Biostatistics - MS

Program Prerequisites

All applicants to the 36-credit MS program must have completed the following prerequisites (assumed at the undergraduate level), with a grade of B or better to be considered for admission:

Minimum Prerequisites: Required prior to application to the program.

• Calculus I and II (GW equivalent is MATH 1231 and MATH 1232)
• Statistics (GW equivalent is PUBH 2142 or STAT 1051)

Full Prerequisites: (in addition to above) Required prior to matriculation to the program. Applicants who do not meet these full prerequisites may receive provisional admission to the program, pending satisfactory completion of the below courses.

• Multivariable Calculus (GW equivalent is MATH 2233)
• Linear Algebra (GW equivalent is MATH 2184)

Applicants who do not meet the full prerequisites and are granted provisional admission to the program have three options to complete these requirements:

1. Option 1: Applicants who have not met the full prerequisites prior to matriculation can enroll in and successfully complete MATH 2233 and MATH 2184 at GW prior to or during their first semester in the MS in Biostatistics program. These courses must be completed with a minimum grade of B to gain full admission to the MS in Biostatistics program.
2. Option 2: Applicants who have not met the full prerequisites prior to matriculation can enroll in and successfully complete courses in Multivariable Calculus and/or Linear Algebra at another college or university prior to the first semester in the MS in Biostatistics program. A transcript documenting completion with a minimum grade of B must be submitted to gain full admission to the MS in Biostatistics program.
3. Option 3: Applicants who have not met the full prerequisites prior to matriculation can enroll in and successfully complete courses in Multivariable Calculus and/or Linear Algebra through an online institution such as Coursera prior to the first semester in the MS in Biostatistics program. A course certificate must be submitted to the Program Director and SPH Admissions Office to be approved for full admission to the MS in Biostatistics program.

NOTE: Applicants who have not met the full prerequisites will still be given full consideration for admission provided that the minimum prerequisites have been met. None of the above described options may count as credit towards the MS degree.

Core Courses

PUBH 6080 | Pathways to Public Health (0 credits)*
PUBH 6862 | Applied Linear Regression for Public Health Research (3 credits)
PUBH 6864 | Applied Survival Analysis for Public Health Research (3 credits)
PUBH 6865 | Applied Categorical Data Analysis for Public Health Research (3 credits)
PUBH 6866 | Principles of Clinical Trials (3 credits) 
PUBH 6867 | Health Data Visualization (3 credits) 
PUBH 6869 | Principles of Biostatistical Consulting (1 credit) 
PUBH 6886 | Statistical & Machine Learning for Public Health Research (3 credits)
PUBH 6887 | Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis for Public Health Research (3 credits)
PUBH 8870 | Statistical Inference for Public Health Research I (3 credits)

* for information on the PUBH 6080 course, please see the Advising FAQs.

CORE TOTAL: 25 CREDITS

SPH Course Descriptions

Advanced Biostatistics Selectives

Students choose 3 credits from the following list:

PUBH 6870| Advanced Survival Analysis Markov Multistate Models (1 credit) 
PUBH 6871| Advanced Survival Analysis Recurrent Events (1 credit) 
PUBH 6872| Advanced Survival Analysis Competing Risks (1 credit) 
PUBH 6899 | Neural Networks in Biomedical Research (3 credits) 
PUBH 8871 | Statistical Inference for Public Health Research II (3 credits) 
PUBH 8875 | Linear Models in Biostatistics (3 credits) permission of instructor required
PUBH 8879 | An Introduction to Causal Interference for Public Health Research (3 credits)

ADVANCED BIOSTATISTICS SELECTIVES TOTAL: 3 CREDITS

SPH Course Descriptions

Electives

Students choose 7 credits of elective courses. Recommended courses shown in the program guide. Other courses can be selected after discussion with the academic advisor.

BIOSTATISTICS ELECTIVES TOTAL: 7 CREDITS

SPH Course Descriptions

Final Research Project

Students choose one of the following courses:

PUBH 6897 | Research in Biostatistics and Bioinformatics (1 credit)
PUBH 6898 | Master of Science Thesis (1 credit) only for students who wish to complete a formal thesis

BIOSTATISTICS FINAL RESEARCH PROJECT TOTAL: 1 CREDIT

Non-Academic Requirements

Ethics and Professional Skills

Students in the MS in Biostatistics program will participate in department-led ethics and professional skills training.

Professional Enhancement

Students in degree programs must participate in eight hours of Professional Enhancement. These activities may be public health-related lectures, seminars, or symposia related to your field of study.

Professional Enhancement activities supplement the rigorous academic curriculum of the SPH degree programs and help prepare students to participate actively in the professional community. You can learn more about opportunities for Professional Enhancement via the Milken Institute School of Public Health Listserv, through departmental communications, or by speaking with your advisor.

Students must submit a completed Professional Enhancement Form to the student records department gwsphrecordsgwu [dot] edu (gwsphrecords[at]gwu[dot]edu).

Complete Human Subjects Research Training Requirements

All students in the GWSPH are required to complete training regarding human subject protection regulation and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). To fulfill this requirement, a student must complete the Collaborative IRB Training Initiative (CITI) Course in The Protection of Human Research Subjects. All GWSPH students are required to complete the CITI module Social and Behavioral Researchers or the Biomedical track which can be found under Human Subjects Research Training. CITI coursework must be completed before the end of their first semester/two modules. Students must complete the CITI course before they are approved to begin the Applied Practice Experience and/or Practicum (MPH students) or any other field or research-related activities. This course is available online. Students should print out the certificate of completion for the CITI course and keep a copy for their records. Students will need this documentation for any IRB submission package. Documentation of completion is also required for graduation clearance. Students will submit  these documents to the Office of Student Records, gwsphrecordsgwu [dot] edu (gwsphrecords[at]gwu[dot]edu). Additional training requirements exist for students who plan to conduct some types of research (e.g., clinical research). Students are strongly encouraged to complete the Biomedical Investigators module.

To get started: 
1. Go to www.citiprogram.org 
2. Click: Register for the CITI course 
3. Select Institution (GW is under All Others, a drop-down list) 
4. Create a new username and password. 
5. Enter contact information   

For a quick video tutorial on how to access CITI click here.

Academic Integrity Quiz

All Milken Institute School of Public Health students are required to review the University’s Code of Academic Integrity and complete the GW Academic Integrity Activity.  This activity must be completed within 2 weeks of matriculation. Information on GWSPH Academic Integrity requirements can be found here.

Students pursuing a MS in Biostatistics have access to world-class faculty with relevant expertise and diverse experience in all sectors of public health and medical research. Areas of interest and research experience for professors and lecturers in the program include: clinical trials, machine learning, survival analysis, longitudinal data analysis, functional data analysis, causal inference, and finite population sampling, with applications in infectious diseases (including COVID-19, HIV, and bacterial superbug infections), mental health, diabetes, maternal-fetal medicine, protein sequencing data, medical imaging data, and cardiovascular disease.  Learn about the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics faculty here.

Students in the MS in Biostatistics program are prepared to work as:

• Biostatistician I
• Research Analyst/Associate
• Research Statistician
• Data Analyst
• Statistical Analyst/Programmer
• Data Scientist/Health Data Scientist

The MS in Biostatistics prepares students for professional careers in a variety of industries and organizations including:

• Research hospitals (e.g., Children's National Medical Center)
• National Institutes of Health (e.g., NIAID, NCI, NICHD)
• Emmes Group
• Booz Allen Hamilton
• Westat
• Academic institutions (e.g., GW Biostatistics Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute)
• State departments of health
• Henry M. Jackson Foundation

Visit the GWSPH Career Services.