1. Master of Public Health
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Biostatistics Concentration

The Biostatistics concentration builds on the core curriculum in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program to provide you the necessary statistical reasoning and methodology skills to effectively design, assess, and analyze studies of the effectiveness and safety of therapeutic interventions, the characteristics and distribution of diseases in populations, health services research, and health care delivery programs. The Biostatistics concentration acts as a springboard for launching a successful career in clinical research, for both clinical researchers seeking quantitative skills, and those seeking careers as biostatisticians.

We offer a practical foundation in biostatistics through courses in important areas such as statistical inference, probability, multivariable models, analysis of longitudinal and time to event (or survival) data, genetics, and statistical computing. Students in this concentration complete a capstone project as their culminating experience requirement.

Please note that while the Master of Public Health degree is typically a two-year undertaking, students in this concentration who enroll for the spring term should allow more than two years to complete the program.

Learn More About This Concentration

To determine if the Biostatistics concentration is right for you, explore the additional resources and get a preview of the competencies and courses.


Students in this concentration will develop skills and competencies to be successful in public health including:

  • Apply the necessary quantitative, logical, or computational skills to successfully conduct clinical research.
  • Translate clinical questions into statistical hypotheses.
  • Construct and manage datasets for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies using statistical software.
  • Develop analytical strategies that take account of the specific qualities of data to be analyzed, sources of variation, or assumptions required.
  • Effectively communicate complicated statistical concepts and results to clinical colleagues or community partners.

The MPH degree requires the completion of a total of 45 credits, an applied practice experience, and a culminating experience. In addition to the general course requirements, students will take these concentration-specific courses:

  • Introduction to Probability
  • Introduction to Biostatistics
  • Introduction to Epidemiology
  • Epidemiology II
  • Statistical Computing with SAS
  • Applied Linear Models I
  • Applied Linear Models II

Remaining credits are accrued through electives, seminars and independent study. The concentration advisor should be consulted early to plan ahead for the completion of the MPH degree requirements. Refer to the Biostatistics Checklist for a full list of courses.

 

Meet Your Concentration Advisor