Department of
Mathematics and Statistics
http://www.american.edu/cas/mathstat/ms-biostatistics.cfm
Professional Science Master’s
Program
in Biostatistics
Specialty Tracks:
Health Policy Track
Computational Track
Management Track
Contact us at:
pospiesz@american.edu
Protein: courtesy of
Władek Minor, UVA
Professional Science Master’s (PSM)
in Biostatistics
In accordance with the goals of the America COMPETES
Act and National Research Council of the National
Academies, the PSM in Biostatistics degree is a distinctive
Master of Science degree designed to prepare students
for direct entry into a variety of career opportunities in
industry, business, or non-profit organizations in health
and medical fields. It combines rigorous study in the
science of biostatistics with coursework in workforce
skills such as project management, communication,
policy development and entrepreneurship.
Six Important Reasons to Apply for the Program
 Our three-track program is the only PSM in Biostatistics program
in the country offering a Health Policy Track while also offering
Computational and Management Tracks.
 A unique combination of courses in Statistics, Biology, Public
Healthcare, Big Data Analysis, Scientific Computing and
Management/Business will prepare you for a rewarding career
as a biostatistician in the medical and health sciences,
pharmaceutical industries, and public and international health
services.
 You will be introduced to the fascinating field of biostatistics
research and publishing under the careful and supportive
guidance of our accomplished professors.
 You will be surrounded by a vibrant international group of
students, like you, on our beautiful campus located in Washington
D.C. , the heart of American science, business, and culture.
 As an American University Professional Master’s student you will
have many diverse opportunities for biostatistics internships,
summer jobs, and permanent jobs after graduation in numerous
public and private institutions.
 Public and private institutions in the United States and around the
world are constantly - and often desperately - seeking competent
health-oriented Professional Science Biostatisticians, often
offering high rates of compensation for such positions.
Program Schedule and Choices
 You can start the program in a spring semester or fall semester.
 You can be a full-time student (4 semesters + 1 summer) or a
part-time student (4 semesters + 3 summers or 5 semesters + 2
summers).
 You can work while studying. Most classes are offered late
afternoon or evening.
 While receiving a strong education in Biostatistics you have a
choice of one of three specializations by selecting the Health
Policy Track, Computational Track, or Management Track.
 To complete your Capstone Experiential, in addition to
Internship you can choose a Research Project and/or Consulting.
Professional Science Master’s in Biostatistics
Admission to the Program
In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements
for graduate study,
see http://www.american.edu/cas/admissions/apply.cfm,
applicants are required to have:
 an adequate background in the mathematical sciences,
equivalent to differential, integral, and multivariate calculus,
 Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores,
 a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of at least
3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
Specific courses needed to prepare for entering the program will
be identified through interviews with the applicant.
Professional Science Master’s in Biostatistics
Degree Requirements
Students are required to
 complete 33 credit hours of approved graduate work,
 gain Capstone Experience (6 credit hours in 600-level or
above courses as approved by a faculty advisor, with
grades of B or better),
 participate in noncredit workshops and seminars on
professional skills and current issues in science and
technology,
 demonstrate proficiency in the areas of study as part of the
capstone project, internship, and compulsory presentation.
