College of Public Health UP

Applicants for admission to the program, aside from fulfilling the general admission requirements of the graduate school, must have an adequate background in the biological and physical sciences and must have taken the following courses: differential and integral calculus (Math 54 or 102 or their equivalents) and elementary statistics (Biostatistics 201 and 202 or their equivalents). Students who have not taken the above courses may still be admitted to the program provided they pass Biostatistics 230 (Qualitative Methods in Biometry), Biostatistics 201 (Fundamentals of Biostatistics I) and Biostatistics 202 (Fundamentals of Biostatistics II). However, these three courses will not be credited to their program of study.

Rationale and Objectives

Over a decade or so, there has been an increasing demand for competent biostatisticians who have both the strong biological background as well as the statistical facility to appreciate, analyze and interpret biomedical and public health problems.

It is important to note that there is at present no formal course of study in the country providing for the requisite collaborative blending of the two skills. Existing graduate and training programs on statistics are oriented towards economics, marketing and consumer research and agriculture, but none in the field of medical and life sciences.

The MS Public Health (Biostatistics) program is a positive response of the College of Public Health to this exigency. Its curriculum was devised to ensure that after the students have gone through the program, they would be able to:

Demonstrate skills in the application of statistical technique to public health and medical data
Plan and undertake biomedical and public health-related research projects
Deliver statistical technical services to public health and medical practitioners and researchers

Opportunities for the Graduates of the Program

The opportunities awaiting the graduates of the program are numerous. They are needed practically by all institutions engaged in medical, biological and public health research as well as in teaching and statistical consultancy services. Specifically, biostatisticians are in demand in schools of medicine, public health, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing and the allied professions, medical research centers, pharmaceutical establishments and government and public agencies.

Graduation Requirements

1. Residency of at least 1 full academic year immediately prior to the granting of the degree.

2. Completion of a minimum of 42 units (Plan A or Plan B mode).

3. Satisfactory completion of a master’s thesis for Plan A or passed the comprehensive examination for Plan B program of study.

4. GWA of 2.00 or better in all courses taken and in major courses, provided there is no grade of 5.00 in any of the courses taken.

Curriculum

Core Course		Units
Epi 201	Principles of Epidemiology	3
Required Courses
Biostat 206	Research Methods I	2
Biostat 206.1	Research Methods II	2
Biostat 209	Experimental Designs	2
Biostat 211	Computer Applications in Biostatistics	3
Biostat 212	Sample Surveys	2
Biostat 213	Applied Regression Analysis¹	2
Biostat 214	Applied Multivariate Analysis¹	2
Biostat 231	Introduction to Probability Theory	3
Biostat 232	Introduction to Statistical Theory	3
Biostat 297	Seminars	1
Epi 202	Statistical Methods in Epidemiology	2
Biostat 300	Thesis²	6
Biostat 299	Special Studies and Research³	3
Practicum⁴
Biostat 292	Practicum in Statistical Consulting	2
Biostat 293	Practicum in Teaching of Biostatistics	2
Electives
Biostat 203	Demographic and Vital Statistics	2
Biostat 205	Statistical Methods in Bioassay	2
Biostat 207	Non-Parametric Procedures in Biometric Research	2
Biostat 210	Categorical Data Analysis	2
Biostat 215	Survival Analysis	2
Biostat 294	Specialized Methods in Biostatistics	2
Epi 203	Communicable Disease Control	2
Epi 204	Study Designs in Epidemiology	2
Epi 205	Evaluation Research	2
Epi 206	Epidemiology of Non-Communicable Diseases	2

Breakdown of Course Requirements for Graduation

Plan A	Core and Required Formal Courses	26 units
	Practicum	2 units
	Biostatistics/Epidemiology Electives	4 units
	Cognates	4 units
	Thesis	6 units

Plan B	Core and Required Formal Courses	26 units
	Practicum	2 units
	Biostatistics/Epidemiology Electives	7 units
	Cognates	4 units
	Special Studies	6 units
Total		42 units

^{^[}^{^1]} These courses may be substituted with Biostat 234 (introduction to Generalized Linear Theory) and Biostat 235 (Introduction to Theories of Multivariate Analysis) for those who would be interested in a career in the academe.

^{^[2]}For those pursuing Plan A (with thesis)

^{^[3]}For those pursuing Plan B (w/o thesis)

^{^[4]} A student may choose either one of these two courses

75th Anniversary