WITS PUBLIC SCHOOL HEALTH OF...1. Introduction to Demographic methods 2. Surveillance 3. Biostatistics for Health Researchers II 4. Research Protocol Development 5. Applied Field Epidemiology

PUBLIC HEALTH

WITS SCHOOL

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MASTER OF SCIENCE IN EPIDEMIOLOGY HANDBOOK 2020

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN EPIDEMIOLOGYField of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Field of Infectious Disease EpidemiologyField of Field Epidemiology

Field of Public Health InformaticsField of Implementation Science

Field of Biostatistics

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Introduction to the School of Public Health

Introduction to the MSc Epidemiology and

Biostatistics Programme

Contact Details for the MSc Team

Course Aims and Objectives

Course Structure

Attendance of Modules

Students Assessment and Examinatio

Teaching Methods and Educational Approach

Research Project

Plagiarism

Other Academic Issues

Resources in the School of Public Health and Wits University

Funding Opportunities

APPENDICESPlagiarism Form

Assignment Cover Page

Module Outlines

Book List 2020 36

CONTENT

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Dear Student

We hope that you will find this handbook helpful. It contains information about the Master of Science in Epidemiology and Biostatistics Programme offered by the Wits School of Pub-lic Health (WSPH) in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to introduce students to:• the Wits School of Public Health;• the MSc Epidemiology programme;• Resources and Services available at the wider University Campuses

NOTE: While every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this book-let is accurate at the time of printing, the Wits School of Public Health reserves the right to make changes in degree requirements, courses, faculty and other information contained herein.Please be sure to check for updated course information with the programme administrator or your academic coordinator(s) before planning your schedule.

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Introduction to the School of Public HealthLocated in the heart of Johannesburg, the Wits School of Public Health (WSPH) enjoys an exceptional national and international reputation in teaching, research, academic service and partnerships. The School’s endeavours reflect its values of academic excellence, di-versity, equity, human rights, social justice and responsiveness to the population health needs of South Africa and Africa. Our 80 full-time academics are from different professional backgrounds that range from the social to the bio-medical sciences, enhancing multi-dis-ciplinary approaches essential for public health. More than 100 honorary staff members further enhance the WSPH academic activities.

The School’s state-of-the art building consolidates its training and research divisions. It boasts of a 400-seat auditorium and various other teaching spaces that accommodate 25 to 100 students, computer laboratories and a 150-seat Resource Centre, providing an en-vironment for cross-disciplinary intellectual engagement.

Teaching and Learning Teaching and learning is student-centered innovative and of high quality. We embrace a culture of inclusivity and support students’ development and performance.

The School’s postgraduates are critical thinkers who are influential and able to advance public health and social transfor-mation.

The following Programmes are offered at the WSPH:

• Master of Science (MSc) in Epidemiology:This is a full-time degree over 18 months or a part-time degree over three yearsand consists of course work and a research project. There are six fields ofstudy within the MSc programme:

1. Epidemiology andBiostatistics

2. Field Epidemiology3. Infectious Disease

Epidemiology4. Public Health Informatics5. Implementation Science and6. Biostatistics

• Master of Medicine (Community Medicine):This is a medical specialist-training programme which equips medical doctors with skills inleadership and management, development of public policy, design, implementation and evaluationof health programmes, as well as epidemiology and biostatistics. There are two fields of study:

1. MMed in Public Health Medicine2. MMed in Occupational Medicine


• Master of Public Health (MPH):

Six fields of study (specialisation) are offered:

1. Social and Behaviour Change Communication2. Rural Health3. Maternal and Child Health4. Occupational Hygiene5. Health Systems and Policy6. Health Economics

• Master of Arts and PhD in Demography and Population Studies: This is acollaboration with the School of Social Sciences, Statistics and Computing and AppliedMathematics.

• Diploma in Occupational Health (DOH):This is offered in association with the National Institute for Occupational Health as a two yearpart-time/ block release course. It is for qualified medical doctors who work or intend to workin occupational health in the public or private sectors.

• Master of Science Medicine (Exposure Science):This is a part-time degree over three years and consists of course work and a researchproject.

• Inter-disciplinary PhD Programme in Public and Population Health: Thisvibrant PhD programme has over 80 doctoral students. Graduates are well

rounded researchers, able to contribute to population health and health system improvements through policy relevant research.


Introduction to the Master of Science (Msc) in Epidemiology Programme

The Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division of the Wits School of Public Health (WSPH) has, since 2000, established itself as an institution of choice for the provision of postgrad-uate training in epidemiology and biostatistics within the sub-Saharan African region and beyond. The Division has excelled in producing outstanding Master of Science (MSc) grad-uates who are well sought after within South Africa and the region.

MSc Epidemiology and Biostatistics TeamName Room Phone Room Email Address

Prof. Jonathan Levin 152 717 2554 Head of Division [email protected]

Prof. Latifat Ibisomi 143 717 2607 Academic Coordinator [email protected]

Prof. Eustasius Musenge 149 717 2611 Assoc. Prof [email protected]

Dr Zodwa Ndlovu 146 717 2311 Lecturer and Masters Research Coordinator [email protected]

Dr Juliana Kagura 138b 717 2273 Senior Lecturer [email protected]

Dr Sumaya Mall 145 717 2312 Senior Lecturer [email protected]

Dr Pascalia Munyewende 142 717 2492 Program Manager, DELTAS

[email protected]

Mrs Relebogile Mapuroma 116 717 9325 Assoc. Lecturer [email protected]

Dr Innocent Maposa 148 717 2293 Senior Lecturer [email protected]

Mr Michael Mapundu 147 717 2627 Lecturer [email protected]

Ms Lerato Podile 151 717 2605 Course Administrator [email protected]

Ms Innocentia Vukeya 140 717 2082 Research Administrator [email protected]

Ms Maletsatsi Matona 144 717 2082 AdministratorProjects

[email protected]


Course Aims and ObjectivesThe main aim of the MSc in Epidemiology Programme is to develop capacity and excel-lence in the field of epidemiology as applied to the population and health needs of developing countries

Objectives of the course include:

i. To develop the epidemiology, biostatistics and associated computing,demographic, data management, and other skills necessary to investigate health problems

ii. To develop knowledge and skills in the identification, implementation,monitoring, and evaluation of intervetions (preventive and curative) to decrease diseasesprevalent in Africa

iii. To promote high quality research protocol development, data collection and analysis,report writing and presentation skills to address questions of public health importance.

Course structureThe course is comprised of twelve courses/modules and a research project. The modules are spread throughout the year and are complemented with take-home assignments and examination. The weeks between modules are allocated to additional and self-directed studying, completion of assignments, working on research protocols/reports and partici-pating in other school activities e.g. academic meetings, journal club and other school wide lectures/activities.

NOTE:

- The 12 modules listed in the tables are in addition to the Master of Public HealthOrientation (COMH 7100A).

- Elective options are only offered if five or more students register for that module.- Please refer to the 2020 MSc Rules & Syllabus book for the list of core courses and

permitted electives.- Course summaries and/or objectives are provided in Appendix III.

1. MSc in the field of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

The field of study comprises of:

• Ten core modules in epidemiology and biostatistics, protocol developmentand demography.

• Two elective modules.

Do consult with the Course Administrator before finalizing your choices.


Table 1: Course Schedule for MSc in the field of Epidemiology and Biostatistics for Part-time Students

Full-time students take both PART I and PART II modules in Year 1 andResearch Report in Year 2.

2. MSc in the field of Field Epidemiology

The course is comprised of twelve core modules, and a field-based research proj-ect which is undertaken in a reputable INDEPTH- and SAFETP-affiliated Health and Demograph-ic Surveillance Site or any other reputable research institution. The modules are spread throughout the year, and are complemented with take-home assignments and examination.


Table 2: Course Schedule for MSc in the field of Field Epidemiology for Part-time Students

PART I (year 1 modules) PART II (year 2 modules) PART III year 3

modules)1. Introduction to Biostatistics inComputing

2. Epidemiology for Health Researchers I3. Epidemiology for Health Researchers

II4. Epidemiology for Health Researchers

III5. Biostatistics for Health Researchers I6. One required elective module

(Please refer to the MSc Rules &Syllabus list for permitted electives)

1. Introduction to Demographicmethods

2. Surveillance3. Research Protocol Development4. Biostatistics for Health

Researchers II5. Biostatistics for health

Researchers III6. One required elective module

(Please refer to the MSc Rules& Syllabus list for permitted electives)

1. ResearchReport

PART I (year 1 modules)

PART II (year 2 modules)

PART III (year 3 modules)

1. Introduction to Biostatistics inComputing

2. Epidemiology for Health Researchers I3. Epidemiology for Health Researchers

II4. Monitoring and Evaluation and

Surveillance for Health5. Biostatistics for Health Researchers I6. Data Management in ClinicalResearch Studies

1. Introduction to Demographicmethods

2. Surveillance3. Biostatistics for Health

Researchers II4. Research Protocol Development5. Applied Field Epidemiology

6. Longitudinal Data and EventHistory Analysis

1. Field BasedResearchReport

Full-time students take both PART I and PART II modules in Year 1 and Research Report in Year 2.

