Biostatistics - MPH
The mission of the GW Master of Public Health (MPH) Biostatistics program is to guide students toward developing the necessary skills to successfully apply statistical methods to the biological, biomedical, and health services sciences. After graduating from the Biostatistics master’s program, students are prepared to conduct epidemiologic research, undertake evaluation studies, and monitor population health status in academic, government, private sector, and community health settings. Our research helps drive understanding of how infectious diseases, such as Zika, Ebola, and HIV/AIDS spread. Our graduates work with those communities that are most vulnerable to better treat patients and prevent future outbreaks.
In addition, the MPH in Biostatistics degree coursework helps enhance students' capacity to think critically and creatively. At the George Washington University, we are proud to educate students who are committed to improving public health, and engaging in and promoting public service. We emphasize these qualities in the MPH Biostatistics program because they are essential for future biostatisticians and public health practitioners. In addition, we’re certain that Biostatistics graduates can:
- Understand and adhere to high scientific standards for research.
- Understand how to apply statistical methods to biological/biomedical sciences and health services.
- Understand and follow guidelines for ethical treatment of research participants.
- Effectively communicate research findings to a lay audience.
- Respect cultural diversity while doing all of the above.
Flexible Programming
To help students fit graduate school into their daily life, Milken Institute SPH provides flexible course offerings, which allows Biostatistics students to take up to 15 credits online.
The MPH degree program in biostatistics consists of 45 credits. These credits are based on a series of required MPH core and program-specific coursework and choice elective credits. The total 45-credit program also includes a zero credit Applied Practice Experience (APEx) where students apply their didactic education in a real-world setting, an interprofessional education experience and finally, a culminating experience/project to cap off the program requirements. Students can enroll full time or part time.
It is highly recommended to begin planning your APEx during Year 1.
Program Prerequisites
Before joining the MPH Biostatistics degree program, students must complete (a) two semesters of college level calculus through Calculus II with a grade of B or better or (b) one semester of college level calculus with a grade of B or better and enroll in a calculus refresher short course before or during the first term to be considered for admission.
Program Director
- MPH Core Requirements
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PUBH 6000 | MPH Applied Practice Experience (0 credits)
PUBH 6003 | Principles and Practice of Epidemiology (3 credits)
PUBH 6007 | Social and Behavioral Approaches to Public Health (2 credits)
PUBH 6009 | Fundamentals of Program Evaluation (2 credits)
PUBH 6011 | Environmental & Biological Foundations of Public Health (3 credits)
PUBH 6012 | Fundamentals of Health Policy (2 credits)
PUBH 6021 | Essentials of Public Health Practice & Leadership 1: Leading Self and Teams in Public Health (1 credit)
PUBH 6022 | Essentials of Public Health Practice & Leadership 2: Managing Organizations & Influencing Systems in Public Health (1 credit)
PUBH 6023 | Interprofessional Education Experience (IPE) (0 credits)
PUBH 6015 | Culminating Experience (2 credits)CORE TOTAL: 16 CREDITS
- Required Departmental Courses
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PUBH 6850 | Introduction to SAS for Public Health Research (1 credit)
PUBH 6851 | Introduction to R for Public Health Research (1 credit)
PUBH 6852 | Introduction to Python for Public Health Research (1 credit)
PUBH 6853 | Use of Statistical Packages: Data Management and Data Analysis (3 credits)
PUBH 6862 | Applied Linear Regression Analysis 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 6868 | Quantitative Methods (3 credits)
PUBH 6869 | Principles of Biostatistical Consulting (1 credits)PROGRAM-SPECIFIC TOTAL: 22 CREDITS
- Biostatistics Electives
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7 credits - any SPH (PUBH, HSML, EXNS) graduate level course
For a sample list of applicable electives, please reference the program guide and SPH course descriptions.
ELECTIVES TOTAL: 7 CREDITS
- Non-Academic Requirements
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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 [email protected].
CITI Training requirement
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, [email protected]. 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:
- Go to www.citiprogram.org
- Click: Register for the CITI course
- Select Institution (GW is under All Others, a drop-down list)
- Create a new username and password.
- 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.
- Program Guides from prior Academic Years
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Students in the MPH in Biostatistics program should refer to the guide from the year in which they matriculated into the program. For the current program guide, click the "PROGRAM GUIDE" button on the right-hand side of the page.
Students in the GW MPH programs gain practical skills and knowledge through their practice experiences. It is important for MPH Biostatistics graduates to feel confident in their skills and gain real-world experience during their studies. Students in the Biostatistics MPH program complete both an Applied Practice Experience (Practicum) and a Culminating Experience to practice their knowledge and skills in real-world settings.
Your Practicum
In the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, the Practicum is designed to engage students in a Practice Activity—a planned, supervised, and evaluated experience in a public health organization. The Practice Activity can be related to either primary research or public health practice. It might include activities such as conducting literature reviews, writing proposals, or collecting and analyzing data.
The Practice Activity for the MPH Biostatistics degree may not be directly related to the student's day-to-day work. This is to ensure that students learn and apply new skills in the context of public health. If the student does conduct the Practice Activity at his/her place of employment, it must be work for which the student is not remunerated.
Practicum Additional Information
Please visit the Milken Institute School of Public Health's practicum web pages for more information.
Your Culminating Experience
The Culminating Experience (CE) integrates the knowledge and skills students acquire through their academic work and the Practice Activity. The CE requires students to identify and define a specific public health issue and formulate hypotheses to address that issue. Students work with data obtained through either primary research or from an existing dataset. The process of proposal development, data analysis, interpretation, and extrapolation of the results culminates in a written report or manuscript and an oral presentation.
Some previous CE research topics in the MPH Biostatistics program include:
- Cancer
- Inflammatory Breast Cancer
- Disparities in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
- Associations between Behavioral Factors and Cancer
- HIV/AIDS
- Use of Technology in the Care of HIV
- Infected Individuals
- Care of Pediatric and Adolescent HIV-Infected Patients
- Adherence to Antiretroviral Medications
- Development of Resistance to Antiretroviral Medications
- Infectious Disease
- Listeria at Meat Packaging Plants
- Food Contamination and Surveillance
- Other
- Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Low Birth Weight
- Use of Standardized Case Definitions in Adverse Events following Immunization Surveillance
Practicum and Culminating Experience Staff:
To arrange a meeting with the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Practicum and Culminating Experience Staff, please contact:
Stephanie Lee, MPA, MA
Program Manager/Practicum Director
Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics
Milken Institute School of Public Health
The George Washington University
o 202-994-1435
[email protected]
she/her
- Jobs You Will Be Prepared For
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Analytical Epidemiologist
Clinical Research Coordinator
Patient Centered Medical Home Program Consultant
Research Statistician
Senior Quality Improvement Analyst
Specialist, Public Health Preparedness and Response - Organizations You Are Prepared To Help
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ICF International
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Association of Public Health Laboratories