About the Program
The Specialization in Biostatistics is an interdisciplinary area of research linking statistics, biology, medicine, and health sciences. The specialization is intended to prepare a student for a career as a biostatistician in a health-related industry, or for a doctoral program in biostatistics.
The program is administered by a committee of representatives from the primary departments, which include the Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine at the University of Ottawa, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Carleton University and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Ottawa. Application is made to the primary department most appropriate to the student's research interests. The title of the degree will specify the discipline of the participating unit with specialization in biostatistics.
Academic Regulations
- See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.
Admission Requirements
- Honours B.Sc. with high honours standing (or the equivalent) in statistics and experience in the analysis of data. Students in this stream follow a program with an emphasis in clinical trial design or epidemiologic methodology.
- Students should normally apply for acceptance in the Specialization in Biostatistics at the same time as they apply for admission into the master's program in Mathematics. If accepted into the regular program, the student will then be considered by the program coordinators for admission into the Specialization.
- Students intending to apply for admission to the Specialization should normally contact prospective thesis supervisors before submitting the application and establish a thesis supervisor and research topic.
Program Requirements
Master's degree by thesis:
- 3.5 credits
- 0.5 credit in STAT 5902 (MAT 5992) Seminar in Biostatistics
- A thesis equivalent to 1.0 credit
Master's degree by course work:
- 4.5 credits
- 0.5 credit in STAT 5902 (MAT 5992) Seminar in Biostatistics
Unless prior approval by the Director of the collaborative program has been obtained, students in the M.Sc. Mathematics program should take EPI 5240, EPI 5241, EPI 6178, EPI 6278, STAT 5600 (MAT 5190) or STAT 5610 (MAT 5375), and STAT 5501 (MAT 5191) or STAT 5602 (MAT 5317). The remaining courses should be in Mathematics and Statistics at the graduate level. The degree awarded will in each case specify the discipline of the participating unit with Specialization in Biostatistics.
Most of the program requirements must be fulfilled in English. Students may write papers, submit theses and write examinations in both English and French.
Thesis
The thesis may contain new research in the area of mathematics and statistics or provide a review of the literature in one area. The thesis normally will be on statistics applied to health or biology; for example, the development of a new statistical procedure, the design of a new experiment or the analysis of data. The thesis should extend beyond the routine analysis of data. The supervisor and other members of the examination board may be drawn from faculty members in either epidemiology or mathematics and statistics or in other related departments.
Related Courses
Not all of the following courses are offered in a given year. For an up-to-date statement of course offerings and to determine the term of offering, visit central.carleton.ca. University of Ottawa course numbers (in parentheses, three letters followed by four numbers) follow the Carleton course number. Consult the relevant courses section for a full description of each course.
Biostatistics
STAT 5902 - Seminar in Biostatistics
Mathematics, Statistics
- MATH 5909 (MAT 7999)
- STAT 5501 (MAT 5191)
- STAT 5600 (MAT 5190)
- STAT 5602 (MAT 5317)
- STAT 5610 (MAT 5375)
- STAT 5902 (MAT 5992)
Epidemiology
- EPI 5240 Epidemiology I
- EPI 5241 Epidemiology II
- EPI 5330 Vital and Health Statistics
- EPI 6178 Clinical Trials
- EPI 6278 Advanced Clinical Trials
