The objective of this course is to prepare students to function as effective, independent researchers in the fields of renal and urologic epidemiology by providing the students an understanding of how epidemiologic research can and has advanced the knowledge of diseases in treatments of renal and urologic medicine. The structure of the course consists of a lecture series, accompanying workshops, and student presentations. The goals of the course are to acquaint students with some of the classic literature in the fields of renal and urologic epidemiology; to use a body of literature to demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of epidemiologic research designs as they have been applied to renal and urologic medicine; to teach advanced epidemiologic principles using a problem-based approach; to expose students to the rationale of topics studied by faculty in the CCEB and the adult and pediatric nephrology and urology divisions at Penn and CHOP; and to stimulate students interested in renal and urologic epidemiology so that they may develop independent research questions.