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  3. Master of Science in Biostatistics
  4. MS Curriculum Overview

Common Requirements for MS Degrees

The MS program requires the completion of at least sixty units of course work. Graduate students must register for a minimum of twelve units per quarter. These twelve units can be made up of a combination of required course work as described below, additional elective course work, if any, and special study courses (PHB 291. PHB 293. and PHB 298.). In special cases, students with an appropriate background may waive specific courses, with permission of the program director, as long as the sixty-unit minimum for the program is met. A typical student is expected to take sixty to seventy-two units of course work during the program. All student courses, as well as any changes throughout the quarter, must be approved by a faculty advisor or your Graduate Coordinator prior to registering for classes each quarter.

Consult the course catalog online to look up course descriptions.

Consult the Biostatistics Graduate Handbook (coming soon) for a comprehensive overview of curricular requirements by cohort year, sample programs of study, and policies related to special study courses.

Required Core & Advanced Courses (52 units)

Required Core Biostatistics Core Courses (36 units):

*all courses from the following list are required

  • PHB 221. Biostatistical Methods I (4 units)
  • PHB 222. Biostatistical Methods II (4 units)
  • PHB 223. Analysis of Longitudinal Data (4 units)
  • PHB 243A. Practicum in Biostatistics (4 units) or PHB 293. Masters’ Research in Biostatistics (4 units)
  • PHB 243B. Practicum in Biostatistics (4 units) or PHB 293. Masters’ Research in Biostatistics (4 units)
  • PHB 244A. Foundations in Biostatistics (4 units)
  • PHB 244B. Foundations in Biostatistics (4 units)
  • PHB 244C. Foundations in Biostatistics (4 units)
  • PHB 280. Biostatistics Journal Club (4 quarters, 1 unit each)

Required Advanced Biostatistics Courses (16 units)

*Choose sixteen units from the following list

  • PHB 224. Biostatistical Methods in Clinical Trials (4 units)
  • PHB 225. Topics in Non- and Semi-Parametric Statistics and Functional Data (4 units)
  • PHB 226. Statistical Methods for Observational Studies (4 units)
  •  PHB 227. Statistical Learning and Multivariate Analysis (4 units)
  •  PHB 228. Statistical Computing (4 units)
  •  PHB 242. Advanced Topics in Biostatistics (4 units)
  • PHB 245. Statistical Leadership and Drug Development (2 units)
  • PHB 248. Applied Survival Analysis (4 units)
  •  PHB 281. Biostatistics Seminar (1 unit)

We note that most of the biostatistics core courses carry a data analysis component. Students will be exposed to projects involving advanced data analyses to address complex life sciences problems. In particular, the Practicum in Biostatistics requirement (PHB. 243A or PHB. 293, and PHB. 243B or PHB. 293) exposes students to real-life biostatistical projects, including analyses, preparation of analysis reports, and presentation of the results.  All courses except PHB 280 and PHB 281 are letter grade only.

Required Life Sciences Courses (8 units)

Life Sciences Courses refer to 4 units at the upper-division or the graduate level in Biomedical Sciences, Neurosciences, Epidemiology, Public Health, Biology, Systems Biology, Bioengineering, or Medicine, for a letter grade if possible.

  •  PH 200. Foundations in Public Health (4 units)
  •  Life Sciences course (4 units)

We have compiled a list of preapproved life sciences courses for students to choose from for the Life Sciences course they take in addition to PH 200. If a student wishes to request a life sciences course outside of those preapproved, they are required to submit a BMP Elective Approval Request Form and indicate they would like the course to be considered for a Life Sciences exception. Exceptions are not guaranteed.  

Elective Courses (no minimum requirement)

  • Biostatistics and Statistical Methods Electives:
    • MATH 280A-B-C. Probability Theory (four units each)
    • MATH 281A-B-C. Statistical Inference (four units each)
    • MATH 282A-B. Applied Statistics (four units each)
    • Any core biostatistics courses listed above, in excess of those required
  • Life Sciences Electives:
    Any course at the upper-division undergraduate or the graduate level in biomedical sciences, neurosciences, epidemiology, public health, biology, systems biology, bioengineering, or medicine, for a letter grade if possible, in addition to the required life sciences course.
  • Other Elective Courses:
    In addition to the courses listed above, students may take other elective courses. These include PHB 298 (an independent studies course), and any course at the upper-division (e.g., remedial courses) or graduate level in biostatistics, mathematics, computer science, life sciences as listed above, or related areas.

Master's Comprehensive Examination 

The MS program requires the completion of at least sixty units of course work. Graduate students must register for a minimum of twelve units per quarter. These twelve units can be made up of a combination of required course work as described below, additional elective course work, if any, and special study courses (PHB 291. PHB 293., and PHB 298.). In special cases, students with an appropriate background may waive specific courses, with permission of the program director, as long as the sixty-unit minimum for the program is met. A typical student is expected to take sixty to seventy-two units of course work during the program. All student courses, as well as any changes throughout the quarter, must be approved by a faculty advisor or your Graduate Coordinator prior to registering for classes each quarter.

A comprehensive final examination, called the master’s examination, will be given at least at the end of each spring quarter. Two failures to pass the master’s examination will result in a recommendation to the dean of Graduate Studies for disqualification of the student in the MS program. The master’s examination is developed and scored by the Teaching Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics within the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science. The chair of the biostatistics graduate program committee will appoint an exam committee that will be responsible for preparing, administering, and grading the examination. The exam committee will forward its recommendation to the chair of the graduate program committee, which will be the final arbiter of pass or fail.