Epidemiology

Our program places an emphasis on close faculty-student relations and a philosophy that puts the student first. We teach core epidemiological methods but also incorporate emerging methodologies through teaching and thesis opportunities. Graduates come out of our program with an in-depth understanding of this foundational public health science. Thesis areas cover a variety of fields within the broad areas of population and public health, health services and policy, and clinical epidemiology. Particular strengths of our faculty include but are not limited to cancer, mental health, physical activity and obesity, developmental disabilities, applied health economics, and social and contextual determinants of health. Our funding levels are competitive. In addition to the formal aspects of our program, our doctoral candidates are encouraged to grow academically in the classroom, in our 'labs' and research units, and in the broader scientific community. 

Students are accepted for a September start date and, if enrolled in full-time studies, are expected to meet the milestones listed below. Each doctoral level course will have prerequisites from among the Queen's Master's level courses (or equivalents from other Universities). Therefore, students entering Doctoral studies in epidemiology who do not have Master's degrees in epidemiology or a closely related discipline may be required to meet appropriate pre-requisite requirements prior to enrolling in PhD coursework, as determined by the Graduate Education Committee. 

Fall, year 1

• Advance Epidemiology (EPID 901A) 
• Advanced Methods in Biostatistics (EPID 823) 

Winter, year 1 

• Advance Epidemiology (EPID 901B) 

Spring/Summer, year 1

• Comprehensive Examination 

Fall, year 2

• Submit thesis outline (EPID 999) 

Winter, year 2

• Complete thesis research in preparation for proposal

Spring/Summer, year 2

• Submit and present thesis proposal (EPID 899) 

Fall/Winter/Spring/Summer, year 3

• Thesis Research 

Fall/Winter, year 4 

• Thesis Research 

Spring/Summer, year 4

• Submit and defend thesis (EPID 999) 

* In addition to required courses, students are encouraged to take additional elective courses, as deemed appropriate by their Supervisor(s).

Requirements

• A minimum A- average (equivalent to 3.7) in the most recent two years of graduate study;
• A thesis-based Master’s degree in epidemiology or a related discipline and demonstrated research competency (usually through a research-based thesis) completed in a timely fashion or a non-thesis based Master’s with substantial relevant peer-reviewed publications;
• Core training in epidemiology and biostatistics  (equivalent to EPID 801, EPID 804, EPID 821 and  EPID 822);
• Confirmation from a supervisor who is willing to support the student educationally and financially and a cogent plan for seeking fellowships/scholarships;
• Two current academic letters of recommendation. Normally one of these would be from your MSc thesis supervisor. If you have been out of university for more than 5 years, one or more professional recommendations may be included. Applicants applying online will have the option to have their referee submit the letter of recommendation to Queen's electronically. Referees will receive an email from the School of Graduate Studies requesting their letter.
• Two official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended sent to the School of Graduate Studies, Queen’s University, Gordon Hall Room 425, 74 Union Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6.
• A Curriculum Vitae
• A one page outline of the proposed doctoral research
• A one page funding plan written in conjunction with your PhD supervisor
• A letter from the identified PhD supervisor describing what communications she or he has had with you and how he or she plans to mentor and support your doctoral research
• A Graduate Records Examination is a mandatory requirement for applicants from non-Canadian universities and a minimum score of 149 is required on the quantitative section. The Admissions Committee also considers the applicant’s ranking on the analytic writing and verbal reasoning sections. The GRE institution code and department code is 0949 and 0606, respectively.
• Proof of English Language Comprehension is a mandatory requirement for International students from a non-English speaking university or students with English as a second language will need to complete a TOEFL assessment. Applicants must have an overall minimum score of 88 (out of 120) along with the following scores: writing 24, speaking 22, reading 22 and listening 20. 

Scholarships

Funding for PhD students comes from a variety of sources, including Queen’s University, research and teaching assistantships, and external studentships. The School of Graduate Studies and Research requires that doctoral programs guarantee a minimum stipend of $18,000 (in 2014-15) annually for four years of a student’s program and our program strives to increase this minimum amount to $25,000. The student’s stipend can come from a combination of teaching assistantships (TAs), research assistantships (RAs), internal awards (i.e., Queen’s Graduate Awards), and external awards. Each PhD student is guaranteed one TA position for a single term course in their second year. One of the conditions under which a Supervisor can accept a doctoral student is that appropriate funding has been prearranged with the Supervisor expected to underwrite at least half of the cost. One source of funding is supervisors’ operating grants, which permit requests for PhD student funding. Students entering the doctoral program require high academic standing which makes them competitive in seeking scholarships and fellowships from provincial and federal government organizations as well as other external agencies. Potential faculty supervisors can work collaboratively with prospective candidates to identify internal and external sources of funding prior to acceptance.nce.