3. MSc in the field of Infectious Disease Epidemiology

The field of study comprises of 10 core courses/modules, two elective courses/modules and a research project.


Table 3: Course Schedule for MSc in the field of Infectious Disease Epide-miology for Part-time Students

4. MSc in the field of Public Health Informatics

There are twelve core courses for the degree and a field-based research report undertaken in a reputable research institution including INDEPTH Network Sites.

For Part time students please refer to Table 4 for courses/modules for Years 1, 2 and 3 of study. Please note that 6 modules must be taken in each of Years 1 and 2.


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PART I (year 1 modules) PART II (year 2 modules) PART III (year 3

modules)1. Introduction to Biostatistics in

Computing2. Epidemiology for Health

Researchers I3. Epidemiology for Health

Researchers II4. Epidemiology for Health

Researchers III5. Biostatistics for Health Researchers I6. Communicable Disease

Epidemiology

1. Surveillance2. Research Protocol

Development3. Biostatistics for Health

Researchers II4. Infectious Disease Modelling

Two required electives module

(Please refer to the MSc Rules & Syllabus list for permitted electives)

1. ResearchReport

Full time students take both PART I and PART II modules in Year 1 and Research Report in Year 2.

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5. MSc in the field of Implementation Science

The field of study comprises ten core courses, two elective courses and a field-based research report undertaken in a reputable research institution.

- For Part time students please refer to Table 5 for courses/ modules forYears 1, 2 and 3 of study.

- Please note that 6 modules must be taken in each of Years 1 and 2.




1. Introduction to Computing inBiostatistics

2. Epidemiology for HealthResearchers I

3. Biostatistics for Health ResearchersI

4. Principles and Operations ofRelational Databases

5. Data Management in ClinicalResearch Studies

6. Data Processing, Distribution andArchiving I

1. Biostatistics for HealthResearchers II

2. Programming for ResearchData Management I

3. Health and DemographicSurveillance Database Systems

4. Longitudinal Data and EventHistory Analysis

5. Introduction to DataManagement Systems,Structures and Models

6. Research Protocol Development

1. Field - BasedResearchReport

Table 4: Course Schedule for MSc Epidemiology in the field Public Health Informatics for Part-time Students




6. MSc in the field of Biostatistics

The field of study comprises ten core and two elective courses/modules.


Table 6: Course schedule for MSc Epidemiology in the field of Biostatistics for Part-time Students





2. Epidemiology for Health Researchers I3. Biostatistics for Health Researchers I4. Implementation Science 15. Monitoring and Evaluation for Health

Programmes6. One required elective module(lease refer to the MSc Rules & Syllabus listfor permitted electives)

1. Adapting, Implementing &Evaluating Evidence BasedInterventions

2. Quality Improvement Science3. Biostatistics for Health

Researchers II4.

5.Health EconomicsResearch ProtocolDevelopment

6. One required elective module(lease refer to the MSc Rules &Syllabus list for permitted electives)

1. Field BasedResearchReport





2. Epidemiology for Health Researchers I3. Introduction to Statistical Theory in

Health Research4. Biostatistics for Health Researchers II5. Generalized Linear Models in

Health ResearchOne required elective module (Please referto the MSc Rules & Syllabus list forpermitted electives)

1. Bayesian Methods in HealthResearch

2. Survey Methods in HealthResearch

3. Statistical Issues inRandomised Controlled Trials

4. Statistical Consulting in HealthResearch

5. Modern Biostatistical Methods6. Research Protocol Development7. One required elective module(lease refer to the MSc Rules &Syllabus list for permitted electives)

1. Field -BasedResearch Report

Table 5: Course Schedule for MSc Epidemiology in the field of Implemen-tation Science for Part-time Students




Attendance of ModulesStudents are expected to attend all the contact sessions for each course, in order to meet the due performance (DP) requirement for each course. In exceptional cases, students may be allowed to miss part of a course but must attend 80% of each module that make up the MSc coursework. Failure to do so will result in the student not being permitted to write the examination.

• Every student must sign the course attendance register on each day of the course. Thecourse coordinator/administrator will remove the register after 10 minutes of the start of the class.Any student who fails to sign the register will be considered absent and will, therefore, be inbreach of the DP requirement. The register may NOT be signed outside class. Students may notsign on behalf of other students who are not in class. Where this happens, and the culprit cannotbe identified, 5% will be deducted from the total score obtained by each class member for thecourse.

• Should a student, for any unavoidable reason, be unable to attend some sessions of a course,the student must communicate this to the course coordinator concerned.

• If the reason for absence from the course is sickness or death of an immediate family member,then a doctor’s certificate/death certificate is required.

Student Assessment and ExaminationsThe majority of courses are assessed by a combination of assignments and examinations, usually 50%/50%. While most assignments are individual, some may contain a group work component.

AssignmentsMost of the modules have take-home assignments, which contribute to the year mark. The purpose of assignments is to consolidate and extend knowledge from the coursework. Please note that:

1. All assignments must be submitted to the MSc Course Administrator, Ms Lerato Podile.Where otherwise stated, a copy should still be submitted to her2. Due dates for assignments are to be adhered to at all times. Assignments handed in afterthe due date will not be marked.3. No extensions are granted except in exceptional circumstances and require support-ingdocumentation.4. Where possible, written and verbal feedback will be provided for assignments and studentsare encouraged to use this feedback as a learning opportunity.5. Students will be excluded from writing exams if they do not submit an assign-ment forthe year mark, even if they have attended the module and the student will have to repeat/attendthe module again (with the student paying the attendant costs) before being allowed to write theexam.


Guidelines for Submission of Assignments • Unless otherwise advised, all assignments are due by 08h30 on the specified dead line/date

and must be submitted to Ms Lerato Podile.• Please ensure that assignments that are submitted are typed.• Put your student number (name is optional) on each page of the assignment.• Number the pages and adhere to guidelines and page limits set by the course coor dinator for

each assignment.• No plastic folder will be accepted. Only plastic sleeves will be accepted if the

assignment has more than one section/document.• Students are to double check with the course administrator to confirm receipt of assignments

that are submitted electronically.• Due dates for assignments are to be adhered to at all times. Any request for an extension

must be received BEFORE the due date. Extensions are only granted in exceptionalcircumstances and must be accompanied by relevant documentation (medical certificate,death certificate)

• NB: If an assignment is not handed in, the student will fail the course and may be excludedfrom the University on academic grounds for non-completion of the course.

• The assignment must be the student’s individual work (unless the course coordinator requestsa group assignment). Failure to acknowledge the ideas of another person by application ofin-text citation and referencing constitutes plagiarism and is a punishable offence (seesection under plagiarism). Students must sign and submit a plagiarism declaration form (seeAppendix I) with every assignment that is submitted.

• Students must sign and submit a cover page (see Appendix II) with every assignment that issubmitted.

Due Performance (DP) requirementsStudents are required to fulfill performance requirements to be eligible to write the final examination. Attendance and participation in the course work, and other stated/communi-cated Wits School of Public Health academic activities and submission of assignments by the due date are pre-requisites for students to write the exams.

ExaminationsStudents who have fulfilled the attendance, assignments and other requirements for a course are permitted to write the examination for that course. Examinations are usually written twice a year. Students should refer to their course timetable for a schedule of exam-ination dates.

Rules to passTo pass a course, students are required to attain a 50% aggregate (i.e. assignment and exam combined) AND over 40% in the final examination.

Rules for a supplementaryStudents who do not pass their examinations may be offered a supplementary examination. In this case, the student must obtain 40% or more in the final examination and an aggre-gate of between 40% and 49%. Supplementary examinations are written at the end of the year, usually in the last week of November or the first week of December. A supplementary examination fee is charged. If a student does not pass a supplementary/qualify for a supple-

mentary examination, s/he may be allowed to re-register for that particular course/module the following year. Failure to pass a course/module if attempted for a second year will result in a student being required to de-register and leave the course.

