Frequently Asked Questions

Epidemiology is the study of the determinants and distribution of diseases and application of this knowledge to control health problems. the objectives of epidemiology are to:

1. Determine extent of disease in a community;
2. Identify patterns and trends in disease occurrence;
3. Identify causes of disease (etiology);
4. Determine the natural history and prognosis of disease;
5. Evaluate interventions that prevent and treat disease;
6. Evaluate methods of delivering health services;
7. Provide a foundation for public policy and regulatory decisions.

Applicants to this field come from a wide variety of backgrounds including (but not restricted to) biological, social and health sciences, and health care disciplines. An aptitude for quantitative statistical methods is integral to success in this field.

Biostatistics is an area of research in which new statistical methods for collecting, analyzing and interpreting data arising from medical and epidemiological research are developed and evaluated. Applicants to this field should have a mathemaical statistics background and hold a degree from a department of statistics, mathematics or applied mathematics.

For full-time Master's students, a typical registration period is 2 years. Part-time Master's students will typically take twice the amount of time.

Full-time Doctoral students typically require 4 years to complete the program. Part-time Doctoral students will typically take twice the amount of time.

Theses completed after September 2010 are available online through Western's Thesis Repository

Basic descriptions of our courses are available on our course descripiton page. Course outlines and class times are available on a term-by-term basis from the Graduate Program (EpiBio@schulich.uwo.ca). If more detailed information is necessary, inquiries should be directed to the instructor(s) of the specific course.

All official electronic communications to students will be through your Western University-issued e-mail address (yourname@uwo.ca). Non-Western email addresses will not be used so please forward any e-mail as necessary. Letter mail and other hard-copy documents will be available in your assigned department mailbox. It is expected that students are checking their Western e-mail daily and their department mailboxes weekly.

Occasionally, government documents like tax forms (T4, T4-A, etc.) will be sent to your home address on file. It is important to ensure this information is updated in both the Student Centre and the MyHR website.

The Western Centre for Public Health and Family Medicine is a keycard entry facility. Your WesternONE student card will grant you after-hours access to the building.

Student study spaces are available by keypad entry and students are provided key codes to their assign study space.

If a key is required for your role, please speak with the Administrative Officer before requesting a key through the Facilities Management Key Request webform. 

If your WesternONE is not unlocking the door, first verify it is an iClass-enabled card by looking on the back for the iClass notification. iClass card technology can be sensitive to damage so bending or puncturing your keycard is strictly discouraged. Any damages to your WesternONE card could result it in not working properly.

If your WesternONE card is an iClass card and there are no damages, please speak with the Administrative Officer to verify that your card number has clearance for the PHFM building. If you are beyond your normal time in program, your building access may need to be renewed by the Administrative Officer.

The next step would be to request a new card through the Office of the Registrar located in the Western Student Services Building. Information on WesternONE cards may be found on their website.

Printing access for graduate students is available in the graduate student study spaces. Research-related scanning and faxing is available in the main office (supervisor scanning or faxing account code required). For personal documents, the nearest scanning/faxing location is in Taylor Library.

You will need to speak first with the Administrative Officer before contacting the Schulich IS Helpdesk.

Tuition is handled by the Office of the Registrar in conjunction with the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. For specific tuition amounts for both domestic and international students, please refer to the fee information page on the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website.

The various approximate costs of living in London are available on the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies financial planning page.

A funding package is available to eligible students, comprised of the Western Graduate Research Scholarship and Research Funding which can be a combination of Graduate Research Assistantships, Research Assistantships, and Graduate Teaching Assistantships (as determined by the department and depending on the availability of positions). All students are expected to apply for all scholarship competitions for which they are eligible. Any successful scholarship applications will be factored into existing funding packages.

More details regarding funding opportunities within and outside of the department are outlined on the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Student Finances page.

Please see the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Student Finances page for details regarding graduate student scholarships.

Graduate Fellowships are processed through Student Center (beginning Fall 2024) and applied to students' Tuition Accounts. If you have set up direct deposit in the MyHR system, any surplus after tuition fees have been paid will be deposited directly into your specified account. Otherwise, a cheque will be issued on the following Friday and mailed to the department where you may pick it up in the main office.

