Portland-State-University 2024-2025 Bulletin

Biostatistics MPH

The MPH Biostatistics program provides training for biostatistics methods as they apply to public health. Courses in this program emphasize intermediate to advanced applied statistical methods and statistical programming commonly used in public health research and practice, and program competencies highlight population-based study design, analytic methods, data interpretation, and communication. Epidemiological study design and methods are also an important component of the training provided by this program. Graduates of the program will be equipped to pursue careers in local, state and federal agencies, health and medical centers, and research institutions. 

Program Competencies

Students graduating from this program will be able to:

  • Apply appropriate principles of research design and population-based concepts to assess health problems;

  • Apply appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical methods to analyze risk determinants of disease and health conditions;
  • Apply descriptive and inferential statistical methods that are appropriate to the different study designs used in public health research;
  • Interpret and summarize results and communicate them to lay and professional audiences, in the context of proper public health principles and concepts;
  • Evaluate strengths and weaknesses of alternative research designs and analytic methods, and critically review and assess statistical analyses presented in public health literature.
  • Apply basic ethical principles pertaining to the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of public health data.
  • Identify cultural dimensions of conducting research, including culturally sensitive recruitment of study participants, and develop strategies for interpretation of data in the larger cultural context.

Core Required Coursework (22 Credits)

BSTA 511Estimation and Hypothesis Testing for Applied Biostatistics

4

Epi 512Epidemiology I

4

ESHH 511Concepts of Environmental Health

3

HSMP 574Health Systems Organization

3

PHE 512Principles of Health Behavior

3

Bsta 502Integrative Learning Experience and Paper

1

Bsta 509Integrative Learning Experience

4

ExamMPH Culminating Assessment

Pass

Program Required Coursework (28 credits)

UNI 504Qualitative Methods for Health Professionals

2

BSTA 512Linear Models

4

BSTA 513Categorical Data Analysis

4

BSTA 515Data Management & Analysis in SAS

3

BSTA 516Design and Analysis of Surveys

3

BSTA 519Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis

3

HSMP 573Values and Ethics in Health

3

Epi 513Epidemiology II

4

Epi 566Current Issues in Public Health

2

Elective courses from the following (10 credits)

BSTA 500Reading and Research in Biostatistics

1-3

BSTA 514Statistical Analysis of Time-to-Event Data

3

BSTA 517Statistical Methods in Clinical Trials

3

BSTA 521Bayesian Methods for Data Analysis

3

BSTA 522Statistical Learning and Data Science

3

BSTA 523Design and Analysis of Experimental Designs

3

BSTA 524Statistical Methods for Next Gen Sequencing

3

BSTA 526R programming for Health Data Science

3

BSTA 550Intro to Probability

3

BSTA 551Statistical Inference I

3

BSTA 552Statistical Inference II

3

Epi 514Epidemiology III

4

PHE 519Introduction to the Etiology of Disease

3

Total Credit Hours: 60

For more information and instructions on how to apply to the program visit the MPH in Biostatistics web page.