Rules for Deferment or Carry Over

Students are expected to register for all the modules for the appropriate year at the begin-ning of the year. If a student foresees any problem in attending any module, they must dis-cuss the issue with the academic coordinator before registering. If students are already reg-istered for a module, it can be deferred to the following year only in special circumstance (disease/illness/death in the family. Unavoidable work commitments or workload is not an adequate reason). This needs to be discussed and finalised with the academic coordinator before attending the module. A formal letter of deferment /carry over must be submitted by the student to the Faculty’s postgraduate committee for approval. For practical rea-sons, a student who has failed a deferred assessment cannot be granted a supplementary assessment in that course.

Teaching methods and educational approachTeaching methods include a combination of lectures, tutorials, computer-based work, sem-inars, group work and field-based learning. An important aspect of the course is self-study which is linked to take-home assignments. Additional reading is expected for the course-work. We strongly encourage active participation in all forms of learning. In developing and strengthening skills in the various field of study, we emphasise understanding and application of concepts rather than mere memorising of facts. This includes application of concepts to student’s own work environment and experience. An important aspect of both the course and student’s future careers is reading scientific material and producing high quality written work. These skills will be gained both formally and informally throughout the course. A critical approach to both reading and writing is also encouraged. Reading scien-tific material extensively is also vital to student’s performance in the degree programme.

Research ProjectsThe School has a booklet which outlines the research process (Information and guidelines for supervisors and students undertaking research in part fulfilment of the MPH or MSc de-grees in the School of Public Health). This is available from the Research Administrator (Ms Innocentia Vukeya at [email protected]) or Research Coordinator (Dr Zodwa Ndlovu at [email protected]).

Scope of the project

The research project is conducted throughout the period of the Master’s Programme and may be:

• A small study involving primary data collection OR• A systematic review and meta-analysis OR• A secondary data analysis of an appropriate dataset

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For full-time students, primary data collection is discouraged due to the limited time avail-able.

The project is conducted under the guidance of a supervisor/ supervisors after:

• Passing the Research Protocol Development Module• Approval by a School of Public Health Assessor Group to ensure that the scope and

scientific merit of the project are of the required standard. The protocol is submitted for assessment with agreement of the supervisor, and should follow the format contained in the document: “Guidelines for Applicants for Higher Degrees”.

• Approval by the Human Research Ethics Committee: (Medical) Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences to ensure that the proposed project meets acceptable ethical standard.

SupervisorsAll students are allocated a supervisor from the Wits School of Public Health/Faculty of Health Sciences. A co-supervisor from outside the School may also be allocated.

It is the responsibility of the student to make regular contact and arrange meetings with his/her supervisor. A work plan needs to be agreed upon and documented at the first supervi-sory meeting. Also, a student/supervisor contract should be signed at the first visit.

Learning aims of the research projectThe research report must demonstrate that you are:• acquainted with and understand the methods of research and their application• sufficiently acquainted with the relevant literature• sufficiently acquainted with the statistical analysis• capable of interpreting and assessing the importance of your findings.

Style and Presentation• The research report must be satisfactory as regards literary style and presentation. The Wits Style Guide for Theses, Dissertations and Research reports is a useful resource and available at: https://www.wits.ac.za/media/wits-university/faculties-and-schools/health-sciences/research-entities/documents/FACULTY%20OF%20 HEALTH%20SCIENCES%20STYLE%20GUIDE%20FOR%20THESES-DISSERTA-TIONS-AND-RESEARCH%20REPORTS-Updated%20Marh%202016.pdf

• If your home language is not English or you are not fluent in written English, you will need to ask an English-speaking person or the Wits Writing Centre to assist with proof

reading the report. Your supervisor(s) can assist to a limited extent with language and grammar, but are not responsible for ensuring that all language is correct.

Consultation with expertsThe research report must be your own work and you will be required to sign a declaration to this effect. You may also consult others concerning the research work and you must acknowledge by name those from whom assistance, other than that of a trivial nature, has been received.

Submission and marking of research reportsThe research report is submitted with the signed approval of your supervisor(s) to the SPH Research Administrator who will then submit it to the Faculty postgraduate office. The report is marked by both an internal (within Wits) and external examiner (outside of Wits) who are appointed on the basis of their content and/or methodological expertise. If the examiners indicate that the research report is adequate for partial fulfillment of the award of the degree, s/he recommends award of the degree either:

-with distinction-with distinction, subject to minor corrections to the satisfaction of the Head of Department-without distinction-without distinction, subject to minor corrections to the satisfaction of the Head of Depart-ment-substantial amendments, undertaken to the satisfaction of the Head of Department-substantial amendments, and re-examination by the examiner

If the research report is not adequate in partial fulfillment of the Master’s degree, the exam-iner will recommend either:-major revision, extension or elaboration and re-examination by the examiner OR-outright rejection of the research report.

On receipt of the examiners’ reports, contact with your supervisor must be made to discuss any corrections required. MSc students are eligible for the annual Faculty of Health Scienc-es Harding Le Riche prize and for the best research project award.

PlagiarismDefinitionThe Wits policy on plagiarism considers plagiarism to be the failure to acknowledge the ideas of another or the presentation of the ideas of another as one’s own’. This includes the intentional and unintentional failure to acknowledge the ideas of others. Plagiarism is viewed in a very serious light within the University context. It is considered a form of dis-honesty, i.e. the stealing of another’s work/intellectual property and compromises academ-ic quality. Moreover, it undermines the educational objectives of independent and original thinking, writing and application of concepts.

At the same time, the School of Public Health recognises that many students, even at a postgraduate level may not have been exposed to the concept of plagiarism, or require an update, having last studied several years ago. The School of Public Health will, there-fore, provide an induction into conventions in academic writing, including what constitutes plagiarism during the orientation week. These ideas will then be re-enforced throughout the duration of the degree programme. A written declaration by students on submission of all assignments will be required (see Appendix I). If you are in doubt as to whether your work constitutes plagiarism, consult with the module coordinator. In general, it is better to over-acknowledge sources. If the student is not handing in assignment personally but through email, a scanned copy of the form must be attached. No assignment will be marked without a signed plagiarism form.



Processes and penalties in response to suspected plagiarismThe School and the University regard plagiarism at a postgraduate level as particularly serious. If plagiarism is suspected by an academic staff member, s/he will report it to the School’s Postgraduate Committee (SPC), who may deal with it internally or refer the case on to the University disciplinary committee. Depending on the extent of plagiarism, penal-ties can range from deducting marks for work (up to 100%) to disciplinary action, including de-registration from the degree. Students may appeal against decisions made by the SPC. The University has a detailed policy on plagiarism which you can access on: https://www. wits.ac.za/media/migration/files/cs-38933-fix/migrated-pdf/pdfs-3/plagiarism.pdf

Other academic issuesLecture venues Unless otherwise advised, lectures generally take place in the School of Public Health Build-ing on Education Campus. Student feedback and evaluationWe request ongoing student feedback on the course to assist us in continuously improving the MSc program. This includes completion of end of block and end of year questionnaires. Other feedback is welcome and can be directed via the student representative. Meetings with the Head of School, course co-coordinators and students will be held as necessary, to highlight important issues.

Student representationDuring the orientation week, students will be asked to elect student representatives. Three representatives are required:

• Full-time course representative (academic aspects) - required to inform the academic coordinator of course related concerns experienced by the class.

• Part-time course representative (academic aspects)• Social representative - required to identify opportunities for social and/or cultural outings

and events for the class.

The representatives may be asked to attend the MSc planning or necessary monthly meet-ings.

Wits School of Public Health ActivitiesThe SPH has several academic activities and full-time students are expected to participate fully in these. Students will be required to complete a journal regarding these academ-ic activities which should be submitted to the Academic coordinator at the end of each month. These activities are CPD accredited for South Africans registered with the Health Professions Council. Where possible, modules will be planned to enable students to attend the academic meetings. A programme of academic activities will be available on the MSc notice board and/or by email.

Weekly Academic MeetingThis is held every Friday morning from 08:15 – 09:15. Speakers are from both SPH and ex-ternal. A wide range of topics of Public Health relevance are covered. Students may present their projects during the year as part of the academic meetings.

Weekly Journal Club Staff and postgraduate students are asked to review journals of public health and epidemi-ology relevance.

OtherShort courses, symposia, workshops are advertised throughout the year. These could be based in the School of Public health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Wits University or outside the University. The MSc administrator will post notices on the MSc board or send e-mails of relevant events. Please make use of these opportunities.

Resources in the School of Public Health and Wits UniversityThe School of Public Health (SPH) is located within the Wits School of Public Health Build-ing, Wits Education Campus, 27 St Andrews Road, Parktown, Johannesburg. The WSPH makes use of resources that exist both within and outside of the School. The following re-sources are available to students:

Computer, software and e-mail issues

Word processing (MS Word) and spreadsheet (Excel) These are essential skills for the MSc Epidemiology Programme and will not form part of the formal training. If you are not familiar with MS Word or Excel, please be sure to attend a recognised short course as soon as possible or consult the course administrator to assist in finding the relevant course.

