COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES
Biostatistics
MPH Handbook 2016-2017
MPH Biostatistics Option
Student Handbook
2016-2017
Table of Contents
Introduction to the College of Public Health and Human Sciences and
the Biostatistics Option 3-4
Biostatistics Specific Requirements
A. Option Competencies 4-5
B. Degree Requirements 5
C. Suggested Course Sequence 5-6
D. Program of Study 6-7
E. Field Experience 7-8
F. Minimum Standards for Internship 8-9
G. Culminating Experience - Oral Exam 9-10
Contact Information 10
Forms
A. MPH Student Advising Sheet 11
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Welcome to the College of Public Health and Human Sciences. Built on a
strong foundation of public health biostatistics, epidemiology, social and
behavioral sciences, health policy and management, and environmental
health sciences the College takes a holistic approach to disease prevention
and health promotion.
Our College Vision
To ensure lifelong health and well-being for every person, every family,
every community.
Our College Mission
Inspired by our mission as a leading land-grant university, we create
synergy in teaching, research and outreach to develop the next generation
of globally minded public health and human sciences professionals. Through
interdisciplinary research and innovative curricula, we advance knowledge,
policies and practices that improve population health in communities across
Oregon and beyond.
Our College Values
We share the values that guide Oregon State University: Accountability,
Diversity, Respect, Responsibility and Truth. To these values, we add our
dedication to:
Health: We are committed to advancing lifelong health and well-being
for all.
Care and Compassion: With compassion and understanding, we
commit to caring for ourselves and others.
Innovation: We embrace innovative approaches to addressing
challenges and opportunities.
Continuous Improvement: We continually strive toward high
standards by optimizing individual and collective strengths.
Cooperation and Collaboration: We promote a collegial learning and
work environment that encourages cooperation, collaboration and
active participation.
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The Biostatistics option will train students in statistics applied to public
health and healthcare settings. Graduates will be able to work in health
departments, medical schools, nongovernmental agencies, and CDC and
WHO field programs.
IMPORTANT: In addition to this handbook, MPH students must reference
the MPH Student General Handbook for information pertaining to policies
which apply to ALL students.
GRADUATE SCHOOL: As an MPH student, you must also follow the
guidelines and policies of OSUs Graduate School. You will obtain your
program of study form from the Graduate School. Additionally, the Graduate
School offers many activities and enrichment opportunities to further your
professional development. (http://gradschool.oregonstate.edu/)
Biostatistics Specific Requirements
The Biostatistics program trains students in statistics applied to public health
and healthcare settings. Graduates will be able to work in health
departments, medical schools, nongovernmental agencies, CDC and WHO
field programs, and pharmaceutical companies. This program serves as a
basis for doctoral training in statistics or biostatistics.
Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree in any field from an
accredited college or university with minimum required GPA of 3.0.
Biostatistics applicants must have successfully completed a calculus
sequence including differential and integral calculus, infinite series and
sequences, and vector calculus. Students who have not successfully
completed requisite coursework prior to admission will be required to take
prerequisite coursework during their first year.
A. Option Competencies
Upon satisfactory completion of the MPH Biostatistics, students should be
able to:
1. Describe the roles biostatistics serves in the discipline of public
health.
2. Describe basic concepts of probability, random variation and
commonly used statistical probability distributions.
3. Describe preferred methodological alternatives to commonly used
statistical methods when assumptions are not met.
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4. Distinguish among the different measurement scales and the
implications for selection of statistical methods to be used based on
these distinctions.
5. Apply descriptive and graphical techniques commonly used to
summarize public health data.
6. Apply common statistical methods for inference.
7. Apply descriptive and basic inferential methodologies according to
the type of study design for answering a particular research
question.
8. Interpret results of statistical analyses found in public health
studies.
9. Develop written and oral presentations based on statistical analyses
for both public health professionals and educated lay audiences.
