University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky's new Master of Science in Biostatistics (MSBST) program trains students in methodological skills that are foundational in biostatistics. The MSBST meets the needs of candidates who seek careers in healthcare, government health agencies, biomedical research, and pharmaceutical industries - which all require advanced knowledge in analyzing health science data. Students will benefit from experiential learning opportunities and formal training in applying descriptive and inferential statistics specific to biomedical research, clinical and translational studies, and public health research aimed at improving population health.  

Traditional biostatistics programs train students to analyze biomedical data, with a heavy focus on data arising from clinical trials. Traditional epidemiology programs focus on the study of observational data and secondary data. Our symbiotic relationship between the departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology provides the opportunity to train students to work as "team-scientists" to fill an emerging workforce gap in the intersection of these two fields. The MSBST teaches candidates traditional biostatistics methodology, prepares them to work alongside epidemiologists and other subject-matter experts, and provides the unique skills to work with epidemiological data such as healthcare data, case reports, and more. Furthermore, our educational opportunities will train students to work in the emerging field of health data science.

The MSBST meets the needs of candidates who seek careers in healthcare, government health agencies, biomedical research, and pharmaceutical industry --- which all require advanced knowledge in analyzing health science data. Career outcomes of the MSBST program include biostatistician, data analyst, data/research scientist, and principal investigator.