AGENDA ITEM NO: 9.4 UNIVERSITY COUNCIL ACADEMIC PROGRAMS COMMITTEE REQUEST FOR DECISION PRESENTED BY: Gordon Hill, Chair, Academic Programs Committee DATE OF MEETING: June 18, 2009 SUBJECT: CGSR: Master of Science and PhD in Biostatistics DECISION REQUESTED: It is recommended: That Council approve the Master of Science and PhD programs in Biostatistics. PURPOSE: The Master’s and PhD programs are academic programs at the University of Saskatchewan. New fields of specialization in Master’s and PhD programs must be approved by University Council. SUMMARY The proposed program is a joint venture among three academic units: Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and the School of Public Health. It is a unique program intended to provide students with a broad base of knowledge from which to explore developments in statistical theory and the application of this theory in medical, biological, and agricultural research. The proposed MSc program is a two-year full-time program requiring completion of 15 credit units and a thesis. The proposed PhD program is a three-year full-time program requiring completion of 15 credit units, a qualifying and comprehensive examination and a dissertation,. Because this was a graduate program already reviewed by the College of Graduate Studies & Research, the Academic Programs Committee established two lead reviewers to review the proposal and present a report to the Committee. At its May 21 meeting following discussion with CGSR and the School of Public Health representatives, the Committee agreed to recommend approval to Council. ATTACHMENTS: Proposal documentation, memo and report from the College of Graduate Studies and Research, and reviewer reports. Proposal for a Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics at the University of Saskatchewan For submission to the College of Graduate Studies and Research April 23, 2009 Table of Contents Executive Summary 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 Common Program Information 1.1 Proposal Identification 1.2 Type of Change Rationale 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Background 2.3 Need for a Graduate Program in Biostatistics 2.4 Relationship between the Proposed Program and the Strategic Directions of the Departments and School 2.5 Uniqueness of the Program 2.6 Expertise and Organization of the Departments and School Program Characteristics 3.1 Curriculum Philosophy 3.2 Defining the Discipline with Respect to the Program 3.3 Student Learning Objectives 3.4 Evaluation 3.5 Admissions Process 3.5.1 MSc Program 3.5.2 PhD Program 3.6 Application Process 3.7 Draft Calendar Entry 3.8 Program Requirements 3.8.1 MSc Program 3.8.2 PhD Program 3.8.3 Graduate Seminar in Biostatistics 3.9 Description of Program of Study 3.9.1 MSc Program 3.9.2 PhD Program 3.10 Residency Requirements 3.11 Number of Student Admissions Resources 4.1 Core Faculty 4.2 Program Administration and Support 4.3 Space and Equipment 4.4 Library Services 4.5 Information Technology Impact 5.1 Impact of Program on Department/School Activities 5.2 Impact of Program on Other Departments/Units and on the University 5.3 Consultation Process Followed for Development of Program Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 2 6.0 Budget 6.1 Tuition Revenue 6.2 Student Awards 6.3 Program Start-Up Costs and Permanent Operating Costs 6.4 Multi-Year Revenue and Expenditure Projections 7.0 References 8.0 Existing, New, and Revised Courses 9.0 Future Directions of the Program 10.0 Appendices Appendix A: Appendix B: Appendix C: Appendix G: Appendix H: Appendix J: Appendix L: Appendix M: Appendix N: Appendix P: Appendix Q: Appendix R: Appendix S: Definition of the Term “Collaborative” Program Calendar Comparison Table of Like Programs in Canada Curriculum Vitae of Faculty Members Letters of Support for Proposed Program Administrative Structure of College/Department/Unit Physical Resource Requirements for New Program Budget Requirements for New Program Information Technology Requirements for New Program Library Requirements for New Program Consultation with the Registrar Course Descriptions New and Revised Course Forms Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 3 Executive Summary This proposal seeks to establish a collaborative Graduate Program in Biostatistics in the School of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan. The proposed program is a joint venture among three academic units: Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and School of Public Health. It is a unique program intended to provide students with a broad base of knowledge from which to explore developments in statistical theory and the application of this theory in medical, biological, and agricultural research. There is no other program in existence at the University of Saskatchewan for graduate students who wish to combine their study of theoretical statistics with an investigation of research problems in the life sciences. The proposed program will offer two graduate degrees, MSc and PhD. There are several reasons why this is an opportune and necessary time to implement a Graduate Program in Biostatistics at the University of Saskatchewan. This program is identified as a key component of the School of Public Health’s Strategic Plan. In order to become an accredited School, a goal which it strives to achieve in the next seven to ten years, the School of Public Health must offer doctoral programs in core areas of public health; one of these areas is biostatistics. The Department of Community Health and Epidemiology has offered a “special case” PhD program in Biostatistics for a number of years and wishes to formalize this program offering. The Department of Mathematics and Statistics seeks to strengthen its graduate training in applied statistics. Students in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology and Department of Mathematics and Statistics have expressed a keen interest in graduate training in biostatistics. The Graduate Program in Biostatistics will enhance the University of Saskatchewan’s interdisciplinary training and research environment. Existing faculty members from the three units collaborating to develop and offer this program are strongly placed to provide education and training in biostatistics and conduct research about new statistical methods and their application in medical, biological, and agricultural research. Collaborations of core faculty members and students in biostatistics with researchers in other academic units will be strengthened as the program develops. Biostatisticians work with scientists to identify and implement appropriate methods for designing studies and analyzing and interpreting research results. As science progresses and new ways to measure and collect information become possible, new statistical techniques must be developed. With the rapid pace of scientific developments today and the highly competitive nature of the research funding environment, the skills of biostatisticians are integral to the success of interdisciplinary research teams in the life sciences. The Graduate Program in Biostatistics will bring new graduate students to the University of Saskatchewan. Graduate programs in biostatistics at other Canadian universities are attracting a large number of applicants each year. The great demand for biostatisticians is evident in an increasing number of job opportunities. For example, on the Statistical Society of Canada’s list serve there were 42 academic and non-academic job postings for biostatisticians between January and November 2008. Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 4 To be eligible for admission to the proposed MSc (PhD) program, students must have completed a four-year BSc or BA (thesis-based MSc) from a recognized university in one of the following: mathematics, statistics, applied statistics, biostatistics, quantitative psychology, or any discipline with a strong background in mathematics or statistics with a minimum 75% grade point average. Students who wish to transfer from the MSc program directly to the PhD program must complete a minimum of 12 credit units at the MSc level (9 core credit units and 3 elective credit units), maintain an 80% average in the coursework, and pass a qualifying exam. The proposed MSc program is a two-year full-time program. Students enrolled in the program will be required to: (i) complete a minimum of 15 credit units of coursework (9 core credit units and 6 elective credit units; see Table E-1), (ii) participate in a non-credit seminar course and a non-credit research ethics course, and (iii) complete a thesis. Graduates of the MSc program will be prepared to: (i) demonstrate proficiency in statistical theory; (ii) apply statistical theory to problems in the medical, biological, and agricultural sciences; (iii) collaborate on research teams; (iv) address problems involved in the collection and management of data; and (v) participate actively in the drawing of conclusions from data analysis and in the presentation and writing of research reports and papers. The proposed PhD program is a three-year full-time program. Students enrolled in the program will be required to: (i) complete 15 credits units of coursework (12 core credit units and 3 elective credit units; see Table E-1), (ii) participate in a non-credit seminar course and a noncredit research ethics course, (iii) pass qualifying and comprehensive examinations, and (iv) complete a dissertation based on original research. Graduates of the PhD program will be prepared to: (i) develop new statistical methods using existing theory or apply existing statistical methods to address problems in the medical, biological, and agricultural sciences; (ii) collaborate on research teams; (iii) take a leadership role in study design, data management, statistical analysis, and interpretation of study results; and (iv) be proficient in both the oral and written presentation of study results. The minimum residency requirement at the MSc level is one regular academic session and at the PhD level it is two regular academic sessions. A regular academic session runs from September to April. During the residency period students are expected to be located at the University of Saskatchewan. After fulfilling the residency requirement, students must maintain continuous registration in their program of study until its completion. Table E-1. Proposed Core and Elective Courses Core Courses for MSc Program Epidemiology I Mathematical Statistics and Inference Current Biostatistical Methods and Computer Applications Core Courses For PhD Program Applied Statistical Methods for Follow-Up Data Multivariate Data Analysis Probability Theory Advanced Topics in Clinical Trials New/ Existing Existing New New CHEP 800.3 STAT 850.3a PUBH 842.3 Existing CHEP 806.3 Existing Existing New STAT 848.3 STAT 841.3 CHEP 810.3 Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 Course Code 5 OR OR New Advanced Experimental Design STAT 834.3b Potential Elective Courses for MSc and PhD New/ Course Code Programs Existing Epidemiology II (MSc, PhD) Existing CHEP 801.3 Applied Statistical Methods for Follow-Up Existing CHEP 806.3 Data (MSc) Health Promotion (MSc, PhD) Existing CHEP 803.3 Community Health Issues (MSc, PhD) Existing CHEP 804.3 Queuing Theory and Modeling Applications Existing CMPT 818.3 (MSc, PhD) Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Existing CMPT 830.3 (MSc, PhD) Topics in Modeling and Operations Research Existing CMPT 858.3 (MSc, PhD) Health Policy and Politics (MSc, PhD Existing PUBH 867.3 Multivariate Statistics (MSc) Existing PSY 807.3 Multivariate Data Analysis (MSc) Existing STAT 848.3 Stochastic Processes (MSc, PhD) Existing STAT 842.3 Special Topics in Probability and Statistics Existing STAT 847.3 (MSc, PhD) New Linear Models (PhD) STAT 851.3 Clinical Trial Design and Analysis (MSc) Existing VLAC 881.3 Epizootiology of Infectious Diseases (MSc, Existing VTMC 832.3 PhD) a The existing six credit unit course STAT 844.6 will be removed from the calendar and replaced by this course. b The existing six-credit-unit course STAT 843.6 will be removed from the calendar. It will be replaced by STAT 834.3. As Table E-1 reveals, the Graduate Program in Biostatistics will draw on courses already offered by the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology and Department of Mathematics and Statistics, although five new courses will be created. Two thesis/dissertation courses (BIOS 994 [MSc] and BIOS 996 [PhD]) will be created for the program, along with a non-credit seminar course (BIOS 990). Initially, a maximum of six students will be admitted to the Graduate Program in Biostatistics each year. There will be no quotas regarding the number of MSc and PhD students. The MSc and PhD programs in Biostatistics will be overseen by a Programs Committee composed of representatives from the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and School of Public Health. The Chair will be drawn from the membership of the Programs Committee and will rotate among the three