Spatial epidemiology

Education facts

Code: STA530

The course introduces important concepts, methods, and applications in spatial epidemiology. It focuses on understanding how health outcomes, exposures, and determinants can vary across geographic areas, as well as on applying appropriate analytical methods to spatially structured data. A fundamental part of the course is working with spatial data, including spatial data structures, coordinate systems, and methods for describing and visualizing spatial patterns in health-related variables. The course also covers exploratory spatial data analysis, including methods for assessing clustering and spatial autocorrelation. The course introduces concepts related to spatial smoothing and mapping of diseases at the area level, with an emphasis on methods used to stabilize frequencies and support interpretation in small-area epidemiology. In addition, the course discusses methods that account for spatial dependence and/or heterogeneity, illustrated with examples relevant to epidemiology and public health.

Entry requirements

The entry requirements of the course include a professional degree/Bachelor's degree of at least 180 credits in health sciences, natural sciences, economics, or engineering, and a course in statistics or quantitative methods of at least 7,5 credits. Further, R programming of at least 2 credits or equivalent, a course in regression analysis of at least 2 credits or equivalent, English B/English 6 or equivalent, and Matematik 3b/3c or equivalent are required.

Education offerings

Each offering has its own dates and conditions. Closed offerings are retained as history and do not mean that a new application is open.

• Spatial epidemiology

  University of Gothenburg

  Start date: 1 October 2026

  End date: 3 November 2026

  Pace of study: 50 %