B. Degree Requirements
To complete the MPH degree in the Biostatistics option, students must have
a total of at least 61 approved credit hours and successfully complete a final
oral exam. These credits include:
Public Health Core Courses 17
Required Option Courses 25
Electives 13
Field Experience (Internship) 6
C. Suggested Course Sequence
Course Title Recommende Credit
# d
Sequence
Public Health Required Core Courses 17
H 512 Introduction to Environmental & Occupational Fall / Yr 1 3
Health Sciences
H 524 Introduction to Biostatistics Fall / Yr 1 4
H 525 Principles of Epidemiology Fall / Yr 1 4
H 533 Health Systems Organization Spring / Yr 1 3
or Fall / Yr 2
H 571 Principles of Health Behavior Fall / Yr 2 3
Required Option Courses 25
H 526 Epidemiologic Methods Winter / Yr 1 3
H 580 Linear Regression and Analysis of Time to Event Winter / Yr 1 4
Data
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H 581 Generalized Linear Models and Categorical Data Spring / Yr 1 4
Analysis
H 582 Analysis of Correlated Health Data Fall / Yr 2 3
H 584 Analysis of Intervention Studies and Clinical Winter / Yr 1 3
Trials or 2
ST 521 Introduction to Mathematical Statistics Fall / Yr 1 or 4
2
ST 522 Introduction to Mathematical Statistics Winter / Yr 1 4
or 2
Electives select 13
Other graduate courses can also be selected as electives with the permission of
your advisor and the track coordinator
H 547 GIS and Public Health 3
Applied Epidemiological Analysis of Secondary 3
H 551 Data
H 553 Applied Epidemiologic Methods 3
H 564 Computing Tools and Health Data Analysis 3
H 566 Data Mining in Public Health 3
H 573 Introduction to Multilevel/Hierarchical Models 3
H 578 Introduction to Molecular Epidemiology I 3
H 579 Molecular Epidemiology II 3
H 586 Bayesian Biostatistics in Public Health 3
H 587 Time to Event Analysis of Health Data 3
H 592 Spatial Epidemiology 3
ST 507 Seminar: Section 1 - Consulting Practicum Winter Yr 2 1
(Students must take Section 1)
ST 515 Design and Analysis of Planned Experiments 3
ST 531 Sampling Methods Fall Yr 2 3
ST 539 Survey Methods 3
H 651 Advanced Epidemiological Methods 3
H 652 Causal Inference in Epidemiology 3
Field Experience 6
H510 Internship (Field Experience) Yr 2 6
Final Oral Exam
Final Oral Exam Spring / Yr 2
D. Program of Study
As a graduate student, you must file a Program of Study with the Graduate
School. The program of study is developed under the guidance of the
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advisor. The form is available online in the Graduate School:
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/grad_school/forms.php.
By the end of your first term, meet with your advisor to discuss your chosen
area of focus and plan your elective courses to be taken in subsequent
terms. At least 15 weeks before your Final Oral Examination, complete your
entire program of study, and have it approved and signed by your advisor
and School Head before submitting to the Graduate School.
E. Field Experience (H510)
The field experience internship is a 200-hour professional internship where
knowledge from coursework is applied in a real-world setting. This is your
opportunity to apply your existing skills and learn new ones by working
within the field of biostatistics.
The MPH Internship Coordinator has a database that contains data on field
experience sites utilized by students. The database contains information
about different opportunities including: agency background information,
contact information, specialty option(s) served, and the number of students
placed each year.
The internship planning process is described in detail at:
http://health.oregonstate.edu/degrees/graduate/public-health/h510-mph-
internship.
Andy Chuinard is the MPH Internship Coordinator (Telephone: 541-737-4891
Email: Andrew.Chuinard@oregonstate.edu). You will work with him and your
advisor as you prepare for your internship.
MPH Program Minimum Standards for Internship
In addition to meeting the professional experience criteria, all MPH
internship experiences must meet the following:
Preceptor experience: Preceptor may not be program faculty member or
advisor. Preceptors must have public health credentials or appropriate
health related credentials and experience to provide appropriate
mentorship/supervision in your learning experience. All site preceptors
and sites will be assessed on a case by case basis.
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Competency-based: Internship must meet option and student-specified
competencies. Competencies and scope of the internship are pre-
approved by advisor and MPH Internship Coordinator. Competency
mastery is evaluated by both student and preceptor.
Community or population focus: Internship experience is a professional
experience within a public or private sector organization that can
influence workplace, community or population health.
Duration: Minimum of 200 practice hours (6 units)
F. Minimum Standards for Internship
In addition to meeting the MPH Program Minimum Standards for internships,
students in the Biostatistics option must meet the following requirements:
Students will have completed all or most of the required courses before
beginning an internship and have written consent from their faculty
advisor.
Students must complete an Application and Learning Contract, Advisor
Approval Form, Internship Coordinator Signature Form, Preceptor
Signature Form, and Request for To Be Arranged Course Form which
must be received by the MPH Internship Coordinator prior to the start of
internship.
