Overview
Epidemiology Capstone is the culminating course in which students integrate epidemiologic theory, research methods, data analysis, ethics, and scientific communication through an independently developed or team-based project. Students formulate a meaningful public health or clinical population question, conduct a focused literature review, refine objectives and hypotheses, select an appropriate conceptual framework and study design, and define populations, exposures, outcomes, covariates, and estimands.
Projects may involve secondary-data analysis, primary data collection, surveillance evaluation, systematic or scoping review, programme evaluation, qualitative inquiry, or mixed methods. Students address sampling, measurement, bias, confounding, effect modification, missing data, ethical protections, health equity, and community relevance. The course requires responsible data management, reproducible analysis, appropriate use of statistical software, transparent reporting, and interpretation aligned with study design and analytic assumptions.
Major outputs include a proposal or protocol, ethics and data-management documentation where applicable, analytic outputs, a scholarly capstone report, an oral or poster presentation, and a reflective evaluation of limitations, contributions, and future directions. Assessment emphasizes methodological rigor, independence, clarity, integrity, and actionable recommendations.
Learning Outcomes
- Formulate a focused epidemiologic or public health research question that is relevant, feasible, and responsive to population and community needs.
- Evaluate scholarly evidence and synthesize a conceptual framework supporting the proposed investigation.
- Select and justify an appropriate study design, sampling strategy, measurement approach, and estimand for the research question.
- Develop an ethical protocol and data-management plan that address privacy, consent, governance, security, and responsible data use.
- Construct and implement an analysis plan that accounts for bias, confounding, effect modification, missing data, and relevant design assumptions.
- Use statistical or qualitative analysis software to produce accurate, documented, and reproducible analytic outputs.
- Interpret findings in relation to the study design, assumptions, uncertainty, existing evidence, health equity, and community relevance.
- Compose a rigorous scholarly capstone report using transparent and appropriate scientific reporting conventions.
- Communicate methods, findings, limitations, and actionable recommendations effectively in oral or poster format.
- Critique the contribution, limitations, integrity, and future applications of the completed project.
Timetable
| Type | Length | Frequency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminar | 2 hours | Weekly | First term |
| Tutorial | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Workshop | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Practicum | 3 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Seminar | 1 hour | Fortnightly | Second term |
Assessment Schedule
| Type | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Proposal and protocol | 15.00% |
| Deliverable | Ethics and data-management documentation | 10.00% |
| Deliverable | Analytic outputs and reproducible workflow | 20.00% |
| Capstone | Capstone report | 30.00% |
| Capstone | Oral or poster presentation | 15.00% |
| Assignment | Reflective evaluation | 10.00% |
Prerequisites
Teaching Staff & Programs
This course is delivered jointly by faculty from the participating programs listed below. In line with the Douchewater Way, the University of Sexology tailors core instruction directly to each cohort's specific discipline — adapting curriculum to program needs rather than forcing students into a one-size-fits-all model. Learn more about our approach at The Douchewater Way.