- Overview
- Learning Outcomes
- Requirements
- Curriculum Details
Program Purpose
The Master of Science in Biostatistics program seeks to produce students with advanced theory and methods of Biostatistics, with the ability to apply their knowledge and methods to solve practical problems in their field of interest.
Educational Objectives
The Master of Science in Biostatistics program aims to:
- To provide a broad knowledge and understanding of current statistical theory, methods, and practices in the health sciences.
- To enable students to collaborate and consult with researchers of other disciplines in the biomedical and public health sciences.
- To equip students with comprehensive knowledge and technical skills needed for planning and conducting statistical analyses for studies that are required for evidence-based medicine, epidemiology survey and public health policy decisions.
Faculty
Program Learning Outcomes
After completing this program, students should:
- Be able to select and apply appropriate statistical techniques, interpret results, and communicate findings effectively in the context of biomedical and public health research.
- Be able to integrate their statistical expertise with domain-specific knowledge, allowing them to collaborate effectively with researchers and professionals in biomedical and public health research.
- Develop strong communication skills to effectively convey statistical findings and recommendations to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Admissions Requirement
Institutional-wide Admission Criteria
- Completion of undergraduate degree
- Official Transcript: allow for evaluation of academic performance, relevant coursework, and overall readiness for college-level study.
- Personal Statement: helps reviewers understand the applicant’s motivations and aspirations to pursue the program of study.
- CV: presents the academic and professional history of the applicant
- Letters of Recommendation: Letters of recommendation from teachers, mentors, or professionals familiar with the applicant’s abilities and potential, and additional insights into the applicant’s character, work ethic, and potential for success in the program.
Program-specific Criteria
- All applicants to the MS in Biostatistics should have an undergraduate degree in data science, statistics, computer science, applied mathematics, or another major with adequate quantitative background.
Graduation Requirement
- Successful completion of the curriculum with a grade point average of no less than B minus (2.7).
- Take at least 50% of required credits from FTC Northern.
- Pass both the Theory and Applied Biostatistics Qualifying Examinations.
- Complete the MS degree within 4 years of matriculation to the program.
Curriculum Overview
The MS in Biostatistics is a 36-semester credit curriculum with the following components: core requirements, electives (including an optional thesis). In addition, students are required to take the Theory and Applied Biostatistics Qualifying Examinations.
MS in Biostatistics Curriculum
| Area | Credits |
|---|---|
| Core Requirements | 21 |
| Electives | 9/15 |
| Thesis | 6/0 |
| Total Required Credits for Graduation | 36 |
Curriculum Details
| Code | Course Title | Credits | Prerequisite(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements (21 cr) | |||
| BMS512 | Principles Of Epidemiology | 3 | None |
| BMS542 | Public Health Foundations | 3 | None |
| BST501 | Statistical Methods in Epidemiology | 3 | None |
| STA502 | Probability Theory | 3 | None |
| STA511 | Advanced Regression Analysis | 3 | None |
| STA512 | Statistical Inference | 3 | STA502 |
| STA571 | Advanced Statistical Computing | 3 | None |
| Electives (Complete 15 credits from the following)(15 cr) | |||
| BST631 | Real-world Health Care Data Analysis | 3 | STA512 & BMS542 |
| COS531 | Modern Applied Statistical Learning | 3 | STA502 |
| COS536 | Applied Machine Learning | 3 | DAS541 |
| COS541 | Big Data and Data Engineering | 3 | None |
| COS643 | Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing | 3 | COS536 |
| DAS522 | Exploratory Data Analysis and Visualization | 3 | None |
| DAS541 | Data Mining for Business | 3 | Approval by Instructor |
| STA501 | Intermediate Statistics | 3 | None |
| STA515 | Statistical Software Programming | 3 | None |
| STA521 | Design and Analysis of Experiments | 3 | None |
| STA541 | Survival Analysis | 3 | STA512 |
| STA561 | Statistical Consulting | 3 | None |
| STA631 | Multivariate Analysis | 3 | STA512 |
| STA635 | Bayesian Statistics | 3 | STA512 |
| STA671 | Linear Models | 3 | STA511 & STA512 |
| STA701 | Generalized Linear Models | 3 | STA671 |
| STA711 | Advanced Topics in Statistical Modeling | 3 | STA512 |
| STA745 | Nonparametric Statistics | 3 | STA512 |
| BST751 | Thesis | 6 | Dept. Approval |
| Total Credits Required for Graduation | 36 | ||
Students must also pass both the Theory and Applied Biostatistics Qualifying Examinations.