University General Course Catalog 2021-2022

Apr 19, 2024

University General Course Catalog 2021-2022 ARCHIVED CATALOG: LINKS AND CONTENT ARE OUT OF DATE. CHECK WITH YOUR ADVISOR.

Biostatistics, M.S.

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The M.S. program in Biostatistics supports the vision of the School of Public Health and the University of Nevada, Reno. This program educates leaders who have rigorous biostatistics training in the emerging research areas (i.e. bioinformatics, genetics, big data in medicine). In addition, this program trains students to solve the vital issues of our time - challenges of big data analysis in public health and biomedicine. The Biostatistics Master of Science is a popular degree as either a terminal degree or together with a doctorate degree in biology, computer science, or math. The demand for biostatisticians is steadily rising in public health organizations, government agencies, biotechnology companies, and pharmaceutical companies. The projected employment growth rate for statisticians in the United States from 2016 to 2026 is 33%. Research funding agencies such as National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) also recognize the important role of statisticians in biomedical research requiring rigorous experimental designs and sound statistical analysis plans in grant proposals.

This program will make it possible to educate future leaders in this emerging area. The projected enrollment in this program is 30 full-time students. This program requires a minimum of 36 graduate credits with either thesis or professional project options.

Contact Information

Kristen Clements-Nolle, Ph.D., M.P.H., Professor
(775) 682-7097
clements@unr.edu

Wei Yang, Ph.D., M.D., Professor
(775) 682-7094
weiyang@unr.edu

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Biostatistics, M.S. program, students will have:

A comprehensive understanding of the basic concepts of modern statistical theory and their probabilistic foundation.
The computational skills necessary to conduct statistical analysis using appropriate statistical methods and software.
The ability to critically evaluate new and existing statistical methodology.
The breadth of knowledge and communication skills necessary to become an effective collaborator and/or consultant in modern interdisciplinary research.
Professional-level preparation in writing reports and interpreting inferential findings based on the statistical analysis results.

Admission Requirements

Undergraduate GPA 3.0 and above.
Bachelor’s degree (e.g. B.A., B.S.) from an accredited institution.
GRE scores (optional): The GRE is NOT required for the MS Biostatistics program, but may be submitted if applicant believes it will strengthen their application. If test scores are submitted, they should be official scores from an exam taken within the past 5 years.
TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo Test Scores (required if education history is from a non-English Speaking Country). OFFICIAL TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test scores are required if your educational history is from a non-English speaking country. Minimum scores: TOEFL: 550 (paper) or 79 (internet); IELTS: 6.5 (academic version); Duolingo: 105.