MS Degree Curriculum
Biostatistics Master’s Project
MS students must complete a master’s project, demonstrating familiarity with the tools of research or scholarship in the major, the capacity to work independently, and the ability to present the results of the investigation effectively.
Common topics for Plan B projects include application and assessment of new methodology, a novel analysis of an interesting dataset, or a simulation study to compare statistical methods.
The master’s project should involve a combined total of approximately 120 hours (the equivalent of three full-time weeks) of work.
Sample Final Projects
- “Multi-Class Cancer Outlier Differential Gene Expression Detection”
- “Mining Edge Effects in Areally Referenced Spatial Data: A Bayesian Model Choice Approach”
- “Piecewise Exponential Models With Smooth Transitions and Covariates for Kidney Transplant Survival Data”
- “Predicting Disease Status Using Correlated Data”
The MS requires 7 core courses and 4 electives, plus a project. The first year consists of three courses in Biostatistics methods and two semesters of statistical theory, plus a Health Science elective course. After the first year, there is a written exam covering the two theory and three methods courses.
The second year consists of courses in clinical trials and analysis of survival data, plus three Biostatistics electives. Students complete a project during the final semester.
The “Plan B” project involves a combined total of approximately 120 hours of work. There are three requirements for the Plan B project: a written report, a 25-minute oral presentation of the project, followed by a final oral examination, and registration for 3 credits of PubH 7494.
A typical schedule for the M.S. is shown below.
Year One
Fall Semester
Biostatistics: Regression (PubH 7405, 4 credits)
Theory of Statistics I (Stat 5101, 4 credits) or (Stat 8101, 4 credits)
One Health Science elective
Spring Semester
Biostatistics: ANOVA and Design (PubH 7406, 4 credits)
Analysis of Categorical Data (PubH 7407, 3 credits)
Theory of Statistics II (Stat 5102, 4 credits) or (Stat 8102, 4 credits)
May (after finals)
M.S. Written Examination
Year Two
Fall Semester
Survival Analysis (PubH 7450, 3 credits)
Two Biostatistics electives
Spring Semester
Clinical Trials (PubH 7420, 3 credits)
Biostatistics Master’s Project (PubH 7494, 3 credits)
One Biostatistics elective
Biostatistics Electives
Advanced Statistical Computing (PubH 7460, 3 credits)
Statistical Learning and Data Mining (PubH 7475, 3 credits)
Latent Variable Models (PubH 7435, 3 credits)
Statistical Methods for Correlated Data (PubH 7430, 3 credits)
Statistics in Genetics and Molecular Biology (PubH 7445, 3 credits)
Introduction to Bayesian Data Analysis (PubH 7440, 3 credits)
Statistics for Translational and Clinical Research (PubH 7470, 3 credits)
Modern Non-parametrics (PubH 8422, 3 credits)
Applied Multivariate Methods (Stat 5401, 3 credits)
Nonparametric Methods (Stat 5601, 3 credits)
Honors: Introduction to Analysis I (Math 5615H, 4 credits)
Honors: Introduction to Analysis II (Math 5616H, 4 credits)
Spatial Biostatistics (PubH 8472, 3 credits)
Introduction to Arc/Info (GIS 5571, 3 credits)
Principles of Geographic Info Science (Geog 5561, 4 credits)