Since the inception of the program in 1955, the Group in Biostatistics has produced 88 Ph.D. graduates. A number of these people have gone on to teaching careers at colleges and universities, both here in the US and internationally. The demand for biostatisticians with advanced training is high, particularly for those seeking teaching and research careers. A PhD degree in Biostatistics requires a program of courses selected from biostatistics, statistics, and biology, a qualifying examination and preparation of a dissertation.
Courses cover traditional topics as well as recent advances in biostatistics and in statistics.
Since there are no unit or course requirements for the Ph.D., a program of courses appropriate to a student's background and interests may be developed. This practice does not prolong the time to the doctorate since the first two years of both the MA and Ph.D. programs for students coming from the baccalaureate are identical. The committee for the qualifying examination consists of four faculty members with at least one from Public Health, at least one from Statistics, and at least one drawn from outside the Group in Biostatistics. Examinees are expected to demonstrate a broad and deep understanding extending beyond Biostatistics and Statistics to at least one additional subject area. Although the examination is based on the student's question list, it is understood that committee members are free to move into areas not included on the question list if they so desire.