Overview
The biostatistics coursework for this degree is offered by the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at OU Hudson College of Public Health. This degree is designed to prepare students for careers doing research or consulting for health agencies or medical institutions. This program will prepare the students for careers in health agencies and medical institutions, for consultation in the biomedical fields, and for biostatistics research. Students may seek to continue their studies at the Health Sciences Center by applying for admission to the Doctor of Philosophy program in Biostatistics.
The program is a modification of an existing Bachelor of Science in Mathematics degree program. It permits students entering the University as freshman to earn both a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and a Master of Science degree in Biostatistics within four to five years. This time period is one or more years shorter than the time normally required completing both degrees. The program is structured so that 24 credit hours of work can be applied to both degree programs. During the first three years, the students will take a variety of courses in the humanities, in the sciences that relate to biomedical science, and in mathematics. The 12 required courses in mathematics include calculus, linear algebra, probability theory, and other subjects that provide a foundation for the understanding and use of statistics. Approximately one and a half years of the program will be spent at the Health Sciences Center where the student will take specialized courses involving methods and applications of statistical analysis, data analysis, principles of epidemiology, and public health issues. A research project will culminate in a thesis.