PSM in Biostatistics
Course Requirements
 Core Courses (12 credits)
STAT-615 Regression (3)
STAT-630 Mathematical Statistics I (3)
STAT-631 Mathematical Statistics II (3)
STAT-622 Advanced Biostatistics (3)
PSM in Biostatistics
Course Requirements (continued)
Capstone Experience (6 credits)
Complete 3 to 6 credit hours from the following:
 PSM-691 Internship (3-6)
Complete the remaining credit hours from the following:
 PSM-690 Independent Study in Professional Science (1-6)
 STAT-798 Statistical Research and Consulting (1)
PSM in Biostatistics
Course Requirements (continued)
Statistics Electives (3 credits)
Complete 3 credit hours from the following:
 STAT-516 Design of Experiments (3)
 STAT-517 Special Topics in Statistical Methodology (3)
 STAT-519 Nonparametric Statistics (3)
 STAT-520 Applied Multivariate Analysis (3)
 STAT-521 Analysis of Categorical Data (3)
 STAT-522 Time-Series Analysis (3)
 STAT-584 Introduction to Stochastic Processes (3)
 STAT-605 Introduction to Survey Sampling (3)
 STAT-616 Generalized Linear Models (3)
 STAT-624 Data Analysis (3)
PSM in Biostatistics
Course Requirements (continued)
Biology Electives (3 credits)
Complete 3 credit hours
from the following:
 BIO-685 Bioinformatics (3)
 BIO-687 Genomics (3)
 BIO-689 Biotechnology (3)
PSM in Biostatistics
Course Requirements (continued)
Program Tracks (9 credits)
Complete one of the following tracks:
Health Policy Track
Computational Track
Management Track
PSM in Biostatistics
Course Requirements (continued)
Health Policy Track (9 credits)
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Complete 3 credit hours from the following:
PUAD-685 Topics in Policy and Analysis Management (1-3)
SIS-635 Advanced Topics in Development Management (3)
Complete 6 credit hours from the following:
COMM-580 Strategic Health Communication (3)
ENVS-665 Environmental Risk Assessment (3)
HPRM-575 Global Health (3)
HPRM-585 Global Health Policy (3)
HPRM-661 Health Promotion in Healthcare (3)
HPRM-680 Health Policy and Behavior Change (3)
PUAD-604 Public Program Evaluation (3)
PUAD-696 Selected Topics: Non-Recurring (1-6) (Approved topic)
SIS-624 Children in International Development (3)
SIS-626 Social Policy and Development (3)
SIS-628 Advanced Topics in International Communication (1-3)
PSM in Biostatistics
Course Requirements (continued)
Computational Track (9 credits)
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Complete 3 credit hours from the following:
ITEC-616 Management Information Systems (3)
ITEC-620 Business Insights through Analytics (3)
Complete 6 credit hours from the following:
CSC-589 Topics in Computer Science (3) (Approved topic)
CSC-610 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (3)
ITEC-660 Business Intelligence (3)
ITEC-670 Database and Big Data (3)
MATH-665 Numerical Analysis: Basic Problems (3)
MATH-661 Tools of Scientific Computing (3)
SIS-646 Information Systems and International Communication (3)
STAT-625 Statistical Software (3)
PSM in Biostatistics
Course Requirements (continued)
Management Track (9 credits)
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Complete 9 credit hours from the following:
ACCT-600 Ethics in Business and Accounting (3)
COMM-543 Speechwriting (3)
FIN-630 Financial Analysis of the Firm:
Concepts and Applications (3)
ITEC-616 Management Information Systems (3)
ITEC-620 Business Insights through Analytics (3)
ITEC-660 Business Intelligence (3)
MKTG-612 Marketing Management (3)
PUAD-685 Topics in Policy and Analysis Management (1-3)
SIS-628 Advanced Topics in International Communication (1-3)
SIS-635 Advanced Topics in Development Management (3)
SIS-646 Information Systems and International Communication (3)
Study with us
Graduate with us
Celebrate with us
How to Apply for the Program?
You can start the program in a spring semester or fall semester.
Applications for the program will be collected online.
To start your application go to
http://www.american.edu/cas/mathstat/ms-biostatistics.cfm
or to http://www.american.edu/cas/admissions/apply.cfm
and select Apply Online.
Applications are reviewed year-round on a rolling basis,
for fall and spring enrollments.
Early applicants increase their chance to be awarded
with a partial tuition remission.
Program Director’s contact: pospiesz@american.edu
American University
Visit the Campus
Meet your Biostatistics Professors
Michael Baron conducts research in
the theory and methodology of
sequential analysis and optimal
sequential designs. This field
concerns any statistical analysis
performed on the data collected
sequentially, one observation after
another, as it happens, for example,
in sequential clinical trials. At any
time during the experiment, it is
decided whether to continue
sampling or stop collecting data and
report results. Baron’s contribution is in the development of sequential statistical
procedures that attain the desired accuracy and minimize the expected sampling cost
under these constraints. His latest research in this regard concerns simultaneous
inferences and multiple comparisons in sequential experiments, with main
application in clinical trials.
An important direction of sequential analysis is called change-point detection.