RedCap, Epi-Info and Stata Training in both these data packages form part of the course. Epi-Info is a software pack-age commonly used for data entry, management and analysis of health data. It is share-ware and is obtainable in the Wits School of Public Health or the following website http://www.cdc.gov/epiinfo/. Stata software is especially useful for the analysis of epidemiological data. Student licenses can be ordered through the MSc administrator.

The R statistical software and other specialised ones that will be required for teaching and learning, in particular data management software, are available on the computers in the School’s labs.

Sakai/ Wits-e and Real Time Virtual ClassroomThese programmes aid learning and will be introduced to the students during orientation. Specific tools will be actively used throughout the course of the year. These programs are easy to use and are self-taught.



Computer Rooms1. There are two computer labs in the School and these are available from 07:00 –21:00 every day. All students must be registered to access this facility after hours. Please ensure that you have completed the appropriate registration forms from the MSc office.2. The WITS ICT (former CNS) computer rooms are situated on the third floor of Medi-cal School and are also available to all postgraduate students and has email, Internet access and printing services.

Postgraduate Hub The School of Public Health provides a unique world class service to postgraduate stu-dents through its Postgraduate Hub. The Postgraduate Hub is situated on the 1st Floor of the School, directly above the Computer labs. The SPH PG Hub can be accessed from 07:00 – 21:00 every day. In addition, the Faculty of Health Sciences has a Postgraduate Hub situated on the 4th Floor of the Medical School. The venues have computer work stations and plug points for laptops. In addition, a small seminar facility for meetings or one-on-one consultations and a lounge area for socialising are available. An ICAM access system and CCTV are in place for security.

Email and internet accessEmail communication is very important particularly to help us keep in touch with part-time students. Upon registration in the Faculty of Health Sciences, each student is issued with an official University email account for all official electronic correspondence relating to the MSc program including fees issue, results and other communications from the Faculty and the University at large. Students are required to make use of this service to ensure that they stay in touch, and up to date on the happenings in the MSc program and the University. In addition to the student email account, kindly provide the Faculty and MSc administra-tor with an alternate email address. Please be sure to have a functioning email address at all times and to inform us of any changes in your address. Staff email addresses are in the Global Email list of the Wits student account and can be found by clicking on the ‘To’ but-ton when you compose a new email.

Internet access is important for literature searches and access to useful websites. You can pay a visit to any of the WITS ICT helpdesks to get your personal devices connected. Some websites that may be helpful for your studies and future careers are:

- Pubmed: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/- World Health Organisation: www.who.int- INCLEN (Clinical Epidemiology): www.inclentrust.org

Books and Library Additional reading is essential to clarify concepts and extend learning. Please find the booklist on page 34. Most of the coursework books are either available in the library or in the MSc office where the course administrator has a small set of books on loan. All registered students have access to the Wits libraries including the Medical School Li-brary located on the 4th Floor of the Medical School, the School of Public & Development Management library in 2 St David’s Place, as well as all libraries on the main campus. The library contains many useful journals and books for students’ coursework and research re-

port. Students are encouraged to make optimal use of the library service, which includes an inter-library loan service for articles unavailable in the Medical School library. Locating and using information relevant to your subject is an essential skill for you to acquire, and it is worth spending time finding out what is available. More information pertaining to the library can be found on the Wits Library website: http://www.wits.ac.za/library/

BookshopFor all queries on the purchase academic books for higher education in South Africa, please call 08600 STUDY (local calls) or + 27 12 366 5400 (international calls) or email vsorders@ vanschaik.com

Student Cards Please note that your student card is your PASSPORT to access all services at the University. It is therefore imperative that it is kept safely and updated with every new academic year of registration. Upon registration, you will be directed to ICAM, which is responsible for activating your cards.

Note: The activation only occurs upon full registration and is linked to your fee account. The link to ICAM information is - http://www.icam.wits.ac.za/ . Your card will need to be activated in order for you to gain access to virtually, all places in the University - Library, entrance to departments, the computer labs, the Postgraduate Hub. Activation of the card takes about 24 – 48 hours after you have registered.

StationeryEach registered student will receive a course pack either in hard copy or electronically, with relevant course materials for each module. The WSPH does not supply stationery to stu-dents.

• Students are to purchase their own stationery.• Van Schaik Bookshop on the 4th Floor, Medical School, supplies basic stationery at

reasonable prices.

Printing & Photocopying • Printing or copying facilities are available for students’ in the School.• This is also available on the 3rd and 4th floors of Medical School at nominal cost.

Canteen The Medical School canteen, Olives and Plates, is the primary vendor of food in the Med-ical School. They serve a variety of freshly prepared hot and cold meals; have a salad bar, a bread basket, a breakfast bar and a coffee shop for your convenience. Please note that as an external service provider this canteen is not subsidised and they regulate their own pricing. As such, you either bring your own lunch or budget accordingly.

Note: The canteen is CLOSED on Saturdays and Sundays. Therefore, we advise that when you attend Saturday classes, or choose to study at the library on a Sunday, you pack your own lunch box, as the nearest shops are a few kilometers away.



Campus Parking • Due to limited parking space, no student is allowed to park in the premises of the Medical

School or the Wits School of Public Health Building.• Students can make use of the Education Campus Parking facilities (available at a fee

– arrangement for this is made at the Parking Office, Solomon Mahlangu House Basement, Braamfontein Campus East).

• Students may also park at the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital (undercover hospital visitors’ parking available at a minimal fee).

Finance Assistance For information regarding financial assistance, members of staff at the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office are well placed to assist you. The Office hours contact details are as follows:

Phone: +27 11 717 1078 Physical address: Financial Aid & Scholarship OfficeGround Floor, Solomon Mahlangu House, Braamfontein Campus East

For more information on the Financial Aid and Scholarship office please go to https://www.wits.ac.za/study-at-wits/fees-and-funding/financial-aid-and-scholarships-of-fice/ For any other Financial Aid and Scholarship queries, kindly email: [email protected]

International Students Office (ISO) The ISO is situated on the Ground Floor of Solomon Mahlangu House (just off the Con-course behind Student Enrolment Centre (SEnC)). The ISO offers the following services:

• Information on Wits and on studying (and living) in South Africa• Information and guidance on obtaining a Matriculation Exemption,• Advice and assistance on immigration issues,• Application procedure for study permits and renewals of existing study permits,• Information on South African approved medical aid service providers,• Issues clearance certificates to all international students, after ensuring compliance with

university and government requirements prior to registration,• Orientation of new students to campus and city life,• Facilitates and manages collaborative projects with international governments and

institutions.

They can be contacted during office hours at:International Students Office Office 017, Ground Floor, Solomon Mahlangu House, Braamfontein Campus EastTel: +27 11 717 1054E-mail: [email protected]

Accommodation The University residence is reserved only for full-time students.The Accommodation Officer at the Office of Residence Life may be contacted for informa-

tion regarding private accommodation in Johannesburg and its environs on Tel: +27 11717-9170-4. E-mail: [email protected].

Campus Health & Wellness Centre Medical assistance is available for all registered students at the Wits University Campus Health & Wellness Centre (CHWC). CHWC is a registered professional medical practice that offers a wide variety of health services to Wits students and staff members. • The CHWC is located at:Lower Ground, the Matrix Complex, Braamfontein Campus EastTel: 011 717 9111/3Website: www.wits.ac.za/campushealth• Students should contact the CHWC for further information and appointments.

Disability Rights UnitThe Disability Rights Unit (DRU) is a full-time student support division under the Registrar’s Division. The DRU ensures that students with various disabilities have access to a fully inte-grated campus life. DRU provides students with various levels of support as well as essential information about their rights and opportunities while registered at Wits. Should you have any form of disability, please ensure that you confidentially contact either the academic coordinator and/or the course administrator of the MSc programme to discuss your needs. The Disability Rights Unit is located at the: East Wing, 1st Floor, Solomon Mahlangu House, Tel: 011 717 9152

The closest entrance is on Jorissen Street. Counseling & Career Development Unit (CCDU)• Crisis & Trauma Counseling is available to all students• CCDU Building, Braamfontein Campus West, Call 011 717 9132/40 for

appointments

Faculty of Heath Sciences Student Support OfficeContact person: Elizabeth Ndofirepi 1st Floor, Phillip V Tobias Building (Faculty of Health Sciences)Tel: 011 717 2211General Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Wits Writing Centre The Wits Writing Centre offers a range of services, including improving individual writing skills & proofreading of assignments and research work. Contact the Centre:• Ground Floor, Wartenweiler Library, Braamfontein Campus East• Phone 011 717 4125/36 or email [email protected] to book this free service.

