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4   THE MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAMS

The primary Master's degree offered by the Department is a two-year Master of Science (SM). Students with a Master's degree in one of the mathematical sciences or a doctorate in a quantitative field, and with sufficient prior statistical training may qualify for the one-year SM program. Ph.D. students effectively complete the requirements for a Master's degree as they move toward the Ph.D. The Master of Arts (AM) degree may be granted when these requirements are fulfilled (see Section 3.5).

4.1   Admissions Procedures and Requirements

4.1.1   Harvard School of Public Health Requirements

Application for admission to the SM program can be obtained from the Admissions Office, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-6028. Applications are available online on the Admissions Office website (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/administrative-offices/admissions/application-information/). For information on general requirements for admission, see the Harvard School of Public Health Catalog (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/register/) or contact the Admissions Office by phone (617/432-1031) or through their website (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/administrative-offices/admissions/).

4.1.2   Departmental Requirements

All candidates for admission to the SM programs should have successfully completed calculus through multivariable integration and one semester of linear algebra. Knowledge of a programming language is also required. Evidence that these requirements have been fulfilled should form part of the application. In addition, applicants are encouraged to have completed courses in probability, statistics, advanced calculus, and numerical analysis. Practical knowledge of a statistical computing package such as SAS, Splus, R, Stata, or SPSS is also desirable. From time to time the Department will admit students to the SM program without this level of preparation with the understanding that the student will promptly make up any deficiencies, usually by taking additional courses prior to entering the program.

4.2   Advising and Degree Program Approval

4.2.1   Academic Advisor

The Department has a Student Advising Committee which provides guidance and assistance to students. In addition, all entering students are assigned an academic advisor to help plan course loads and explain Departmental requirements. At the earliest possible date, the student and the academic advisor will work out a program of study. Should a student wish to change his/her academic advisor, he or she is encouraged to discuss this with the Director of Graduate Studies. In addition, the Department and HSPH provide services for all students with clinically documented learning and/or physical disabilities.

4.2.2   Departmental Approval of Program

The prospective Master's program plan should be developed by the student and his/her advisor early in the first semester, and submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies for approval. The final Master's program plan must be submitted to the Department for approval, using the Master's Degree Program form provided by the Department. The final program must be approved by the student's faculty advisor, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Department Chair. This plan should be submitted at least one semester prior to the expected graduation date. Courses from the Master's core selected by students in the one-year SM program should come from those at an intermediate or advanced level.

4.3   Degree Requirements for the Two-Year SM in Biostatistics

The Master of Science programs in Biostatistics train students in the following areas: (l) statistical theory; (2) the use of statistical methods in formulating problems, planning studies, conducting analyses, and writing reports; (3) the interpretation of numeric data for scientific inference; and (4) the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with scientists in related disciplines. A detailed presentation of HSPH's regulations for Master's students is found at http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/admissions/registrar/files/handbook.pdf. All Master's students and their advisors should make sure that HSPH and Departmental requirements are met according to schedule.

4.3.1   Course Requirements

A total of 80 credits are required for a two-year SM degree. The School of Public Health requires that these include EPI 200 or 201 (201 preferred). Fifty credits of ordinally graded courses from the Master's core must be taken. The Master's core includes:

BIO 210 The Analysis of Rates and Proportions
BIO 211 Regression and Analysis of Variance in Experimental Research
BIO 213 Applied Regression for Clinical Research
BIO 214 Principles of Clinical Trials
BIO 222 Basics of Statistical Inference
BIO 223 Applied Survival Analysis and Discrete Data Analysis
BIO 226 Applied Longitudinal Analysis
BIO 230 Probability Theory and Applications I
BIO 231 Statistical Inference I
BIO 232 Methods I
BIO 233 Methods II
BIO 235 Regression and Analysis of Variance
BIO 243 Nonparametric Methods
BIO 244 Analysis of Failure Time Data
BIO 245 Analysis of Multivariate and Longitudinal Data
BIO 247 Design of Scientific Investigations
BIO 248 Advanced Statistical Computing
BIO 249 Bayesian Methods in Biostatistics   or   STAT 220   Bayesian Data Analysis
BIO 257 Advanced Statistical Genetics
BIO 271 Statistical Computing Environments (pass grade allowable)
BIO 277 Computational Biology   or   STAT 315   Computational Biology & Bioinformatics
BIO 290 Genomics & Genetics for Health Research
RDS 280 Decision Analysis for Health and Medical Practices
RDS 282 Cost-Effectiveness and Cost-Benefit Analysis for Health Program Evaluation
RDS 284 Decision Theory
RDS 285 Decision Analysis Methods in Public Health and Medicine

Other advanced courses in Biostatistics, including many of the special topics or Wintersession courses, and courses at MIT and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) that are offered at an advanced level, may also be acceptable. Students are advised to consult with the Director of Graduate Studies to check prior to enrolling in the courses in question.

4.3.2   Research Ethics Requirement

Students must satisfy a research ethics requirement by taking or attending (minimum of six lectures) RCR 2008 (Responsible Conduct of Research) during the first year in the program. Students who feel they have already completed an equivalent training program must submit adequate documentation to, and receive approval from, the Department during the first semester in residence.

4.4   Degree Requirements for the One-Year SM in Biostatistics

Students who have a Master's degree in one of the mathematical sciences or a doctorate in a quantitative field may be qualified for a one-year SM program. To be admitted, applicants must have a mathematical and statistical background sufficient to achieve a level of proficiency after one year of study comparable to that achieved by the two-year program. A total of 42.5 credits are required for the one-year SM degree. The School of Public Health requires that these include EPI 200 or 201 (201 preferred). In addition, a minimum of 25 credits of ordinally graded courses from the Master's core (see Section 4.3.1) must be taken. The courses selected should come from those at an intermediate or advanced level.

4.5   Satisfactory Progress Requirements

For students in the two-year SM program, a minimum of 60 ordinal credits is required. For students in the one-year SM program, a minimum of 30 ordinal credits is required. In addition, HSPH students must remain in good academic standing, must complete program requirements within the designated time to degree, and must maintain a cumulative average of 2.70 or above. All ordinal grades for courses used to satisfy Departmental requirements specified in Section 4.3.1 must be at the level of B- or higher.
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