Epidemiology is the scientific discipline concerned with the causes and prevention of human disease.
Epidemiology focuses on the occurrence of disease among human populations, considering changes within populations over time and differences among and between populations in disease risk. Epidemiologists today are involved in attempts to understand the causes and means of controlling AIDS and other infectious diseases, chronic diseases including cancer and coronary heart disease, mental illness, etc. The Graduate Program in Epidemiology is based in the University of Arizona Graduate College and was established in 1991 by the Arizona Board of Regents . Students are required to complete coursework in substantive areas of epidemiologic research methods and in biostatistics. There is limited support for graduate students in the form of teaching and research assistantship positions.