In their first year, students in the Duke MS in Population Health Sciences program take classes in population health, statistical methods and programming, research methods, and professional development. The program’s second year mixes electives and experiential learning, culminating in a capstone project that typically involves an internship.
| Yr. 1 | Fall (11 credits) | Spring (11 credits) |
|---|---|---|
| POPHS 701: Applied Analytic Methods I (3 credits) | POPHS 702: Applied Analytic Methods II (3 credits) | |
| POPHS 703: Statistical Programming for Population Health Sciences I (1 credit) | POPHS 704: Statistical Programming for Population Health Sciences II (1 credit) | |
| POPHS 705: Topics in Population Health Sciences I (3 credits) | POPHS 706: Topics in Population Health Sciences II (3 credits) | |
| POPHS 707: Research Methods & Study Design I (3 credits) | POPHS 708: Research Methods & Study Design II (3 credits) | |
| POPHS 709: Professional Development I (1 credit) | POPHS 710: Professional Development II (1 credit) |
| Yr. 2 | Fall (9 credits) | Spring (9 credits) |
|---|---|---|
| Elective (3 credits) | Elective (3 credits) | |
| Elective (3 credits) | Elective (3 credits) | |
| Capstone Project (3 credits) | Capstone Project (3 credits) |
Capstone Project
The capstone project, typically involving an internship, is a supervised experience in either a professional or research setting that’s relevant to population health. Students with an interest in work outside a research setting may choose to complete the internship at an organization external to Duke, such as a nonprofit community organization or a health-related company. For students with research career goals or intentions of entering a PhD program, the internship may be part of a DPHS faculty-mentored research project and may include primary data collection and/or data analysis.
All students will complete either a master’s paper or a thesis, based on their internship work. Students should choose between the thesis or paper in consultation with their mentors. There are no differences in the degree received whether the student chooses a master’s paper or a thesis.
Course Descriptions
Please Note: Course instructors and descriptions are subject to change.
POPHS 701 Applied Analytic Methods for Population Health Sciences I
Instructor: Brad Hammill
Students will get an introduction to study design, descriptive statistics, and analysis of statistical models with one or two predictor variables. Topics include: principles of study design, basic study designs, descriptive statistics, sampling, contingency tables, one- and two-way analysis of variance, simple linear regression, and analysis of covariance. Both parametric and nonparametric techniques are also explored. Core concepts are taught through team-based case studies and analysis of research datasets taken from the population health sciences literature and demonstrated in concert with POPHS 703 (Introduction to SAS Programming for Population Health Sciences). Computational exercises will primarily use the SAS Statistical Computing Platform.
POPHS 703 Introduction to Statistical Programming for Population Health Sciences I
Concurrent with POPHS 701
Instructor: Jared Dean
Students will be introduced to statistical software packages (e.g., SAS Software System, R Statistical Computing Platform) to provide an introduction to the core ideas of programming, including data preparation, input/output, debugging, and strategies for program design. Students will learn to write code to perform descriptive, statistical, and graphical analyses, and write maintainable code to test for correctness, and to apply basic principles of reproducibility. Programming techniques and their applications will be closely connected with the methods and examples presented in the co-requisite applied analytic methods course POPHS 701. This course assumes minimal programming knowledge.
POPHS 705 Topics in Population Health Sciences I
Instructor: Matt Dupre
Students will gain foundational knowledge in the US healthcare system, population health sciences, and health and healthcare including an introduction to major diseases and disorders. Topics include: definition and measurement of population health; an overview of determinants of health including medical care, socioeconomic status, the physical environment and individual behavior, and their interactions; an overview of health services research, dissemination and implementation science, epidemiology, and measurement sciences.
POPHS 707 Population Health Sciences Research Methods and Study Design I
Instructor: Heather King
This is the first in a two-course sequence that gives students a strong foundation in population health research methods. The course introduces critical concepts in research methods, including varying types of validity, reliability, and causal inference. Topics include: sampling and interpretation of probability and nonprobability sampling; an introduction to measurement theory; threats to internal validity; experimental designs; and quasi-experimental designs.
POPHS 709 Professional Development I
Instructor: Asheley Skinner
This multi-semester course gives students a holistic view of their career choices and how to develop the tools they’ll need to succeed professionally. Fall semester focuses on creating a strong professional presence, proper networking techniques, American employer expectations, creating and maintaining a professional digital presence, and learning how to conduct and succeed at informational interviews. Students will attend interviewing and networking events with Duke staff and faculty as well as external guests.
POPHS 751 Capstone I
Instructor: Asheley Skinner
The first of the two-semester capstone sequence. In this course students will develop an interdisciplinary project to identify, analyze, and implement tangible solutions for a specific Population Health issue. Guided by a faculty advisor, each student will complete the course through independent study.
POPHS 702 Applied Analytic Methods for Population Health Sciences II
Instructors: Matt Maciejewski & Valerie Smith
This course is a continuation of POPHS 701. Topics include: analysis of multivariable statistical models with continuous, dichotomous and survival outcomes. Topics include mixed effects models, generalized linear models (GLM), basic models for survival analysis and regression models for censored survival data, clustered data. Students will explore parametric and nonparametric and perform computational exercises using the SAS System and R Statistical Computing Platform.
