The Biostatistics concentration teaches you to apply statistical reasoning and methods to the analysis of public health, health care, and biomedical, clinical and population-based data.
You’ll apply descriptive and inferential methodologies to answer research questions and harness the concepts of probability, random variation and commonly used statistical probability distributions. You’ll learn to implement and interpret the appropriate analytic methods or methodological alternatives to calculate key measures of association in public health research studies.
Quick Links:
Key Skills
Professional Development
Degree Requirements and Full-Time Sequence
Biostatistics Requirements Checklist
Biostatistics Course Substitution Form
Key Skills
When you graduate with the Biostatistics concentration, you’ll be prepared to take on leadership roles in public health settings around the globe. You’ll stand out to employers with a skillset that has both breadth and depth, including the following competencies.
- Translate hypotheses and associated outcome measures into appropriate study designs;
- Implement statistical analysis plans based on the hypotheses, study design, and data features;
- Use statistical software proficiently for data management, manipulation, storage, resource sharing, and analysis;
- Communicate study results clearly and accurately in written responses and with effective data visualization methods;
- Understand and address the implications of structural racism and discrimination on study results and their potential to subvert the interpretation of data and have detrimental societal impact.
Professional Development
You will benefit from countless opportunities to build skills and experience to prepare you for successful careers in public health and biostatistics. There are many professional development opportunities available to you at NYU GPH, including internships, fellowships, employment, volunteer opportunities, professional association membership, and more.
Biostatistics Course Checklist
The Biostatistics checklist outlines the requirements for the concentration, as well as which core and concentration courses have pre-requisites. Use this tool as you move along in the program to help keep track of the courses you’ve taken, as well as what’s up next.
All students in the Biostatistics concentration take the following courses (18 credits).
GPH-GU 2030 Introduction to Global Health (2) [F, S]
GPH-GU 2106 Epidemiology (3) [F, S]
GPH-GU 2110 Health Care Policy (2) [F, S, Su]
GPH-GU 2112 Public Health Management and Leadership (2) [F, S, Su]
GPH-GU 2140 Global Issues in Social and Behavioral Health (3) [F, S]
GPH-GU 2153 Global Environmental Health (3) [F, S, Su]
GPH-GU 2995 Biostatistics for Public Health (3) [F, S, Su]
GPH-GU 5171 Global Health Informatics Workshop (0) [F]
GPH-GU 5170 Introduction to Public Health (0) [F, S]
All students in the Biostatistics concentration must take the following courses (6 credits):
GPH-GU 2353 Regression I: Linear Regression and Modeling (3) [F, S]
GPH-GU 2354 Regression II: Categorical Data Analysis (3) [F]
Selective courses (9) students choose from each of the following sets of courses below. Please note that you may take the other course as an elective.
Choose one of the following:
GPH-GU 2286 Introduction to Data Management and Statistical Computing (3) [F]
GPH-GU 2182 Statistical Programming in R (3) [F]
Choose one of the following:
GPH-GU 2225 Psychometric Measurement & Analysis in Public Health Research & Practice (3) [S, Su]
GPH-GU 2387 Survey Design, Analysis, and Reporting (3) [F]
Choose one of the following:
GPH-GU 2480 Longitudinal Analysis of Public Health Data (3) [S]
GPH-GU 2368 Applied Survival Analysis (3) [S]