units. Initially, the Chair will be a representative from the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology. The Chair of the Programs Committee will also be a member of the School of Public Health’s proposed Thesis Programs Advisory Committee and Academic Programs Committee. Appendix J provides further information about the proposed governance structure of the School of Public Health. Clerical and technical support for the program will be provided by the School of Public Health. Resources for the Graduate Program in Biostatistics will include a combination of existing and new resources. Office space for each graduate student will be assigned within the Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 6 Department/School of the supervisor. Space and equipment required for conducting the student’s research will be the responsibility of the supervisor. Existing faculty, space, library, and information technology resources will support the development and delivery of the program. However, new funding provided to the School of Public Health for the period from 2008-2012 will provide awards for incoming graduate students. Student awards will help to ensure that the program can compete against similar programs already in existence or currently being developed at other Canadian universities. The Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and School of Public Health are all integral to the success of this program. Each unit has faculty with expertise in biostatistics and existing graduate courses in theoretical and/or applied statistics. There is a common vision among the heads of these units about the need for this program and its potential to benefit the University of Saskatchewan. The heads of these units have committed to the development of new graduate courses as well as to offering existing courses on a regular basis to ensure the success of the Graduate Program in Biostatistics. A core group of faculty is committed to serving as student supervisors and members of student advisory and examination committees. This is an exciting time for the biostatistics discipline nationally and internationally because of the growth in research that is being undertaken and the increasing number of employment opportunities that exist for graduates of biostatistics programs. The commitment of the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and the School of Public Health to the development of a collaborative Graduate Program in Biostatistics will help to ensure a strong program at the University of Saskatchewan. Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 7 1.0 1.1 Common Program Information Proposal Identification Title of proposal: Collaborative Graduate Program in Biostatistics Degrees: MSc in Biostatistics; PhD in Biostatistics Field(s) of Specialization: N/A Level(s) of Concentration: N/A Option(s): N/A Degree College: Graduate Studies and Research Home Unit: School of Public Health Contact Person(s): Dr. Punam Pahwa, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology Phone: 966-7952; Fax: 966-7920; e-mail: pup165@mail.usask.ca Dr. Mik Bickis, Department of Mathematics and Statistics Phone: 966-6088; Fax: 966-6086; e-mail: mik.bickis@usask.ca Dr. Lisa Lix, School of Public Health Phone: 966-1617; Fax: 966-7920; e-mail: lisa.lix@usask.ca Date: April 23, 2009 Approved by the College of Graduate Studies and Research May 7, 2009 Proposed date of implementation: September 2009 1.2 Type of Change New Degree-Level programs 2.0 Rationale 2.1 Introduction This proposal seeks to establish a collaborative Graduate Program in Biostatistics in the School of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan. Collaborative programs are meant to “provide an additional multidisciplinary experience for students”1 by providing a broad range of resources and learning opportunities for students who wish to study in a novel interdisciplinary area or a subject which spans more than one discipline.1,2 Collaborative programs are intended to draw on the resources already available through existing departments and colleges and use these resources to provide a more comprehensive program of study than is currently available. Appendix A provides a definition of the term "collaborative" and discusses the different ways it has been used at Canadian universities. Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 8 Biostatistics is the study of statistical techniques applied to medical, biological, and agricultural data. Applications arise in areas such as public health, clinical medicine, veterinary medicine, health services, occupational/environmental health, rural health, and ecology. The Graduate Program in Biostatistics is a collaborative venture of the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and School of Public Health. There is a common vision among the heads/director and faculty of the departments and School about a graduate program in biostatistics and its potential benefit for the University of Saskatchewan. All three administrative units have current faculty members, existing graduate courses, and a commitment to develop new graduate courses, necessary to meet student learning objectives and ensure the long-term sustainability of the program. Letters of support from the heads of the Departments and the School critical to the success of this program are attached in Appendix H. 2.2 Background There are a number of reasons why this is both an opportune and necessary time to establish a Graduate Program in Biostatistics at the University of Saskatchewan: • This graduate program is identified as a key component of the School of Public Health’s Strategic Plan. In order to become an accredited School, a goal which it strives to achieve in the next seven to ten years, the School of Public Health must offer doctoral programs in three of the five core public health sciences: biostatistics, epidemiology, health policy and management, social and behavioral sciences, and environmental health sciences. • The Department of Community Health and Epidemiology currently offers a “special case” PhD program in Biostatistics. To date, two students have successfully completed this program and a third student is currently enrolled in the program. The development of a Graduate Program in Biostatistics will help to formalize and standardize the structure and content of this “special case” program. • The Department of Mathematics and Statistics seeks to strengthen its graduate training in applied statistics beyond what is currently available in its probability theory and statistics stream. • Researchers in the health sciences at the University of Saskatchewan are increasingly recognizing the importance of establishing interdisciplinary research teams that include biostatisticians in order to be successful in a highly competitive research funding environment. Accordingly, there are rich opportunities for graduate students in biostatistics to be engaged in collaborative research and training programs. • Recent faculty hires in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and the School of Public Health bring expertise in biostatistics to the University of Saskatchewan. • There is increasing demand for biostatistical training among students currently enrolled in the participating units; this demand is, in part, a result of excellent job prospects for biostatisticians. This increasing demand for biostatisticians is being observed at provincial, national, and international levels. Two students who have entered the PhD program in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics wish to join the Graduate Program in Biostatistics, as have two graduate students enrolled in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology. Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 9 2.3 Need for a Graduate Program in Biostatistics The Graduate Program in Biostatistics will provide an important new training opportunity for graduate students seeking employment in Saskatchewan as well as nationally and internationally. A highly competitive job market exists for biostatisticians in academia, government, and industry.3-5 Students graduating with an MSc or PhD in biostatistics can look forward to excellent career opportunities in the following areas: • • • Academia—colleges/faculties of medicine, veterinary medicine, nursing, health sciences, agriculture, environmental sciences; schools of public health; departments of statistics, mathematics, biostatistics, community health, epidemiology, health psychology, biology. Government— provincial organizations/agencies such as Saskatchewan Health, Health Quality Council, and Saskatchewan Cancer Agency; national organizations/agencies such as Statistics Canada, Health Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, Canadian Institute for Health Information; international organizations/agencies such as the World Health Organization, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Industry—pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food science, nutrition, genome data banks, agribusiness, biochemical, software, consulting, life insurance, health insurance. Locally, the School of Public Health and College of Veterinary Medicine are currently recruiting for a joint position in biostatistics at the Assistant/Associate Professor level. The deadline date for receipt of applications for this position was March 2, 2009. To date, 27 applications have been received for this position, which is expected to start on July 1, 2009. This is just one example of the growing need for biostatisticians in Canada. The School of Public Health has, in its Strategic Plan, identified the need to hire an additional faculty member in biostatistics within the next three years: this individual may hold a joint appointment in one of the other units involved in this proposal. Nationally, the increased demand for biostatisticians is evident in the many new job opportunities that are available. For example, on the Statistical Society of Canada’s list serve there were 42 academic and non-academic job postings for biostatisticians between January and November 2008. 2.4 Relationship between the Proposed Program and the Strategic Directions of the Departments and School The Graduate Program in Biostatistics will help to meet the goals of the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and School of Public Health as identified in their Integrated Plans. Biostatistics is one of the areas identified in the Integrated Plan 2007-2012 of Department of Mathematics and Statistics in order to sustain a dynamic environment for research and scholarly work. The plan specifically identifies the following: ”Support ties between Mathematics and Statistics and Community Health and Epidemiology through joint graduate program. Increased Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 10 ties with Community Health and Epidemiology will also provide opportunity for the faculty to be involved with the School of Public Health.”6 A Graduate Program in Biostatistics is identified as a key component of the School of Public Health’s Strategic Plan. According to this plan, a PhD program in Biostatistics will be developed during 2008-09 and will first be offered in 2009-10.7 One of the medium-term (7 to 10 years) goals of the School of Public Health is to seek accreditation with the U.S. Council on Education for Public Health (www.ceph.org). Such accreditation requires, among other criteria, that the School offer doctoral programs in at least three of the five core public health sciences: epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy and management, social and behavioral sciences, and environmental health sciences. The present proposal for a Graduate Program in Biostatistics is one of the three programs that will be initially developed by the School of Public Health. 2.5 Uniqueness of the Program The Graduate Program in Biostatistics is a unique program at the University of Saskatchewan because it is based on collaboration among three units to provide students with a broad base of knowledge from which to explore developments in statistical theory and their applications in medical, biological, and agricultural research. There is no other program in existence at the University of Saskatchewan for graduate students who wish to combine their study of theoretical statistics with the investigation of research problems in the health sciences. The Department of Mathematics and Statistics currently offers a graduate program stream in the theory of probability and statistics, consistent with the training provided in other statistics departments nationally and internationally. The Department of Community Health and Epidemiology provides limited training in biostatistical methods, and focuses primarily on applications in population health research. It does not have a graduate program stream in biostatistics. The Graduate Program in Biostatistics will provide opportunities for students to study and conduct research in areas such as design and analysis of clinical trials, analysis of longitudinal data, analysis of complex survey data, measurement error, computational statistics, and multivariate statistics. Core faculty for the program are actively engaged in (i) research about new statistical methods for the analysis of longitudinal data, complex survey data, and administrative health databases; and (ii) provincial, national, and international research projects related to clinical medicine, agricultural health and safety, quality of life of patients with chronic diseases, and health services research methodology. While the Graduate Program in Biostatistics is unique at the University of Saskatchewan, similar programs are in existence at other Canadian and US universities. For example, the University of Western Ontario introduced a collaborative Graduate Program in Biostatistics in October 2001. This program trains students at both MSc and PhD levels. It is a collaborative program of two units: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences. Students enter this program by applying to either of the home departments as well as to the collaborative program. Greater detail about this program is provided in Appendix A. Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 11 Graduate programs in biostatistics are offered at other Canadian universities such as the University of Toronto, McGill University and the University of Ottawa. This collaborative program parallels the structure of other interdisciplinary/collaborative programs at the University of Saskatchewan. For example, the Toxicology Group is an interdisciplinary body under the umbrella of the College of Graduate Studies and Research. It consists of faculty members from a number of University departments, as well as scientists from various research centres on campus. The Toxicology Graduate Program is managed by the Toxicology Centre, with participation from Toxicology Group members. This graduate program offers MSc and PhD programs. The Division of Biomedical Engineering fosters interdisciplinary research linking engineering and the physical sciences with the biological sciences and human and veterinary medicine. Participating academic units in the Division are from the College of Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Medicine, College of Kinesiology, School of Physical Therapy, and Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Finally, the Division of Environmental Engineering is an interdepartmental and interdisciplinary association of faculty that is based in the College of Engineering and which provides MSc and PhD students with the opportunity to work within the College of Engineering and with other Colleges and related institutions. 2.6 Expertise and Organization of the Departments and School The Department of Community Health and Epidemiology offers both MSc and PhD programs. It is currently the only department at the University of Saskatchewan that offers courses in biostatistics; these courses primarily focus on the application of statistics in population health research. The Department of Mathematics and Statistics offers MSc and PhD programs. It is currently the only department at the University of Saskatchewan that offers courses in the theory of statistics and probability. It also offers some applied statistics courses but these do not focus specifically on applications in the medical, agricultural, and biological sciences. The School of Public Health currently offers the MPH program, as well as MSc and PhD programs in Vaccinology and Immunotherapeutics. As per the requirements for accreditation, the School seeks to develop training programs in such areas as epidemiology, health policy and management, social and behavioral sciences, and biostatistics. Appendix J provides more detailed information about the organizational structures of each of the departments and School that are collaborating to develop the Graduate Program in Biostatistics. 3.0 Description of Program Characteristics 3.1 Curriculum Philosophy The Graduate Program in Biostatistics will prepare students through classroom participation, laboratory sessions, biostatistical consulting opportunities with core faculty members, and research. Both the MSc and PhD programs are thesis based. Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 12 3.2 Defining the Discipline with Respect to the Program Biostatistics is a discipline that is concerned with the development and application of statistical theory and methods for the study of phenomena arising in the life sciences. Biostatistics did not exist as a discipline prior to the end of World War II;8 it emerged as mathematical statisticians and statisticians began to bring new perspectives to problems in medicine, biology, and agriculture. Since that time, the biostatistics discipline has contributed to understanding the cause, natural history, and treatment of disease in order to improve human and animal health. In general, the differences between biostatistics graduate programs and statistics graduate programs are: (i) biostatistics programs focus on training in both theoretical and applied research while statistics programs focus on theoretical or methodological research, and (ii) biostatistics programs focus on applications in the life sciences only, whereas statistics programs may include applications in other areas such as industry (e.g., quality control) and business (e.g., finance). 3.3 Student Learning Objectives Graduates of the MSc program in biostatistics will be prepared for employment in positions that require expertise in data management, study design, and statistical modeling, or to continue to the PhD program to conduct independent research. They will be able to: • demonstrate proficiency in statistical theory; • apply statistical theory to problems in the medical, biological, and agricultural sciences; • collaborate on research teams; • address problems involved in the collection and management of data; and • participate actively in the drawing of conclusions from data analyses and in the development and presentation of oral and written research reports. PhD graduates will be prepared to assume faculty or other research-oriented positions in academic institutions or to take leadership positions in organizations that conduct health-related research. They will be able to: • develop new statistical methods using existing theory or apply existing statistical methods to address problems in the medical, biological, and agricultural sciences; • collaborate on research teams; • take a leadership role in study design, data management, statistical analysis, and interpretation of study results; and • be proficient in both the oral and written presentation of research results. 3.4 Evaluation The Graduate Program in Biostatistics will have evaluation tools for the assessment of students, the MSc and PhD programs, and core courses. Each student will have an Advisory Committee that will be responsible for determining the student’s program, monitoring academic performance, and providing feedback and guidance for the student’s research. For students enrolled in the MSc program, the Advisory Committee will consist of at least three members: student’s supervisor, one core faculty member, and the Chair Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 13 of the Programs Committee. For students enrolled in the PhD program, the Advisory Committee will consist of at least five members: student’s supervisor, two core faculty members, one cognate faculty member, and the Chair of the Programs Committee. Core faculty are listed in section 4.1. Each Advisory Committee will include at least two faculty members from the list in section 4.1; these individuals must be from different units. A Programs Committee will be established for the Graduate Program in Biostatistics. This committee will include the Department Heads/Executive Director (or designates) of the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and School of Public Health. The Chair will be selected from the membership of the Programs Committee. Normally the Chair will rotate on an annual basis among the three units that are collaborating on this program. Initially the Chair will be the Department Head (or designate) of the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology and will serve for a period of two years. This arrangement has been made because of this Department’s previous expertise in offering a special-case option in biostatistics in its PhD program. Appendix H contains letters of support that provide details of the contribution of each Department/School to this program. The Programs Committee will review, evaluate, and make recommendations for admission regarding all applications to the Graduate Program in Biostatistics and ensure that the objectives, policies, and procedures of the College of Graduate Studies and Research are followed. The Programs Committee will assess and evaluate the MSc and PhD programs as well as the core courses. A close liaison with the College of Graduate Studies and Research will be established by the Programs Committee to ensure that policies and procedures are adhered to by all students within the programs and to ensure that ongoing requirements for evaluation of the students, programs, and core courses are followed. The Chair of the Programs Committee will be a member of the School of Public Health’s proposed Thesis Programs Advisory Committee and Academic Programs Committee. Appendix J provides further information about the proposed governance structure of the School of Public Health. 3.5 Admissions Process Students admitted to the program will be expected to adhere to the regulations of the College of Graduate Studies and Research. For example, for international applicants whose first language is not English, English language proficiency must be demonstrated as per the College of Graduate Studies and Research regulations. Students will normally be admitted only in the Fall term, although exceptions may be made upon the approval of the Programs Committee. Specific admission requirements for each program are described below. Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 14 3.5.1 MSc Program Students must have completed a four-year BSc or BA degree from a recognized university in one of the following: mathematics, statistics, applied statistics, biostatistics, quantitative psychology, or another discipline with a strong background in mathematics or statistics with a minimum 75% grade point average in the last 60 credit units.. Students must have completed undergraduate courses in mathematical statistics and statistical inference (STAT 342 and STAT 442, or equivalents). Applicants holding a BSc in another discipline with at least an 80% grade point average will be admitted as probationary MSc students and required to complete qualifying courses before being considered for admission to the MSc program. 3.5.2 PhD Program Students must have completed a thesis-based MSc from a recognized university in one of the following: mathematics, statistics, applied statistics, biostatistics, quantitative psychology, or another discipline with a strong background in mathematics or statistics with a minimum 75% grade point average in the last 2 years of study. In order to be eligible for admission to the PhD program, a student must have taken the following courses (or equivalents) during his/her MSc program: CHEP 800.3 (Epidemiology I), STAT 850.3 (Mathematical Statistics and Inference), and PUBH 842.3 (Current Topics in Biostatistics and Statistical Applications). Students without these courses will be admitted as probationary students and will be required to complete these courses with a minimum 80% grade point average before being considered fully qualified in the PhD program. Students seeking admission to the PhD program are required to prepare a description of the research project that they propose to pursue in any area of biostatistics. In addition, the student must have identified a supervisor from amongst the core faculty for the Graduate Program in Biostatistics (see section 4.1) before applying to the program, and must obtain a letter of support from this faculty member. Students who wish to transfer directly from the MSc program to the PhD program in Biostatistics must (i) complete a minimum of 12 credit units of coursework at the MSc level (9 required credit units and 3 elective credit units), (ii) maintain an 80% average in this coursework, and (iii) pass a qualifying examination (see Section 3.9.2.1). 3.6 Application Process All applications from potential students will be reviewed and recommendations for admission will be made by the Programs Committee to the College of Graduate Studies and Research. The specific application requirements are: 1. A completed application form (GSR 100) available from the College of Graduate Studies and Research. Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 15 2. Three letters of recommendation accompanied by completed Confidential Letter of Recommendation Forms (GSR 101) available from the College of Graduate Studies and Research. 