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Infectious Diseases Modelling (POPH90271)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 2
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
Availability | Semester 2 |
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Fees | Look up fees |
Faced with the rising cost of vaccines and increasing drug resistance, public health decision makers increasingly rely on epidemiological models of infectious disease transmission to predict the impact, and define optimal implementation of, intervention strategies. Such considerations are particularly critical in resource-constrained settings.
This subject introduces students to the concepts of infectious diseases modeling required to interpret modeling papers relevant to the public health context. By considering real world examples of the use of models to support practice, they will learn to distinguish between different types of modeling frameworks, and understand their relevance to alternative questions and settings. Building on their strengths in infectious diseases epidemiology, students will develop confidence in assessing whether model frameworks incorporate all relevant knowledge and are ‘fit for purpose’ to support decision making.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students will be able to:
- Describe the basic concepts underlying the susceptible-infectious-recovered modeling paradigm;
- Identify data sources of relevance to inform model structure and parameters;
- Differentiate between alternative modeling frameworks and approaches, and identify which are most relevant to specific infectious disease policy questions;
- Understand the concepts of uncertainty and sensitivity in model outputs;
- Provide summary reports of modeling papers for a non-expert audience, such as public health policy makers or the public;
- Critically appraise modeling outputs, and their relevance to public health decision making for infectious disease control and surveillance.
Generic skills
After completing this subject, students will develop skills in:
- Finding, evaluating and using diverse sources of evidence;
- Critical thinking and analysis;
- Problem-solving;
- Written and verbal communication;
- Decision making.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
POPH90014 | Epidemiology 1 | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
POPH90112 | Infectious Disease Epidemiology | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
POPH90148 | Probability and Distribution Theory |
Semester 1 (Online)
Semester 2 (Online)
|
12.5 |
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Short-answer test assessing understanding of key concepts due at the end week 4 | Week 4 | 20% |
Major assignment due at the end week 9
| Week 9 | 60% |
Group work oral presentation due at the end week 12 | Week 12 | 20% |
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- Semester 2
Principal coordinator Trish Campbell Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 24 Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 3 August 2020 to 1 November 2020 Last self-enrol date 14 August 2020 Census date 21 September 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 16 October 2020 Assessment period ends 27 November 2020 Semester 2 contact information
Time commitment details
170 hours
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Vynnycky E, White RG. An introduction to Infectious Disease Modelling. Oxford University Press 2010, Great Britain.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Biostatistics Course Master of Science (Epidemiology) Course Master of Public Health Informal specialisation Epidemiology and Biostatistics - Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 3 November 2022