Biostatistics and Epidemiology

Competencies for the PhD in Public Health-Biostatistics (72 credits)

Each Department identifies competencies for each degree offered. These competencies reflect the full range of knowledge, skills, and other attributes that a student will acquire as a result of completing the requirements for a particular degree.

Upon graduation, a student completing the PhD in Public Health curriculum in Biostatistics will be able to:

• Develop new statistical methodologies to solve new biomedical, clinical and public health research problems
• Apply new and existing probability and statistical models to address public health or medical problems
• Review and critique statistical methods and interpretations presented in published research studies, presentations or reports
• Integrate relevant scientific background to design experimental and observational studies in biomedical, clinical and public health research
• Conduct complex statistical analyses for a broad range of applications
• Use statistical computer packages to organize, analyze and report collected data
• Communicate the results of statistical studies both orally and in writing to senior statisticians and other investigators
• Provide leadership for a team working on statistical analysis

Curriculum for the PhD in Public Health-Biostatistics (72 credits)

Students seeking the PhD in Public Health-Biostatistics degree must complete a minimum of 72 credits of academic work with a minimum GPA of least 3.2 overall and a 3.2 in the set of required courses specified by their department; earn no more than nine (9) credits bearing grades less than B; and complete the degree requirements within nine years. Courses are three credit hours unless otherwise noted.

• PREREQUISITES
  • Master's degree in a related rea
  • Good GPA and GRE (and TOEFL, if needed) scores
• CORE COURSES (6 credits)
  • PHCO 0502 - Principles and Methods of Epidemiology
  • PHCO 0508 - Issues in Environmental and Occupational Health (1 credit)
  • PHCO 0510 - Issues in Health Education and Behavioral Science (1 credit)
  • PHCO 0511 - Issues in Health Care Systems and Policy (1 credit)
• REQUIRED COURSES (21 credits) Note: Students should review the Course Descriptions for specific information about prerequisites required for required courses and recommended electives.
  • BIST 0610 - Advanced Regression Methods for Public Health Studies
  • BIST 0615 - Categorical Data Analysis
  • BIST 0627 – Applied Survival Data Analysis (formerly BIST 0616 - Lifetime Data Analysis)
  • BIST 0650 - Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis
  • BIST 0655 - Biocomputing II
  • BIST 0700 - Advanced Theory of Biostatistics I (or 16:960:652 within Department of Statistics, Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences)
  • BIST 0701 - Advanced Theory of Biostatistics II (or 16:960:652 within Department of Statistics, Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences)
• RECOMMENDED ELECTIVE COURSES (21 credits)
  • BIST 0630 - Sampling Methods
  • BIST 0660 - Clinical Trials: Design and Analysis of Medical Experiment
  • BIST 0688 - Statistical Methods in Genetics
  • BIST 0690 - Advanced Topics in Biostatistics
  • BIST 9654 - Applied Stochastic Processes
  • BIST 9655 - Nonparametric Statistics
  • BIST 9665 - Applied Time Series Analysis
  • BIST 9667 - Applied Multivariative Analysis
  • BIST 9687 - Interpretation of Data II
  • BIST 9688 - Data Mining
  • BIST 9691 - Advanced Design of Experiments
  • EPID 0653 - Advanced Epidemiologic Research Methods
  • EPID 0656 - Intermediate Epidemiologic Research Methods
  • EPID 0657 - Advanced Epidemiological Research Methods
• REQUIRED RESEARCH (24 credits)
  • RESH 0760 - Doctoral Research
• RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT (0 credits)
  • Attend at least 20 BIST seminars, including at least 15 departmental seminars and making five presentations at BIST department journal club or external professional conferences

Curriculum for the PhD in Public Health-Biostatistics (72 credits)

Students seeking the PhD in Public Health -- Biostatistics degree must complete a minimum of 72 credits of academic work with a minimum GPA of least 3.2 overall and a 3.2 in the set of required courses specified by their department; earn no more than nine (9) credits bearing grades less than B; and complete the degree requirements within seven years. Courses are three credit hours unless otherwise noted and semester when each course is typically offered is noted parentheses. Students should review the Forward Schedule for long-term course planning and the Course Schedule for each semester to determine when, where, and how a course is offered.

• PREREQUISITES
  • Master's degree in a related field
  • Good GPA and GRE (and TOEFL, if needed) scores
• CORE COURSES (6 credits)
  • PHCO 0502 - Principles and Methods of Epidemiology
  • PHCO 0512 - Public Health Foundations
• REQUIRED COURSES (21 credits)
  • BIST 0610 - Advanced Regression Methods for Public Health Studies
  • BIST 0725 - Generalized Linear Models
  • BIST 0727 - Survival Analysis
  • BIST 0750 - Longitudinal Data Analysis
  • BIST 0720 - Advanced Biostatistical Computing
  • BIST 0700 - Advanced Theory of Biostatistics I
  • BIST 0701 - Advanced Theory of Biostatistics II
• RECOMMENDED ELECTIVE COURSES (21 credits)
  • BIST 0663 - Statistical Learning in Biomedical Studies
  • BIST 0660 - Clinical Trials: Design and Analysis of Medical Experiment
  • BIST 0688 - Statistical Methods in Genetics
  • BIST 0690 - Advanced Topics in Biostatistics
  • BIST 9654 - Applied Stochastic Processes
  • BIST 9655 - Nonparametric Statistics
  • BIST 9665 - Applied Time Series Analysis
  • BIST 9667 - Applied Multivariative Analysis
  • BIST 9687 - Interpretation of Data II
  • BIST 9688 - Data Mining
  • BIST 9691 - Advanced Design of Experiments
  • EPID 0653 - Advanced Epidemiologic Research Methods
  • EPID 0656 - Intermediate Epidemiologic Research Methods
  • EPID 0657 - Advanced Epidemiological Research Methods
• REQUIRED RESEARCH (24 credits)
  • RESH 0760 (Section 000) - Doctoral Research: Dissertation Proposal Seminar (3 credits)
  • RESH 0760 - Doctoral Research (21 credits)
• RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT (0 credits)
  • RESH 0730 – PhD Seminar (formerly RESH 0700 Doctoral Colloquium) PhD students should register for RESH 0730 each Fall and Spring semester they are enrolled at the School of Public Health.

Curriculum for PhD in Public Health-Biostatistics (72 credits)

Students seeking the PhD in Public Health-Biostatistics degree must complete a minimum of 72 credits of academic work with a minimum GPA of least 3.2 overall and a 3.2 in the set of required courses specified by the concentration; earn no more than nine (9) credits bearing grades less than B; and complete the degree requirements within seven years. Courses are three credit hours unless otherwise noted and semester when each course is typically offered is noted parentheses. Students should review the Forward Schedule for long-term course planning and the Course Schedule for each semester to determine when, where, and how a course is offered.

• MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSIONS
  • Master's degree in a related field
  • Courses in multivariable calculus and linear algebra
  • Working knowledge of a programming language
• PREREQUISITES Do not count toward the 72-credit PhD curriculum. MPH from an accredited school or program meets prerequisite requirements. PHCO 0502 and PHCO 0504 must be completed before Year 1, Fall semester (e.g., online summer before) if student does not have graduate-level coursework in these two areas.
  • PHCO 0502 - Principles and Methods of Epidemiology
  • PHCO 0504 - Introduction to Biostatistics [Prerequisite: Quantitative Skills Assessment]¹
• PHD IN PUBLIC HEALTH CORE COURSES (9 credits)
  • PHCO 0512 - Public Health Foundations (Spring) If a student holds an MPH from a CEPH-accredited school or program of public health, course is waived, but not the credits.
  • ENOH 0701 - Public Health Research Ethics (Spring-Even Years)
  • HBSP 0700 - Advances in Public Health Theories (Fall-Odd years)
• REQUIRED CONCENTRATION COURSES (18 credits) Note: Students should review the Course Descriptions in the School Catalog for specific information about prerequisites required for required courses and recommended electives.
  • BIST 0700 - Advanced Theory of Biostatistics I (Fall)
  • BIST 0701 - Advanced Theory of Biostatistics II (Spring)
  • BIST 0720 - Advanced Biostatistical Computing (Spring-Odd Years)
  • BIST 0725 - Generalized Linear Models (Spring-Even Years)
  • BIST 0727 - Survival Analysis (Spring)
  • BIST 0750 - Longitudinal Data Analysis (Fall)
• RECOMMENDED ELECTIVE COURSES (21 credits)
  • BIST 0610 - Advanced Regression Methods for Public Health Studies (Spriing)
  • BIST 0660 - Clinical Trials: Design and Analysis of Medical Experiment (Spring)
  • BIST 0663 - Statistical Learning in Biomedical Studies
  • BIST 0688 - Statistical Methods in Genetics
  • BIST 0690 - Advanced Topics in Biostatistics
  • BIST 0721 - Advanced Bayesian Inference (Fall)
  • EPID 0656 - Intermediate Epidemiologic Research Methods (Fall/Spring)
  • EPID 7653 - Advanced Epidemiologic Research Methods (Spring)
• REQUIRED RESEARCH (24 credits)
  • RESH 0701 - Doctoral Colloquium I (0 credit) Taken in Fall and Spring in Year 1
  • RESH 0702 - Doctoral Colloquium II (0 credit) Taken in Fall and Spring in Year 2
  • RESH 0760 - Doctoral Research (20 credits)
  • RESH 0761 - Doctoral Research: Dissertation Proposal Seminar (3 credits) Taken in Spring in Year 2
  • 1611-5556 - Ethical Scientific Conduct (1 credit) [Offered through School of Graduate Studies] Taken in Spring in Year 1
• OTHER REQUIREMENTS (0 credits)
  • Pass Qualifying Exam (written and oral) Typically completed at the end of Year 2
  • RESH 0730 – PhD Seminar (0 credit) Attend PhD seminar once per month for Fall and Spring semesters, every year
  • Earn a Teaching Certificate from Rutgers Teaching Assistant Program (TAP) [0 credits] or complete HBSP 0724 - Effectively Teaching and Training Adults (3 credits)
  • Complete Ethical Scientific Conduct Refresher (0 credit) Taken in Year 5
  • All PhD students are expected to engage in research activities with their faculty advisor.

Notes:
¹Only matriculated PhD in Public Health-Biostatistics students are waived from taking the Quantitative Skills Assessment.