3. A writing sample of 1000 to 1200 words that includes a statement of the student’s education and employment history and how it relates to the study of biostatistics, a description of the student’s education and career goals, and an assessment of how the University of Saskatchewan’s Graduate Program in Biostatistics will help to achieve these goals. 4. A current curriculum vitae. 5. A non-refundable application fee as set by the College of Graduate Studies and Research. 6. Certified, official transcripts of the student’s academic record from each postsecondary institution attended. 7. Evidence of English proficiency for applicants who have English as a second language, as described by the College of Graduate Studies and Research. 8. A letter of support from the proposed supervisor (for PhD students). 9. A description of the proposed research (for PhD students) that describes the student’s proposed topic of research interest and how it links with the supervisor’s area(s) of research expertise. This description will be 1200 to 1500 words in length. Upon receipt of all the above materials, the Programs Committee may invite the applicant for a personal interview. The Programs Committee will forward all recommendations about admissions and related documentation to the College of Graduate Studies and Research. The College will make the final decision regarding admission and informs applicants accordingly. More information about the specific admission requirements of the College of Graduate Studies and Research is available at the College’s website (www.usask.ca/cgsr/). 3.7 Draft Calendar Entry The Graduate Program in Biostatistics is a collaborative program of the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and the School of Public Health. The Program offers research-intensive training leading to MSc and PhD degrees. Research focuses on the development and application of statistical techniques for medical, biological, and agricultural data. Topics for research projects are in such areas as computational statistics, clinical trials, classification techniques, measurement error, longitudinal data analysis, analysis of complex survey data, and multivariate statistics. In order to promote research, core faculty of the program maintain linkages with a number of Departments, Schools, and Colleges on campus, including the College of Medicine, Department of Computer Science, College of Arts and Science, College of Nursing, and Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Individuals interested in pursuing study in the MSc or PhD programs in Biostatistics should contact the Director of Research and Public Health Research Programs, School of Public Health to obtain further information about program requirements and policies. Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 16 MSc Program: Basic admission requirements are a four-year BSc or BA in a relevant program with a minimum 75% GPA in the last 60 credit units. Students will complete a minimum of 15 credit units of coursework and a thesis. Participation in a non-credit biostatistics seminar, which is normally held bi-weekly, is mandatory. The residency requirement is one year. PhD Program: Basic admission requirements are a thesis-based MSc in a relevant program and a minimum 75% GPA in the last 2 years. Students will complete a minimum of 15 credit units of coursework, a qualifying examination to demonstrate knowledge in theoretical and applied statistics, a comprehensive examination, and a dissertation. Participation in a non-credit biostatistics seminar, which is normally held bi-weekly, is mandatory. The residency requirement is two years. 3.8 Program Requirements 3.8.1 MSc Program Students will complete a minimum of 15 credit units of coursework, of which 9 credit units are required courses, in addition to non-credit courses (see Table 1). Table 1. Required Credit and Non-Credit Courses for MSc Program Course # CHEP 800 Title Epidemiology I Credit Units Term Offered Existing Course Times Offered in Last 3 years 3 Term 1 Yes 3 Mathematical Statistics and 3 Term 2 No -Inference Current Biostatistical Methods and 3 Term 1 No -PUBH 842 Computer Applications GSR 960 Introduction to Ethics and Integrity 0 Term 1 or 2 Yes -BIOS 990 Seminar in Biostatistics 0 Term 1 and 2 No -BIOS 994 Master’s Research: Biostatistics 0 Term 1 and 2 No -a The existing six-credit-unit course STAT 844.6 will be removed from the calendar and replaced by STAT 850.3. Note: See Appendix S for proposals for new and revised graduate courses. See Appendix R for course descriptions. STAT 850a Students must also complete a minimum of six credit units of elective courses. The elective courses will be appropriate to the student’s research and will be chosen in consultation with the student’s Advisory Committee. A number of potential elective courses are offered by the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, School of Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Sociology, Department of Computer Science, and Department of Psychology. Table 2 provides examples of potential elective courses. Students may also take a suitable course(s) related to their thesis research from other Departments or Schools within the university. In the absence of a suitable elective course in any of the Departments or Schools, students may either take a reading course with the permission of the student’s Advisory Committee or may take a course at another university and Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 17 apply to have the course accepted by the College of Graduate Studies and Research as an equivalent of program course requirements. Table 2. Potential Elective Credit Courses for MSc Program Course # Title CHEP 801 CHEP 803 Credit Term Offered Units 3 Term 2 3 Term 2 Existing Course Yes Yes Times Offered in Last 3 years 3 3 Epidemiology II Health Promotion Applied Statistical Methods for CHEP 806 3 Term 2 Yes 3 Follow-Up Data Queuing Theory and Modeling CMPT 818 3 Term 1 or 2 Yes Unknown Applications Bioinformatics and Computational CMPT 830 3 Term 2 Yes Unknown Biology Topics in Modeling and Operations CMPT 858 3 Term 2 Yes 1 Research PUBH 867 Health Policy and Politics 3 Term 2 Yes 3 PSY 807 Multivariate Statistics 3 Term 1 or 2 Yes 3 STAT 834 Advanced Experimental Design 3 Term 1 or 2 No N/A STAT 848 Multivariate Data Analysis 3 Term 1 or 2 Yes 2 STAT 842 Stochastic Processes 3 Term 1 or 2 Yes 2 STAT 851.3 Linear Models 3 Term 1 or 2 No N/A VLAC 881 Clinical Trial Design and Analysis 3 Term 1 or 2 Yes Unknown Epizootiology of Infectious VTMC 932 3 Term 1 or 2 Yes Unknown Diseases Note: See Appendix S for proposals for new and revised graduate courses. See Appendix R for course descriptions. Table C-1 in Appendix C compares the courses recommended for the proposed MSc program in biostatistics with the courses required for the MSc program in biostatistics in selected universities across Canada. The proposed MSc program has one or two fewer required courses but the same or more elective courses as most other programs. It also has a comparable number of courses to other MSc programs at the University of Saskatchewan. Table C-2 in Appendix C gives a list of topics covered in each course offered by selected universities in Canada. The topics covered under these courses are consistent with the topics in the core courses that will be offered in the collaborative Graduate Program in Biostatistics. 3.8.2 PhD Program Students will complete a minimum of 15 credit units of coursework, of which 12 credit units are required, in addition to non-credit courses (see Table 3). Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 18 Table 3. Required Credit and Non-Credit Courses for PhD Program Course # Title Credit Units Term Offered Term 2 Existing Course Times Offered in Last 3 years Yes 3 CHEP 806 Applied Statistical Methods for Follow-Up Data 3 STAT 848 Multivariate Data Analysis 3 Term 1 or 2 Yes 2 STAT 841 Probability Theory 3 Term 1 Yes 1 CHEP 810 Advanced Topics in Clinical Trials No -- No -- 3 Term 1 or 2 OR STAT 834a Advanced Experimental Design 3 Term 1 or 2 Term 1 or 2 Introduction to Ethics and 0 Yes -Integrity BIOS 990 Seminar in Biostatistics 0 Term 1 or 2 No -BIOS 996 PhD Research: Biostatistics 0 Term 1 or 2 No -a The existing six-credit-unit course STAT 843.6 will be removed from the calendar. It will be replaced by STAT 834.3. b This course will be required if the student has not already taken it during his/her MSc program. Note: See Appendix S for proposals for new and revised graduate courses. See Appendix R for course descriptions. GSR 960b Students must also complete a minimum of three credit units as an elective course. This course will be appropriate to the student’s thesis research and will be chosen in consultation with the student’s Advisory Committee. A number of potential elective courses are offered by the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, School of Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Sociology, Department of Computer Science, and Department of Psychology (see Table 4). Students may also take a suitable course(s) related to their thesis research from other Departments or Schools within the university. In the absence of a suitable elective course in any of the Departments or Schools, students may either take a readings course with the permission of the student’s Advisory Committee or may also take a course at another university and apply to have the course accepted by the College of Graduate Studies and Research as an equivalent of program course requirements. Table 4. Potential Elective Courses for the PhD Program Course # CHEP 801 CHEP 803 CHEP 804 CMPT 818 CMPT 830 Title Epidemiology II Health Promotion Community Health Issues Queuing Theory and Modeling Applications Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Credit Units 3 3 3 Term 2 Term 2 Term 1 Existing Course Yes Yes Yes Times Offered in Last 3 years 3 3 3 3 Term 2 Yes Unknown 3 Term 2 Yes Unknown Term Offered Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 19 CMPT 858 Topics in Modeling and Operations Research 3 Term 2 Yes 1 PUBH 867 Health Policy and Politics 3 Term 2 Yes 3 STAT 842 Stochastic Processes 3 Term 1 or 2 Yes N/A STAT 846 Special Topics in Probability and Statistics 3 Yes N/A Linear Models 3 No N/A Yes Unknown STAT 851 Epizootiology of Infectious Diseases Note: See Appendix R for course descriptions. VTMC 832 3 Term 1 or 2 Term 1 or 2 Term 1 or 2 Table C-1 in Appendix C compares the courses recommended for the proposed PhD program in biostatistics with courses required by the PhD program in biostatistics in selected universities across Canada. The proposed PhD program in biostatistics has the same or slightly fewer required and elective courses, but there is substantial variability in current program offerings. The proposed program has a comparable number of courses to other PhD programs at the University of Saskatchewan. Table C-2 in Appendix C gives a brief course outline for the courses offered by selected universities in Canada. The topics covered under these courses are consistent with the topics in the core courses that will be offered in the Graduate Program in Biostatistics. Students who wish to transfer from the MSc program directly into the PhD program in Biostatistics must (i) complete a minimum of 12 credit units of coursework at the MSc level (9 core credit units and 3 elective credit units), (ii) maintain an 80% average in this coursework, and (iii) pass a qualifying examination. 3.8.3 Graduate Seminar in Biostatistics A non-credit seminar course, BIOS 990, is a requirement for all MSc and PhD students. Graduate students must attend a minimum of 75% of the seminar sessions each academic year and are expected to present in one or more sessions. MSc students will normally be expected to present one seminar session in the second year of their program and PhD students will normally be expected to present one seminar in each of the second and third years of their program. The Programs Committee will oversee the seminar course, as delegated by the Executive Director of the School of Public Health. 3.9 Description of Program of Study 3.9.1 MSc Program The MSc program requires the completion of a written thesis in addition to coursework. Appendix B provides the recommended timeline for program completion. Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 20 The thesis topic will be selected in consultation with the candidate's supervisor. The proposal for the thesis research will be approved by the Advisory Committee. The thesis proposal may be submitted to the Advisory Committee at any time after admission to the program, but preferably prior to the end of the student's first year or at the beginning of the second year in the program. The student will be required to undergo an oral examination of his/her thesis. All regulations of the College of Graduate Studies and Research regarding the requirements for the thesis and its examination will be adhered to in the Graduate Program in Biostatistics. 