You’ll study the following topics as part of the online professional course: 

• the history of epidemiology and contemporary epidemiology 
• statistical and epidemiological concepts, including prevalence and incidence  
• descriptive statistics  
• inferential statistics including confidence intervals, p values and hypothesis testing 
• inferential statistics including odds ratios, relative risk and simple regression 
• sampling and sample size calculation 
• observational studies and standardisation 
• ethical issues and data sources in epidemiology  
• intervention studies and research reviews  
• critical review or appraisal 
• global surveillance and monitoring 
• epidemiology and social media 

Teaching methods 

Studying online gives you the freedom to complete your qualification when and where it suits you – at home, during your lunch hour or in a café. 

Our online professional courses are delivered through a virtual learning environment (VLE) instead of a traditional campus. This means you’ll have access to your study materials 24/7, including: 

• multimedia lecturecasts made up of written content, short videos, animation, audio recordings, infographics, short tests and mini-assignments 
• discussion forums for you to chat about the module content with fellow students 
• live Q&A sessions with your tutors 
• a comprehensive eLibrary of textbooks and academic journals 
• support from academic staff and your dedicated Student Support team 

To ensure you receive high-quality tutor support, each class is capped at 20 students. 

Assessment methods  

You’ll be assessed exclusively through assignments. These include assessed discussion forums, written assignments and journal entries. 

We’re committed to providing frequent and transparent feedback in the following ways: 

• our assessment criteria are designed to be simple and transparent 
• you’ll always be aware of your current provisional grade, right from the start 
• you’ll be able to clearly view your marks in your gradebook whenever you log on to the learning platform 
• there’s a seven-day turnaround for marking and feedback of assessed work 
• you’ll have regular contact with your Student Support team, with whom you can discuss any concerns as soon as they arise 

Study duration 

Our Epidemiology online professional course has a study duration of 13 weeks, including a one-week induction to help you settle into online study. 

The Epidemiology online professional course offers a whole host of opportunities. On successful completion, you’ll receive a digital certificate confirming you’ve achieved 20 academic credits at postgraduate level. This will be beneficial whether you’re looking to climb the career ladder or take the first step into a healthcare role – helping you stand out amongst the competition.  

If you wish to continue your studies and boost your prospects, you could choose additional health online professional courses, such as Healthcare Leadership in Practice or Topics in Publish Health. Alternatively, you could progress on to one of the following postgraduate qualifications:  

• PG Cert Infection Control (60 credits)  
• PG Dip Infection Control (120 credits)  
• MSc Infection Control (180 credits)  
• PG Cert Global Mental Health and Wellbeing (60 credits)  
• PG Dip Global Mental Health and Wellbeing (120 credits)  
• MSc Global Mental Health and Wellbeing (180 credits)  
• PG Cert Public Health (60 credits)  
• PG Dip Public Health (120 credits)  
• MPH Master of Public Health (180 credits)  

Please note, acceptance on to a postgraduate qualification is subject to meeting the entry requirements of your chosen programme.  

No formal qualifications or experience is necessary.  

As our courses are delivered in English, a high proficiency of English is required. If English isn’t your first language, your ability should be equivalent to an IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5. Don’t worry if you don’t hold an IELTS or equivalent qualification – we offer a free online English test to assess your proficiency.  

You don’t need to prove your English ability if you’re a national of, or have completed a qualification equivalent to a UK degree in, any of these countries. 

Please note, our online professional courses have a limited number of places available. We’ll always endeavour to get you started on your preferred date, but if this isn’t possible our Admissions team will be in touch to discuss alternative arrangements.

Full tuition fee:
£1,386 (2023-24) Δ 
£1,386 UK / £1,455 International (2024-25) Δ

£1,429 UK / £1,492 International (2025-26) Δ

• Our courses are fully inclusive – all teaching materials and required reading are included. 
• Alumni discount of 10% of the tuition fee available if you’re a previous graduate with the University of Essex or University of Essex Online.   
• We offer a 14-day moneyback guarantee, so if you decide your course isn’t for you during the first 14 days, we’ll give you a full refund. Terms and conditions apply. 

Δ All tuition fees shown are net of any applicable sales tax payable by you in your country of residence. Where we are required to add sales tax at the local statutory rate, this will be added to the tuition fees shown and confirmed during the payment process. 

Subject specialists, industry authorities and experienced academics: the tutors who teach on our Epidemiology course are experts in the health field.