Introduction to Epidemiology

At a glance

This course provides an overview of epidemiology, including key terms, sources of data, and study design. Learners will calculate different rates of disease and go through the steps an epidemiologist takes to investigate a disease outbreak.

Epidemiologist standing at a resident's door collecting health data using a survey.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

  • define epidemiology.
  • describe basic epidemiology terms and concepts.
  • identify types of data sources.
  • identify basic methods of data collection and interpretation.
  • describe a public health problem in terms of time, place, and person.
  • identify the key components of a descriptive epidemiology outbreak investigation.

Available Learning Formats

E-learning Course

Recorded Webinar

Slide Presentation

These slide sets are in the public domain and may be downloaded and customized as needed by the user for informational or educational purposes. Permission from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is not required, but citation of the source is appreciated.

Suggested Citation:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Introduction to Public Health. In: Public Health 101 Series. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2014. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/publichealth101/epidemiology.html.

Quick-Learn Lessons

These skill-based lessons take 20 minutes or less to complete.

Course Resources

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Content Source:
National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce