Health Analytics and Biostatistics, M.S.

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The M.S. program in Health Analysis and Biostatistics supports the vision of the School of Public Health and the University of Nevada, Reno. This program educates leaders who have rigorous health analysis and 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 - the challenges of big data analysis in public health and biomedicine. The Health Analysis and Biostatistics Master of Science is a popular degree as either a terminal degree or together with a doctorate degree in biology, computer science, or mathematics. The demand for health data analysis 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 20 full-time students. This program requires a minimum of 36 graduate credits with either thesis or professional project options.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

understand the basic concepts of modern statistical theory and their probabilistic foundation.
conduct statistical analysis using appropriate statistical methods and software.
critically evaluate new and existing statistical methodology.
demonstrate appropriate knowledge and communication skills to become an effective collaborator or consultant in modern interdisciplinary research.
interpret inferential findings based on statistical analysis results and write professional-level reports.

Contact Information

Keying Wen, Administrative Assistant
Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health Department
School of Public Health
(775) 682-6738
kwen@unr.edu

Dr. Minggen Lu, Graduate Director of Health Analytics and Biostatistics
School of Public Health
(775) 682-7102
minggenl@unr.edu

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.
Students who do not have an undergraduate degree from an accredited public health program must take the Basics of Public Health course (offered online by the School of Public Health, 0 credits) before starting the MS program.