Mathematical modeling is an increasingly widespread tool for understanding infectious disease transmission and informing public health decision making. This course provides an in depth overview of the practical uses of mathematical modeling for a range of diseases and scenarios. We cover the basic principles of infectious disease models, how models are adapted to be specific to the disease and question of interest, and important assumptions of different models. We will discuss how data informs models, how models can be used to interpret data, uncertainty in model results, and pros and cons of different modeling and analytic approaches. In each module we focus on a use case for models: evaluating potential control strategies, quantifying and comparing the transmission rate of infections, and for forecasting future disease burden.
Give your career the gift of Coursera Plus with $160 off, billed annually. Save today.
Details to know
Add to your LinkedIn profile
11 assignments
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV
Share it on social media and in your performance review
There are 3 modules in this course
What's included
6 videos1 reading1 assignment
What's included
3 videos4 assignments
What's included
5 videos6 assignments
Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Public Health
Imperial College London
Johns Hopkins University
The Pennsylvania State University
Imperial College London
Why people choose Coursera for their career
New to Public Health? Start here.
Open new doors with Coursera Plus
Unlimited access to 7,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription
Advance your career with an online degree
Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online
Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business
Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy
Frequently asked questions
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
You will be eligible for a full refund until two weeks after your payment date, or (for courses that have just launched) until two weeks after the first session of the course begins, whichever is later. You cannot receive a refund once you’ve earned a Course Certificate, even if you complete the course within the two-week refund period. See our full refund policy.