The following requirements must be fulfilled:
The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate Programs.
The requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Program.
Required preparatory courses
Doctoral program requirements
The following requirements must be fulfilled: 72 credits, including a minimum of 51 credits in required and elective courses and a minimum of 12 credits in dissertation research; successful completion of the general and final examinations; and completion of the professional enhancement requirement. See below for additional information.
General and final examinations
The general examination is given in two parts:
- Part I is the qualifying exam, a written comprehensive examination based on the course content of STAT 6201, STAT 6202 (administered by faculty of the Department of Statistics), and PUBH 8366 (administered by the faculty of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics).
- The qualifying examination is given over a two-day period in the beginning of the fall semester of every academic year and consists of one four-hour theory exam and one two-hour biostatistical methods/applications exam. Students are expected to take the comprehensive examination within 24 months from the date of enrollment in the program. A student who fails to pass the comprehensive examination may, with the approval of the faculty, repeat the examination the following year. Failure on the second attempt results in termination from the PhD program.
- All examination questions focus on material that a person seeking a PhD in biostatistics is expected to know, regardless of subsequent specialization. The examination encompasses material in core mathematical statistics—STAT 6201 and STAT 6202—and biostatistical methods courses—PUBH 8366—in the PhD program in biostatistics. Specifically,
- The theory portion of the exam—STAT 6201 and STAT 6202—is based on the first 10 chapters of Casella G and Berger RL (1990). Statistical Inference. Second Edition, Duxbury Press.
- The biostatistical methods portion of the exam—PUBH 8366—is based on chapters 1 to 8 of Lachin J.M. (2010) Biostatistical Methods: The Assessment of Relative Risks, 2nd Edition, Wiley.
- Part II, the research proposal, consists of an oral examination based on a written dissertation research proposal. As soon as feasible after successful completion of the comprehensive exam, students are encouraged to identify a dissertation advisor and a topic of research. The written dissertation proposal is then submitted to the student's Dissertation Research Committee, and the student makes an oral presentation of their proposal to the Committee. The Committee determines the student's readiness to pursue and successfully complete the proposed research, in addition to the appropriateness of the specific problem for dissertation-level research.
Upon successful completion of the required coursework and both parts of the general examination, the candidate is generally recommended to the Associate Dean for Graduate Affairs of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) for promotion to PhD candidacy—the dissertation research. A candidate must file an approved dissertation research plan with CCAS before being admitted to PhD candidacy. Prior to completion of the general examination, a student may register for at most 6 credits of BIOS 8999.
Consult with the Biostatistics Program Director or academic advisor for dissertation guidelines.
Professional enhancement requirement: 8 hours
Professional enhancement activities supplement the academic curriculum and help prepare students to participate actively in the professional community. They enhance practical knowledge and awareness of public health issues – either in general or in a student’s specific area of study.
Students can fulfill this requirement by attending workshops, seminars, or other relevant professional meetings, which are often held at the Milken Institute School of Public Health (SPH) and in the metropolitan Washington, DC, area. Examples of conference sponsors include the National Academy for State Health Policy, the Pan American Health Organization, the American Public Health Association, the American College of Healthcare Executives, the Area Health Education Center, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the National Athletic Trainer’s Association. Opportunities for professional enhancement are regularly publicized via the SPH Listserv and through the department or the biostatistics academic advisor.
Students must submit documentation of professional enhancement activities to the biostatistics academic advisor, which includes a prior approval, a description of the program agenda, and proof of attendance before applying for graduation.