Graduate Student Assistantships (i.e., Research Assistant roles) are processed through Western Human Resources. All employees receive a monthly pay on the second last business day of the month. If you have set up direct deposit in the MyHR system, your pay will automatically deposit into the specified bank account. Otherwise, a cheque will be issued on the following Friday and mailed to your home address on file.

Tri-council scholarships (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC), Ontario Graduate Scholarships, Queen Elizabeth II Scholarships in Science and Technology and Western Graduate Research Scholarships are all automatically deposited into your tuition account directly. If you have set up direct deposit in the MyHR system, any surplus after tuition fees have been paid will be deposited directly into your specified account. Otherwise, a cheque will be issued on the following Friday and mailed to the department where you may pick it up in the main office.

Graduate students are eligible to apply for Graduate Teaching Assistantship positions in their second year (and beyond) of the graduate program through an annual online application (details are shared with student each year). GTA positions are not guaranteed for Master's students, as there are a limited number of positions available. GTA assignments are made by the Academic Programs Committee in consultation with the course instructor. Full-time graduate students may work no more than 10 hours a week in a GTA position.

Occasionally, with prior approval of their assigned supervisor(s), our students are able to find work in other departments on campus. The receipt of a position outside the department will factor into the stipend amount received from a student's supervisor. Full-time graduate students must balance any paid positions with their studies to ensure continued progression through the graduate program. Students are obligated to notify their home departments of any positions accepted outside of the department.

Off-campus work should be on a part-time basis only. Upon receipt of full-time employment, students will be required to submit a change of status request to change to part time. Information on changing status is available in the Master's and Doctoral registration and progression pages.

Financial assistance information is available on the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Student Finances page.

If your supervisor agrees, you may enroll in additional departmental courses provided you meet the pre-requisites for the course at no additional cost while registered as a full-time student in our graduate program.

If your supervisor agrees, you may enroll in a graduate course outside of the department. The form to do so may be found on our forms and documents page. Be sure to indicate if your supervisor requires this course as part of your graduate program or not.

If your supervisor agrees, you may enroll in an undergraduate course outside of the department. The form to do so may be found on our forms and documents page. Be sure to indicate if your supervisor requires this course as part of your graduate program or not.

Your courses should be selected in discussion with your supervisor(s).

The academic year for graduate students is broken into three terms:

• Fall: September 1 - December 31
• Winter: January 1 - April 30
• Summer: May 1 - August 31

Classes in the fall and winter terms will usually end before the end of the term so please check for specific end dates in the sessional dates available on the course schedule page as well as referring to individual course outlines.

All final exams will take place during the exam periods outlined in the sessional dates available on the course schedule page

Please refer to the accommodation information available on your course outline. If you are still unsure, speak with the graduate course instructor.

The first step of appealing a mark is with the course instructor. If the situation is not resolved, a student may seek a meeting with the Graduate Chair. The appeal process is outlined in our progression pages for Master's and Doctoral students.

A thesis supervisory committee is a team composed of your thesis supervisor(s) and at least one other faculty member with School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies membership. At least one member of a student's full Thesis Supervisory Committee must be a Core Faculty Member in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

Details on how to build your thesis supervisory committee are available from the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Regulations, #11. Supervision.

A transfer from the Master's to the Doctoral program requires an application and as such is not guaranteed. Details on the transfer process may be found on our Master's registration and progression page.

A leave of absence may span be issued for one, two, or three terms. Leaves are only granted in special circumstances as outlined in the Leave of Absence page from SGPS. All leave requests must be received no later than five weeks before the start of the term for which they will begin.

The process for a request for change of status to part-time (or the reverse) is outlined on our Master's registration and progression page. Master's students may hold part-time status for the duration of their program. Doctoral students will only be able to request part-time on a term-by-term basis as our program is not designed for part-time completion. If a Doctoral student wishes to hold part-time status for more than one term, it is necessary to discuss this with the administrative office.

Students should feel comfortable seeking assistance from their thesis supervisor, first and foremost. The Graduate Chair is also an excellent resource for all graduate students. A student may approach any of our core faculty members for guidance as well. The administrative staff are available for administrative assistance as needed.