Brown’s master’s degree in biostatistics educates students to become statisticians trained to work in modern data science environments with expertise in theory and methods of statistical inference and modeling, knowledge and experience with tools of data science, and a well-developed skill set in computer programming, strong communication skills and experience working collaboratively. The Master of Science degree program requires both coursework and a master’s thesis or project.
Master of Science in Biostatistics
About the Sc.M. Degree in Biostatistics
- Use probabilistic and statistical concepts and methods to describe and draw inferences from biomedical data.
- Apply appropriate statistical methods to analyze data of different types and structures.
- Prepare reports of methods, results, and interpretations from a simulation that investigates the properties of a statistical method.
- Perform power analysis and sample size calculations to determine the required number of subjects to carry out scientific studies.
- Use statistical software for data management, implementation of comprehensive statistical analysis, and presentation of results.
- Write reports of comprehensive and novel statistical analysis of public health data.
Entering students are assumed to have the necessary mathematical background including three semesters of calculus, one semester of linear algebra and at least one semester of mathematical probability using calculus prior to attending Brown. Students who have not taken the probability course will be strongly urged to take this in the summer before matriculation.
The Master of Science degree in Biostatistics requires 10 courses (7 required and 3 elective) in biostatistics, in addition to the mandatory PHP 1001 Public Health (a multi-module, online introduction to public health course required by all School of Public Health students). The Program’s biostatistics sequence is configured as 3-3-2-2 and must be followed for this degree program. The specifics are as follows:
Required Courses - Sc.M. (7 biostatistics plus PHP 1001)
PHP 2515 Fundamentals of Probability & Statistical Inference OR PHP 2520 Inference I
PHP 2514 Applied Generalized Linear Models
PHP 2516 Applied Longitudinal Models (½ Course)
PHP 2517 Applied Multilevel Models (½ Course)
PHP 2550 Practical Data Analysis
PHP 2560 Statistical Programming with R
PHP 2610 Causal Inference & Missing Data
PHP 2650 Statistical Learning/Big Data
PHP 1001 Scope of Public Health (online course)
Elective Courses (choose 3)
Statistical Electives:
PHP 2030 Clinical Trials Methodology
PHP 2530 Bayesian Statistical Methods
PHP 2580 Statistical Inference II
PHP 2601 Linear Models
PHP 2602 Analysis of Lifetime Data
PHP 2605 Generalized Linear Models
PHP 2620 Statistical Methods for Bioinformatics
PHP 2980: Graduate Independent Study & Thesis Research
PHP 2590: Design of Experiments
PHP 2670: Simulation Models for Public Health Decision Making
Epidemiology Electives:
PHP 2120 Introduction to Methods in Epidemiologic Research
PHP 2150 Foundation in Epidemiologic Research Methods
PHP 2200 Intermediate Epidemiologic Methods
Programming and Data Science Electives:
PHP 2561 Methods in Informatics and Data Science for Health
CSCI 1420 Machine Learning
CSCI 1470 Deep Learning
CSCI 1570 Design and Analysis of Algorithms
CSCI 1810 Computational and Molecular Biology
CSCI 1820 Algorithmic Foundations in Computational Biology
For a full list of classes that the Department of Biostatistics offers please visit our Courses page.
Thesis/Project
The requirements for the Sc.M. program include the coursework listed above PLUS a Master’s thesis or project. Students may choose to do their thesis for credit using PHP 2980 as one of their electives or may choose to do the thesis without credit while using their 3 electives for coursework. It is also possible to use PHP2980 as an independent study unrelated to the thesis.
All students in the program will be required to write a project/thesis on a topic in one of the following areas: development of a new analytic method, detailed study of an existing method or comparison of performance of different methods (e.g. simulation studies); development of new software packages for statistical programming including a published repository, documentation and vignettes; or review or synthesis of a new or emerging statistical methodology or application.
All projects and thesis will require a significant amount of work and a written document. A thesis must follow the Brown Graduate School Guidelines and be published in this manner. Projects allow for students to engage in work that is just as rigorous but is not sufficient for submission for publication. For example, many students might be involved in preliminary analysis of clinical trials or other data which they are not allowed to publish at the time of the graduate school deadline. Or, the work may be a detailed analysis of data that forms part of a larger, publishable work.
Students should choose a thesis/project advisor from the Biostatistics faculty by the end of their first year. This advisor may also serve as the student’s academic advisor if both agree. In addition to a faculty advisor, the thesis/project requires one reader who will also sign off on the finished product. The reader does not need to be a Biostatistics faculty member, but could be an outside Brown faculty member, faculty from another institution, or a scientist with whom the student is working on the project/thesis. For example, the student might develop a project out of work being done through an internship at a hospital and might have the clinical supervisor serve as the reader.
Glimpse Into the First Semester
In the first semester, incoming students take three courses that set up a foundation inference, modeling, and programming. Check out what our current students are saying about these courses below!
PHP 2515: Fundamentals of Probability & Statistical Inference
This course provides an introduction to probability theory, mathematical statistics and their application to biostatistics with an emphasis on the mathematical and probabilistic concepts that form the basis for statistical inference.
- "Fantastic foundational statistical inference course, be prepared to learn a lot!"
- "The structure of the course is well organized and the topics appropriately build upon each other. Problem sets had a perfect balance of challenging questions to reinforce concepts and force you to connect concepts across topics."
- "This course is an excellent choice for anyone interested in advancing their understanding of probability, statistics, and statistical inference. The concepts tackled are all very necessary in understanding statistics and its applications in various fields."'
PHP 2514: Applied Generalized Linear Models
This course provides a survey of generalized linear models (GLMs) for outcomes including continuous, binary, count, survival and correlated data. This course will work through the basic theories of GLMs. Emphasis will be on understanding the implications of this theory and the applications to solving real data problems.
- "This course is one of the most important courses I have taken in my academic career. It gave us training in important generalized linear models for health research, procedures for the analytical process (exploratory data analysis, model selection procedures, assumption checking, interpretation), and most importantly, taught us to be independent biostatisticians. I now feel ready and excited to take any dataset presented to me, generate my own research question, and answer it!"
- "This is an excellent course for anyone interested in gaining hands-on experience in generalized linear models and their applications to solving problems in the real world."
PHP 2560: Statistical Programming in R
The flipped course introduces fundamental concepts of programming in R: data types, data cleaning and manipulation, visualization, loops, functions, running simulations, and creating web applications. This course will ask you to think in a computational manner by giving a peek under the hood of R, focusing on key building blocks,and developing good coding practices.
- "I can't say enough good things about the way this course was taught.... I really enjoyed that we had pre-class portions and instead spent class time applying the skills we learned. This is probably the most effective way to teach a programming class. I felt both challenged and supported in this class. Finally, the midterm and final projects were great opportunities to synthesize what we learned throughout the course. Overall, I'm really proud of the skills that I learned!"
- "I enjoyed the structure of the class as well as how the labs were both interesting, challenging, and allowed us to learn the programming language."
Individual Development Plan (IDP)
In response to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) notice NOT-OD-13-093 and the Brown University School of Public Health mandate regarding the use of Individual Development Plans (IDP), all students in the Department of Biostatistics, regardless of funding sources, are required to complete and submit, in consultation with their advisor, and IDP. Specifically:
- Incoming, matriculating students must complete an IDP, in consultation with their advisor, by the beginning of their second semester.
- All students must submit an updated IDP, in consultation with their advisor, on an annual basis.
The IDP is a valuable tool that gives students the opportunity to consider and address their short-term and long-term career goals. In order to achieve compliance with the IDP policy, please fill out the Individual Development Plan for Biostatistics, discuss with your advisor, and submit your completed form.
Director of the Master's Graduate Program in Biostatistics
Associate Director of the Master's Graduate Program in Biostatistics
Financial and Academic Support for Students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
The NextGen Scholars Program provides support to outstanding students and graduates of HBCUs to pursue a Master’s degree in biostatistics.
Online Master of Science in Biostatistics
A companion to Brown’s traditional Master’s in Biostatistics program, this fully online version brings a world-class education to a globally diverse student body while maintaining the same academic rigor and excellence of an Ivy League University. A flexible format delivered asynchronously gives working professionals global access to graduate education from one of the country’s leading universities.
What our students/alumni are up to
Read all about our current Master’s Students!
Alitzel Serrano Laguna, Sc.M '24
A NextGen Scholar and second year Sc.M student in Biostatistics. Alitzel grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and moved to Jackson, Mississippi to attend Tougaloo College for her undergraduate studies. Alitzel has been working on her thesis with Jon Steingrimsson on the joint modeling of longitudinal and survival data with applications to liver cirrhosis and lung cancer... Continue reading
Hannah Eglinton, Sc.M '24
A second year Sc.M student in Biostatistics. Hannah grew up in Portland, Maine and moved to Minnesota to attend Carleton College. As an undergraduate, she studied biology and mathematics, and completed a capstone project on CAR T-cell therapy ... Continue reading
Han Ji, Sc.M '24
A second year Sc.M student in Biostatistics. Han grew up in Wuhan, China and moved to California to attend the University of California in Santa Barbara. As an undergraduate, he studied biological sciences and statistics and graduated with the Rama Thogarati Award ... Continue reading
Yiwen Liang, Sc.M '24
A second year Sc.M student in Biostatistics. Yiwen grew up in Beijing, China and moved to Ohio to attend Ohio State University. As an undergraduate, she studied actuarial science before switching to statistics... Continue reading
Brown Biostatistics graduate outcomes from 2019 to 2023. We had 59 graduates respond to our exit survey. 100% of the respondents are either pursuing a higher education degree or are employed in various sectors!
Thomas Arnold
Master's entered 2023
Title: Loss of control eating in relation to blood pressure among adolescent girls with elevated anxiety at-risk for excess weight gain
Abstract: Loss of control (LOC)-eating, excess weight, and anxiety are robustly linked, and are independently associated with markers of... Continue Reading
Han Ji
Master's entered 2022
Title: causalBETA: An R Package for Bayesian Semiparametric Causal Inference with Event-Time Outcomes
Abstract: Observational studies are often conducted to estimate causal effects of treatments or exposures on event-time outcomes... Continue Reading