| Doctor of Philosophy in Biostatistics (PhD) Program |
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The PhD Program in Biostatistics is jointly administered by the Department of Biostatistics of the School of Public Health and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The PhD program in Biostatistics is geared towards the graduate student who seeks a career as a professional, academic or industrial biostatistician in biomedical or epidemiologic sciences. The program meets the needs of the health professional who wishes to continue with public health training and achieve a higher and more specialized degree and the statistician who wishes to specialize in statistical methods for biomedical or epidemiologic applications. Students who complete the PhD program will gain knowledge in probability, statistical inference and hypothesis testing, the design and conduct of experimental and epidemiological studies, statistical computation, and data analysis. Research interests of the faculty include multivariate analysis, survival analysis, medical statistics, clinical trials methodology, statistical genetics, surveillance, robust statistics, longitudinal data analysis, time series, regression, estimation theory, and the design of experiments. Admission Application for the PhD in Biostatistics Program must be completed on the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences website. The deadline for Fall admission is December 15th. We do not have Spring admissions. Requirements for Admission
Degree programs at BUSPH permit full- or part-time study, with afternoon and evening courses. Graduate Programs are jointly administered by the Department of Biostatistics of the Boston University School of Public Health and the Department of Mathematics & Statistics of the Boston University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Program degrees are conferred by Boston University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Funding Graduate Research Assistant Scholarship Program (GRASP) Through the Graduate Research Assistant Scholarship Program (GRASP), we offer a limited number of scholarships in the form of research assistantships to qualified applicants who are accepted into the Biostatistics MA or PhD program. A Research Assistant (RA) position includes full tuition coverage and stipend, paid out monthly. PhD students are given priority for these competitive positions, which are based on faculty need, grant funding, and individual qualifications of each applicant. Both domestic and international applicants are eligible. Research and statistical computing experience are helpful but not required. Excellent English communication skills are required. Although we try to fund all qualified students accepted into the program, we cannot guarantee funding. If you are interested in being considered for an RA position, select that you wish to be considered for financial aid on your admission application. We do not offer Teaching Assistantships at this time. Training Grant We also offer a limited number of funding slots through the Interdisciplinary Training for Biostatisticians Program, which is a Training Grant (TG) funded through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences representing several institutes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The TG is designed for (but not limited to) students entering the Biostatistics PhD program at the post-bachelor level. Eligible individuals who are interested in being considered for the Interdisciplinary Training for Biostatisticians Program must complete the standard application for the PhD program in Biostatistics by December 15, 2010. Additionally, applicants must submit a one page statement indicating their interest in the Interdisciplinary Training for Biostatisticians Program and how this program will enhance their educational and career goals. Please submit this statement along with your application. Click here to learn more about the Training Grant. All requests or questions related to funding and scholarship (including RAs and TGs) should be sent to ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). Because scholarship funding is handled centrally by the Program, applicants should not contact faculty members regarding funding through a Research Assistantship or the Training Grant. Program of Study Students entering with a Bachelor's degree must complete a total of 64 credits. Students entering with a Master's degree must complete at least 32 credits. It is expected that students take courses from both the Biostatistics Department in the School of Public Health and the Mathematics & Statistics Department in the College of/ Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Upon completion of coursework, each student must pass Qualifying Examinations. Additionally, students must demonstrate proficiency in reading the biostatistical literature in at least one foreign language. International students may use English to fulfill the language requirement. Students who have not previously completed at least two years of study in foreign language at the undergraduate level or the equivalent must make up the deficiency through coursework or examination. The dissertation work must address a relevant question in statistical methodology and pose a new approach, extend an existing approach, or provide novel application of an existing method. When the dissertation is completed, the candidate defends his or her work before the dissertation committee. Required Core Courses
For a complete list of required and elective courses, visit bu.edu/academics/grs/programs/biostatistics. For complete information on the PhD in Biostatistics Program of Study, please review our Handbook and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Bulletin. Program Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Downloads (PDF): |
