What is epidemiology?

Epidemiology examines the causes and distribution of diseases from a population-based perspective. This includes factors that affect morbidity rates, prevalence of disease, and disability in the population. Epidemiology is a core discipline of the health sciences / public health. The term originated in epidemic hygiene and now encompasses a broad scientific discipline. Today, infectious disease epidemiology is only one subfield of epidemiology among many others, such as cancer, environmental, cardiovascular, nutritional, and social epidemiology. Epidemiology is a key starting point for health services research and  evidence-based health promotion planning.

Target audience

This Master programme is an excellent choice for students and professionals in the fields of human medicine, veterinary medicine, biomedical sciences, nursing and health sciences, social sciences, natural sciences, and computer science.

Objective

After completing the Master programme students are able to successfully analyse health challenges on a national and international level. They can plan and conduct studies and implement the results.

Next start date

The next Master programme starts in October 2024. 

Language of Instruction

The teaching language is English. Only a few modules (Skill modules) for consecutive students are taught in German.

Why study epidemiology in Mainz?

• Because the teaching is of high quality and the MSE programme has run successfully for almost 20 years.
• Because IMBEI offers a rich infrastructure and experience in epidemiological research and is one of the few sites where you can do a master programme in epidemiology with focus on methods and statistics.
• Because students have the opportunity to set priorities early on via elective modules and pursue their own research interests in the internship.
• Because as a postgraduate you can obtain a European Master's Certificate.
• Because Mainz is a vibrant university city and the Rhine-main area offers good infrastructure and many career opportunities.
• Because the programme encourages exchange between national and international students and because it promotes and improves language skills in scientific English.
• Because the use of a statistical software is learned "from scratch" (SAS, additionally basic knowledge in R).
• Because the professors and lecturers are open to students' questions and concerns.
• Because you can often gain your first work experience as a student assistant at the institute. 

Career opportunities

Graduates of the master programme in epidemiology have found employment with the following employers and institutions:

• Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Berlin
• Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), Munich, Cottbus
• Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), Hamburg
• German Diabetes Center (DDZ), Düsseldorf
• German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg
• German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE), Potsdam
• National Cancer Registries
• Various universities and university hospitals (e.g. Berlin-Charité)
• Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Studies (IZKS) of the University Hospital Mainz
• Pharmaceutical industry (Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck etc.)
• and many more

Cooperating partner universities

German and European universities offering the Master of Science in Epidemiology (M.Sc.) or corresponding modules can be found here.