It covers a wide range of problems with a goal detecting sudden changes in
distributions of sequentially collected data. In his research, Baron derives the
optimal detection stopping rules that achieve the best balance between the
detection delay and the rate of false alarms. His work in this area is both
theoretical and applied. One of his main applications is in epidemiology, where
prompt change detection helps identify a pre-epidemic trend and predict an
epidemic.
Baron often works with doctors and sometimes participates in clinical trials
such as a recent trial of Prometa, a treatment program that helps chronic drug
addicts reduce their craving and quit drugs. Recently, by studying change-point
in times to relapse, it was discovered that Prometa patients have to stay sober
for two weeks after the treatment – and then their probability of going back to
drugs reduces drastically.
http://www.american.edu/cas/faculty/baron.cfm
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=LVu0QOUAAAAJ&hl=en
Meet your Biostatistics Professors
Kristina Crona’s research area is
mathematical evolutionary biology,
with focus on adaptation. One
application is antimicrobial drug
resistance, where the goal is to
predict, prevent and manage drug
resistance problems. Development of
antibiotic resistance and HIV drug
resistance depend on several
mutations. Several mutations are
also involved when pathogens cross
the species barrier, for instance from
bats (Ebola) or birds (bird flu) to humans. Darwinian processes of practical importance
tend to be complex because of gene interactions. A current project concerns higher
order gene interactions and implications for recombination. She applies discrete
mathematics, including graphs and triangulations of polytopes to fitness landscapes,
and use algebraic methods, such as polynomials and Grobner bases for analyzing
discrete structures.
http://www.american.edu/cas/faculty/kcrona.cfm
Meet your Biostatistics Professors
Monica Jackson’s current research interest is in
the areas of spatial statistics and disease
surveillance with applications to developing,
investigating methods for detecting cancer
clusters, global clustering patterns, and
developing simulation algorithms for spatially
correlated data. As she writes about her
research:
“As a spatial statistician, I have expertise in developing spatial models for detecting
clustering trends in geographic data. I developed similar models to investigate
cancer trends in the U.S. My previous experience and specialization with these
types of data has been proven through numerous publications in this field. I have
shown rural/urban differences in mammography screening rates in California. This
research is important as decisions are made on where to locate screening facilities.
I investigated malaria rates in West Africa to determine if global warming were
changing the mortality rates associate with Malaria rates. I also examined the
patterns of care and survival of African-American, Hispanic and Non-Hispanic
white patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I found that differences in
primary tumor size, cancer stage and insurance status were contributing factors
in whether patients of different ethnicities/races received surgery, but did not
explain differences in the receipt of chemotherapy for some groups. In 2012 I
received the Morton Bender Prize for outstanding research by an Associate
Professor at American University. I have also spent sabbaticals at the National
Cancer Institutes, the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics at UCLA and at
the Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute where I worked on
applying my spatial techniques to a wide variety of medical problems.”
http://www.american.edu/cas/faculty/monica.cfm
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=QFBtbjsAAAAJ&hl=en
Meet your Biostatistics Professors
For Betty Malloy, promoting progressive
public health policy is a matter of numbers.
"As a statistician, I get to participate in some
projects that ask big questions in terms of
getting at the health impacts of occupational
and/or environmental exposures on
individuals," she says.
Malloy is currently developing statistical models for two projects that examine
environmental effects on health. In one study, she is working with Ellen Eisen of UCBerkeley on a disease pattern study that examines the effects of auto plant
chemicals on over 46,000 General Motors workers during a span of nearly seven
decades. The study is sponsored by GM and the United Auto Workers, and by a
grant from the National Cancer Institute.
By modeling the relationships between exposure to these chemicals and
instances of various cancers, Malloy has demonstrated a connection between
high exposure and increased relative risk of these diseases. Findings to date have
been published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, International
Journal of Biostatistics and Computational Statistics and Data Analysis.
