流行病学博士课程的任务是使学生成为成为领先的独立研究人员，并接受流行病学方法的严格培训，能够在学术界，行业，政府或公共卫生实践中脱颖而出。流行病学学生使用复杂的研究设计，统计分析，现场调查和实验室技术，研究疾病的病因，疾病的分布（地理，生态和社会），传播方法以及控制和预防措施。要求流行病学博士学位课程的所有学生都必须熟练掌握先进的流行病学方法，并通过课程和考试进行评估。
The Doctoral Program in Epidemiology's mission is to prepare students to become leading, interdependent investigators with rigorous training in epidemiologic methods, able to excel in academia, industry, government or public health practice. Using sophisticated study designs, statistical analyses, field investigations, and laboratory techniques, epidemiology students investigate the cause of a disease, its distribution (geographic, ecological, and social), method of transmission, and measures for control and prevention. All students in the Doctoral Program in Epidemiology are required to demonstrate mastery of advanced epidemiologic methods, which is assessed via coursework and examinations.