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Unit outline_

NYUS3503: Epidemiology for Global Health

Semester 1, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit of study is only available to students approved to be participating in the NYU Sydney Program.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Public Health
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Yuri Ogura, yuri.ogura@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Robyn Dalziell, robyn.dalziell@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Small test Final Exam
Multiple choice and short answer exam covering topics from semester
20% Formal exam period 120 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Small continuous assessment Weekly quiz
Each quiz comprises questions on the essential pre-reading
10% Multiple weeks ongoing
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO9 LO8 LO7 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Participation Class Participation
Students gain participation marks through active engagement in class
10% Ongoing ongoing
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO9 LO8 LO7 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment group assignment Annotated Bibliography
Work in groups to prepare an annotated bibliography
5% Week 05
Due date: 22 Mar 2023 at 15:00
1 page
Outcomes assessed: LO7 LO8
Assignment Homework assignment 1
Demonstrate concepts and apply knowledge to epidemiological study or papers
15% Week 06
Due date: 29 Mar 2023 at 23:59
3-4 pages
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Assignment Homework Assignment 2
Demonstrate concepts and apply knowledge to epidemiological study or papers
15% Week 10
Due date: 03 May 2023 at 23:59
3-4 pages
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Assignment Homework Assignment 3
Demonstrate concepts and apply knowledge to epidemiological study or papers
15% Week 12
Due date: 17 May 2023 at 23:59
3-4 pages
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Assignment group assignment Presentation
Presenting final fact sheet in your group
5% Week 13
Due date: 24 May 2023 at 15:00
10 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO9 LO2
Assignment group assignment Fact Sheet
Fact sheet summarising key information about a disease or health condition
5% Week 13
Due date: 24 May 2023 at 15:00
2-3 pages
Outcomes assessed: LO7 LO9 LO8
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Weekly Quizzes: Each quiz comprises questions on the essential pre-reading to be completed before attending class
Class Participation: Students gain participation points through active engagement in interactive lectures, class discussions, in-class group exercises, and a discussion forum
Disease Fact Sheet Group Assignment and Presentation: Students will work in groups to prepare an annotated bibliography, an oral presentation, and a final fact sheet summarising key information about a disease or health condition.
Homework Assignments (x3): Allows students to demonstrate your understanding of specific epidemiological concepts and your ability to apply this knowledge to specific epidemiological studies and/or published papers.
Final Exam: A multiple choice and short answer exam covering topics presented in Sessions 1 – 13.

Assessment criteria

For this course your total numerical score, calculated from the components listed above, correspond to the following letter grades:

A 90 to 100
A- 86 to < 90
B+ 82 to < 86
B 72 to < 82
B- 68 to < 72
C+ 64 to < 68
C 54 to <64
C- 50 to < 54
D+ 45 to < 50
D 40 to < 45
F 0 to < 40

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction, course overview and expectations Block teaching (3.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Week 02 Measures of health and disease occurrence in populations Block teaching (3.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Week 03 Descriptive Epidemiology: person, place and time; Introduction to analytical epidemiology and measures of association Block teaching (3.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Week 04 Public health surveillance and infectious disease outbreaks, epidemics and clusters Block teaching (3.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Week 05 Continue Outbreak Investigation case study; Review of measures of association Block teaching (3.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Week 06 Design Strategies & Methods in Analytic Epidemiology - I & II Block teaching (3.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Week 07 Design Strategies & Methods in Analytic Epidemiology - III Block teaching (3.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Week 08 Design Strategies & Methods in Analytic Epidemiology - IV Block teaching (3.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Week 09 Design Strategies & Methods in Analytic Epidemiology - IV (continued) Block teaching (3.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Week 10 Critical appraisal of a published paper describing an epidemiological study Block teaching (3.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Week 11 Causal Inference and Synthesis of Evidence: does exposure X really cause disease Y in population P? Block teaching (3.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Week 12 Screening for disease Block teaching (3.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Week 13 Disease Fact Sheet Assignment – final presentation Block teaching (3.5 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: Studying at NYU Sydney is an academically intensive and immersive experience, in which students from a wide range of backgrounds exchange ideas in discussion-based seminars. Learning in such an environment depends on the active participation of all students. And since classes typically meet once or twice a week, even a single absence can cause a student to miss a significant portion of a course. To ensure the integrity of this academic experience, class attendance at NYU Sydney is expected promptly when class begins. Attendance will be checked at each class meeting.

Unexcused absences may be penalized with a two percent deduction from the student’s final course grade for every week's worth of classes missed, and may negatively affect your class participation grade. Four unexcused absences in one course may lead to a Fail in that course. Being more than 15 minutes late counts as an unexcused absence.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

G Webb P, Bain C and Page A. Essential Epidemiology 4th Edition, 2019. Cambridge University Press

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Understand and describe the evolution and current role of epidemiology as an approach to assessing public health problems over time and across populations
  • LO2. Describe epidemiological approaches to defining and measuring health problems to understand the distribution of health and disease in human populations worldwide and the persistence of health inequities across regions and groups
  • LO3. Understand and describe key principles of how epidemiologic studies are designed and analysed
  • LO4. Understand and describe the basic concepts of measurement of test performance and be able to apply these concepts of testing and screening
  • LO5. Recognise epidemiological criteria needed to establish cause and effect relationships
  • LO6. Recognise key ethical issues in the conduct of epidemiological and other scientific investigations in communities and populations
  • LO7. Conduct library research to find information on diseases and other health conditions
  • LO8. Critically read and understand health information in different formats and contexts
  • LO9. Apply epidemiological knowledge and skills to Australian, US and global public health problems

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.