Malloy is also working with Harvard biostatistician Brent Coull on a study
examining the effects of air pollution on heart rate and nitric oxide levels in the
blood. Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental
Protection Agency, the study involves 45 individuals who went on multiple field
trips from a suburban environment into St. Louis. By examining information
collected from breath analyses, blood samples, and heart rate variation in each
participant, the team is examining associations between increased pollution
exposure and increased heart rates and nitric oxide levels. The information
derived from the breath analyses and blood work has been published in the
journal Biostatistics. Malloy is currently working on examining the heart rate
data—which was taken over the course of the participants' excursions— and its
association with pollution exposure.
http://www.american.edu/cas/faculty/malloy.cfm
Meet your Biostatistics Professors
Maria Pospieszalska
Program Director:
Professional Science Masters in Biostatistics
Pospieszalska currently conducts research in
mathematical and stochastic modeling of
biophysical processes occurring in blood such
as leukocyte recruitment to sites of
inflammation, kinetics of cell rolling in shear
flow, adhesion molecules interaction, cell
membrane protrusion/tether/sling formation,
and atherosclerosis plaque accumulation and
behavior.
Pospieszalska predicted and described (Biophysical Journal 100:1697-1707, 2011) a
new bio-material, which she named nonlinearly decaying spring viscoelastic (NLDsviscoelastic material). A few months later a La Jolla Institute for Allergy and
Immunology experimental group, she cooperates with, observed - for the first time the tether phenomenon consistent with the predictions of her mathematical model.
The NLDs-viscoelastic properties of the molecular bonds explain why the blood
cells are able to adhere to artery walls in spite of a very high shear rate under
which the blood flows. The paper (Nature 488: 399-403, 2012) she coauthored
was selected as an Editor's Choice of Academic Journal with comments such as by
Shu Chien, UC San Diego: “These findings not only have fundamental importance
in the mechanobiology of the cell, but also in understanding the pathophysiology
of many disease states.”, or by Sussan Nourshargh, WHRI, London School of
Medicine “This is a completely new cellular concept that will now be added as an
additional step to the leukocyte adhesion cascade that describes the sequential
cellular responses involved in guiding neutrophils to sites of inflammation. This
pioneering work will without doubt pave the way for other researchers to explore
the occurrence of "slings" in a wide range of inflammation scenarios."
Pospieszalska has published in other journals such as Molecular Immunology,
Biorheology, Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, Microcirculation, Icarus,
Journal of Geophysical Research, Physical Review, and Mathematical Models and
Methods in Applied Statistics. She has written two book chapters on modeling
cellular rolling and adhesion in Current Topics in Membranes and in Methods in
Enzymology.
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=MVecizEAAAAJ&hl=en
http://www.pospieszalska.phpnet.org/M_Pospieszalska/Recent%20Papers_Abstracts.pdf
….. and your Statistics Professors
Mary Gray
John Nolan
http://www.american.edu
/cas/faculty/mgray.cfm
http://www.american.edu
/cas/faculty/jpnolan.cfm
….. and your Statistics Professors
Robert Jernigan
Alexandra Kapatou
http://www.american.edu
/cas/faculty/jernigan.cfm
http://www.american.edu
/cas/faculty/kapatou.cfm
….. and your Statistics Professors
Inga Maslova
http://www.american.edu
/cas/faculty/maslova.cfm
Jun Lu
http://www.american.edu
/cas/faculty/lu.cfm
Department of
Mathematics and Statistics
Joshua Lansky
Department Chair
http://www.american.edu/
cas/faculty/lansky.cfm
Visit us at
https://www.facebook.com/American-University-Department
-of-Mathematics-and-Statistics-1232217223460924/timeline
American University
Graduate Student Resources
Housing for graduate/professional students:
 American University Housing & Dining Programs provides off-campus housing
resources to assist with your search for housing within the DC metro area.
 Online Housing Resources:
 Hotpads.com
 Forrent.com
 Craigslist
 Hillzoo.com Housing
 HousingList.com
 Washington Post Apartment Showcase
 Apartment Guide
 ApartmentList.com
 Zillow.com
 JustRentToOwn.com
 JustRentToOwn.StudentGuide
American University
Graduate Student Resources
Getting Around DC:
 American University Shuttle Bus
From the Tenleytown/AU Metrorail red line east exit, simply walk straight ahead 100
feet to the bus stops at the corner of Albemarle and 40th Streets. Both shuttle bus
routes – Main Campus and Law School – lead to the main campus and Katzen Arts
Center.
 Metrorail (Red Line) & AU Shuttle Bus
American University shares a Red Line stop with the DC neighborhood, Tenleytown.
