The MSc Biostatistics Course-only option meets the needs of those who intend to pursue a PhD in biostatistics and those who plan to join the workforce after completing the MSc.
Students registered in this option require 5.0 FCE (equivalent to 10 half courses) to graduate. The program includes both mandatory (4.0 FCE) and elective (1.0 FCE) courses as outlined below.
Program Requirements
| Required Courses: (4.0 FCE) | FCE |
| CHL5004H: Introduction to Public Health Science | 0.5 |
| CHL5207Y: Laboratory in Statistical Design and Analysis | 1.0 |
| CHL5209H: Survival Analysis I | 0.5 |
| CHL5210H: Categorical Data Analysis | 0.5 |
| CHL5250H: Special Topics in Biostatistics | 0.5 |
|
Plus one of either: CHL5226H: Mathematical Foundations of Biostatistics |
0.5 |
|
Plus one of either: CHL5223H: Applied Bayesian Methods |
0.5 |
Elective Courses
Students in the MSc Biostatistics program must choose elective courses offered by the Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences. See list of acceptable electives below.
Note: With approval from the Program Director, students may enrol in courses from other departments (e.g. Statistical Sciences, Computer Science), but these courses will not count towards your MSc Biostatistics degree requirements.
| Elective Courses (1.0 FCE) | FCE |
| CHL5222H: Analysis of Correlated Data | 0.5 |
| CHL5224H: Modern Statistical Genetics | 0.5 |
| CHL5225H: Advanced Statistical Methods for Clinical Trials | 0.5 |
| CHL5227H: Introduction to Statistical Methods for Clinical Trials | 0.5 |
| CHL5228H: Statistical Methods for Genetics and Genomics | 0.5 |
| CHL5229H: Modern Biostatistics and Statistical Learning | 0.5 |
| CHL5230H: Applied Machine Learning for Health Data | 0.5 |
| CHL5231H: Statistical Foundations of Predictive Modelling in Biostatistics | 0.5 |
| CHL8010H: Special Topics: Statistical Analysis of Health Economic Data | 0.5 |
| CHL8010H: Special Topics: Statistical Analysis of Health Data from Complex Samples | 0.5 |
| CHL8010H: Special Topics: Statistical Models on Complex Human Genetic Diseases | 0.5 |
| CHL8010H: Special Topics: Introduction to Joint Modeling in Health Research | 0.5 |
| CHL8010H: Special Topics: Introduction to Machine Learning for Big Data in Healthcare | 0.5 |
| CHL8010H: Special Topics: Statistical Programming and Computation for Health Data | 0.5 |
| CHL8010H: Special Topics: Machine Learning Advances for Health Sciences Applications | 0.5 |
| CHL8010H: Special Topics: Applied Spatial Statistics for Public Health Data | 0.5 |
| CHL8010H: Special Topics: Data Wrangling | 0.5 |
| CHL8010H: Special Topics: Statistical Analysis of Health Economic Data | 0.5 |
| HAD7002H: Causal Inference | 0.5 |
Not all courses are offered every year. See PHS timetable for current offerings. Please note that the elective list is updated periodically. Approvals for new reading courses as electives should be sought from the Program Director.
The Practicum: CHL5207Y Laboratory in Statistical Design and Analysis
Format
This is a full year course with the following format: i) a weekly 2-hour lecture and ii) a 4-hour per week practicum. Weekly lectures focus on design issues in term 1 and analysis issues in term 2. The practicum occurs at the supervisor’s employment site. To that end, students will be encouraged to integrate themselves as much as possible into their practicum setting.
Objectives
The main goal of the lecture series is to introduce the student to common statistical design and analysis techniques encountered by the practicing biostatistician/data scientist. The main goal of the practicum is to provide the student with hands-on experience with design and analysis issues encountered by applied statisticians/data scientists in a real workforce setting. It also emphasizes the importance of good communication skills and other soft skills that are required by a biostatistician/data scientist to be effective in today’s work environment.
Practicum Sites
Participant practicum sites include:
- Baycrest Hospital
- Cancer Care Manitoba
- Cancer Care Ontario
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, U of T
- Dessa
- Hospital for Sick Children
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences
- Institute for Work and Health
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
- Public Health Ontario
- Roche Canada
- Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute
- St. Michael’s Hospital
- The Toronto General Hospital