POPHS 704 Introduction to Statistical Programming for Population Health Sciences II
Concurrent with POPHS 702
Instructor: Jared Dean
Students will build on programming learned in POPHS 703 using the SAS Software System and R Statistical Computing Platform. Students will perform descriptive, statistical, and graphical analyses, and write maintainable code, test code for correctness, and apply basic principles of reproducibility. Programming and assignments will be closely connected with the methods and examples presented in the co-requisite applied analytic methods course POPHS 702.
POPHS 706 Topics in Population Health Sciences II
Instructor: Virginia Wang
This course is a continuation of topics introduced in POPHS 705 including: overall structure of the US healthcare system, insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, VA system, the ACA, mental health, health economics, and quality of care.
POPHS 708 Population Health Sciences Research Methods and Study Design II
Instructors: Sudha Raman
This is the second in a two-course sequence that gives students a strong foundation in population health research methods. Topics include: qualitative and mixed methods, and advanced designs relevant to population health. The course applies foundational design information to methods unique to population health, including pragmatic trials, administrative claims data, and electronic medical record data. The course culminates in the development of a strong research question for a literature review, using the methods learned to critique research on a topic of the student’s choosing.
POPHS 710 Professional Development II
Instructor: Asheley Skinner
This course is a continuation of POPHS 709 and teaches project and team management. This course will give the student a holistic view of career choices and development and the tools they will need to succeed as professionals in the world of work.
POPHS 752 Capstone II
Instructor: Asheley Skinner
The second of the two-semester capstone sequence. In this course students will develop and produce an interdisciplinary project to identify, analyze, and implement tangible solutions for a specific Population Health issue. Guided by a faculty advisor, each student will complete the course through independent study.
*All POPHS electives are 3 credits
Students can choose electives offered through DPHS or courses housed in other departments. Electives from outside of DPHS should be chosen in consultation with your mentor, and are approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
DPHS Electives
POPHS 811 Pragmatic Health Policy Research
Fall, Instructor: Aaron McKethan
This course bridges the divide between analysis/methods courses (generating evidence) and policy courses (understanding specific policy areas, process, and stakeholders) to help students build foundational knowledge and focused skills in framing/communicating timely, policy-relevant evidence, applicable to many population health-related career paths. Students will increase knowledge and mastery of theoretical and substantive foundations of pragmatic policy analysis, specific policy areas, and issues (e.g., SNAP, Medicaid, opioid use disorder, infant mortality, etc.). Students will be able to clearly communicate policy-relevant information, orally and in writing.
POPHS 812 Quality of Care and Population Health
Spring, Instructor: Staff
The goal of enhancing the quality of care and services provided by healthcare and community organizations is at the heart of much of the practice, evaluation, and research in population health sciences. This course focuses on 1) defining and identifying quality goals; 2) determining measures of quality; 3) planning projects to improve quality; and 4) summarizing the impact of quality improvement efforts.
POPHS 813 Population Health Through Implementation Science
Spring, Instructor: Hannah Lane
Implementation science addresses the translation of evidence-based practices, programs, and policies into real-world settings. This course will include didactic lectures, with case studies, applied group work, and a culminating real-world, hands-on implementation, dissemination, de-implementation, or QI science project.
POPHS 815 Health Services Research
Fall, Instructor: Hayden Bosworth
Health Services Research provides an overview of methods for undertaking research and program evaluation within health services organizations and systems. In addition to methods, the course also provides "the state of the art" in research and evaluation through the review of major completed studies. This course is recommended for students who will be carrying out policy research, social science research, or program impact evaluation within health delivery systems as well as developing and implementing programs to improve healthcare outcomes.
POPHS 816 Population Health Data
Spring, Instructors: Lesley Curtis & Asheley Skinner
This course will provide an introduction to multiple different types of data, including national surveys, electronic health records, health insurance claims, and others-all relevant to Population Health. Additionally, the course addresses issues such as data provenance, data linkage, governance, and ethics.
POPHS 818 Fundamentals of Qualitative Research
Spring, Instructors: Amy Corneli & Brian Perry
This course prepares learners for serving as a research assistant on qualitative research studies. Learners will gain competency in 1) conducting qualitative research studies, with an emphasis on study coordination and interviewing skills, and 2) managing data and conducting applied thematic analysis.
POPHS 820 Pharmacoepidemiology and Population Health
Fall, Instructors: Sudha Raman
This course will introduce students to pharmacoepidemiology, defined as the application of epidemiological methods to study the use, safety and effectiveness of medication in populations. Students will learn to define and describe medication use, and safety and effectiveness outcomes using real-world data, as well as analytic and design approaches to recognize, quantify and reduce bias. This course will integrate a population health perspective, focusing on how pharmacoepidemiology evidence can inform equitable policy, regulatory and clinical decision making and the intersection of pharmacoepidemiology with pragmatic trial design, implementation science, and patient centered research methods.
POPHS 895 Population Health Internship
Summer, Instructor: Asheley Skinner
Student gains practical experience by taking an internship in industry/government. Requires prior consent from the student's advisor and from the Director of Graduate Studies. May be repeated with consent of the advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies. Credit/no credit grading only.