The American University Metrorail stop is only two stops from Bethesda, four stops
from Dupont Circle, and 6 stops from Metro Center.
 Metrobus Routes
N3, N4, N6, N8 pass AU on Massachusetts Avenue
M4 and N2 pass AU on Nebraska Avenue at Ward Circle
More information on DC transportation for American University students:
http://www.american.edu/provost/grad/living.cfm
American University
Graduate Student Resources
On-Campus Student Resources:
 Academic Support and Access Center
The Academic Support and Access Center (ASAC) supports the academic development
and educational goals of all American University students and is committed to
providing access for individuals with disabilities within the university's diverse
community.
 Career Center
All students have the ability to schedule an appointment with a career advisor, who
will assist with networking, interviews, resume and cover letter preparation, and job
searching.
 Office of Merit Awards
Advisors in the Office of Merit Awards help students to identify appropriate nationally
competitive, merit-based scholarships and partner with faculty to assist with the
application process.
American University
Graduate Student Resources
On-Campus Student Resources
 Writing Center
Writing Consultants help students with interpreting a writing assignment, generating
ideas, organizing ideas and research, developing logical arguments, finding strategies
for revising, and identifying recurrent errors.
 Center for Teaching, Researching, and Learning Lab
The CTRL Lab is staffed by consultants, who can provide drop-in support for specialized
statistical software such as SPSS, SAS, and STATA, as well as qualitative software such as
NVivo. Consultants can also assist with research design, data management, interpreting
statistical results, and other research-related tasks.
 Professional Communications Center
The Kogod Center for Professional Communications service provides help with
presentations and public speaking. Help with business and workplace writing—
including reports, memos, emails, and cover letters—is provided for every stage from
first draft through revisions and on to the polished final product.
American University
Graduate Student Resources
On-Campus Student Resources
 University Library Reference Desk
Reference Librarians assist students and scholars through the research process. This
includes helping students locate the best available sources for their projects and
papers and providing guidance on research strategies.
 Technology Support Desk
This service from the Office of Information Technology offers students, faculty, and staff
convenient, easy access to professional technology assistance. Technology Support
Engineers provide assistance with a wide range of issues, from internet connectivity to
virus removal to system restoration.
Learn how you can make the
difference in people lives
Join our vibrant community
of professors and students
at American University!
Biostatistician
Occupational
Outlook
by Grant Conway
Biostatistics in Our
Everyday Life
Everyday, the news media reports on new research findings
concerning human health.
- New associations found between symptoms and
diseases,
- Improved outcomes of a new treatment, and
- Potential dangers of a behavior or substance.
This research involves the work of multidisciplinary teams
of researchers, including physicians, nurses, public health
officials, environmental health specialists, and
biostatisticians.
Biostatistics in Our
Everyday Life
“Patients Do Better After Surgery
If They Do ‘Prehab’ First”
National Public Radio
October 29, 2014
- McGill University biostatisticians
studied 77 patients scheduled for
a colorectal cancer surgery.
- Half of the group received the
- placebo by starting the program
after their surgery.
- Other half received the treatment
by beginning the program 25 days
before their surgery.
Biostatistics in Our
Everyday Life
“Patients Do Better After Surgery If They Do ‘Prehab’ First”
- By testing patients on how far they could walk in 6 minutes
following the surgery, biostatisticians found that the group
receiving the treatment preformed better.
- The treatment group, who received the prehabilitation, walked
an average of 23.7 meters father than the control group.
- Results of the study were clinically and statistically significant
as it exceeded 20 meters.
- In collaboration with other studies, this research has helped to
develop a model of cancer prehabilitation.
What Is the Role of
Biostatisticians?
In studies like, “Prehabilitation versus Rehabilitation: A
Randomized Control Trial in Patients Undergoing Colorectal
Resection for Cancer,”
Biostatisticians collaborate with other researchers to:
- identify the best approach to data gathering given the
question that the study seeks to answer,
- calculate the needed sample size,
- formulate data collection methods,
- use statistical software to increase the workability of raw
data,
- employ statistical tests and terms to conclude the
study’s findings and significance, and
- convert data into useful information and graphical
representations for all consumers of information.