3.9.2 PhD Program The PhD program involves course work, successful completion of qualifying and comprehensive examinations, and the preparation of a dissertation. Appendix B provides the recommended timeline for program completion. 3.9.2.1 Qualifying Examination Each student in the PhD program will be required to successfully pass a qualifying examination. The qualifying examination will be administered by an Examination Committee after completion of core course work and will normally be scheduled before students begin their second academic year. Students will be tested on basic statistical theory. The Examination Committee will be composed of members of the student’s Advisory Committee and will be appointed by the Programs Committee. Students with a Masters degree (with thesis) in statistics or biostatistics from a recognized university may have the qualifying examination waived by the Programs Committee on a recommendation from the Advisory Committee. 3.9.2.2 Comprehensive Examination Each student in the PhD program is required to write a comprehensive examination once he/she has completed all course requirements. The comprehensive examination is normally composed of both an oral and written component. Both components will test the student on theoretical and applied statistical concepts. The examination will be developed and evaluated by the student’s Advisory Committee. Following successful completion of the comprehensive examination, the student will develop a dissertation research proposal and, upon its approval by the Advisory Committee, proceed to conduct the research and prepare a written dissertation. 3.9.2.3 Dissertation The dissertation, based upon original investigation, must demonstrate mature scholarship and critical judgment on the part of the candidate, as well as familiarity with tools and methods of research in the candidate's field. The dissertation topic will be selected in advance of the student’s admission to the program and the research will be supervised by the PhD supervisor and Advisory Committee. All regulations of the College of Graduate Studies and Research regarding the requirements for the dissertation and its examination will be adhered to in the Graduate Program in Biostatistics. Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 21 3.10 Residency Requirements The minimum residency requirement for the MSc program is one regular academic session and at the PhD level the minimum residency requirement is two regular academic sessions. A regular academic session runs from September to April. Students are normally expected to complete all course work requirements during the residency period. During the residency period students are expected to be on-site at the University of Saskatchewan. After fulfilling the residency requirement, students must maintain continuous registration until completion of their program of study. 3.11 Number of Student Admissions Initially, a maximum of six students will be admitted to the Graduate Program in Biostatistics each year. There will be no quotas regarding the number of MSc and PhD students. The number of admissions will be reviewed annually by the Programs Committee and modified as resources permit. Table 5 provides information about student intake and total enrollment for the first four years of the program. The assumptions in preparing this table are: (i) the maximum number of admissions are made each year, (ii) there will be four MSc students and two PhD students admitted each year, (iii) students will complete their studies in the expected time of two years for the MSc program and three years for the PhD program. Table 5. Graduate Program in Biostatistics: Expected Student Intake/Total Enrollment MSc PhD Total 2009-10 4/4 2/2 6/6 2010-11 4/8 2/4 6/12 2011-12 4/8 2/6 6/14 2012-13 4/8 2/6 6/14 4.0 Resources 4.1 Core Faculty Core faculty for the Graduate Program in Biostatistics are identified below. Curriculum vitae for all core faculty are provided in Appendix G. Hyun Lim, Associate Professor, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology • Research interests: Statistical methods for longitudinal data, recurrent event modeling in survival analysis, design and analysis of clinical trials, epidemiologic studies, and HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention studies. • Director, Clinical Research Support Unit: Provides biostatistical consulting services to faculty in the College of Medicine as well as in other colleges. Punam Pahwa, Associate Professor, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 22 • Research interests: applications of longitudinal data analysis techniques to various diseases/health conditions (focus on respiratory diseases, cancer, and farm injuries) related to rural occupational and environmental exposures; analysis of longitudinal complex survey data analysis; missing data; analysis of quality of life data. Miķelis G. Bickis, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics • Research interests: biostatistics and bioinformatics; causal inference; experimental design; sequential methods; visualization. William Laverty, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics • Research interests: multivariate statistics; time series analysis; experimental and sampling design; spatial statistics; computer security. Longhai Li, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics • Research interests: classification and regression with high-dimensional measurements; detecting differential variables from high-throughput data; classification and regression with high-order interactions; and modelling DNA sequences. Juxin Liu, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics • Research interests: model misspecification; measurement error and misclassification; interaction models; Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithms; missing data in longitudinal analysis, interplay between Bayesian and frequentist theories. Chris Soteros, Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics • Research interests: statistical mechanics; computer simulation; combinatorics and bioinformatics. Raj Srinivasan, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics • Research interests: applied probability; queueing theory; queueing networks. Lisa Lix, Associate Professor and Centennial Research Chair, School of Public Health • Research interests: Analysis of longitudinal/repeated measures data; robust statistics; multivariate statistics; measurement error; data quality 4.2 Program Administration and Support The administrative home of the program will be the School of Public Health. Administration of the program will be the responsibility of the Executive Director of the School of Public Health. Clerical and technical support will be provided by the School of Public Health (see Appendix H for letter of support from the School of Public Health). Tasks of clerical and technical staff will include maintenance of student files and applications, class and room scheduling, website updates, and office support for the Chair. It is anticipated that 0.45 FTE clerical support will be required during the first two years of the program as it is established, while 0.20 FTE will be required thereafter. Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 23 4.3 Space and Equipment Office space for each graduate student will be assigned within the Department/School of the supervisor. Space and equipment required for conducting the student’s research will be the responsibility of the supervisor. The nature of the research project will determine the type and amount of space and equipment required by the student. Appendix L provides specific details regarding space and equipment requirements for the delivery of the Graduate Program in Biostatistics. 4.4 Library Services Adequate library resources are currently available at the University of Saskatchewan for the Graduate Program in Biostatistics. Appendix P provides specific details regarding library resource requirements. There is an elective cost identified in Appendix P, but the resources associated with this cost are not essential to offer the program. 4.5 Information Technology Adequate Information Technology resources are currently available at the University of Saskatchewan for the Graduate Program in Biostatistics. Appendix N provides specific details regarding Information Technology requirements. 5.0 Impact 5.1 Impact of Program on Departments/School Activities The creation of a Graduate Program in Biostatistics at the University of Saskatchewan will have positive impact on the academic units involved in this collaborative venture. The proposed program does not conflict with the existing graduate programs of the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and School of Public Health. The existing graduate program of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics has three streams: applied mathematics, pure mathematics, and probability and statistics. The probability and statistics stream emphasizes research in theoretical statistics, while the proposed Graduate Program in Biostatistics emphasizes a combination of theoretical and applied statistics with a specific focus on applications in medicine, biology, and agriculture. Moreover, the Graduate Program in Biostatistics will increase the number of students taking graduate courses in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, which will enhance the student learning environment. The Department of Community Health and Epidemiology does not have a stream in biostatistics. However the department has offered a special-case option in biostatistics as part of its PhD program for a number of years. This option will no longer be available to students with the introduction of the PhD program in Biostatistics. Historically, graduate students in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics in the probability and statistics stream have taken biostatistics courses offered by the Department of Community Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 24 Health and Epidemiology. The Graduate Program in Biostatistics will help to formalize and strengthen the relationship between two departments. The School of Public Health will benefit from establishment of the Graduate Program in Biostatistics as it seeks to attract graduate students and applies for accreditation. The proposed Collaborative Graduate Program in Biostatistics is a natural fit with the Centennial Research Chair held by Dr. Lisa Lix (also a CIHR New Investigator) in the School of Public Health and the newly established joint faculty position in biostatistics in the School of Public Health and Western College of Veterinary Medicine, to be filled by July 1, 2009. Graduate students enrolled in the new program will benefit greatly from exposure to Dr. Lix’s current CIHR funded research projects and her collaborations with researchers from across Canada. 5.2 Impact of Program on Other Departments/Units and on the University The Graduate Program in Biostatistics will have a positive impact on other departments, colleges, and schools at the University of Saskatchewan. Collaborations of core faculty members and graduate students in biostatistics with researchers in other academic units and departments will be strengthened. Specifically, collaborations with such units as the College of Medicine, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Dentistry, College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, and Department of Sociology will (i) help to promote interdisciplinary research, (ii) lead to opportunities to seek research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and (iii) provide opportunities for high quality research in the field of biostatistics. The Graduate Program in Biostatistics will attract new graduate students to the University of Saskatchewan. This will add to the diversity of the student population. Graduate students will have the opportunity to work with their advisors on collaborative research teams which will help strengthen their overall training experiences. Some graduate students will choose to remain within the province upon completion of their programs. They will find employment opportunities within the University of Saskatchewan or University of Regina as well as within government and industry. 5.3 Consultation Process Followed for Development of Program The proposal for the collaborative Graduate Program in Biostatistics was developed by a working group chaired by Dr. Punam Pahwa of the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology and consisting of the following members: Dr. Hyun Lim, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology; Dr. Mik Bickis, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dr. Lisa Lix, School of Public Health. The working group has regularly consulted with the heads/directors of the three units involved in the Program as well as with the Graduate Chairs of these units. The proposal for the Graduate Program in Biostatistics has been approved in principle by the Faculty Councils of the three participating units. Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 25 6.0 Budget 6.1 Tuition Revenue Students enrolled in the MSc or PhD programs will pay the tuition fee of $1,000 each term (three terms per academic year). Therefore, tuition costs would be $6,000 for completing the MSc in the proposed time of two years and $9,000 for completing the PhD in the proposed time of three years. 6.2 Student Awards The goal of the Graduate Program in Biostatistics with respect to student awards is to ensure that all students in the MSc program are fully funded with a minimum award of $15,000 per year for two years, and all students in the PhD program are fully funded with a minimum award of $18,000 per year for three years. In addition, limited travel funds should be available to support student attendance at conferences and workshops. The School of Public Health has received from the College of Graduate Studies and Research (CGSR) a one-time allocation of graduate student funding in the amount of $280,000 over the period 2008-2012 to support accelerated development of the programs by the School (Table 6 below). This funding will be used to provide scholarships to students enrolled in the Master of Public Health (MPH), Biostatistics (MSc and PhD), and Epidemiology (PhD) programs on a competitive basis. On March 13, 2009 the Faculty Council of the School of Public Health decided to divide this CGSR funding equally between the MPH and the proposed new Biostatistics and Epidemiology programs. The principle guiding this decision is that the professional and thesis-based programs of the School are equally valued and faculty wish to use the scholarships to attract the brightest and best students to each program. It was decided that each scholarship will be worth approximately one-half a standard CGSR masters ($15,000) or PhD ($18,000) scholarship. In addition, each CGSR scholarship recipient will be eligible to receive matching funding through the research supervisor’s grants. Students will be required to apply to outside agencies, such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, for scholarships to supplement available funding. Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 26 Table 6. Distribution of one-time allocation of graduate student funding from the College of Graduate Studies and Research (CGSR) of $280,000 for the period 2008-2012 to support accelerated development of the programs in the School of Public Health. CGSR start-up funding for graduate student scholarships Total to 200820112009-10 2010-11 program 09 12 2008-2012 Program type Master of Public Health 35,00 0 MSc and PhD in Biostatistics and PhD in Epidemiology Total $35,0 00 35,000 35,000 35,000 $140,000 46,667 46,667 46,666 $140,000 $81,667 $81,667 $81,66 6 $280,000 Table 7 shows the projected student enrolment for the Biostatistics and Epidemiology programs over the three-year period from 2009-10 to 2011-12 and the proposed allocation of the $140,000 of CGSR funding by program and academic year. This funding will provide scholarships of $7,500 (MSc students) or $9,320 (PhD students) per year on a competitive basis for one in three of the students enrolled in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics thesis-based programs. In addition, eligible students will be assisted to apply for non-devolved scholarship funding from the CGSR, the Dean’s Scholarship fund through the CGSR, and external funding from CIHR and other funding agencies. Students’ research supervisors will be encouraged to include graduate student stipends in their research grant applications. At the end of the 2011-12 academic year, the School of Public Health will apply for Devolved Scholarship Funding. It is expected that the School of Public Health will have a sufficient cohort of graduate students at the end of this three-year period to be eligible for devolved funding from the College of Graduate Studies and Research. Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 27 Table 7. Proposed allocation of graduate student funding from CGSR based on $7,500 per MSc student and $9,320 per PhD student for the period 2009-10 to 2011-12. 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Total New New New Funds Total Total Total student student student funds funds funds Allocat Program type s/ s/ s/ to be to be to be ed for Total Total Total allocat allocat allocat Each student student student Program ed ed ed s s s MSc Biostatistic s PhD Biostatistic s Total Biostatistic s 4/4 $7,500 4/8 $15,00 0 4/8 $15,00 $37,500 0 2/2 $9,320 2/4 $9,320 2/6 $18,64 $37,280 0 6 $16,82 0 12 $24,32 0 14 $33,64 $74,780 0 PhD Epidemiology 3/3 $9,320 4/7 $18,64 0 5/12 $37,26 $65,220 0 Total for new thesisbased programs 9 $26,14 0 19 $42,96 0 26 $70,90 $140,00 0 0 6.3 Program Start-Up Costs and Permanent Operating Costs Costs associated with the start-up of the Graduate Program in Biostatistics are primarily for administrative support to the Programs Committee. Activities associated with program start-up include developing and revising application forms and procedures and policies, developing promotional materials, developing student orientation materials, establishing processes for maintenance of student records, and supporting the Chair of the Programs Committee. Permanent operating costs associated with the program are for: (i) administrative support: estimated to be 0.25 FTE; (ii) general operating expenses: includes materials, supplies, telephone/fax, postage/courier, printing and publicity, advertising, and other related expenses; (ii) special events: student orientation, seminars; and (iv) registration and travel: registration fees and travel costs for faculty and students to attend seminars, workshops, or conferences. 6.4 Multi-Year Revenue and Expenditure Projections Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 28 Table M-1 in Appendix M shows the costs associated with the program. All figures are in constant dollars. In terms of funding, the resources needed to initiate and develop the program are, for the most part, already in place in the operating budget of the School of Public Health. Table M-2 in Appendix M shows the projected tuition revenue associated with the Graduate Program in Biostatistics. The projections are made assuming that four (4) MSc and two (2) PhD students are admitted each year to the program. The figures are provided for the five-year period beginning with the 2009-10 academic year. All figures are in constant dollars. The admission statistics are realistic given current demand that has been identified from “special case” biostatistics graduate students currently enrolled in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology and current graduate students in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics who wish to transfer into this program. 7.0 References 1. http://ocgs.cou.on.ca/content/objects/WorkingGroupReportOnCollaborativePrograms June211.doc. Accessed on Nov. 7, 2008 2. http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/oise/UserFiles/File/CIDE_EGIE_WEB%20BRO_FINAL.pdf 3. DeMets DL, Storm G, Boehnke M, Louis TA, Taylor J an dDixon D (2006). Training of the next generation of biostatisticians: A call to action in the U.S. Statistics in Medicine. 25: 3415-3429 4. www.bu.edu/today/node/949 Accessed on October 15, 2008 5. Dixon D, Legler J. (2003). Careers in Biostatistics: High demand and rewarding work. STATS 37, Spring ASA 6. Department of Mathematics and Statistics Integrated Planning 2007-2012: Departmental Contributions to College Theme - Executive Summary 7. School of Public Health Proposal to University Council. May 9, 2007 8. Chiang CL and Zelen M. What is biostatistics? Biometrics 1985; 41:771-775 8.0 Existing, New and Revised Courses Appendix R contains descriptions of all proposed core and elective courses for the Graduate Program in Biostatistics. Appendix S contains proposal forms for all new and revised core courses. 9.0 Future Directions of the Program New courses will be developed as the program matures and new biostatistics faculty are hired in the School of Public Health. The working group for this program recommends that the existing course, CHEP 806.3 (Applied Statistical Methods for Follow-Up Data) be replaced with two courses: (i) Survival Analysis, and (ii) Design and Analysis of Longitudinal Studies. The Programs Committee will be responsible for overseeing the development of new courses and their integration into the program, as well as the revision of existing courses to ensure they contribute to the achievement of student learning objectives. Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 29 10.0 Appendices Appendix A: Appendix B: Appendix C: Appendix D: Appendix E: Appendix F: Appendix G: Appendix H: Appendix I: Appendix J: Appendix K: Appendix L: Appendix M: Appendix N: Appendix O: Appendix P: Appendix Q: Appendix R: Appendix S: [available from University Secretary's Office] Definitions of the Term “Collaborative” Program Calendar Comparison Table of Like Programs in Canada <not relevant to this proposal> <not relevant to this proposal> <not relevant to this proposal> Curriculum Vitae of Faculty Members Letters of Support for Proposed Program <not relevant to this proposal> Administrative Structure of College/Department/Unit <not relevant to this proposal> Physical Resource Requirements for New Program Budget Requirements for New Program Information Technology Requirements for New Program <not relevant to this proposal> Library Requirements for New Program Consultation with the Registrar Course Descriptions New and Revised Course Forms Collaborative MSc/PhD Program in Biostatistics – April 23, 2009 [attached] [attached] 30 Appendix R: Course Descriptions 1. Description of Required Credit Courses for MSc Program CHEP 800.3 Epidemiology I An introduction to the basic epidemiologic methods used to evaluate the distribution and determinants of disease. Format will include both lectures and interactive seminars to provide students with practical experience in epidemiological problem-solving. Examples will be drawn from the fields of both communicable and non-communicable disease. STAT 850.3 Mathematical Statistics and Inference An overview of mathematical methods used in theoretical statistics with particular emphasis on inference. This course will cover general probability distributions, generating functions, limit theorems, likelihood concepts, exponential families, decision theory, Bayesian and frequentist paradigms for estimation and testing, and asymptotic theory. PUBH 842.3 Current Biostatistics Methods and Computer Applications This course will introduce statistical methods commonly used by biostatisticians and their application in current research problems. The emphasis will be on the analysis of discrete outcomes and time-to-event data in observational and experimental designs. Class participants will develop skills in applying statistical models using existing software packages such as SAS and R. 2. Description of Required Credit Courses for PhD Program CHEP 806.3 Applied Statistical Methods for Follow-Up Data Statistical methods for longitudinal data analysis based on generalized estimating equations and maximum likelihood theories, and survival analysis methods for follow-up studies will be covered. This course focuses on the application of these statistical methods using SPSS and SAS on life science data. STAT 848.3 Multivariate Data Analysis A survey of methods for analyzing discrete and continuous multivariate data. Includes: loglinear models, logistic regression, canonical correlation, discriminant analysis, cluster analysis, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), and factor analysis. STAT 841.3 Probability Theory Probability spaces and random variables. Distribution functions. Convergence of random variables. Characteristic functions. Fundamental limit theorems. Conditional expectations. CHEP 810.3 Advanced Topics in Clinical Trials Explore methods and issues in the design, conduct and analysis of clinical trials, focusing on Phase II and III trials. Topics covered include: patient selection, treatment allocation, randomization techniques, endpoint definition, protocol development, sample size calculation, p-values, quality data collection, intent-to-treat analysis, analysis of compliance data, equivalency testing, surrogate endpoints, multiple comparisons, sequential testing, interim analysis, data analysis procedures and interpretation of results. 1 STAT 834.3 Advanced Experimental Design Review of the linear model; Randomization theory; Randomized blocks and Latin Squares; Factorial treatment structure; Calculus of factors; Incomplete block designs; Fractional factorials; Response surface designs; Optimal designs. 