Biostatisticians work in a variety of settings, including academia, pharmaceutical companies, research facilities, government organizations, hospitals, public health organizations, and other companies in the medical industry. Biostatisticians aid in the
testing of new drugs using data to determine risks and effectiveness, study various risk factors leading to disease, use data to look at links that could highlight causes or cures of disease, design and evaluate results of clinical trials, and work
with researchers to develop new procedures for improved health. The field of biostatistics is among the fastest growing in terms of job opportunities. In fact, there is a shortage of people with data analysis skills to work in academic and non-academic
institutions. Fortune magazine and monster.com have both repeatedly ranked statistics as one of the top ten graduate degrees based on salary, growth, and job satisfaction over the past ten years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that overall
employment of mathematicians and statisticians is projected to grow 30 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations.
The mission of the Biostatistics and Data Science Program within the Department of Biostatistics and Data Science within the School of Public and Population Health at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston is to prepare students to develop and apply data
analysis tools that drive biomedical research. Students will demonstrate competency or strong proficiency in theory, application, critical thinking, communication (verbal and written) and computing. These are learned skills that must be practiced
and reinforced in classrooms, labs, consulting experiences, and research rotations.
MS Biostatistics and Data Science Competencies
Our graduate program prepares students to:
- Demonstrate a broad understanding of current statistical theory, methods, and practices in the health sciences
- Effectively collaborate on a research team
- Develop statistical designs for health science investigators
- Write computer programs for the management and analysis of data sets
- Prepare reports and publications resulting from health science studies
- Effectively communicate key statistical principles to a non-statistical audience
Graduates of the MS in Biostatistics and Data Science program will have a skill set attractive to local, state, and federal government organizations as well as academic research and the pharmaceutical industry. An MS in Biostatistics and Data Science can also provide the foundation for
students who wish to pursue a PhD in biostatistics.