All students in the Biostatistics concentration must take 9 credits of electives as follows (additional electives may be taken pending approval by the Chair; see below this list for instructions on how to enroll in non-GPH courses):
Group A Electives: Methods (choose 3 credits)
GPH-GU 3152/5152 Advanced Agent-Based Modeling (3) [S]
CUSP-GX 6002 Big Data Management and Analysis (3)
GPH-GU 2235 Biostatistical Consulting (3) [S]
GPH-GU 2336 Critical Reading of the Biostatistical Literature (3) [S]
CUSP-GX 6004 Data Driven Methods for Policy (3)
APSTA-GE 2331 Data Science for Social Impact (3)
GPH-GU 2380 Data-Driven Decision-Making in Global Public Health (3) [F]
GPH-GU 2930 Epidemiology Design and Methods (3) [F]
URPL-GP 2618 Geographic Systems & Analysis (3)
GPH-GU 2244 Health Care Management Science (3) [S]
GPH-GU 2126 Healthcare Claims Data Analysis (3) [S]
GPH-GU 2324 Infectious Disease Epidemiology (3) [varies]
GPH-GU 2450 Intermediate Epidemiology (3) [S]
GPH-GU 2184 Intermediate Statistical Programming in R (2) [J, S]
GPH-GU 2152 Introduction to Agent-Based Modeling (3) [F]
GPH-GU 2286 Introduction to Data Management & Statistical Computing (3)
GPH-GU 2183 Introduction to Statistical Programming in R (2) [F]
APSTA-GE 2110 Large Databases in Applied Research (3)
GPH-GU 2274 Outbreak Epidemiology Re-Emerging and Emerging Infectious Disease (3) [varies]
DS-GA 1007 Programming for Data Science (3)
GPH-GU 2160 Qualitative and Field Methods (3) [F]
GPH-GU 2361/5361 Research Methods in Public Health (3) [F, S]
GPH-GU 2022 SAS for Beginners: Data Management and Exploration (1)
ECE-GY 9343 SEL TOP: TELECOM NETWORK (3)
GPH-GU 2182 Statistical Programming in R (3) [F]
GPH-GU 2105 Thinking Critically and Ethically in Public Health (1.5) [F, S]
BI-GY 7633 Transcriptomics (3)
* as of Fall 2022, this course replaces GPH-GU 2510 Special Topics: Healthcare Claims Data Analysis (3)
Group B Electives: Statistics (choose 6 credits)
GPH-GU 3152/5152 Advanced Agent-Based Modeling (3) [S]
PHDSW-GS 3070 Advanced Structural Equation Modeling (3) (pre-req: PHDSW-GS 3069)
GPH-GU 2372 Applied Bayesian Analysis in Public Health (3) [F]
GPH-GU 2368 Applied Survival Analysis (3) [S]
APSTA-GE 2015 Applied Spatial Statistics (2)
GPH-GU 2363 Causal Inference: Design and Analysis (3) [F]
APSTA-GE 2012 Causal Inference (3) (pre-req or co-req: GPH-GU 2354 Regression II)
CS-GY 6953 Deep Learning (3) - same course as ECE-GY 7123
ECE-GY 7123 Deep Learning (3) - same course as CS-GY 6953
GPH-GU 2126 Healthcare Claims Data Analysis (3) [S]
GPH-GU 2480 Longitudinal Analysis of Public Health Data (3) [S]
DS-GA 1003 Machine Learning (3) - (must take GPH-GU 2338 first)
GPH-GU 2338 Machine Learning in Public Health (3) [S]
APSTA-GE 2013 Missing Data (2)
APSTA-GE 2094 Modern Approaches in Measurement (3)
DS-GA 1011 Natural Language Processing with Representation Learning (3)
GPH-GU 2225 Psychometric Measurement & Analysis in Public Health Research & Practice (3) [F, Su]
DS-GA 1018 Probabilistic Time Series Analysis (3)
GPH-GU 2512 Special Topics: Applied Spatial Statistics in Public Health (1) [varies]
APSTA-GE 2014 Stats Analysis of Networks (3)
GPH-GU 3225 Statistical Inference (3) [F]
PHDSW-GS 3069 Structural Equation Modeling (3)
GPH-GU 2387 Survey Design, Analysis, and Reporting (3) [F]
DS-GA 1015 Text as Data (3)
BI-GY 7633 Transcriptomics (3)
Non-GPH Course enrollment
- For Steinhardt courses (APSTA-GE), look in the specific course's Notes section in Albert and there should be instructions on how to enroll or request a code to enroll. If there are no notes and you're unable to enroll, please reach out to steinhardt.a3sr@nyu.edu.
- For Center for Data Science & Progress courses (CUSP-GX), please reach out to cusp.education@nyu.edu.
