Biostatistics, M.S.

Overview

The Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology offers programs leading to the MS, PhD or MD/PhD degrees. These are research-based programs that provide outstanding interdisciplinary education and research opportunities.

Our 24 Primary Faculty and Adjunct Faculty have well-funded programs studying the molecular basis of genetic, bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases in projects that include control of gene expression, DNA replication and rearrangement, cell migration, signaling mechanisms, membrane biology and membrane trafficking pathways, structural biology and assembly of macromolecular complexes, and glycobiology.

The campus is well-equipped with Core Facilities to assist high-technology research, and all departments as well as Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation have active seminar programs. Seminars allow students the opportunity to meet distinguished visiting scientists from academic, technological and government institutions all over the country as well as international speakers.

MS Program

Our Master of Science program is designed to qualify graduates for jobs as lab managers or research managers in academic research or biotechnology companies. The program is very flexible and course work is determined by the student's previous experience and career aspirations. The program is thesis-driven, with emphasis on research experimental planning and interpretation of results.

Students who wish to enter the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Program directly can apply through the Recruitment and Admissions web page.

Areas of Specialization

Specific areas include studying the molecular basis of genetic, bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases in projects that include control of gene expression, DNA replication and rearrangement, cell migration, signaling mechanisms, membrane biology and membrane trafficking pathways, structural biology and assembly of macromolecular complexes, and glycobiology.

Career Opportunities

Our research-intensive PhD program prepares students for successful careers as independent scientists and team leaders in academic research, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, health and biomedical science management or teaching.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they are enrolled in the prescribed courses and to pay tuition and fees at the time designated by the Bursar's Office. Details regarding tuition/fee charges and collection are available from the Bursar's Office.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the general admission criteria outlined in the Graduate College and College of Public Health Bulletins, applicants to the Department must also meet the following criteria:

MASTER'S PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution (120 semester hours or equivalent, minimum).
2. A minimum 3.0 grade point average in the last 60 hours Admission with full standing to Masters degree programs requires an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 semester hours of upper division (Junior and Senior level) coursework. If at least 12 semester hours of graduate work have been taken, then the minimum GPA will be based on the graduate work. Up to 12 semester hours of work completed as a Special Student may be applied to the degree program after admission.
3. Proof of language proficiency for international applicants; TOEFL score of 88 or above.
4. Additional prerequisite requirements for the MS in Biostatistics include:
5. 1. Calculus and Analytic Geometry I. Topics covered include equations of straight line; conic sections; functions, limits and continuity; differentiation; maximum-minimum theory and curve sketching.
   2. Calculus and Analytic Geometry II. Integration and its applications; the calculus of transcendental functions; techniques of integration; and the introduction to differential equations.
   3. Calculus and Analytic Geometry III. Polar coordinates, parametric equations, sequences, infinite series, vector analysis.
   4. Calculus and Analytic Geometry IV. Vector calculus; functions of several variables; partial derivatives; gradients, extreme values and differentials of multivariate functions; multiple integrals; line and surface integrals.

APPLICATION PROCESS

All applicants who wish to apply for admission to the Master of Science or Doctoral degree programs in Biostatistics or Epidemiology must apply, submit, and pay the fees for two electronic applications:

1. Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS)
2. College of Public Health Supplemental Application.

A Complete Application to the OU College of Public Health Will Include:

Completed SOPHAS application (www.sophas.org) and payment of required fee. The following materials must be loaded into or received by SOPHAS:

Transcripts

• U.S. applicants
  SOPHAS requires a separate official transcript from every U.S. and Canadian institution attended.
• International applicants:
  International applicants are required to submit transcripts/mark sheets to the World Education Services (www.wes.org) for a course-by-course evaluation. Applicants should designate SOPHAS to receive the evaluation.

SOPHAS mailing address:
SOPHAS
P.O. Box 9111
Watertown, MA 02471

Career goal statement

This personal essay should be created in a word processing program and pasted into the online SOPHAS application. Complete instructions are within the SOPHAS application.

Current CV/ Résumé

The SOPHAS application allows applicants to upload the CV or résumé before electronically submitting the application. It is not possible to upload the resume to the SOPHAS application after e-submission of the application.

Recommendations

Three letters of academic or professional recommendation are preferable (personal references are not encouraged). Applicants will list recommenders’ contact information and SOPHAS will send the recommenders instructions concerning how to submit their recommendations electronically through an online SOPHAS recommenders’ portal. Recommendations must be submitted electronically.

International Applicants’ English Language Proficiency

International applicants are required to submit TOEFL scores to SOPHAS using the designation code #5688. Minimum acceptable TOEFL score for most programs is 88 IBT. IELTS or other language proficiency tests will not be accepted. Additional information about the TOEFL requirement is available at https://admissions.ouhsc.edu/Prospective-Students/International- Applicants/English-Proficiency-Requirement-TOEFL

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION AND FEE

All applicants to the OU College of Public Health are required to submit a supplemental application and fee. The supplemental application is available at: https://admissions.ouhsc.edu/.

Applicants must select the same program/s in the supplemental application as in the SOPHAS application. The fee for the supplemental application is $100 if the applicant selects two professional programs (MPH, MHA, DrPH, Certificate of Public Health). If the applicant selects one professional program and one graduate program (MS or PhD), the fee for the supplemental application is $175. If the applicant selects only graduate programs, the fee is $75.

Master of Science Degree Requirements

The Master of Science (MS) degree is a research oriented degree offered in the area of biostatistics or epidemiology. Requirements for admission are the same as for all MS degree programs in the Graduate College and are described elsewhere in this bulletin. Additionally, the department requires three letters of reference and a statement of career goals.

Graduation requirements include a minimum of 39 semester hours (for the MS in Biostatistics) or 40 semester hours (for the MS in Epidemiology), including no more than 4 semester hours credit for BSE 5980 Research for Master's Thesis .

The Outline of Graduate Work for the Master of Science in Biostatistics is as follows

Required courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
BSE 5001	Problems in Biostatistics and Epidemiology	1
BSE 5013	Application of Microcomputers to Data Analysis	3
BSE 5113	Principles of Epidemiology	3
BSE 5163	Biostatistical Methods I	3
BSE 5703	Principles of the Theory of Probability	3
BSE 5733	Principles of Mathematical Statistics I	3
BSE 5173	Biostatistics Methods II	3
BSE 5980	Research for Master's Thesis	4
BSE 5111	Scientific Integrity in Research	1

Elective Courses

• Epidemiology courses - 6 credit hours

• Applied Biostatistics courses above 5173 - 6 credit hours

• One non-BSE course - 3 credit hours (if needed)

Additional Degree Requirements

• Computer Literacy

• Basic knowledge of biomedical sciences

• Comprehensive exam

• Master's Thesis

Prerequisites

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• Grade point average of 3.0 or above calculated using the upper-division coursework of the bachelor’s degree.
• Proof of language proficiency for international applicants: TOEFL score of 88 or above for most programs. The MHA program requires a TOEFL score of 100 IBT.

Program Objectives

The Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology has two main objectives:

1. Teach the concepts of biostatistics and epidemiology essential to all students in the health sciences.
2. Educate master's and doctoral students specializing in the fields of biostatistics or epidemiology leading to master and doctoral degrees in biostatistics or epidemiology.
3. Although the department functions as a single administrative unit, it includes two distinct disciplines: biostatistics and epidemiology. A student may work toward a master's or doctoral degree in either discipline, depending on his or her interests and background. Each discipline has a different set of required courses; however, there is some flexibility in the program to allow each student to develop his or her strengths and interests through elective courses.