3. Description of Potential Elective Credit Courses for MSc and PhD Programs CHEP 801.3 Epidemiology II (MSc, PhD) Advanced epidemiologic theory and methods. Advanced techniques will be applied to a series of epidemiologic problems from the fields of communicable and non-communicable disease. CHEP 806.3 Applied Statistical Methods for Follow-Up Data (MSc) Statistical methods for longitudinal data analysis based on generalized estimating equations and maximum likelihood theories, and survival analysis methods for follow-up studies will be covered. This course focuses on the application of these statistical methods using SPSS and SAS on life science data. CHEP 803.3 Health Promotion (MSc, PhD) An introduction to health promotion practice, theory, and research. Topics include: power and empowerment, change in individuals, small group development, community development, healthy public policy, coalition-building and advocacy, linking research and action. CHEP 804.3 Community Health Issues (MSc, PhD) Overview of the field of community health, including health determinants, health status, health care organization, health information systems, and specific health topics, such as native health, maternal and child health issues, and cardiovascular and cancer diseases. CMPT 818.3 Queuing Theory and Modeling Applications (MSc, PhD) Markov and queuing processes in maintenance, inventory and traffic problems. The analysis of queues. Transient and steady state solutions. CMPT 830.3 Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (MSc, PhD) Provides an in-depth algorithms-based introduction to major concepts and techniques in bioinformatics. Topics include algorithms for structure prediction and similarity, sequence similarity and alignment, metabolic and regulatory pathways, sequence assembly, comparative genomics, expression analysis, database searching, artificial life and biological computation. CMPT 858.3 Topics in Modeling and Operations Research (MSc, PhD) In-depth coverage of recent research areas from operations research, and applications to system modeling. Advanced topics from mathematical programming, queuing theory, inventory control, simulation, Markov modeling, and simulation. PUBH 867.3 Health Policy and Politics (MSc, PhD) Deals with program and service planning for health care at the institutional, community, regional and provincial, national and international levels. The course takes a macro approach 2 to broad health policy and planning goals and follows these policies through to the level of institutional implementation. Policy analysis is an important component and much class time is spent analysing real life policy documents. PSY 807.3 Multivariate Statistics (MSc) The course objective is for graduate students to gain some knowledge of and experience with using multivariate statistics that are frequently used by psychologists dealing with nonexperimental or quasi-experimental data. The course will cover multiple regression, factor analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, and structural equation modeling. STAT 834.3 Advanced Experimental Design (MSc) Review of the linear model; Randomization theory; Randomized blocks and Latin Squares; Factorial treatment structure; Calculus of factors; Incomplete block designs; Fractional factorials; Response surface designs; Optimal designs. STAT 848.3 Multivariate Data Analysis (MSc) A survey of methods for analyzing discrete and continuous multivariate data, Includes; loglinear models, logistic regression, canonical correlation, discriminant analysis, cluster analysis, MANOVA, factor analysis. STAT 842.3 Stochastic Processes (MSc, PhD) Stochastic processes and random functions. Random walks, Markov property, and Martingales. Stationary processes and ergodic theorems. Invariance principles and strong approximation. STAT 847.3 Special Topics in Probability and Statistics (MSc, PhD) Topics will be related to recent developments in statistics and probability (multivariate statistics, time series, experimental design, non-parametric statistics, etc.) of interest to the instructor and students. STAT 851.3 Linear Models (MSc, PhD) A rigorous development of the general linear model using vector space theory. Topics to be covered include generalized inverses, orthogonal projections, quadratic forms, Gauss-Markov theorem, and estimability. Students may not receive credit for both STAT 443 and STAT 851. VLAC 881.3 Clinical Trial Design and Analysis (MSc) A course for veterinary graduate students who need an understanding of clinical trial design, statistics and clinical epidemiology in order to carry out their research and to evaluate themselves as clinicians. The course will cover areas of clinical trial design, applied medical statistics, diagnostic test evaluation and writing research grants. VTMC 832.3 Epizootiology of Infectious Diseases (MSc, PhD) Lectures, seminars and exercises will be given on the epizootiology and control of infectious diseases of animal populations, with emphasis given to: techniques of collection of data and sampling; application of modern microbiological laboratory methods; analysis of data; and interpretation of results, as applied to epizootiological investigations. 3 College of Graduate Studies and Research MEMORANDUM To: Cathie Fornssler, Secretary Academic Programs Committee of University Council From: Trever Crowe, Associate Dean College of Graduate Studies and Research Copies: Karen Semchuk, School of Public Health Date: May 08, 2009 Re: Graduate Program: MSc and PhD in Biostatistics Consistent with the agreement between the College of Graduate Studies and Research (CGSR) and the Academic Programs Committee (APC) of Council, attached is a report that describes the review of the proposed MSc and PhD programs in Biostatistics, housed in the School of Public Health. Both programs represent joint ventures among three academic units: Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and School of Public Health. Students admitted to the programs will have a background in mathematics, statistics, applied statistics, biostatistics, quantitative psychology, or any discipline with a strong background in mathematics or statistics with a minimum 75% grade point average. The MSc program is designed so that students are able to complete the degree with two years of full-time activity. Students enrolled in the program: complete a minimum of 15 credit units of coursework (9 core credit units and 6 elective credit units), participate in a non-credit seminar course and a non-credit research ethics course, and complete a thesis. The PhD program is a three-year full-time program, where students will: complete a minimum of 15 credits units of coursework (12 core credit units and 3 elective credit units), participate in a non-credit seminar course and a noncredit research ethics course, pass qualifying and comprehensive examinations, and complete a dissertation based on original research. Initially, a maximum of six students will be admitted to the Graduate Program in Biostatistics each year. There will be no quotas regarding the number of MSc and PhD students. Existing faculty, space, library, and information technology resources will support the development and delivery of the program. Aside from the additional (confirmed scholarship funding), no new resources are required to deliver the program. Review Process: Because this proposal included both MSc and PhD degrees, the programs were considered by the Joint Master’s and PhD Committee (Joint) within the College of Graduate Studies and Research. Committee members reviewed the proposal, and proponents were invited to a meeting to answer questions. The program proposal document that was reviewed by the Joint Master’s and PhD Committee underwent significant revisions, resulting in the proposal that was submitted to the Academic Programs Committee (there were no revisions or changes required by the Executive Committee of Graduate Faculty). All questions and concerns identified by the Joint Committee were addressed in the latest document. The following lists the topics and comments that were identified by the Joint Committee during the review: 1. It’s noteworthy that these programs have been identified within the strategic plans of the different departments and the SPH. That’s good. It will be important to be convinced that this will result in new students coming to the U of S, not simply a movement of students from one program to another. Review of MSc/PhD in Biostatistics 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Page | 2 Remember that students in thesis-based programs must maintain continuous registration. The management structure for the programs within the SPH must be clarified. Also, how will the participating departments be engaged in the management structure? Be careful about defining the membership of the student advisory committees. Note that we expect graduate student numbers on campus to grow over the next planning cycle, and therefore we should think twice about including more than the minimum number of committee members on graduate advisory committees. The proposal needs to be clear that the Executive Director is responsible for these programs, and that this responsibility may be delegated to a Graduate Chair. The SPH will have a single Graduate Chair for all the programs housed within the SPH. It’s good that the SPH is confident that the program can be delivered effectively with the faculty/staff/space commitments that have been made. The proposal needs to acknowledge and support the possibility of students transferring from the MSc to the PhD program. How will this be managed? What is the proposed process? Be sure to include the zero-credit courses (GSR 960, BIOS 990, Bios 994/996) in the core elements of each program. The budget tables should be cleaned up and ensure consistency between the different tables. The membership of the Examining Committee for the Qualifying exam must be consistent with the CGSR Policy and Procedures manual, sect 5.3.1. There is a difference between residency requirements and the requirement for full-time registration. Be careful with the language. The consultation with the Library indicates that additional material should (optionally) be purchased. Although we understand that the Library has suggested these materials are optional and the proponents have chosen to not pursue those materials, it will be important to indicate the proponents’ choice in the revised proposal. The Joint Committee learned that students in the Vaccinology and Immunotherapeutics programs have access to separate scholarship funding and would not be supported from the scholarship funding described in the proposal. The Joint Committee asked for clarification and commitment from the partner departments that the necessary resources would be provided. Various specific (relatively minor) revisions were required in the course proposals: inclusion of academic integrity statements in each course description, making sure that forms were completed properly, etc. The version of the document that was reviewed by the Joint committee proposed new graduate courses that would have graduate students sit in on the same lectures as those provided within undergraduate courses. The graduate students would be expected to do additional work in order to receive credit for the graduate courses. This practice is not unique. However, these graduate courses were listed within the core of courses required for the graduate degree. Therefore, students graduating from our own undergraduate program(s), who would most likely have completed both undergraduate courses linked to the proposed new graduate courses, would not be eligible to get credit for 6 cu of graduate courses in the core of the MSc program. The latest proposal, that which was submitted to APC, effectively addressed this difficulty. Review of MSc/PhD in Biostatistics Who: School of Public Health … Dept of Community Health and Epidemiology and Dept of Math and Stats. Epidemiology .. “the branch of medicine that investigates the causes and control of epidemics” … such as Swine flu … from Webster’s Dictionary except for the Swine flu comment. Goal is to apply statistical theory to medical, biological and agricultural data. It has been identified as key component of School of Public Health and covering memo by coDirectors support this statement. Need such a PhD program to get accredited (by USA Council on Educ in Public Health). Students are desiring to get into this area .. four students in Math/Stats want to enter now. Great opportunity for interdisciplinary projects. Better statistical studies will lead to better data for making better life science discoveries. Lots of academic and nonacademic jobs, 42 on the Stat Society of Canada web page. To get into MSc and PhD need degrees in math related disciplines with an average of 75%. Complete 12CU at MSc level to switch into PhD and get 80% … passing a qualifying exam should be indicated too, Page 5 (even though it does say it on Page 20). Response: Thank you for noting this oversight. In the Executive Summary of the proposal (attached) the last sentence on page 5, paragraph 1, has been revised to read: Students who wish to transfer from the MSc program directly to the PhD program must complete a minimum of 12 credit units at the MSc level (9 core credit units and 3 elective credit units), maintain an 80% average in the coursework, and pass a qualifying exam. New