Skip to main content
Public Health Education PH
  1. HOME
  2. Master’s Programs
  3. Master of Science in Biostatistics
  4. MS Course Requirements

MS Course Requirements

The MS program requires the completion of at least 56 units of coursework. Graduate students must register for a minimum of 12 units per quarter. These 12 units can be made up of a combination of required coursework as described below, additional elective coursework if any. In special cases, students with appropriate background may waive specific courses, with permission of the program director, as long as the 56 unit minimum for the program is met. A typical student is expected to take 60-72 units of coursework during the program.  All student courses, as well as any changes throughout the quarter, must be approved by a faculty advisor prior to registering for classes each quarter. A total of no more than 12 upper-division undergraduate units may be counted towards degree requirements. 

Consult the course catalog here to look up course descriptions.

Required Courses (40 units)

a. Required (Core) Courses in Biostatistics (32 units)

Each of:

  1. FMPH 221: Biostatistical methods I (4 units)
  2. FMPH 222: Biostatistical methods II (4 units)
  3. FMPH 223: Analysis of longitudinal data (4 units)
  4. FMPH 243 A: Practicum in Biostatistics (4 units)
  5. FMPH 244 A: Foundations of Biostatistics (4 units)
  6. FMPH 290: Biostatistics seminar (4 quarters, 1 unit each)

Two among the following:

  1. FMPH 224: Clinical trials and experimental design (4 units)
  2. FMPH 225: Advanced topics in biostatistical inference (4 units)
  3. FMPH 226: Statistical methods for observational studies (4 units)
  4. FMPH 227: Advanced multivariate methods (4 units)
  5. FMPH 244 B: Foundations of Biostatistics (4 units)
  6. MATH 284: Survival analysis (4 units)

We note that all 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. All courses are letter grade only. 

 b. Required Life Sciences (8 units)

Two courses at the upper division or the graduate level in Biomedical Sciences, Neurosciences, Epidemiology, Public Health, Biology, Systems Biology, Bioengineering, or Medicine, taken for a letter grade if that grading option exists. 

Please consult the linked list of approved life science courses.  If you wish to take a course outside of this selection, please get it pre-approved by your faculty advisor and inform your graduate coordinator for formalized degree audit approval.  

Further Life Sciences courses may be taken as electives, see below.

Elective Courses (16 units)

Students are required to take at least 16 additional units of elective courses (4 courses) for letter grade, from the following list.

a. Biostatistics and Statistical Methods Electives:

  1. FMPH 242: Advanced topics in Biostatistics (4 units)
  2. FMPH 243 BC: Biostatistics practicum (4 units each)
  3. MATH 202A: Applied algebra I (4 units)
  4. MATH 240 ABC: Real analysis (4 units)
  5. MATH 271 ABC: Numerical optimization (4 units)
  6. MATH 280 ABC: Probability theory (4 units each)
  7. MATH 281 ABC: Statistical inference (4 units each)
  8. MATH 282 AB: Applied statistics (4 units each)
  9. MATH 283: Statistical Methods in Bioinformatics (4)
  10. MATH 285: Stochastic processes (4 units)
  11. MATH 287A, C: Time series analysis (4 units each)
  12. MATH 287 B: Multivariate analysis (4 units)
  13. MATH 287 D: Statistical learning (4 units)
  14. Any core biostatistics courses listed above, in excess of those required

b. Life Sciences Electives:

Any course at the upper division or the graduate level in Biomedical Sciences, Neurosciences, Epidemiology, Public Health, Biology, Systems Biology, Bioengineering, or Medicine, letter grade if possible, in addition to the required life sciences course.

c. Computer Science Electives:

  1. CSE 202: Algorithm design and analysis (4 units)
  2. ECE 273: Convex optimization (4 units)
  3. CSE 250 B: Learning algorithms (4 units)
  4. CSE 255: Data mining and predictive analytics (4 units)
  5. CSE 260: Parallel computation (4 units)
  6. CSE 283: Genomics, proteomics, systems biology (4 units)

d. Other Elective Courses

In addition to the courses listed above, students may take other elective courses.  These include any course at the upper-division (e.g., remedial courses), or graduate level in Biostatistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Life Sciences as listed above, Data Science, or related areas. Courses should be taken for a letter grade if possible. Please note that no more than 12 upper-division units can be applied towards your degree requirements.