Maps To help you get around, a link to the maps of the entire Campus is found belowhttps://www.wits.ac.za/maps/



Places of interest Adler Museum of Medicine4th Floor, Medical SchoolOpening times: Weekdays 09:30 to 16:00 Tel: 011 717 2081

Origins CentreBookings at: 011 717 4700 [email protected]

Wits TheatreTel 011 - 717-1376 /011 717 1372 www.wits.ac.za/witstheatre/

Wits Art MuseumTel: 011 717 1365 Jorissen Street, 2000Opening Hours: Wednesdays to Sundays 10h00 - 16h00T: +27 11 717 1365 (Week-days) and +27 11 717 3158 (Weekends)E:[email protected]/wam

The PlanetariumTel: 011 717 1392 Wits - Milner Park, 10 Yale Road, Johannesburg, 2000www.planetarium.co.za/

Sports FacilitiesSports facilities are available on the main campus as well as the education campus. Facilities include: soccer, cricket, rugby, hockey fields as well as golfing range on the West Campus. Please consult the maps provided for direction to each specific facility.For more information: www.wits.ac.za/sport

Student Service Contact InformationIn addition to the campus wide facilities information already provided above, the following are some services that relate specifically to the needs of MSc students:

WITS ICT (WITS computing services for students)CNS Service Desk, 1st Floor, West Wing, Solomon Mahlangu House Building, East Campus 011 717 [email protected]

E-learning platform0 11 717 7195/[email protected]



Health Sciences library Devind Peter0 11 717 [email protected]

Public IT Resource www.wits.ac.za/Access

Funding Opportunities South African Medical Research Council: Masters Scholarships

Field of study: Where tenable: Conditions:

Value: Tenure: Applications to:

Medical science and related fieldsAny South African UniversityCandidates must be registered full-time students for Master’s Degree and must be well above averageAs determined by the Council from time to timeOne year renewableSenior Assistant Registrar (Financial Aid & Scholarships), University of the Witwatersrand

University Council Scholarship (Offered at the discretion of University)

Not restrictedUniversity of the Witwatersranda) Academic meritb) Registration for a postgraduate degree as a full-time student At the discretion of the CommitteeHonours – One yearMasters – Two yearsPhD – Three yearsMaximum support not to exceed 4 years

Field of study: Where tenable: Conditions:

Value: Tenure:

Applications to: Witwatersrand Closing date :

Senior Assistant Registrar (Financial Aid & Scholarships), University of 31

August

Mandela Rhodes Scholarships Applications are invited for Honours or Masters level postgraduate study at any accredited South African tertiary institution.

Applicants must be citizens of an African country, under the age of 30, with:* High academic achievements* Leadership qualities and experiences* Commitment to reconciliation and entrepreneurship

For further information: - www.mandelarhodes.org

Cannon Collins Trust Scholarships PO Box 34692Groote Schuur 7937Cape Town

Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] http://www.canoncollins.org.uk/

Postgraduate Bursaries in EpidemiologySACEMA is a national research Centre of Excellence, funded by the Department of Science & Technology, administered by the National Research Foundation and hosted by Stellen-bosch University. As a national centre, SACEMA funds students working in Biostatistics and Mathematical Biology & Epidemiology. SACEMA’s work focuses on the mathematical modelling of disease transmission and progression, particularly in relation to South Africa’s major health challenges.

The following full-time bursaries are offered:- Master’s (R70 000 per annum for two years)- Doctoral (R100 000 per annum for three years).

Students from the following fields are welcome to apply:• Mathematics• Biostatistics• Community & Public Health.

However, other students who want to work in the area of mathematical epidemiology are also welcome to contact them.

To apply, please download the application form from the SACEMA website at http://www. sacema.org or email [email protected] for a copy.



All queries and applications to be directed to [email protected] (fax 021 808 2586, tel. 021 808 2589).

World Health OrganizationWebsite: http://www.who.int/ Email: [email protected] of Study: Health.WHO Fellowship

Purpose: To support advanced study in public health fields that are not available in the Fel-low’s home country and to promote international exchange of scientific knowledge related to health. This fellowship is offered through each WHO region, and must be arranged with the full support of the host country’s national health organization. See contact information for individual regions below.

Eligibility: Citizens of any WHO member state (with regional exceptions including Canada and the U.S.) who are currently engaged in medical or health work in their national health organization or at a research or educational institution. Candidates must have completed their training and have at least two years of professional experience as well as command of language of training and a written statement of intention to return to country of origin. Candidates over 50 are normally not accepted. Applications are accepted only from nation-al health organizations on behalf of nominated individuals.

Financial Provisions: Cost of travel, a daily living allowance, health insurance coverage if required by host country, and tuition fees as applicable.Duration: From three weeks to one year, with possibility of renewal.Deadline: Potential candidates must contact their national health organisation.

Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) Website: http://www.who.int/tdr/ Email: [email protected]

Fields of Study: Implementation Science; Tropical diseases, including African trypanosomi-asis, Chagas disease, dengue, leishmaniasis, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, malaria, onchocer-ciasis, schistosomiasis, and tuberculosis.Other Organisation you may wish to contact include:

UNFPA regional office




Plagiarism declaration for written work: Master of Science in Epidemiology

I ___________________________ (Student number: _________________) is a postgraduate student registered

for degree/programme __________________________________________ in the Wits School of Public Health.

I am submitting my written work for assessment for the module:

_______________________________________ (course name and code).

I hereby declare the following:

• I am aware that plagiarism is the use of someone else’s work without their permissionand/or without acknowledging the original source).

• I am aware that plagiarism is wrong.

• I confirm that the work submitted for assessment for the stated course is my ownunaided work except where I have explicitly indicated otherwise.

• I have followed the required conventions in referencing the thoughts and ideas ofothers.

• I understand that the University of the Witwatersrand may take disciplinary actionagainst me if there is a belief that this is not my own unaided work or that I have failed to acknowledge the source of the ideas or words of others in my writing.

Signature: ________________________ Date: _________________

APPENDIX l


APPENDIX II

ASSESSMENT COVERPlease complete white areas:

Surname: Name:

Student No. Due Date:

Extension Granted? YES NO Ext. Granted

By:Module

Lecturer:If extension granted, new submission date:

Degree / Programme:

Degree Code:

Course Code: Course Name

Type of Assessment :(Assignment / Exam)

Assessment Number (Assignment no. 1 / 2/ 3)

TITLE / TOPIC

FOR OFFICE USE ONLY:

COMMENTS:

Signature:Date:

MARK / PERCENTAGE:

UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

APPENDIX III: Module outlinesPlease note that the courses run by MPH or other programs will be speci-fied after the name.

COMH7200A: Epidemiology for health researchers I This is an introductory course in epidemiology. The aim of this module is to provide tools necessary to interpret and understand common concepts used in the field of health mea-surement. An initial overview of the development of modern epidemiology is presented and aspects of causal inference are discussed. The importance of accurate and appropriate measurement in epidemiological research is highlighted. Different measures of disease frequency, effect and impact are discussed in detail, and students will gain competence in the calculation and interpretation of these measures. Other topics to be covered in this module are measurement errors, study populations and sampling.

COMH7201A: Epidemiology for health researchers II The module provides students with an in-depth understanding of the design, analysis and interpretation of different epidemiological studies. Study designs covered include: ecologi-cal, cross-sectional, case-control, cohort and intervention studies among others. The design of intervention studies for the evaluation of new therapies for the treatment and prevention of diseases of major public health importance such as HIV/AIDS and TB are discussed. The design features of individual and group level intervention studies are covered, as are the specific planning and logistical aspects of field trials. The major strengths and limitations of each design are highlighted, and the most appropriate designs for particular questions are addressed. A key component of this module is the critical review of published literature from studies that follow each of the major designs. Articles presenting findings of African based research are selected where appropriate. Systematic review and meta-analysis are also covered.

COMH7202A: Epidemiology for health researchers III This is an advanced course in epidemiology in which students will engage with advanced theoretical concepts and practical applications of concepts taught in Epidemiology I and Epidemiology II, with specific focus on bias, confounding and interaction in epidemiolog-ical studies. Students will learn how to minimize error during the design, conduct, analysis and interpretation stages of studies. Students will also learn advanced concepts in disease causality. Teaching methods include a combination of lectures and practical exercises.

COMH7070A: Surveillance The main objectives of this module are to introduce students to the principles and objec-tives of surveillance as a tool for public health. This course provides examples of surveil-lance systems for communicable and non-communicable diseases and how they further our understanding of certain diseases. The course gives students insight into the practical aspects involved in setting up and maintaining a surveillance system and enables students to evaluate surveillance systems. In addition, the module will instruct students on how to conduct an outbreak investigation, re-enforcing the different study designs that are used. Teaching methods include a combination of lectures, practical exercises and a practical outbreak investigation exercise in teams. Students will use Stata during the exercises.



