Overview

Epidemiology is the study of the distribution of diseases and pathophysiological conditions of humans and of factors that influence their occurrence. This course will also require an understanding of statistical principles.

This is an online course meaning there will not be weekly Zoom meetings with the instructor. You need to be self-motivated to learn the material as outlined in I-Learn. This is not an independent study course nor is it a 1:1 course. There are weekly assignments with weekly due dates.

Requirements

Prerequisites

Prior to taking this course, students should have successfully completed one of the following: FDMAT 221, FDMAT 222, or FDMAT 223.

Required Resources

• A four-function calculator (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) capable of nine-digit input. Students may never use a computer or phone to complete the calculations for a quiz or test. This prevents cheating on quizzes and tests.

Resource Title and Description (books, software, and so forth.)	Author or Provider	Ed./Vol.	13-Digit ISBN (if applicable)
Gordis: Epidemiology (compare prices) Students may select a physical book or the electronic one.	Celentano	6th	978-0-323-55229-5

Proctored Exams and Assessments

This course will use an online proctoring software called Proctorio. This makes it possible for students to take assessments and exams without a human proctor present. Proctored exams can be accessed like any other exam once the software has been installed. Exams will be recorded by Proctorio and reviewed by the BYUI Testing Center. Any questionable exams will be forwarded to the instructor for further review.

For step-by-step instructions on Proctorio installation, please refer to Student Help: Proctorio in Canvas.

Structure

Course Outcomes (CO)

1. Describe the basic principles of epidemiology.
2. Conduct epidemiological analyses based on numerator and denominator data extracted from secondary sources.
3. Determine outbreak occurrence based on incidence, prevalence, and attack rates.
4. Select appropriate study designs for various epidemiological investigations.
5. Quantify risk reduction using risk ratio calculations.

Major Assignments

The table below is meant to help students see the relevance of each major assignment as it pertains to the course outcomes (CO).

Major Assignment	Description	CO#
Exams	Comprehensive tests	1–5

All quizzes and exams are to be taken without reference to notes or course materials.

Weekly Patterns

The table below displays typical weekly activities, due dates, and activity descriptions. 

Due Date	Learning Model	Activity Title	Description
Midweek	Prepare	Overview	Review content
Midweek	Prepare	Foundation Text	Learn content
Midweek		Text	Text
End of the Week	Ponder and Prove	Quiz or Test	Quiz or test over week's content: Saturday

NOTE: Students should set their time zone within user preferences so the dates and times for course activities will display correctly for their time zone.

Learning Model

As in all BYU-Idaho courses, this course will utilize the BYUI Learning Model. Students will Prepare by completing the assigned readings each week. Teaching one another will occur as students participate in class, complete weekly exercises, and practice epidemiological calculations with partners. Finally, students will Ponder and Prove by applying the concepts learned to case studies and scenarios presented in quizzes and exams.

Expectations

Feedback

Students can expect to receive grades and feedback within seven days of the due date for all assignments.

Workload

This is a rigorous course. Students can be successful in this course, but it will require significant effort on their part. The following are important suggestions that will promote success in this class:

• Plan to spend at least nine hours per week on this course. Students may need to spend more depending upon their own learning style and their recall of statistics principles.
• Read all material in every course page. This includes the Lesson Overviews. Most course pages do not have due dates associated with them; they will not appear on the students' dashboard. However, each page contains important information.
• Be sure to read all materials and view all videos in their entirety. It is critical that students do not take shortcuts.
• Students should work all practice problems multiple times until they are confident in their skills. Students are expected to have a level of academic maturity in this course. Generally, students will not submit practice problems. Students should exercise the discipline to work the recommended exercises, even though they are not required to submit them as an assignment.
• Students should plan their time so they work consistently throughout the weeks of the course.
• Work with others. Verbalizing content causes students to process the information in a different way and increases the probability they will be able to recall and use the concepts learned.
• Seek help early and often! Students should not wait until they are behind in the course and/or frustrated. The instructor wants to help their students. Students should communicate with their instructor when they are having difficulty. Also, students are encouraged to use the free tutoring services available through BYU-Idaho.

Group Work

Group work is not required in this course, but working with others on the practice problems will help students succeed. Students have the opportunity to sign up with a group to work on practice problems.

Late Work

Students will complete their work on time. As a rule, the instructor will not accept late work. However, they will be willing and able to extend due dates in the case of extenuating circumstances, but students must stay in touch and keep the instructor informed; they can't work with the student if they don't know what's going on.

Grading Policies

Much of student work in the course will not be graded, but it will contribute to the student's level of understanding. This will influence their performance on items that will be graded, listed in the Grade Components statement below. It is critical that students accept responsibility for their learning and that they actively engage in each course activity, regardless of whether the item is graded or not.

Grading Scale

Letter Grade	Percent
A	100%–93%
A-	92%–90%
B+	89%–87%
B	86%–83%
B-	82%–80%
C+	79%–77%
C	76%–73%
C-	72%–70%
D+	69%–67%
D	66%–63%
D-	62%–60%
F	59% and lower

Grade Components

Grades will be determined as follows:

• Quizzes, 20 points each (6 quizzes = 120 points)
• Exams, 80 points each (3 exams = 240 points)
• Comprehensive exam, 200 points
• Total Points = 560

University Policies

Students with Disabilities

Brigham Young University-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. Students who have a disability and require accommodations should contact the Disability Services Office at 208-496-9210 or visit their website and follow the Steps for Receiving Accommodations. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with students and instructors by the Disability Services Office.

This course may require synchronous meetings. Students who are currently registered with the Disability Services Office and need an interpreter or transcriber for these meetings should contact the deaf and hard of hearing coordinator at 208-496-9219.

Other University Policies

Student Honor and Other Policies

Please read through the University Policies. It gives important information about the following topics:

• Student Honor
  • Academic Honesty
  • Student Conduct
    • Sexual Harassment
• Student with Disabilities
• Complaints and Grievances
• Copyright Notice

Go to the Student Resources module to review further resources and information.

Tutoring

Tutoring options are available through the Academic Support Centers. There are tutors available to help students with writing questions, and there may be course-specific tutoring available.