Students interested in pursuing an epidemiology degree should enroll in a college or university that offers such a program. When preparing for school and filing applications, a student may want to consider a variety of applications for an epidemiology degree to ensure that he or she chooses a program that will be most useful and effective. Public health advocacy, employment with a government agency that responds to epidemics and outbreaks, and scientific journalism are all examples of epidemiology careers.
Epidemiology is the study of disease outbreaks, with a focus on why outbreaks occur, how they spread, and how they can be controlled. Epidemiologists must be able to study disease-causing agents, disease vectors, and other scientific topics, which necessitates a broad knowledge of the sciences. As epidemiologists work with real people in communities all over the world, they need sociological and anthropological skills. It also helps to have good communication skills and a sense of history when working as an epidemiologist.
The sooner someone realizes he or she wants to pursue a career in epidemiology, the better prepared they can be. Students who plan to pursue an epidemiology degree in high school should enroll in a variety of science courses so that they can get a head start in college. They should try to get into honors science classes, and many of them may want to consider taking biological sciences courses at a junior college while still in high school to fulfill some of their college prerequisites before applying to colleges. It’s also a good idea to take foreign language classes, as epidemiologists may travel to foreign countries as part of their work, and some colleges may require foreign language skills for an epidemiology degree.
In addition to a strong academic record, it helps when applying to colleges and universities for an undergraduate degree in epidemiology to have extracurricular activities to support the application. An internship in a doctor’s office, hospital, or medical lab, membership in a scientific organization or club, or an internship specifically with an epidemiologist, if one is available, are all examples of extracurricular activities that can help with an application. Students should also think about volunteering with a public health department or teaching public health in their schools.
Once a student arrives at college, they should follow the department’s requirements for an undergraduate epidemiology degree. Some schools offer epidemiology degrees exclusively, while others may incorporate epidemiology into the biological sciences. Many epidemiology students pursue graduate studies, which necessitates a graduate application to a school of public health or a school with a graduate-level epidemiology department, as well as sufficient coursework and extracurricular experience to impress an admissions committee.