COMH7294A: Introduction to Computing in BiostatisticsStudents are introduced to two computer software packages commonly used for analysing health data. The module will be run primarily in the computer laboratory, where students will gain hands on skills in these programmes. The Epi-info package has several features and is widely used in resource poor environments. By the end of the module, students will be familiar with and able to use the basic programmes of Epi-Info. More specifically, they will be able to create a data-entry screen which incorporates checks and automatic coding. Students will also acquire skills to display, examine and manipulate data. This will include creating frequency tables, cross-tabulations, simple statistics and new variables. The intro-duction to Stata will outline the features and structure of the programme. Students will gain skills in commands for managing, manipulating and editing data, and will learn how to conduct initial analyses in Stata.

Those students in other fields such as Biostatistics will have the second week, when they are introduced to the R package. Statistical distributions, graphics, data manipulations, basics programming and in latex will also be covered.

COMH7062A: Biostatistics for health researchers I The module teaches students the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistical methods are discussed in detail (differentiate between different types of data, summarise and display data in frequency tables, graphs and diagrams, estimate measures of central tendency and spread) and applied using computer based exercises. Concepts of sampling will be introduced (explain sampling variation and sampling error and issues of sampling variation and standard error). Students will then move into inferen-tial statistics. Students will learn about procedures of hypothesis testing and Type I and II errors. Methods for comparing sample proportions and means will be explained. Students will be able to calculate and interpret confidence intervals for means, proportions and ratio measures.

COMH7063A: Biostatistics for health researchers IIThe module will describe simple and multiple, logistic, conditional, ordinal and multinomial regression models. The theory and application of multiple regressions will be presented as a way of controlling for confounding. The various regression methods that will be dis-cussed will enable students will gain skills in building regression models for the analysis of multiple variables. Students will use Stata software package to complete assignments during this module.

COMH7262A: Translating Conceptual Models to Statistical ModelsThis module will focus on how to develop strong theory/biologically based conceptual models, and then how to develop and implement appropriate statistical models to test hy-potheses. It will show to select and represent outcome and exposure variables for analysis (Continuous, binary, categorical, indices, factors scores, etc); and how to select the most appropriate statistical models (linear, logistic, multilevel, etc) ; and how to interpret and represent results in publications. This will be accomplished through didactic and “hands on“ exercises, using examples from existing cohort studies with data related to HIV and health outcomes. Analysis of cohort data will be emphasized as a means to establish tem-poral sequences of exposures and outcomes and to develop causal inferences. Students will learn about the tools needed for the analysis of long term health outcomes and effects of interventions

COMH7066A: Biostatistics for health researchers III In this module the life table is introduced as a means to both summarize and understand duration-specific increment-decrement processes, and to control for exposure. Following from the life table, the general Hazard Function and Survival Curve are defined and dis-cussed. Finally, the suite of graphical and statistical techniques associated with the “Kaplan Meier” survival curve are introduced and demonstrated. At the conclusion of this module students will have a firm conceptual grasp of time and how it is measured and manipulat-ed. Additional to the above Poisson regression is presented as a powerful and efficient means through which to calculate rates controlling for exposure and any number of other covariates.

COMH7060A: Research protocol development The aim of the module is to develop a draft proposal for the Master’s project. Thus, stu-dents conceptualize appropriate research questions and define specific objectives for the projects they hope to complete for their Master’s. Students must consider the appropriate study design, sampling strategies, measurement tools and approaches to analysis for their research project. Students are encouraged to reflect in detail on all aspects of their project, including logistics and resources. Proposal writing for raising research funds will be a focus, and ethical requirements for research projects will be highlighted. The module will combine lectures, individual assignments and group work where students present their ideas and receive feedback from colleagues.

COMH7067A: Introduction to Demographic methods Demography is a quantitative discipline and the course will concentrate on the sources of demographic data and basic techniques used in demographic analysis. These methods in-clude basic fertility, mortality and migration measures, and basics of population projections. The objectives are to furnish students with the basic techniques of demography, to enable students to apply methods in fertility and mortality research questions and to expose stu-dents to methodological aspects of migration.

COMH7061A: Applied Field EpidemiologyThrough a week-long attachment to the Agincourt field site, this module introduces stu-dents to the practical aspects of community-based field research, including establishing a field research site, challenges of field operations, and quality control measures. Students are exposed to a range of study methods. A focus on health and demographic surveillance includes study design, quality control, verbal autopsy (including culture and views of ill-ness), community relationships, ethical issues particular to longitudinal research, and the applications of DSS to other field research.

COMH7218A: Communicable Disease EpidemiologyThis module will focus on the principles and practices of infectious disease epidemiology within an African context. On successful completion of the module, students will have a sound understanding of the principles of infectious disease epidemiology, a thorough knowledge of the epidemiology of key infectious diseases in Africa and an will be equipped with an approach to addressing infectious disease prevention and control. Content areas to be covered will include: measures of infectiousness, reproductive rates, herd immunity, vaccine efficacy, vaccine coverage, attack rates; epidemiology of HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria, diarrheal diseases and respiratory tract diseases; current issues in infectious diseases epi-demiology and eradication of infectious diseases. A combination of formal lectures, group tutorials and practical exercises will be used.



COMH 7208A: Non-Communicable Disease EpidemiologyChronic diseases are increasing in the developing world due to lifestyle changes associated with demographic, societal and epidemiologic transitions. This course provides an overview of the etiology, epidemiology, risk factors and public health importance of selected chron-ic diseases in developing countries. It addresses measurement issues in chronic disease epidemiology with respect to both exposure assessment and measurement of outcome along with practical considerations involved in conducting chronic disease epidemiology research. Major policy initiatives addressing globally the prevention and control of chronic diseases are presented

COMH7083A: Integration of qualitative and quantitative research meth-ods (run by the MPH Division)The course will elaborate the complementary interests of medical anthropology and basic epidemiology; introduce the methods and develop skills required to formulate research strategies, manage integrated quantitative and qualitative data sets, analyze these data and report findings.

COMH 7114A: Clinical Epidemiology- (Offered through University of Pre-toria)The aim of the module is to enable participants to become better researchers and clini-cians by increasing their skills in the evaluation of the medical literature. Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has been defined as the conscientious, explicit, and judicious application of the current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. In order to practice EBM, clinicians need to know how to formulate relevant questions, how to efficiently search the medical literature, and how to evaluate the evidence for validity and applicability to the patient. The module will combine lectures and group work where students present their ideas and receive feedback from colleagues.

COMH 7207A: Statistical Issues in Randomized Control Trials The demand for properly conducted clinical trials, providing a reliable and objective assess-ment of various treatments or drugs on patients, has increased over the years. Statistics has become an integral part of the design, data management and analysis of data arising from clinical trials. The proper use of statistics at all these stages is important for results to be acceptable to the wider community. It is apparent that there is need to match the growth in clinical trials by expansion of biostatistical expertise. The course is a combination of lectures and hands-on practical sessions. It aims to comprehensively discuss the statistical issues required to execute a clinical trial and to analyze data arising from such trials.

COMH7220A: Clinical TrialsThe course provides an introduction to the area of clinical trials focusing on the conduct of clinical trials in developing countries where resources are limited. The main issues in the design, implementation and interpretation of clinical trials are introduced to students. In addition, the module (1) outlines the principles of comparative clinical trials in investigating safety, efficacy and effectiveness of treatments; (2) highlights strengths and weaknesses of clinical trial design in comparison to other study designs and (3) introduces the key el-ements and steps in clinical trial implementation, including calculation of sample sizes to provide adequate power to the trial. The key characteristics of clinical trials, which include

ethical and methodological considerations, principles of clinical trial conduct, clinical trial organization and monitoring, data collection, data processing (data management), quality assurance and quality control, and trial reporting, will be comprehensively described. The roles of the data safety and monitoring committee (DSMB) and the community advisory board (CAB), as well as good clinical practice (GCP), are also highlighted.

COMH7290A: Infectious Disease ModellingInfectious diseases mainly HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria are a leading cause of mor-bidity and mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. Mathematical models are being increasingly used to elucidate the transmission of infections and to evaluate the potential impact of con-trol programmes in reducing morbidity and mortality. During the one week module partic-ipants will be introduced to the epidemiology of infections, measures of transmissibility of infections, dynamics of infections, classical models in infectious disease epidemiology with applications and methods for developing models of the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases and to the applications of these models. Methodological issues in modelling will be discussed and current areas of applications of mathematical models, namely the trans-mission of HIV and tuberculosis will be introduced. The emphasis will be on developing a conceptual understanding of the basic methods and on their practical application rather than the manipulation of mathematical equations. This module will also include a practical problem on transmissibility and epidemic potential of a chosen infectious disease.