Biostatisticians’
Areas of Study
Biostatisticians can work on a myriad of research problems
and questions:
- Factors affecting heart and lung disease
- Testing new drugs to combat AIDS
- Assessing indoor air quality in schools
- Evaluating dental health and dental procedures
- How do doctors deal with time pressures to see more
patients per day in different health care systems?
- Do doctors differently diagnose coronary heart disease
by gender, even when the signs presented are exactly
the same?
Where Do Biostatisticians
Work?
1. Academics
- Public Health, Nursing, Statistics Schools
2. Government
- CDC, FDA, VA
3. Hospitals/Non-Profits
- Gates Foundation, Massachusetts General Hospital
4. Pharmaceuticals and Contract Research Organizations
- Quintiles, Parexel, Covance, INC Research
We will focus on the last three types of employers because they
employ more biostatisticians with master’s degrees.
Biostatistician
Career Outlook
While the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not specifically
collect employment information on biostatisticians, there is
a positive outlook for statisticians with greater advancement
opportunities and growth rate of 27% from 2012 to 2022.
Biostatisticians
in Federal Government
- The government continues to work on programs that
enhance data, its availability to the public, and its ability
to drive data-driven reform.
- With these reforms, biostatisticians will play an
instrumental role. These demands for change in health
care will create a demand for biostatisticians and their
expertise.
- The Department of Health and Human Services and
National Institutes of Health are major employers of
biostatisticians and annually conduct more than 38,000
biology and public health related projects.
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
- Biostatistics and
Information Management
Office
• CDC's lead group for
statistical expertise for
investigations into
foodborne, waterborne,
and environmental disease
outbreaks, research
studies, and surveillance
data analyses.
• One major project is the
collection of data through
PHLIS (the Public Health
Laboratory Information
System).
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
- Sample Profession: Health Scientist
• Professional Science Master’s Degree in Biostatistics would
satisfy its qualifications.
•
•
Some duties include:
(1) Analyze
epidemiologic
investigation data
utilizing new
methodologies or
existing techniques
that have been
extensively revised;
(2) Conduct major
statistical studies or
continuing projects
as part of its
investigative
program.
Biostatisticians
in the Private Sector
- The majority of biostatisticians work in pharmaceutical and
health care companies.
- Pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing companies
reported an average salary of $92,030 for biostatisticians.
- Contract research organizations (CRO) also hire
biostatisticians provide clinical-trial and clinical-study
support for drugs and medical devices.
- Government agencies, research organizations, and medical
companies invested 6 billion dollars more in CRO-run
research in 2004 than 1994 and the trend continues.
Baxter
~ Health Care Company ~
- Biostatistician
Baxter
~ Health Care Company ~
- Biostatistician (Full-time)
• Duties:
 Provide statistical support on clinical studies, including
representing the biostatistics group on clinical study
teams
 Provide SAS programming support for analysis datasets
and presentation tables
 Develop oversight responsibilities on studies that are
outsourced to partners
 Provide statistical input to publications, presentations,
and non-study related activities
•
Qualifications:
 Masters Degree in Biostatistics or an equivalent analytic
degree with excellent SAS programming skills
Biostatisticians
in Hospitals
- Biostatisticians collaborate with other investigators on
clinical and laboratory studies.
- Biostatisticians will help to plan studies, to apply for grant
funding, resolve data analysis problems, to determine
sample size requirements, and to draft the results of the
study.
- Hospital biostatisticians will collaborate with many different
departments that have a gamut of focuses including
psychiatry, dentistry, and anesthesiology.
Massachusetts General Hospital
- Biostatistician
• Duties:




Creation and maintenance of
data capture systems,
designing overall schema for
data collection to adhere to
protocol, programming missing
data checks.
Perform statistical analysis of
studies.
Supervise research team on
data entry, quality control, and
form development.
Recode and restructure
historical datasets.
• Qualifications:
•
Master’s degree in biostatistics
preferred, through programs
including but not limited
public health
Biostatistician Career Ladder
Non-Faculty Biostatistician
Salary
- The median starting salary for a non-faculty
biostatistician with a master’s degree is $63,200.
- The median salary for a non-faculty biostatistician with
a doctorate is $99,300.
Faculty Biostatistician
Salary
-
Assistant Biostatistics
Professors saw a 12.5%
salary increase between 2006
and 2012.
