The YSPH Biostatistics Program offers me great flexibility and opportunities to explore my research interests and collaborate with interdisciplinary laboratories locally and globally. The collaborative, supportive and diverse environment allows me to learn, grow and develop both professional and personal skills.
* Students entering the program with an MPH or relevant graduate degree may be exempt from this requirement.
Course offerings subject to change.
rev. 9.8.2022
In a number of courses, especially the Statistical Consulting (BIS 578a) course students gain actual experience with various aspects of research including preparation of a research grant, questionnaire design, preparation of a database for analysis, and analysis and interpretation of real data. In addition, doctoral students can gain research experience by working with faculty members on ongoing research studies prior to initiating dissertation research, which includes but is not limited to BIS 695c. During the summer following each year of course work, candidates are required to take a research rotation that is approved by the department and communicated to the DGS.
The Department strives for doctoral dissertations that have a strong methodological component motivated by an important health question. Hence, the dissertation should include a methodological advance or a substantial modification of an existing method motivated by a set of data collected to address an important health question. The dissertation must also include the application of the proposed methodology to real data. Students that have chosen the Implementation and Prevention Science Methods pathway must complete a dissertation relevant to this topic. A fairly routine application of widely available statistical methodology is not acceptable as a dissertation topic. Candidates are expected not only to show a thorough knowledge of the posed health question, but also to demonstrate quantitative skills necessary for the creation and application of novel statistical tools.