COMH7245A: Introduction to Data Management Systems, Structures and ModelsThis module introduces to the student to more intermediate Structured Query Language (SQL) and develops on what they were introduced to in Principles and Operations of the Relational Databases. The module also introduces students to the concepts surrounding Demographic Surveillance Systems (DSS), DSS database design and structure as well as the basic relational model for DSS. Students are introduced to a sample DSS database (Agin-court 1in10) and are taught how to run basic queries to calculate basic demographic rates in various practical hands on sessions. At the conclusion of this module students will be able to understand and design a simple DSS longitudinal database as well as query and perform basic analyses on a standard relational DSS database.

COMH7244A: Longitudinal Data and Event History AnalysisCOMH7266A: Longitudinal Analysis and Causal InferenceThis module provides a thorough overview of the theoretical data models used for demo-graphic surveillance systems (DSS) and students have to critically review papers detailing these complex models. Students are also introduced to the various analytical (temporal) structures and methodologies (for example: cohorts and life tables, event history and sur-vival analysis) for advanced longitudinal data analysis and have numerous practical sessions to reinforce these concepts using a sample DSS database. The weekends off with students design a specific research questions for the sample DSS database for which they have to extract and analyze data to answer their specific research question.

COMH7258A: Programming for Research Data Management This course introduces the theory, principles and practice of programming for the purpose of developing applications to capture, store and manage data for public health research studies. Capturing and exploiting the inherent information contained within large research



datasets poses a lot of statistical challenges. This course introduces the student to the fun-damental programming techniques and algorithms needed to properly capture, store and manage these datasets. The course will focus on planning and organizing programs for information extraction from research data. Python, an open-source scripting language that allows rapid application development of both large and small software systems has been selected for this course. It is object-oriented by design and provides an excellent platform for learning the basics of language programming. Students or participants are introduced to the features of Python that provides accessibility to databases, system administration and other useful services.

COMH7256A: Principles and operation of the relational databaseThis module introduces the concept of Database design and use of database management systems to model and implement public health information systems. It includes extensive coverage of the relational model, relational algebra, and SQL, the standard language for creating, querying, and modifying relational and object-relational databases. It also covers XML data including DTDs and XML Schema for validation, and the query and transformation languages XPath, XQuery, and XSLT. The course includes database design in UML, and relational design principles based on dependencies and normal forms. The second compo-nent of this module places more emphasis on using these advance database programming techniques in the maintenance of large health-related data systems. The module equips the student with the skills of creating, maintaining, manipulating, updating, and retrieving infor-mation/data for analysis by statistical packages. Other topics covered in the second part of the module include transactions, authorization, integrity constraints and triggers, Database security, user authentication and recursion in SQL.

COMH7238A: Data processing, distribution and archiving IThis module provides students with skills in the extraction reprocessing and storage of datasets. The module introduces the student to the Extraction, Transform and Load (ETL) process and data storage for both electronic and paper records. The course gives insight into industry standards in data documentation and data archival formats. Topics in mod-ule include Data extraction, transformation, loading (ETL) process, Analytical dataset pro-duction cycle, Data documentation: versioning, dataset citation, data fingerprinting, Using Data Documentation Initiative standards, Archival data formats, Data repositories, Paper and electronic data archiving

COMH7257A: Health and Demographic Surveillance Database Systems This module builds on the concepts and techniques taught in the Principles and Operations of Relational Databases module. The module emphasis the planning, architecture, design, and implementation of massive-scale databases related to public health surveillance infor-mation systems. The appropriate design and management of such information systems is particularly useful for Health and Demography Surveillance Centers or Sites in developing countries. The module focuses on foundational concepts of distributed database theory including design and architecture, security, integrity, query processing and optimization, transaction management, concurrency control, and fault tolerance. These concepts are then applied to solve the complex interrelationships of local, national and regional independent but interrelated surveillance information systems and the constraints that legal restrictions create in the transfer and use of surveillance datasets.

COMH7250A: Introduction to Statistical Theory in Health Research Introduction to Statistical Theory lays a sound foundation for all students studying bio-statistics and to provide an understanding of principles of probability theory and a thor-ough mathematical understanding of distribution theory and statistical inference. This is a pre-requisite to advanced statistics modules in the Biostatistics Masters curriculum.

COMH7248A: Generalized Linear Models in Health ResearchThis is a core module for the field of Biostatistics to offer students a wider choice of topics for professional specialization and strengthen the core Generalized Linear Models con-cepts. One main focus of medical studies is relating a response variable to one or several explanatory variables. A traditional way of accomplishing this is through a multiple linear regression model. However, model assumptions for linear regression may be questionable because data might not be linearly related or normally distributed. For example, linear re-gression does not work when outcome data are counts or binary. Further, data may also be correlated when measurements are collected on the same individual. This module therefore provides an extension of the linear modeling framework to allow non-linear response vari-ables, hence, a generalization of regression methods.

COMH7253A: Survey Methods in Health ResearchThis core module aims to give the learner a solid foundation in principles of sampling, sampling methods and survey design, and generation and use of official statistics. There is a tremendous increase in the number of social, demographic and health surveys that seek to investigate determinants of various health outcomes. It is therefore important for stat-isticians and researchers to have an understanding of different survey methodologies and principles.

COMH7247A: Bayesian Methods in Health ResearchBayesian methods and elective in the field of Biostatistics offers students a wider choice of topics for professional specialization and ability to strengthen the core modules. Bayesian methods, where prior knowledge is taken into account in the course of statistical modeling, have found widespread application in recent years. Bayesian methods aid the solution of complex statistical problems that were previously considered unattainable.

COMH7246A: Applied Spatial Statistics for Health ResearchersSpatial statistics or spatial analysis are linked to GIS and are used for analyzing spatial distributions, patterns and relationships of disease spread with other factors. In our case, spatial statistics will mainly be used in relation to diseases. Spatial statistics are unique in that they were developed specifically for use with geographic (GIS) data. Unlike traditional non-spatial statistical methods, they incorporate space (proximity, area, connectivity, and/or other spatial relationships) directly into their mathematics. Considering the need to find distributions on infections/diseases and targeted intervention, there is need for capacity in spatial analysis and data presentation. The material covered in the same for the module COMH7268.

COMH7268A: Spatial Analysis and GIS in Public Health Spatial statistics or spatial analysis are linked to GIS and are used for analyzing spatial distributions, patterns and relationships of disease spread with other factors. In our case, spatial statistics will mainly be used in relation to diseases. Spatial statistics are unique in



that they were developed specifically for use with geographic (GIS) data. Unlike traditional non-spatial statistical methods, they incorporate space (proximity, area, connectivity, and/or other spatial relationships) directly into their mathematics. Considering the need to find distributions on infections/diseases and targeted intervention, there is need for capacity in spatial analysis and data presentation. The material covered in the same for the module COMH7246.

COMH7252A: Statistical Consulting in Health Research This module will enable students to apply various advanced data analysis techniques based on various study designs to practical problems. They will also learn how to employ a range of advanced statistical methods and to make statistical presentations to non-statistical au-diences and face to face consultations.

COMH7260A: Implementation Science 1This course has been developed to address the gap in implementation of proven interven-tions in the real world. There is abundant evidence of efficacy of interventions that have been carried out in Sub-Saharan Africa but these working interventions have not been backed up with knowledge and skills on how to deliver those interventions effectively in a real setting. Sub-Saharan Africa faces diverse challenges, including limited resources, poor socio-economic status and a broken health system. The course will provide skills in how these proven and affordable interventions can be implemented to improve health outcomes in the region. This requires tools, approaches that take into consideration evi-dence to enhance equity and efficiency in delivery of the services. Therefore the course will introduce participants to knowledge and skills to enable them to plan and carry out imple-mentation research aimed at improving the implementation and management and control of disease and or conditions and other health programs.

COMH7291A: Quality Improvement ScienceThis course builds on Implementation Science 1. The course introduces students to Quality Improvement (QI) methods, which enables them to develop skills in using the QI tools to solve real-life improvement problemsand generalizable insights about use of QI to facilitate local and global improvements in health care and public health. The following areas will be covered in the course: Key Frameworks in implementation research, Designing complex public health systems (Design elements, Process design, Testing solutions), Introduction to Principles of Improvement, Viewing Work as a Process, Collecting Data for Improvement, Analyzing Baseline Data for Patterns and Trends, Generating and Evaluating Improvement Solutions, Testing and Im-plementing Solutions, Adapting and Sustaining Solution.