courses include Stat 850 .. Math/Stat Inference, PubH 842 .. Current Biostat Methods, CHEP 810 … Clinical Trials, Stat 851 .. Linear Models. Also new seminar course. Start with six students .. new funds from School will support 0.25 Admin position plus incidentals, CGSR gives 140000 dollars to support grad students for a few years. Need new resources but space/equipment will be existing space/equipment .. new resources funded by CGSR and SPH. Why opportune time for Saskatchewan? - have had two PhD special case grads - need collaborative research to get funding Univ has given medical/health sciences high priority on campus There are 4 students wanting to enter right now Excellent job prospects .. but it is highly competitive, so maybe not so excellent, in Sask states they will work with universities, govt or industry. Recent faculty hires have expertise .. no examples given Vet med and School now trying to hire a biostatistician Part of Dept Math/Stat 2nd integrated plan Unique at Saskatchewan. CH&E have a biostats ugrad program for population health. No grad training. Grad training help in design of clinical trials, analysis of longitudinal data (but not lateral data?), survey data, errors, computer software, multivariate stats. There will be provincial, national and international research projects. UWO developed this program in 2001 .. also at Toronto, McGill, Ottawa. .. Western Canada is not stated. My google search seems to indicate this is unique so perhaps great drawing card for UofS to attract West Canada university students. Why would MSc and PhDs in Vaccinol/Immunotherapeutics be in School of Public Health in lieu of Dept of Micro, Immunology, Biotechnology? Response: Because of the interdisciplinary focus on the biological, social, and environmental aspects of infectious diseases and vaccines in relation to human health and veterinary health, the Vaccinology and Immunotherapeutics programs are located in the interdisciplinary School of Public Health. Faculty who teach in these programs have standard primary appointments or joint or associate appointments in the School of Public Health, and the majority of these faculty are cross appointed in the departments mentioned, above. MSc has different required courses than PhD, so students who transfer or do MSc first will have a problem. They cannot count their MSc grad courses towards their PhD? Or does MSc automatically reduce PhD courses needed? Response: Yes, the MSc and PhD programs do have different course requirements and the MSc does not automatically reduce the PhD courses needed. The minimum course requirement for the MSc program, however, is 15 credit units, i.e., 9 credit units in required core courses and 6 credit units in elective courses, in addition to non-credit courses (p. 17, paragraph 3). As stated on page 20, paragraph 3, “Students who wish to transfer from the MSc program directly into the PhD program in Biostatistics must (i) complete a minimum of 12 credit units of coursework at the MSc level (9 core credit units and 3 elective credit units). Hence, students transferring directly from the MSc program into the PhD program must have taken the three required courses (CHEP 800.3, STAT 850.3, and PUBH 842.3 or their equivalents) and one 3 credit elective, which is one half class (3 credit elective) less than the normal course requirement for the MSc. Of course, this is contingent on the student having maintained an average of 80% in this coursework and passing the qualifying examination for entry into the PhD program (page 20, paragraph 3). Need a 0.25 Admin position .. funded by School .. 5000 dollars per year to travel where? Response: The $5,000 per year for travel is for “travel costs for faculty and students to attend seminars, workshops, or conferences” (page 28, paragraph2). These costs will be covered by the School of Public Health. Course Stat 850 replaces another course, Course Stat 851 replaces another course. Stat 834 replaces another course … but is it needed (Adv. Stat Exp Design) .. need Challenge. CH&EP 810 .. no exam, maybe some overlap .. is it needed .. Challenge PUBH 842 .. introducing stats .. is it needed? .. Challenge Since seems to be in an important strategic direction for Depts and School and therefore for the Univ, Recommend approval of programs, but course challenge for all new courses. Response: Yes. As is the usual practice at the University of Saskatchewan, students who have taken previous similar courses will be able to challenge any of the new or existing required courses in the programs. CGSR has addressed many technical issues and it seems they are now satisfied with the grad level technical details/quality of the program including its administration through SPH and supervisory committees. Thus not necessary for APC to investigate further, in my opinion. Program: MSc/PhD Biostatistics –University of Saskatchewan Reviewer: JR Dillon, Academic Programs Committee The submission for an MSc/PhD program in Biostatistics at the University of Saskatchewan (UofS) is well written and contains the expected content for a program proposal (proposal identification, rationale, description of program characteristics, resources, relationships and impact, and budget). The program will be offered through the School of Public Health (SPH) with the co-operation of the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. I like this proposal and the program will be a significant addition to the graduate programs at the UofS. I believe that the program has already been reviewed. Therefore, these comments should be taken as general interest queries. Program justification: The stated rationale for the program is that it will be a multidisciplinary experience for students unique to the UofS. The program will become a doctoral program in one of three of five required areas for the SPH should it become accredited. No other graduate degree program of this scope, combining theoretical statistics with investigations of research problems in the health sciences, is presently offered at the UofS. Biostatistics growth is mentioned in the UofS Integrated Plan 2007-2012 and in various unit plans. The job market for potential graduates is excellent. Some clarifications regarding program justification might be appropriate: • What are the other core areas identified by the School for Public Health for doctoral studies? What will happen if the School is not accredited? Will the program remain with the School or will it be devolved to other units? • Pg 9, section 2.2., bullet 5, indicates that “recent Faculty hires” were made in biostatistics. These hires are not identified in Section 4.0 pertaining to Faculty resources. Will these new hires be implicated in the MSc/PhD Biostatistics program? • Will faculty in the program be obliged to become part of the SPH? • No rationale is made for this program being unique amongst its peers. This may not be a requirement, but it would be interesting to know why students would choose to study at the UofS in this area when other schools have built reputations in the area (U of Toronto). Would this be a unique program in Western Canada? Saskatchewan? Are local students to be recruited? Does the UofS have a particular focus for data analysis that is unique? Is the demand for this program internally or externally driven? • One of the unique and emerging areas at the UofS is social science health research. There is little mention of this area (except for references to the Departments of Sociology and Psychology). Nature of the program: The requirements for an MSc and PhD in Biostatistics are outlined. The course content seems appropriate and new courses have been designed in addition to existing courses which will be integrated into the program. These new courses include STAT 850.3 Mathematical Statistics and Inference, STAT 851.3 General Linear Models, STAT 834.3 Advanced Experimental Design, CHEP 810.3 Advanced Topics in Clinical Trials, BIOS 990 Seminar in Biostatistics and the relevant MSc and PhD research course numbers. The courses seem representative of what would be expected for a solid advanced degree in biostatistics. Questions related to the program are listed below: • New courses STAT 444.3 - Linear Statistical Models, and VLAC 781.3 - Clinical Trial Design and Analysis, which are described under New Course Forms, seem not to be included in the course descriptions outlined in section 3.8. • The professor involved with some of the new courses is not indicated. In fact, it would be helpful to list whether core faculty will be involved in teaching any of the required courses. • There is a strong need for mathematical modeling of (infectious) diseases on this campus. This area is not specifically addressed in this proposal – are there plans, aside from the courses indicated, to address this? • The program requirements seem adequate and in line with other similar degree programs elsewhere. • The MSc program does not indicate that study design and its critique would be a learning objective – seems that this could be a reasonable objective, scaled down from the PhD expectation. Many MScs take on such a role in industry and government for applied studies. • Where would the student acquire sufficient background in large data base design? This would be fundamental to studies in health sciences. • The definition of biostatistics (pg 13, section 3.2) indicates that these programs “focus on applications in the life sciences only”. Should this be modified to health sciences as social science research may involve methods of biostatistical analysis? • It seems that the program committee will review all applications – this might be a large task and I wonder if preliminary screening of applicants could not be delegated, subject to review. • Do students need to identify a thesis supervisor prior to admission? • Entry requirements seem to differ between an average of 75% and 80%. Hard to follow rationale. • For transfer from the MSc to PhD can students transfer courses taken as credits towards the PhD? • I note that qualitative methods courses are not indicated as possible electives. This might give a student a door to the social sciences. Has there been much discussion with the social sciences about possible collaboration? • What form will the qualifying exam for the PhD take? What specific knowledge is required to have this requirement waived? • What is the format, aside from oral and written, of the comprehensive exam? Questions? Reviews of papers? Grant proposal? • Are peer-reviewed publications required for the PhD degree? • What is the format for the PhD and MSc thesis? • Is the maximum number of students envisaged 14? Why? • What will be done to entice students to the UofS. Will those with scholarships be provided with top-up funds? • It seems that initially more MSc students will be trained and that this number will fall to 50%PhD and 50% MSc. Has consideration been given to increasing the ratio towards PhD trainees? If not, why was the present ratio considered optimal? • Would it be possible to have a course MSc obtained within 12 months? Perhaps some of the credits could include data analysis components. • Will there be linkages to large health data bases that students can access for analysis? 2 Relationships: The program will increase capacity in the area of biostatistics and will complement existing programs that lack certain courses and perspective. The program is within the domain of the SPH. Because it is a new program, no transition is required. • Have professional associations been consulted about this program? Have groups such as VIDO been consulted? • How will students be recruited to the program – what relationships will exist with the CGSR and other units for recruitment. Resources: • • • • • • • Have departments checked with relevant colleges to ensure that graduate student space is available? Are space considerations the same for MSc and PhD students? Will all students in the program be subject to equivalent space rules? Where will computer labs be housed? Are these labs required for courses? Should all students be required to have their own computer and basic statistical software. Since all computers have wireless access, is it reasonable to have dedicated computers in labs? Have other faculty that could have associate status been identified? Will the files for these students be electronic? This would minimize the need for clerical support in the long run. Will travel costs and registration for conferences be competitive? Is an accepted conference presentation a pre-requisite for this funding? What percentage of the scholarship support can be leveraged? Is seems that leveraged dollars are not included in the stipend projections? Overall, the program is needed and ambitious. A few gaps still exist - it is not entirely clear what new teaching methods or innovative approaches will be taken. There is no statement of economic impact or even the need in Saskatchewan for such post-graduate training. There is also no indication of how the CGSR and the SPH will monitor program progress and success. 3