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Epidemiology Emphasis

Epidemiology is the study of the patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease conditions in defined populations. Epidemiology’s main role is preventing the onset and spread of disease by finding the reasons why some groups of people are healthier than others and then removing or controlling these causes.

A career as an epidemiologist usually prefer at least a master's degree in epidemiology. Increasingly, however, undergraduate students can obtain employment in state and local governments and other settings; yet most seek specialized training in epidemiology in schools of public health. Epidemiology is a basic science of public health.

The median salary for epidemiologists is $65,270/year. Although local communities may vary, the national job outlook "expects to grow by 10% from 2012-2022 [which is] as fast as average," as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The book 101 Careers in Public Health and the Explore Health Careers website are also helpful resources for looking for information on specific careers within Public Health. If you would like to check out a copy of 101 Careers in Public Health please speak with student secretaries in 4103 LSB to check out a copy.