COMH7293A: Monitoring and Evaluation for Health ProgrammesThis course provides students with the basic concepts and methodologies needed to un-dertake monitoring, evaluation, and surveillance of HIV/AIDS programs. The course covers data use, frameworks, program monitoring, indicators, information sources, evaluation de-signs, and surveillance. A particular focus is given to identifying what methods are needed for program monitoring, evaluation, and surveillance based on the implementation phase of the program (e.g., pilot testing a new strategy, evaluating the program outcomes, or implementing the program at scale). The focus of the course is on practical issues for un-dertaking program monitoring, evaluation and surveillance of HIV/AIDS programs.

COMH7264A: Health EconomicsThis course will provide a broad overview of the field of health economics. The course will examine how standard concepts and methods in economics can be used to understand health-related decisions made by individuals, households and firms. It will also study the ap-plication of economics to health care policy, with a focus on how economic analysis can as-sist in the development of market and non-market solutions to various health care problems. Special emphasis will be placed on the use of empirical methods to answer key questions regarding health-related behavior and health care policy.

COMH7265A: Adapting, Implementing & Evaluating Evidence Based In-terventions This course has been developed to address the gap in implementation of proven interven-tions in the real world. The methods in implementation science are interdisciplinary as well as build on translating evidence into practice, policy and public health intervention. This course will discuss what Evidence Based Interventions are and give examples based on some HIV/health research interventions. There is abundant evidence of efficacy of interventions that have been carried out in Sub-Saharan Africa but these working interventions have not been backed up with knowledge and skills on how to deliver those interventions effectively in a real setting. Sub-Saharan Africa faces diverse challenges, including limited resources, poor socio-economic status and a broken health system. The course will help students to develop skills in identifying and adapting EBIs in more resource constrained environment.

COMH7292A: Mobile Health (mHealth) Technologies for Implementation Research This course aims to present a broad range of perspectives on mHealth and impact on the future of HIV/AIDS implementation research. Through case studies, multimedia tutorials, interactive exercises, and live demonstrations of tools, participants will explore delivery mechanisms, such as interactive voice recognition (IVR), SMS (text message) communication programs, smartphone applications, and health information systems for data collection and management.

COMH7255A: Data Management for Clinical Research StudiesThis course introduces participants to the principles and skills required to collect and man-age research data in a public health setting. We will evaluate different data collection tools and methods for various types of research studies. A major shortcoming in many countries is the absence of accurate data. The absence of accurate data makes it difficult to make evi-dence-based policy and planning decisions, monitor trends as well as monitor and evaluate interventions. The module introduces the concepts of proper database design and use of database management systems for public studies such as clinical trials in order to have con-sistent, secure, and efficient data collection.

For Further information about the MSc ProgrammeContact the MSc Course Administrator Ms. Lerato Podile; Tel +27 11 717 2605;e-mail: Lerato. [email protected]

For Registration issuesContact the Postgraduate Officer, Faculty of Health Sciences; Tel:+27 11 717-2076; [email protected]



Author/s Title of the book Publisher

MSc Public Health InformaticsJeffrey D. Ullman

and Jennifer Widom A First Course in Database Systems, 3rd Edition Prentice Hall

M.T. Özsu and P. Valduriez Principles of Distributed Database Systems Prentice Hall

Wes McKinney Python for Data Analysis, 1st Edition O'Reilly Media

Susanne Prokscha Practical Guide to Clinical Data Management, 3rd Edition CRC Press

Richard K. Rondel Clinical Data Management, 2nd Edition Wiley

Kailash Jayaswal Administering Data Centers,, 1st Edition Wiley

Patrick W. O'Carroll Public Health Informatics and Information Systems, 1st Edition Springer

Ralph Kimball and Joe Caserta

The Data Warehouse ETL Toolkit: Practical Techniques for Extracting, Cleaning,

Conforming, and Delivering DataWiley

Jiawei Han and Micheline Kamber Data Mining: Concepts and Techniques , 3rd

EditionElsevier

Sophia Rabe-Hesketh and Anders Skrondal

Multilevel and Longitudinal Modeling Using Stata, Third Edition Stata Press

MSc Biostatistics

John Thompson Bayesian Analysis with Stata Stata Press

Marcello Pagano and Kimberlee Gauvreau Principles of Biostatistics Duxbury

Gut Allan Probability: A Graduate Course (Springer Texts in Statistics) Springer

Rao M.M Probability Theory with Applications (Probability and Mathematical Statistics) Academic Press

Patrick Billingsley Probability and Measure Wiley

Rick Durrett Probability: Theory and Examples (Cambridge Series in Statistical and Probabilistic Mathematics) Cambridge

Book List 2020


McCullagh P and Nelder J.AGeneralized Linear Models, Second Edition

(Chapman & Hall/CRC Monographs on Statistics & Applied

Chapman and Hall

Agresti A Categorical Data Analysis (by Alan Agresti) Wiley

Johnson and Wichern Applied Muitivariate Statistical Analysis Prentice Hall

Fleiss, JL The design and analysis of clinical experimentals

Wiley

Kahn H.A and Sempos C.T Statistical Methods in Epidemiology Oxford University Press

Searle Linear Models Wiley

Rose, Sheldon A First Course in Probability x2 Prentice-Hall

Stuart A and Ord J.K Advanced Theory of Statistics Wiley

Rohatgi V.K Statistical Inference Duxbury Press

Gibbons, JD Non-parametric Statistical Inference X2 McGrawhill

Paho Netor and Michel Kentress et al Applied Linear Statistical Models McGrawhill

Christensen Analysis of Variance, Design and Regression Chapman and Hall

Kendall, Stuart, Ord Advanced Theory of Statistics Griffin

Morrison D.F Multivariate Statistical Methods 2nd Edn Wiley

Pratt J.W, Raiffa H and Schalaiffer D Statitical Decision Theory Addison-Wesley

Box G.E.P, Tias G.C Bayesian Inference in Statistical Analysis Addison-Wesley

Winkler, R.L Introduction to Bayesian Inference and Decision Holt-Reinhart

MSc Implementation Science

Lloyd P Provost, Sandra Murray The Health Care Data Guide: Learning from Data for Improvement

G.J. Langley , R.Moen,K.M. Nolan,T.W. Nolan, C. L. Norman,L. P. Provost

The Improvement Guide: A Practical Approach to Enhancing Organizational

Performance 2nd Edition. Very important

Esther Cameron, Mike GreenMaking Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to the Models, Tools & Techniques of Organizational Change

Noar, Seth M and Nancy Grant Harrington

eHealth Applications: Promising strategies for Behavior Change Routledge

Borgatti,S.P, Everett,M.G,&Johnson,J.C. Analyzing social networks

Green J. & Thorogood N Qualitative Methods for Health Research SAGE


MSc Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Field Epidemiology

Rodney Ehrich Georgina Joubert

Epidemiology: A research Manual for South Africa

Oxford University Press

Peter G Smith and Richard H. Morrow,

Field Trials of Health Interventions in Developing Countries: A Toolbox. 2nd

Edition

Hong Kong: Macmillan

Education Ltd

Marcello Pagano & Kimberlee Gauvreau

Principles of Biostatistics 2nd Edition Duxbury

Kirkwood BR Essentials of Medical Statistics Blackwell Scientific

Webb, Bain, Pirozzon Essential Epidemiology Cambridge University

Dawson B, Trapp R. Basic and Clinical Biostatistics, 4rd

edition, Lange Medical

Books

Kenneth Rothman, Sander Greenland &

Timothy Lash

Modern Epidemiology. 3nd edition Lippincott Williams and Wilkins

Eric Vittinghoff, Stephen C, Shiboski…

Regression Methods in Biostatistics Springer

Gordis, Leon Epidemiology 4th Edition, Saunders

John M. LastA Dictionary of Epidemiology Oxfor University

Press Inc.

David Clayton Michael Hills

Statistical Models in Epidemiology Oxford University

Press

Stephen B Hulley Steven Cummings et al

Designing Clinical Research Lippincott Williams and Wilkins

David CollettModelling Survival Data in Medical

Research Chapman & Hall/CRC

John D. Kalbfleisch Ross L. Prentice

The Statistical Analysis of Failure Time Data Wiley Inter Science


NOTE


SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTHFACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES

UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG

Wits Education Campus, 27 St Andrew’s RoadParktown 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa

Documents

WITS PUBLIC SCHOOL HEALTH OF...1. Introduction to Demographic methods 2. Surveillance 3. Biostatistics for Health Researchers II 4. Research Protocol Development 5. Applied Field Epidemiology