StudyQA — Master: Epidemiology — University of Basel

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The Specialized Master’s degree program in Epidemiology at the University of Basel is run by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), an internationally recognized center for public health excellence. The program centers around (1) teaching the basics of epidemiology and biostatistics, and (2) on the pursuit of an epidemiological research topic. Epidemiologists investigate the health of populations, study disease and possible risk factors, propose actions and then measure whether the situation has improved. They also study disease outbreaks, conduct disease surveillance, identify possible health risk factors and propose measures of disease screening. To this end, epidemiologists design field studies, collect and analyze data using a variety of methods, often in the frame of large teams. Multi-disciplinarity is often important, as is the ability to deal with societal and cultural factors.

The main goals of the M Sc course in epidemiology are the following:

To understand the issues raised by health problems at individual and population level, and the standard methods and measures to describe them.
To understand the key concepts in epidemiology and biostatistics, and their interrelationships.
To have an in-depth understanding of the standard methods and study designs in epidemiologic research.
To be able to plan and execute independently basic epidemiologic studies, to analyze and interpret them, and to report them orally and in writing.
To be able to understand research questions and studies in the field of epidemiology, to place them in a wider public health concept, and to review them critically.

The Master of Science degree is a postgraduate degree that requires a successfully completed Bachelor’s program. The program awards 90 ECTS credits in total. The Specialized Master’s degree program Epidemiology is a so called mono-course consisting of only one core subject. Supervised practical work over the course of one year constitutes the core of the studies. One ECTS credit point roughly equals 30 hours of study.

The following degrees of a Swiss University allow for direct admission to the Specialized Master's degree program Epidemiology: Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Biology or BSc in Medicine or BSc in Veterinary Medicine or BSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences or BSc in Natural Sciences; all BSc with a minimum average degree of 5.0 and basic knowledge in mathematics/biostatistics of at least 4 CP. Students with a BSc in a different branch will be assessed individually. For students with a BSc degree but an insufficient mark, the student can alternatively pass the GRE test in the area of “Quantitative Reasoning” provided the result is in the top 35 % (GRE = Graduate Record Examinations®). Other Swiss or foreign university degrees have to be approved by the respective teaching committee of the Faculty of Science. .

The University of Basel currently collects CHF 850 in tuition fees per semester, along with CHF 10 for the student body.

Please note that there are also costs for books and, of course, your personal living expenses. The following list provides a general indication of monthly living expenses if you are not living at home with your family.

Rent (room, shared living space, student dormitory)
Minimum: CHF 400; Average: CHF 600

Food, household, clothing
Minimum: CHF 450; Average: CHF 600

Insurance/healthcare
Minimum: CHF 200; Average: CHF 300