As part of their internship applications, students work with the MPH
Internship Coordinator to:
develop appropriate learning competencies for the internship and
document them in the internship application,
describe how their area of emphasis, internship, and career objectives are
connected,
demonstrate that the placement is competency-based including
opportunities to develop option competencies, and
seek placements in public and/or private sector organizations with
qualified preceptors in the area of biostatistics.
Students must maintain an ongoing internship/organizational experience
journal, submit bi-weekly progress reports, a final summary of their work in
the practice setting, and an evaluation of the internship site. These reports
must be submitted to the MPH Internship Coordinator.
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Preceptors must evaluate the degree to which students accomplished the
stated individual and option learning competencies, using a Likert-scale
instrument provided in the MPH Student General Handbook. This evaluation
form must be submitted to the MPH Internship Coordinator.
G. Culminating Experience - Final Oral Exam
Upon completion of all required coursework and the internship experience,
all MPH students must schedule a final oral presentation. The students
Program of Study must be filed with the Graduate School, all required
coursework and the internship must be completed before taking the exam.
Students must receive approval to take the exam from their academic
advisors. All deviations from policy must be approved by the Program
Coordinator.
All Biostatistics MPH students are encouraged to attend the oral
presentations of their peers.
Purpose
The Graduate School at Oregon State University requires all students in a
graduate degree-seeking program to participate in a final oral examination.
The purpose of the oral examination is to provide students with an
opportunity to integrate their educational experiences and draw from
coursework and the internship to respond to substantive, methodological,
and theory-based questions. In conjunction with the internship, the exam is
designed to test the option competencies and to provide the student an
opportunity to assess their mastery of the competencies.
Committee
The exam committee will be comprised of three faculty members, including
the students advisor, a second member from the Biostatistics faculty, and a
third committee member from Biostatistics or other faculty of the College or
University. Students should discuss the procedure for creating committees
with their faculty advisor or the Program Coordinator.
Presentation/Oral Exam Format
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The student will give a 20-30 minute oral presentation of their internship
experience, which is open to the public and followed by questions from
audience members.
At the conclusion of the presentation all visitors will be asked to leave and
the oral examination will continue with only the committee members and the
student present. Questions will be on any aspect of the students MPH
training, including the internship, all coursework in the program of study,
and the option competencies.
The entire culminating experience will last approximately 2 hours.
Assigning Grade
Students will be assigned a pass or fail grade. A grade of pass means
that the student has responded to the exam questions satisfactorily. If the
student receives a grade of fail on the examination, faculty must provide
specific comments, feedback, and suggestions for improvement. Failure of
the examination may result in additional coursework, remedial assignments
or readings, prior to retaking the examination. Students will be allowed one
retake of the examination, which will include new questions and follow the
same procedures as above. The examination may be retaken no sooner than
10 weeks after the date of the failed exam. If the student fails the second
oral examination, the student will be terminated from the MPH program.
Contact Information
Biostatistics Faculty Coordinator
John Molitor, PhD
John.molitor@oregonstate.edu
541-737-3834
MPH Program Manager
Amanda Armington, MPH
Amanda.armington@oregonstate.edu
541-737-3825
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Biostatistics MPH Student Advising Sheet
Student Name ____________________________ Todays Date _______________
Term Matriculated________________ Expected Graduation __________________
Student ID ____________________ ONID e-mail __________________________
MPH Core Requirements (17) Credits Term Grade
H 512 Introduction to Environmental &
3
Occupational Health Sciences
H 524 Introduction to Biostatistics 4
H 525 Principles of Epidemiology 4
H 533 Health Systems Organization 3
H 571 Principles of Health Behavior 3
Option Required Courses (25) Credits Term Grade
H 526 Epidemiologic Methods 3
H 580 Linear Regression and Analysis of 4
Time to Event Data
H 581 Generalized Linear Models and 4
Categorical Data Analysis
H 582 Analysis of Correlated Health Data 3
H 584 Analysis of Intervention Studies and 3
Clinical Trials
ST 521 Introduction to Mathematical 4
Statistics
ST 522 Introduction to Mathematical 4
Statistics
Option Electives (13) Credits Term Grade
Field Experience (6) Credits Term Grade
H 510 Internship (Field Experience) 6
Total Credits__________
Please use the space below to note any special arrangements where course substitutes
have been approved:
