus: The STEM designation highlights the program’s emphasis on evidence-based, data-driven approaches to public health challenges.

Recognized for Excellence

Ranked in the top 4.1% of world universities,1 Kent State University is also proud to be recognized for the outstanding service we provide to the military community with the Military Friendly Gold Designation.

The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) and the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) accredit our online MS in Clinical Epidemiology, ensuring adherence to the highest educational standards. This accreditation, combined with our Quality Matters certification, reflects our commitment to excellence in online public health education.

#10 Best Online MPH - Top 4.1% Global 2000 Universities

Build the Career You Want

Take your career to a higher level with Kent State’s affordable, flexible undergraduate and graduate public health programs. Our 100% online programs allow you to keep up with your current responsibilities while you study. Find out how these programs can help you create the career and positive public health impact you want to have.

Download our guide to learn more about:

  • Career Opportunities
  • Customizing Your Degree
  • The Student Experience
  • Admission Requirements
  • Tuition and Financial Aid

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Committed to Your Success

You’ll thrive at Kent State thanks to uniquely personalized instruction, tutoring and applied practice experience support. The close-knit learning environment, small class sizes, robust online student portal and dedicated faculty help you build the professional connections and competencies that define successful public health careers.

  • Dedicated tutoring support for your biostatistics courses ensures your mastery of essential analytical skills
  • Faculty mentors work closely with you to secure applied practice experiences aligned with your career goals

Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology Program Overview

The program begins with core knowledge of theoretical and ethical frameworks, along with up-to-date information on statistical analysis, and study design and implementation.

Customize your degree with a selection of electives on topics including:

  • Scientific writing
  • Regulatory affairs
  • Pharmacoepidemiology
  • Epidemiology of chronic diseases
  • Epidemiology of infectious diseases

You may also pursue individual investigation on a subject of interest before solidifying your knowledge through a clinical research practicum or thesis.

Coursework will prepare you for key roles in clinical trials and research, including advanced observational and experimental study design methods.

You’ll graduate able to:

  • Conduct patient-oriented research to understand and modify health outcomes
  • Design and carry out epidemiological studies
  • Analyze clinical data and understand the sources, strengths and limitations of patient data
  • Design and carry out clinical trials
  • Describe disease prognosis, therapies and outcomes

The scope of work for epidemiologists is broad, with variations across employer types, including:

  • Public health agencies
  • Research institutions
  • Advocacy organizations
  • For-profit companies 

Clinical Epidemiology graduates often pursue careers as:

  • Research scientists
  • Data scientists
  • Clinical research coordinators/managers
  • Clinical trial managers
  • Clinical data analysts
  • Research associates
  • Epidemiologists

Already Working in the Field?

Our online Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research can serve as a direct pathway to the MS in Clinical Epidemiology, with certificate credits fully applicable toward your master's degree.

View Certificate

Rapid Expansion Means Growing Career Opportunities

16% Projected Job Growth for Epidemiologists, 2024-2034: Much Faster Than the National Average2

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Specialized skills yield big rewards. Yours can save lives.

With an MS in Clinical Epidemiology, you'll qualify for research-focused positions that advance medical science—and offer attractive salaries:

$91,000
Median salary for Research Scientists3
$83,980
Median salary for Epidemiologists4
$126,000
Median salary for Senior Biostatisticians5
$135,000
Median salary for Senior Data Scientists6

We Do More for You

Kent State’s public health programs are already competitively priced. In addition, you may be eligible for scholarship support.

Explore Financial Aid

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Courses

The 36-credit-hour MS in Clinical Epidemiology degree comprises three components:

  • Eight major requirements (25 credits)
  • Two to three major electives (6-9 credits)
  • One capstone requirement (3-6 credits)

Major Requirements (8 Courses, 25 Credits)

BST 52019 BIOSTATISTICS IN PUBLIC HEALTH (3 CREDITS)

The course provides students with an understanding of basic statistical methods in public health research, as well as the skills to perform and interpret basic statistical procedures. Students learn how to use statistical analysis software to analyze real data from public health-related studies. They then learn how to interpret the analysis and present the results to public health professionals and educated lay audiences. The course will include a lab component which will enhance student awareness and informed usage of SAS for public health analysis. Students will learn how to input, read, store, export and modify data in SAS and be able to use common SAS procedures to analyze public health data and conduct independent SAS programming.

BST 63013 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS IN PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH (3 CREDITS)

This course introduces students to experimental research methods in public health settings. It introduces a number of quasi-experimental and experimental study designs, then identifies a number of statistical methods that can be used to draw correct causal inferences from the study.

BST 63014 APPLIED REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC HEALTH DATA (3 CREDITS)

This course focuses on developing student proficiency in building and evaluating various regression models for public health studies. Topics covered include exploratory and descriptive methods, simple and multiple linear regression models, predictor selection, binary and multinomial logistic regression models, survival analysis, repeated measures, and generalized linear models.

EPI 52017 FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC HEALTH EPIDEMIOLOGY (3 CREDITS)

This course introduces principles, methods and application of epidemiology. It covers the history of epidemiology, concepts of disease causation and prevention, measures of disease frequency and excessive risk, epidemiologic study designs, causal inference, outbreak investigation and screening. It also provides experience with calculation of rate standardization; measures of disease frequency, association and impact; and sensitivity and specificity of screening tests. Highlights applications of epidemiology to understanding of disease etiology, transmission, pathogenesis, prevention, evaluation and public policy development.

EPI 63018 OBSERVATIONAL DESIGNS FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH (3 CREDITS)

The course provides students the skills to design, conduct and perform clinical epidemiology studies using an observational design. Students understand major concepts of clinical research, develop clinical research questions and solve clinical research problems. Topics include study design, risk, causation, exposures, bias, measurement and validity and disease prognosis.

EPI 63019 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH (3 CREDITS)

Principles of experimental designs as they apply to clinical research and clinical trials are presented at an intermediate level. Students understand randomized control trial designs and alternative designs. Study methodology, including randomization and blinding techniques, is covered. Topics include evidence-based medicine; risk prediction and risk scores; instruments and measurement; data issues; and recruitment, retention and adherence.

EPI 63020 ADVANCED EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CLINICAL RESEARCH METHODS (3 CREDITS)

This advanced course focuses on why particular methods, study designs or approaches are used in particular investigative scenarios in clinical research. Students develop an advanced understanding and application of epidemiology methods in clinical research.

EPI 63021 ETHICAL ISSUES IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND CLINICAL RESEARCH (3 CREDITS)

This course introduces students to historical and contemporary ethical issues that arise during public health and clinical or biomedical research studies. It broadly covers human subjects research, the responsible conduct of research and the good clinical practice guidelines.

Major Electives (2-3 Courses, 6-9 Credits)

EPI 50015 SCIENTIFIC WRITING FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH (3 CREDITS)

The course provides students the tools to develop proficiency in scientific reading, to conduct presentations and to demonstrate skill in scientific writing, with the goal of preparing clinical researchers to be able to communicate findings to the science community and the general population. The course includes an examination of the science literature in clinical trials research.

EPI 50017 PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY (3 CREDITS)

Introduction to the field of pharmacoepidemiology, which uses epidemiology methods to understand medication use and distribution at the population level. The course examines risk-benefit and epidemiology approaches to examining medication use and therapeutic trials. Drug and device manufacturing to market are explored.

EPI 50018 REGULATORY AFFAIRS IN CLINICAL RESEARCH (3 CREDITS)

The course provides the tools for students to develop an understanding of the researcher and organization responsibility in research and development of clinical trials products. Students understand regulations from the government and industry, privacy concerns, liability and ethical issues related to clinical trials research. Examples from the field are explored in detail.

EPI 50196 INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATION IN EPIDEMIOLOGY (1-3 CREDITS)

(Repeatable for maximum 6 credits) Individual graduate investigation or research in areas related to epidemiology.

EPI 63014 EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CHRONIC DISEASES (3 CREDITS)

With a life course approach to chronic disease epidemiology, this course focuses on cardiovascular, respiratory, cerebrovascular diseases and cancer. Health and disease are addressed from a multicausal perspective, which includes individual behaviors; psychosocial issues; and sociodemographic, biological and physiological factors. Time points for prevention and intervention are identified.

EPI 63015 EPIDEMIOLOGY OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES (3 CREDITS)

Surveys the history, principles, methods and practice of infectious disease epidemiology, by (1) defining and understanding infectious disease epidemiology surveys, (2) collecting and measuring surveillance data, (3) interpreting epidemiology data and (4) predicting evidence-based outcomes. While this is primarily a course in epidemiology, students learn some infectious disease microbiology as well.

Clinical Epidemiology Capstone Requirement (Choose from the following)

EPI 63192 RESEARCH PRACTICUM IN CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY (3-6 CREDITS)

Research practicum allows students to gain hands-on experience conducting research in a clinical setting, such as a hospital or other approved organization. Students complete the experience under the supervision of a field preceptor and faculty member.

EPI 63199 THESIS I (6 CREDITS)

Students must register for a total of 6 credit hours in the program. Students may register for 2 to 6 hours in a single semester.

Course Requirements

To participate in this online program, you will need a computer and broadband Internet connection. Your program may have further requirements that include the ability to record video and audio. If you have questions regarding technology requirements for the program, please contact your admissions outreach advisor at onlinedegrees@kent.edu or call us toll-free at +1 844-234-4073.

Once you are admitted to the program, your student success coordinator will craft your personalized degree plan, giving you a clear course sequence and path to graduation.*

*Students are responsible for taking courses in the prescribed sequence. Any deviation from the prescribed sequence that leads to a delayed graduation is the responsibility of the student.

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Fascinated by the Big Picture?

If you’re intent on addressing broad public health challenges in diverse settings, including health care administration, public policy and advocacy, the online Master of Public Health in Epidemiology may be the path for you.

Learn More About the MPH-Epi

Have questions? We have answers.

Choosing the right online program comes with lots of questions, and our admissions outreach advisors are here to help you sort through them all. Connect with this friendly, knowledgeable team for personalized guidance. They’ll make sure you have everything you need to feel confident about your next steps at Kent State.

Schedule a Call
Send an Email
Kent State Student Success Coordinator

Admissions and Application Deadlines

Nov
17
Priority Application Deadline
Spring 2026 Term
Dec
22
Final Application Deadline
Spring 2026 Term
Jan
12
Class Start Date
Spring 2026 Term
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Sources
  1. Retrieved on August 28, 2025, from cwur.org/2025.php
  2. Retrieved on August 28, 2025, from bls.gov/ooh/Life-Physical-and-Social-Science/Epidemiologists.htm
  3. Retrieved on August 28, 2025, from payscale.com/research/US/Job=Research_Scientist/Salary
  4. Retrieved on August 28, 2025, from bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/epidemiologists.htm
  5. Retrieved on August 28, 2025, from payscale.com/research/US/Job=Senior_Biostatistician/Salary
  6. Retrieved on August 28, 2025, from payscale.com/research/US/Job=Senior_Data_Scientist/Salary