Core Requirements

All degree-seeking students at UM SPH are required to complete core biostatistics and epidemiology coursework. Additionally, M.P.H. and M.H.S.A. must also complete coursework related to other disciplines in public health as part of the Breadth, Integration, and Capstone (BIC) requirements.

Exemption Exams

Algebra Exam

Consistent with our mission to create and disseminate knowledge with the aim of preventing disease and promoting the health of populations worldwide, our curriculum requires core competencies across the disciplines of public health. One of these core disciplines is biostatistics, and we require each SPH student to take at least one biostatistics course.

Students admitted to the SPH come with a wide range of academic backgrounds. For students who haven't taken a mathematics course in many years, biostatistics may prove challenging. Skills in college-level algebra are fundamental to success in introductory level biostatistics courses. We want to be sure all students taking biostatistics have this foundation.

For these reasons, all students entering the school's M.P.H. and M.H.S.A. degree programs, except Biostatistics, will take a diagnostic algebra exam during SPH orientation. Students who score below 80% will be enrolled in algebra tutoring sessions concurrently with their first level biostatistics course in the fall semester.

The exam is mandatory.

Biostatistics and Epidemiology Exams

Exemption from the SPH biostatistics and/or epidemiology requirements may be attained by successful completion of the exemption examination for these subjects. All questions regarding content of the exams should be directed to the relevant department (Biostatistics, 734-615-9817 and Epidemiology, 734-764-5415).

The biostatistics exemption exam is open book (a single reference text) and a calculator is required. You may also use a hand written sheet of notes 8.5 X 11 as well. You may review a sample exam, tables, or solutions. The biostatistics exemption exam consists of two sections. The first section is for students attempting to exempt from Biostatistics 503. The second section contains questions pertaining to Biostatistics 553. The entire exam must be completed by students attempting to exempt from Biostatistics 553.

The epidemiology exemption exam is a closed book test and a calculator is required. It will be given twice each year – before the fall and winter terms – and it can be taken only once. Students planning to exempt Epid 503 are encouraged to take the exam in their first year of study. Questions on the exam are based on material from the third edition of Epidemiology (Elsevier, 2004) by Leon Gordis, which is the text used in Epid 503.

Students need a UM picture ID to take an exemption exam.

No pre-registration for these exams is required. It is your responsibility to allow time on one of these days to take the exams. These exams are not given at any other time for this semester (although the epidemiology exam will also given before the start of winter term).

Economics Placement Exam - HMP Students Only

HMP offers a two-course sequence (HMP 660 and 663) that integrates intermediate microeconomic theory and health economics. The economics placement exam allows the student to skip the microeconomics segments of HMP 660. A student exempting this segment can register for a 1-credit independent study in the Fall semester. During the independent study, the student will attend and be responsible for assignments in the health economics segments of HMP 660.

The placement exam will involve defining and applying basic, non-calculus-based microeconomic concepts. Several basic problems will be included. The exam is closed book, but you may bring a non-programmable calculator. No sample exam is available, but any standard intermediate microeconomics text will be adequate for preparation.

Exam Schedule

The Epidemiology Exemption Exam will be offered on January 8, 2013 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. in room 1690 SPH I.