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4th term
3 credits
Academic Year:
2013 - 2014
East Baltimore
Class Times:
  • Tu Th,  1:30 - 2:50pm
Auditors Allowed:
Grading Restriction:
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Carlos Castillo
Course Instructors:

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340.608 or 340.752


Acquaints students with Public Health Surveillance, which is a core public health function essential for understanding and monitoring population health. Covers the theory, data collection methods, data analysis techniques, and presentation strategies of the systematic, continuous, analysis and interpretation of population health data to inform planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice. Students identify the different types of surveillance, and how each is applied in varied settings. Practical experiences/labs involve creating data collection tools, and reviewing how they can be applied in practice. Real-world surveillance data is used to illustrate methods for analysis, and how surveillance data should be presented to different audiences. Guests who are coordinating and conducting surveillance in different community settings lead interactive discussion sessions.

Learning Objectives:

Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:

  1. Describe different designs in basic public health surveillance including active and passive surveillance programs
  2. List and describe the technical and legal requirements of the International Health Regulations (IHR-2005)
  3. Identify the essential components of the surveillance cycle
  4. List the attributes of a functional public health surveillance program
  5. Identify the key methods and use of descriptive/analytical epidemiology for surveillance data, including new methods for “real time” surveillance
  6. Describe and use epidemiological methods for evaluating public health surveillance systems
  7. Describe methods for presentation of surveillance data
Methods of Assessment:

4 Lab Assignments (40% each 10%): Lecture & Lab Attendance (10% each), Final Exam (40%)

Instructor Consent:

No consent required