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Sep 17, 2024
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2024-2025 Graduate Catalog
Biostatistics, Ph.D.
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Admission Requirements
Applicants to the Ph.D. program in biostatistics must hold a bachelor’s degree and must have taken mathematics courses through advanced calculus and linear algebra. Some background in biology or medicine is helpful but not required. The GRE graduate school admission test is optional. Applicants must have excellent English communication skills. If required, TOEFL English language proficiency test scores should be in accordance with the requirements specified by the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies. See the Language Requirement section of the Moody School catalog.
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Degree Requirements
The Ph.D. in biostatistics requires a minimum of 60 credit hours, no more than 12 of which can be in dissertation research. Students complete their coursework in two to three years with the final two years consisting primarily of research. In addition, students must pass the Comprehensive Exams, the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam, and the prospectus exam, and complete and defend a dissertation.
Required Courses (33 Credit Hours)
Theory and Methods
Modern Computational Biology (1-3 Credit Hours)
Students must take at least one credit hour in statistical genetics, genomics, or bioinformatics. Students can satisfy this requirement by taking either STAT 6358 at SMU or one of the courses offered at UT Southwestern.
Elective Courses (15-26 Credit Hours)
The Department of Statistical Science offers advanced elective courses each semester. Students complete the remaining required credit hours from among these courses, or from courses offered in other departments at SMU or UTSW with approval from the program director. Examples of frequently offered electives include the following:
Comprehensive Exams
Students must pass the Comprehensive (Basic) Exams, typically at the end of the first year.
Ph.D. Qualifying Exam
This is a personalized exam that assesses the student’s readiness for research. It is typically taken before the end of the second year.
Prospectus Exam
Students present initial dissertation results and a proposal for the remainder of the dissertation.
Dissertation (0-12 Credit Hours)
Students must write and successfully defend a dissertation. While not required, students may choose to enroll in dissertation research courses, with no more than 12 credit hours counting toward the degree (STAT 8198 , STAT 8398 , STAT 8698 ).
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