About the Master of Epidemiology

This Master’s programme is unique in Flanders. It will give you knowledge, skills and competences to design and conduct epidemiological research addressing questions on etiology, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment or prognosis of disease (illness), or on the enhancement or maintenance of health. You will be immersed in scientific research and you will immediately learn to translate it into practice and policy to improve the health of people and populations.

The Master's programme is carried and supported via a VLIR-UOS scholarship programme by the Global Health Institute, one of the University's interdisciplinary research centers focussing on improving peoples health globally, building capacity for global health research, and engage in the implementation of evidence-based interventions for health problems affecting low- and middle-income countries.

What to expect?

• 120 ECTS-credits (2 years full-time or 4 years part-time) 
• Taught in English
• Organised by the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences​
• Courses take place on Campus Drie Eiken​

During the first year of the Master's programme, the focus is on deepening your knowledge in the field of epidemiology, statistics and research methods. You will also become acquainted with the practice by attending seminars and workplace visits. 

In the second year you will focus mainly on your own research for your Master's thesis. You will get to know the different fields of epidemiology, like infectious disease epidemiology, clinical epidemiology and environmental epidemiology. You will expand your methodological knowledge in the course Advanced Methods in Epidemiology and learn how to convert theory into practice in the course Public Health, Policy and Practice.

Qualitative research can be used to place or explain the results of quantitative studies in context or to generate hypotheses that can then be tested by quantitative epidemiological studies.

This programme counts 120 credits; this corresponds to 2 years of full-time study. There is a part-time programme of 30 credits per year for working students. That way you can complete the Master's programme in 4 years. ​Attention: if you are here with a student visa, you are required by law to take a minimum of 54 credits per academic year!

This Master's programme welcomes students from all over the world. All classes are taught in English and international epidemiologists are invited on a regular basis to give seminars. This programme is an international experience right from the start. 

You will have the opportunity to gain and improve your epidemiological skills by doing part of your Master's thesis abroad. Our professors have a large international network, but you can also suggest a professional epidemiological institution or public health organisation abroad yourself.