PhD in Biostatistics

Degree Description and Learner Objectives

The Ph.D. program will produce biostatisticians who can develop a biostatistical methodology that can be utilized to solve problems in public health and the biomedical sciences. In addition, graduates of the Ph.D. program will be prepared to apply biostatistical and epidemiology methodology for the design and analysis of public health and biomedical research investigations. Finally, graduates of the Ph.D. program will be well suited to function as collaborators or team leaders on research projects in the biomedical and public health sciences.

The program requires competency in the theory of statistics and probability, in introductory and advanced biostatistical methods and theory, and in fundamentals of epidemiologic study design. The doctoral dissertation will be the culminating experience in the Ph.D. program. Graduates of the doctoral program will have written a doctoral dissertation that focuses on the development of a new methodology or on the innovative application of biostatistical methods to a health sciences research problem.

Graduates of the Ph.D. program will be in a position to:

• Demonstrate an increased level of knowledge and understanding of current statistical theory, methods, and practices in the health sciences.
• Develop new statistical methods.
• Design, manage data, analyze and interpret data from a variety of experimental and observational studies.
• Communicate research findings, including new statistical methods developed, effectively to various audiences in writing and through oral presentation.

The goals of the Ph.D. program are to train students in the application of appropriate statistical methods for diverse problems in medicine and public health and to provide a solid theoretical foundation for the development and investigation of new statistical methods. In addition to the formal statistical training, students will have adequate flexibility in choosing statistical and non-statistical electives to tailor their curriculum towards a specific application area such as genetics, epidemiology, or environmental health.

Graduates of the Ph.D. program in biostatistics will have:

• The ability to develop careers in academia, research institutes, government, and industry;
• A broad understanding of current statistical methods and practices in the health sciences;
• A solid theoretical training necessary for the development and study of new statistical methods;
• The ability to assume all responsibilities of a statistician in collaborative health science research; in particular, the graduate will have experience in the design, data management, analysis, and interpretation of a variety of experimental and observational studies;
• Experience in writing reports and giving oral presentations describing health science studies.

The founding of the College of Public Health blended new initiatives with long-established programs at the University of Iowa. The college’s roots originate in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health and the Graduate Program in Hospital and Health Administration, both formerly based in the UI College of Medicine. On July 1, 1999, these units were transitioned into the new College of Public Health. Today the college is composed of five departments: biostatistics, community and behavioral health, epidemiology, health management and policy, and occupational and environmental health.

The college builds on a rich tradition of public health teaching, research, and service that dates back to 1885 at the University of Iowa. Over the years, university entities such as the State Bacteriological Laboratory (now the University Hygienic Laboratory) and the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health helped to address many of the most pressing public health needs in Iowa, including the control of communicable diseases, the safety of water and milk supplies, the health and safety of farmers and others living in rural areas, surveillance of cancer and birth defects, and emergency sanitation needs.

The training of graduates for leadership roles in all types of health care settings also has been part of the university’s commitment to public health, a role fulfilled by the four health science colleges as well as specialty training programs like the Graduate Program in Hospital and Health Administration.

The College of Public Health provides an educational and research focus to the many public health efforts taking place at the university. Building on these traditions and forging new collaborative arrangements on campus and throughout Iowa, the College of Public Health seeks to become a leading state-supported school of public health and to promote global leadership in the area of rural public health.