Faculty

      Public Health

Program Title

      Master’s Program – ”Epidemiology”

Awarded academic

qualification/degree

      Master of Public Health in Epidemiology

Program Director

      Professor Irakli Mchedlishvili

Credit Value of the Program

      120 ECTS credits

Language of Instruction

      Georgian

Program Objectives

Preparation of a specialist-epidemiologist equipped with the essential knowledge and skills required for independent professional activity in healthcare at the national and international level, including the competence for successful participation in the implementation of health care policy and facilitation smooth integration into the international professional community.

Prerequisites /Requirements for admission to the program

The requirements align with the applicable legislation, envisaging the particulars of the program and ensuring the enrollment of individuals with the requisite knowledge, skills and competence essential for successfully completing the program.

Prerequisites for admission to the program - a minimum of Bachelor's academic degree (higher education), or an academic credential, equivalent to a Master's degree in health care.

Access to the program is based on the successful passing of the unified national MA’s exam (overcoming the minimum competence threshold established by the legislation of Georgia) and positive results of internal university exams (in specialty and foreign language).

The subjects and conditions of the Internal university examination are determined by the level of requisite knowledge essential for commencing studies in the program.

The above can be revised and changed in accordance with the strategy for improving the quality of program outcomes. Enrollment in the Master's program is carried out when the candidate surpass the minimum competence limit established by the university, complying the   competitive   quota   and   the   number   of   participants   in   the competition. Access to the master's program under a mobility basis is granted to the student according to the Georgian legislation and TSMU regulations.

Teaching Methods

The methods applied in the academic process:
lectures;
practical- seminar courses;
independent work;

discussions;
mastering professional skills using situational cases (modeled case or situation requiring proper definition and setting appropriate measures);

Consultations;

Presentations.

Student Knowledge Assessment System

Complies with the requirements of the relevant regulatory rules of Georgia and the requirements under administrative legal acts of TSMU transparency and equity. The master's program encompasses both a course and a research component.

The course component envisages the study of special disciplines within the master's program.

The master's student has the right to select disciplines of his/her preference from the elective section of the master's program. The course and research work performed by the MA student is measured by units of credit. The maximum point for a study course/module is 100. The evaluation of the activity performed by the master's student includes:

1. Mid-term assessment of the student determined by 0-60 points, which represents the sum of the points obtained according to the knowledge assessment methods/components (academic activity - colloquium, presentation, etc.) provided by the syllabus of the study course/module.

2. Final exam grade. Final examination grade shall not exceed 40% of the final grade. Final exam forms are differentiated according to study courses.

A Master's (MA) student who can get a score of at least 51 points

summarizing the intermediate assessment and the minimum positive assessment of the final exam is allowed to take the final exam.

The final exam is deemed successful for MA students if they attain 24 points or more, equivalent to 60% or more of the maximum exam grade.

Failing to attend an examination or negative assessment regardless of the points accumulated in other components, the master's student cannot receive credits.

The MA student is entitled to take an additional exam in the same semester. The interval between the final exam and the corresponding additional exam must be a minimum of 5 days.

The research component of the master's thesis entails independent research carried out by the MA student in the pertinent direction. The outcomes of the research are presented within the MA thesis.

Program directors and teachers are involved in choosing the MA thesis topics, considering the input and opinions of the MA students.

The supervisor of the master's thesis can be academic and professional staff with a PhD or MA degree of the relevant profile with at least 5 years of experience in the field.

The maximum point for a study course/component is 100. Evaluation includes interim evaluation and final evaluation, with the following principle:

The grading system, including all the components completed by the student, allows:

Five types of positive grades

(A)  Excellent – 91 - 100 points;

(B)  Very good – 81-90 points;

(C)  Good – 71-80 points;

(D)  Satisfactory – 61-70 points;

(E)  Acceptable – 51-60 points.

Two types of negative grades:

(FX) Fail – 41-50 points, meaning that a student requires some more work before passing and is given a chance to sit an additional examination after independent work;

(F)    Fail – 40 points, meaning that the work of a student is not acceptable and he/she has to study the subject anew.

Additional requirements set for assessing student achievements in a specific study course or module are outlined in the corresponding syllabus and are available for the students.

Learning Outcomes

Understanding                                                                                                                                                                                    

The graduate is familiar with:

-  The methods of epidemiological monitoring and statistical analysis, realizing their importance in terms of the implementation of planned preventive measures and evaluation of their effectiveness.

-  The investigation of epidemics and the development of anti-epidemic measures, ensuring their timely identification and elimination.

-  The importance of devising and executing preventive measures that target risk factors, thereby fostering the enhancement of population health status.

-  The importance of timely detection of the impact of environmental factors on population health status in terms of developing appropriate preventive measures.

The graduate possesses the ability to:

-  Utilize epidemiological research methods for studying population health status. Apply biostatistics methods and computer programs/software in professional activities. Investigate the causes of infectious disease outbreaks in the population and implement preventive measures. Analyze the spread of non-communicable diseases and development of preventive measures. Analyze the spread of nosocomial infections, determining the causes and managing preventive and anti-epidemic measures.

The graduate is capable of: developing and implementing suitable sanitary-hygienic and anti-epidemic measures to prevent the adverse impact of environmental factors on population health and the epidemic situation. Monitoring the implementation of preventive vaccinations among the population. Developing and implementing sanitary and anti-epidemic measures, drawing on the analysis of results from laboratory and instrumental studies of environmental factors.

-  Developing preventive strategy plan based on investigating the regularities of diseases spread. Conducting scientific research within the specified field of his/her competence, analyzing the obtained results.

-  Articulating personal opinions and arguments based on the analysis

of health-related problems in the population and the assessment of identified risk factors, in compliance with standards of academic ethics, both in the academic and professional community.

Responsibility and autonomy

-  Contributing to the advancement of epidemiological knowledge and practice by recognizing and embracing one's role and responsibility within their professional activities.

-  Identifying learning requirements for continuous professional development and independent planning in epidemiology and, in the field of public health in general, based on an objective assessment of one’s own knowledge and skills.

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Fields of
Graduate Employment 

Fields of Graduate Employment are as follows:

-        Public Health Service of The Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia:

-        National Center for Disease Control and Public Health;

-        Tbilisi Municipal Center for Epidemiological Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases;

-        Regional centers for public health;

-        Municipal centers for public health.

-        Healthcare facilities (according to qualification).