Overview of the M.S. Program in Biostatistics

Beginning Fall Quarter, 2007, the Department of Statistics and Biostatistics will offer a stand-alone M.S. program in Biostatistics. This program is designed to meet the needs of a variety of students. Most frequently, our students are:

• Those who have a background in Math and/or Biology and who want to enter a Ph.D. program in Biostatistics after completing their M.S.
• Those who have a scientific background and wish to pursue biostatistical applications, with an eye towards employment after completion of the program.

The Program. Our program begins with first-year foundation courses in probability, statistical inference, experimental design, and regression analysis. In the Spring Quarter, students usually will take the SAS programming course. In the second year, students are expected to complete a three-course sequence in Biostatistics (categorical data analysis, survival analysis, and clinical trials), as well as 2 theoretical courses. Most students complete the program in 2 years. The Roadmap to the Biostatistics M.S. document is now available.

Our courses are usually offered in the evenings, though, for courses with large enrollments, we will occasionally open an extra afternoon section. This is done with the working student in mind.

Graduate students have access to all campus computing facilities, including a Statistics computer lab with up-to-date statistical software (notably, R, SAS, MINITAB, and MATLAB) and equipment. The University Library has an excellent collection of books and research jouranls in Biostatistics, Statistics, Mathematics and other areas of application.

Financial Aid. Some graduate assistantships, particularly as course graders or tutors in the on-campus Student Center for Academic Achievement, are available. Other forms of support are also described in the CSUEB General Catalog. Many full-time students receive some form of financial assistance. Tuition and fees for California residents and non-residents vary with the course load.

Further Information. For more detailed information, see our Prospective Graduate Students page, or feel free to contact the Graduate Advisor. Our non-electronic contact information is