Master of Science in Public Health (Biostatistics)

The Master of Science in Public Health (Biostatistics) program is a positive response of the College of Public Health to the increasing demand for competent biostatistics who have both the strong biological background as well as the statistical facility to appreciate, analyze, and interpret biomedical and public health problems.

1975

1987

Graduates of the Master of Science in Public Health (Biostatistics) are expected to:

1. design, implement, and evaluate public health programs;
2. design, implement, and use research findings for policy development and institution building;
3. employ statistical techniques in analyzing and interpreting public health and medical data;
4. implement appropriate health promotion and education strategies in addressing public health issues;
5. practice inter-professional collaboration in public health service while adhering to professional, social, and ethical standards;
6. effectively use Filipino and English communication skills in both oral and written form;
7. exemplify positive Filipino values (e.g., damayan, bayanihan, hospitality, compassion) in the conduct of public health practice;
8. provide technical services related to biostatistics, environmental health, medical microbiology, nutrition and parasitology; and
9. design and implement a statistical data management plan.

Applicants to the MSPH (Biostatistics) program will be evaluated based on their academic preparation, quantitative skills, relevant work or research experience, and demonstrated commitment to the field. Final admission decisions are made by the Department-level committee in accordance with University guidelines.

1. General Requirements - All applicants must satisfy the general admission requirements of the National Graduate Office of Health Sciences (NGOHS), University of the Philippines Manila which include:
   1. Complete application documents must be submitted to the NGOHS by the last working day of April for First Semester entry, and by the last working day of September for Second Semester entry.
   2. Applicants who require early evaluation (e.g., for scholarship purposes or international applications) must submit a written request at least three months before the regular deadline.
   3. No applicant shall be denied admission based on age, gender, nationality, religious belief, or political affiliation.
2. Academic Background
   1. Applicants must present a good scholastic record from a recognized institution of higher learning.
   2. Preferably graduates of health profession programs (e.g., medicine, nursing, pharmacy) or those with at least a baccalaureate degree in biological sciences
3. Department Specific Requirements - In addition, applicants must meet the specific requirements of DEBs:
   1. Completion of undergraduate coursework in introductory biostatistics, differential and integral calculus (i.e., Biostat 201, Biostat 202, Biostat 230)
   2. Formal approval of qualification for graduate study by the Program Committee

1. Residency of at least 1 full academic year immediately prior to the granting of the degree
2. Completion of a minimum of 36 units of formal courses (3 units of core courses, 25 units of major courses, 4 units of electives, 4 units of cognates)
3. GWA of 2.00 or better in major courses and all courses taken provided there is no grade of 5.00 in any of them
4. Satisfactory completion and submission of the required hard bound copies of thesis, and electronic copy of manuscript
5. Publication requirement as with other MSPH Programs

Course Code: EPIDEM 201
Course Title: Principles of Epidemiology
Credit Units: 3.0
Pre-requisite: BIOSTAT 2021
Co-requisite: None
Course Description: Ecology of human diseases and epidemiologic methods

Course Code: BIOSTAT 206
Course Title: Research Methods I
Credit Units: 2.0
Pre-requisite: EPIDEM 201
Co-requisite: None
Course Description: Principles of field investigation; sampling methods in the study of health problems of human populations

Course Code: BIOSTAT 206.1
Course Title: Principles of Epidemiology
Credit Unit: 1.0
Pre-requisite: BIOSTAT 206
Co-requisite: None
Course Description: Implementation of a research proposal

Course Code: BIOSTAT 209
Course Title: Experimental Designs
Credit Units: 2.0
Pre-requisite: BIOSTAT 202
Co-requisite: None
Course Description: Design and analysis of experiments with emphasis on health-related and biological phenomena

Course Code: BIOSTAT 211
Course Title: Computer Applications in Biostatistics
Credit Units: 3.0
Pre-requisite: BIOSTAT 202
Co-requisite: None
Course Description: Computer programming applied to biomedical and public health problems

Course Code: BIOSTAT 212
Course Title: Sample Surveys
Credit Units: 2.0
Pre-requisite: BIOSTAT 231
Co-requisite: None
Course Description: Estimation of parameters and standard errors for different sampling designs

Course Code: BIOSTAT 213
Course Title: Applied Regression Analysis
Credit Units: 2.0
Pre-requisite: BIOSTAT 202
Co-requisite: None
Course Description: Applications of simple and multiple regression and correlation analysis, polynomial regression and logistic regression to biomedical data

Course Code: BIOSTAT 214
Course Title: Applied Multivariate Analysis
Credit Units: 2.0
Pre-requisite: BIOSTAT 213
Co-requisite: None
Course Description: Application of commonly used multivariate techniques for statistical analysis. Emphasis will be on the use of computer programs and the interpretation of results, rather than the theoretical basis of the different techniques

Course Code: BIOSTAT 231
Course Title: Introduction to Probability Theory
Credit Units: 3.0
Pre-requisite: BIOSTAT 230
Co-requisite: None
Course Description: Concepts and laws of probability, characteristics of distribution function; common discrete and continuous distributions; probability distribution functions of random variables

Course Code: BIOSTAT 232
Course Title: Introduction to Statistical Theory
Credit Units: 2.0
Pre-requisite: BIOSTAT 231
Co-requisite: None
Course Description: Theory of parametric estimation and hypothesis testing; Bayesian inference; elements of statistical decision theory

Course Code: EPIDEM 202
Course Title: Statistical Methods in Epidemiology
Credit Units: 2.0
Pre-requisite: EPIDEM 201
Co-requisite: EPIDEM 204
Course Description: Concepts and techniques for measuring relationships between variables

Course Code: BIOSTAT 292
Course Title: Practicum in Statistical Consulting
Credit Units: 2.0
Pre-requisites: BIOSTAT 206, 209, 212
Co-requisite: None
Course Description:

Course Code: BIOSTAT 297
Course Title: Seminars
Credit Unit: 1.0
Pre-requisite: BIOSTAT 206, 209, 212
Co-requisite: None
Course Description: A series of presentations on various topics in health statistics

May choose from any of the courses offered in the College/University as approved by the program adviser

Course Code: EPIDEM 204
Course Title: Study Designs in Epidemiology
Credit Units: 2.0
Pre-requisite: EPIDEM 201
Co-requisite: EPIDEM 202
Course Description: Design, conduct and analysis of epidemiologic studies

May choose from any of the courses offered in the Department as approved by the program adviser