Biostatistics
Master of Science (M.S.)
Graduate Major
Allendale • Face to face • 37 Credits
Biostatistics is the application and development of statistical techniques for the biological and health sciences. Biostatisticians often pursue a master's degree to advance their skills in statistical methods and their applications to data.
Overview
Grand Valley's M.S. in Biostatistics is a hands-on applied curriculum developed in parallel with the applied statistics, data science and analytics, health informatics and bioinformatics, and cell and molecular biology programs.
The program features directed courses in biostatistics and a culminating capstone experience. As a Professional Science Master's (PSM) program, there are two required professional courses and a required internship that gives you invaluable hands-on professional experience. Evening classes accommodate working professionals, and the curriculum emphasizes current statistical techniques and prominent software, preparing students well for their careers.
Studying biostatistics at Grand Valley offers numerous benefits. The demand for master’s level biostatisticians ensures higher starting salaries and exciting scientific work environments for biostatistics graduates. Our partnerships with Priority Health and Spectrum Health provide strong support for internships and ongoing assistance. Biostatistics graduates have secured careers with top employers like Van Andel Institute and MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Good performance in undergraduate statistics will strengthen an application. This coursework should include SAS and be equivalent to STA 216 at GVSU. Completion of this course and other statistics courses is recommended either concurrent with an application or later. Some other programming language experience is advantageous as part of an application (R, Python etc.) but it is not required. Quantitative/data-oriented work experience would also be considered relevant but is not required.
Biostatistics Program
Dr. Robert Downer, [email protected]
gvsu.edu/biostats
A-1-112 Mackinac Hall | (616) 331-3355
Program Director
Robert Downer, Ph.D.
(616) 331-3355
Application Deadline
Deadline for fall semester is June 1; winter deadline is November 1. The $30 nonrefundable application fee is waived if the applicant has previously applied to Grand Valley State University.
Career Opportunities
Develop or apply mathematical or statistical theory and methods to collect, organize, interpret, and summarize numerical data to provide usable information. May specialize in fields such as biostatistics, agricultural statistics, business statistics, or economic statistics. Includes mathematical and survey statisticians.
Top skills- Mathematics
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Complex Problem Solving
Earnings statistics
| Annual Earnings | Percentile |
|---|---|
| $ 63,129.84 | 10% |
| $ 77,444.50 | 25% |
| $ 95,870.10 | 50% |
| $122,236.83 | 75% |
| $149,593.67 | 90% |
Conduct research using bioinformatics theory and methods in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology, computational biology, proteomics, computer information science, biology and medical informatics. May design databases and develop algorithms for processing and analyzing genomic information, or other biological information.
Top skills- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Complex Problem Solving
Earnings statistics
| Annual Earnings | Percentile |
|---|---|
| $ 48,037.57 | 10% |
| $ 63,155.33 | 25% |
| $ 80,378.85 | 50% |
| $111,834.86 | 75% |
| $134,401.88 | 90% |
Apply knowledge of health care and database management to analyze clinical data, and to identify and report trends.
Top skills- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Writing
Earnings statistics
| Annual Earnings | Percentile |
|---|---|
| $ 59,112.68 | 10% |
| $ 77,669.94 | 25% |
| $ 98,818.91 | 50% |
| $124,506.02 | 75% |
| $147,608.24 | 90% |
Develop and apply biostatistical theory and methods to the study of life sciences.
Top skills- Mathematics
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Critical Thinking
- Science
Earnings statistics
| Annual Earnings | Percentile |
|---|---|
| $ 63,129.84 | 10% |
| $ 77,444.50 | 25% |
| $ 95,870.10 | 50% |
| $122,236.83 | 75% |
| $149,593.67 | 90% |
Scholarships
Grand Valley State University offers a wide variety of merit-based
scholarships. For information on all of the scholarships that are
available to students, please visit Scholarships at GVSU.
Grand Valley offers myScholarships
(a scholarship matching tool) to help admitted students match
with GVSU scholarships, as well as external scholarship opportunities.
myScholarships will prompt you to answer questions to help match you
to scholarships for which you might qualify.
Statistics Student Resources
The Department of Statistics has a wealth of information available to those interested in statistics programming at GVSU. Visit our student resources page for assistance in a number of areas. The Graduate School is another fantastic resource for both prospective and current graduate students.
Combined B.S. to M.S. in Biostatistics
If you are an undergraduate student and interested in pursuing a graduate degree, our combined Statistics, B.S. to Biostatistics, M.S. is an academic pathway that could save you both time and money.
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