- For Data Science courses (DS-GA), please reach out to Tina Lam at tina.lam@nyu.edu.
- For Tandon courses (ECE-GY, CS-GY, and BI-GY), please reach out to Prof. Xiao-Kang Chen at xkchen@nyu.edu.
The culminating experience for students in the Biostatistics concentration consists of:
1) a minimum of 180 hours of a practice experience, completed prior to Thesis I, and;
2) a two-semester MPH thesis.
GPH-GU 2686 Thesis I: Practice and Integrative Learning Experiences (2) [F]
GPH-GU 2687 Thesis II: Practice and Integrative Learning Experiences (2) [S]
Year 1:
Fall semester (12 credits)
GPH-GU 2106 Epidemiology (3)
GPH-GU 2995 Biostatistics for Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 2140 Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health (3)
GPH-GU 2286 Introduction to Data Management and Statistical Computing (3) - OR - GPH-GU 2182 Statistical Programming in R (3)
GPH-GU 5171 Global Health Informatics Workshop (0)
GPH-GU 5170 Introduction to Public Health (0)
Spring semester (11-12 credits)
GPH-GU 2110 Health Care Policy (2)
GPH-GU 2112 Public Health Management & Leadership (2)
GPH-GU 2030 Introduction to Global Health (2)
GPH-GU 2353 Regression I: Linear Regression and Modeling (3)
GPH-GU 2153 Global Environmental Health (3)
Year 2:
Fall semester (11 credits)
GPH-GU 2686 Thesis I: Practice and Integrative Learning Experiences (2)
GPH-GU 2354 Regression II: Categorical Data Analysis (3)
GPH-GU 2387 Survey Design, Analysis, and Reporting (3) - OR - GPH-GU 2225 Psychometric Measurement & Analysis in Public Health Research & Practice (3)
Group A Elective (3)*
Spring semester (11 credits)
GPH-GU 2687 Thesis II: Practice and Integrative Learning Experiences (2)
GPH-GU 2480 Longitudinal Analysis of Public Health Data (3) - OR - GPH-GU 2368 Applied Survival Analysis (3)
Group B Elective (2-3)*
Group B Elective (2-3)*
Group B Elective (2-3)*
*NOTE: students may take a Group A or B elective in either semester; Group A does not need to be taken in the Fall.
Year 1:
Fall Semester (6 credits)
GPH-GU 2106 Epidemiology (3)
GPH-GU 2995 Biostatistics for Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 5171 Global Health Informatics Workshop (0)
GPH-GU 5170 Introduction to Public Health (0)
Spring Semester (6 credits)
GPH-GU 2153 Global Environmental Health (3)
GPH-GU 2353 Regression I: Linear Regression and Modeling (3)
Year 2:
Fall Semester (6 credits)
GPH-GU 2286 Introduction to Data Management and Statistical Computing (3) -OR- GPH-GU 2182 Statistical Programming in R (3)
GPH-GU 2354 Regression II: Categorical Data Analysis (3)
Spring Semester (6 credits)
GPH-GU2480 Longitudinal Analysis of Public Health (3) -OR- GPH-GU 23568 Applied Survival Analysis (3)
Group A elective (3)
Year 3:
Fall Semester (6 credits)
GPH-GU 2140 Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health (3)
GPH-GU 2387 Survey Design, Analysis, and Report (3) -OR- GPH-GU 2225 Psychometric Measurement & Analysis in Public Health Research & Practice (3)
Spring Semester (6 credits)
GPH-GU 2110 Health Care Policy (2)
GPH-GU 2112 Public Health Management & Leadership (2)
GPH-GU 2030 Global Health (2)
Year 4:
Fall Semester (5 credits)
GPH-GU 2686 Thesis I: Practice and Integrative Learning Experiences (2)
Group B elective (1-3)
Spring Semester (4-6 credits)
GPH-GU 2687 Thesis II: Practice and Integrative Learning Experiences (2)
Group B elective (1-3)
Group B elective (1-3)