-
Full Biostatistics Professors
with not more than six years
of experience reported a
median salary of $194,000
-
Starting Assistant Professors
with a PhD in Biostatistics
had a median starting salary
of $102,200.
Biostatistician
Earnings Calculator
http://biostatpharma.com/home.htm?page=welcome
Statistics vs. Biostatistics
Salaries
-
While the data only covers full
professors, it illustrates the
trend found in academic and
non-academic positions between
statistics and biostatistics.
-
Biostatistics is in greater
demand with fewer qualified
professionals resulting in a
higher salary and greater job
security.
-
Green = Biostatistics Salary,
Yellow = Lower Statistics Salary,
Blue = Higher Statistics Salary.
Biostatisticians
Job Security
Biostatisticians have higher job security than most
professions including statisticians.
- A smaller supply of skilled workers creates a demand for
that profession and fosters job security.
- Biostatisticians are specialized requiring at least a
graduate degree in biostatistics or public health with an
emphasis in biostatistics.
- Government positions may have lower salaries than
private-sector biostatisticians but have higher job
security.
Need for Graduate
Statisticians
According to the National Center for Education Statistics,
0.83% of master’s degrees conferred in 2011-2012 were in
mathematics, statistics, or biostatistics.
Biostatistics Degree
A graduate degree in biostatistics will equip you with the
necessary skills needed in the workforce through:
- Rigorous training in statistical theory and methods
- Basic knowledge of a biomedical specialty area (i.e.
epidemiology, clinical trials, computational biology,
neuroscience)
- Experience in a team science setting, either in an
independent study, an internship, or a short-term
(2–3 month) research rotation in a specific clinic or lab.
- Training in communication, management and
leadership skills, as well as research ethics.
“A biostatistician needs to understand both statistical theory
and the use of bioinformatic tools.” ~ Fabio Macciardi
Biostatistics Degree
Biostatisticians working in the fields of genetic epidemiology
and bioinformatics need some background in biomedical
sciences, covered by the PSM-Biostatistics program at AU.
STEM PMF: Biostatistician
The Presidential Management Fellows program was expanded
to close the skills gap in federal agencies for mission critical
occupations, including science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics disciplines.
- Advanced degree will make you eligible for a PMF position.
- Repayment of student loans.
- Begin managerial work to start at least at GS-9 level.
- 2 year fellowship included with networking and training.
Articles & Resources
You can find many articles further discussing the occupational
outlook of biostatisticians, such as:
 Desperately Seeking Biostatisticians
by Anne Gimalac (Nature Reviews)
 Analyze This: As Key Players on Scientific Teams,
Biostatisticians are in High Demand
by Kendall Powell (Nature Publishing Group)
http://biostatpharma.com/home.htm?page=welcome
This website is a great resource for understanding
biostatistics as an occupation and learning from
professionals in the field.
Works Cited
http://publichealthonline.gwu.edu/applying-biostatistics-to-a-career-in-public-health/
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d13/tables/dt13_323.10.asp
http://www.amstat.org/careers/biostatistics.cfm
http://biostatpharma.com/home.htm?page=welcome
http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/21/job-security-flexibility-forbes-woman-net-worth-personalbrand.html
http://sph.berkeley.edu/areas-study/epidemiologybiostatistics
Lisa M. Sullivan, Marie Davidian, Anita L. DeStefano & Roslyn A. Stone, (2013) Building the Biostatistics
Pipeline: Summer Institutes for Training in Biostatistics (SIBS). CHANCE 26:1, pages 4-9.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15368660
http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/articles/10.1038/nj7010-880a
Steinbrook, R (May 26, 2005). "Gag clauses in clinical-trial agreements.". The New England Journal of
Medicine 352 (21): 2160–2
http://www.pmf.gov/the-opportunity/pmf-stem.aspx
AU Professional Science Master’s (PSM)
in Biostatistics
“Employment opportunities for graduates of this program are
plentiful. Students are prepared for positions with public health
organizations, government policy agencies, medical research
institutions, big data research centers, genome research
institutions, census and health record centers, public and private
hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, medical software
companies, medical device manufactures, environmental
companies, insurance companies, consulting firms, international
health organizations, and more. Join American University to
secure your future!”
Director of the Program