Biostatistics (MS)

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Overview

The Master of Science in Biostatistics program will train students in biostatistical methods for study design, data analysis, and statistical reporting for scientific and lay audiences. This degree will train students in key areas including data management, statistical reasoning, the interpretation of numeric data for scientific inference in studies in medicine and public health, and the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with scientists and other public health stakeholders across disciplines. Graduates of the program are prepared to work as statisticians in a variety of professional environments including government, academic, healthcare, and industry. In addition, students receive training in preparation for quantitative doctoral programs in public health, such as biostatistics and epidemiology.

Students will have the opportunity to work with faculty on many public health problems. Examples include:

  • Problems of randomly timed biomarker measurements in Alzheimer’s disease cohort studies.
  • Selection bias due to delayed entry to cohort studies.
  • N-of-1 study design in Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Mixed-methods (qualitative/quantitative) community-engaged research focused on rigorous measurement.
  • Survey research for community-based interventions and health disparities research.
  • Implementation, evaluation, and enhancement of the infrastructure of community-engaged research
  • Resolution of high granularity measures of disease incidence and risk from person-generated data (social media, mobile tools, wearables, etc.)
  • Statistical (spatiotemporal) and machine learning methods for incorporating unstructured data in population disease modeling
  • Zero-inflated count models to understand the changes in count outcomes (e.g. substance use, smoking behaviors, sexual risk-taking) over time.
  • Time diary methodology to understand the temporal associations between daily behaviors, perceptions, of individual health.
  • Biological biomarkers of stress among young sexual minority men and the links between sexual minority stress and biological markers of stress.

Students are engaged in several active learning opportunities outside of their courses:

  • There is a journal club that meets bimonthly in which they select and present papers and lead discussion about the design and analytical issues in the papers.  
  • There are short-courses in computing and coding, such as in Stata and R.
  • There is a consulting laboratory in which students are mentored in providing statistical consulting.

A STEM-Designated Master's Degree

The Master of Science in Biostatistics program is classified as STEM-eligible, allowing international students on an F-1 visa to apply for two years of additional employment in the United States after graduation if they meet the required criteria. 

Admissions

All applications to MPH or MS programs at NYU GPH must be submitted through SOPHAS, the common application for schools and programs of public health.  You are required to select a single area of concentration when you apply, and we encourage you to research the different concentrations available to identify one which best aligns with your interests.

In general, the elements of a complete application include:

  • SOPHAS application form
  • Official transcripts from each institution attended (or an evaluation of your credentials if you graduated from a foreign institution)
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Personal statement
  • Resume/CV
  • English language proficiency exam results for all applicants whose native language is not English and who did not receive the equivalent of a US bachelor's degree at an institution where English is the primary language of instruction.