The Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics offers the Master of Science Program in Biostatistics-Decision Science with concentrations in Biostatistics and in Decision Science. The program prepares graduates for positions in academic settings, pharmaceutical companies, government agencies, and healthcare organizations.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are required to submit the following:

1. Graduate application (see https://graduate.louisville.edu/apply) submitted to the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies (SIGS).
2. Non-refundable application fee.
3. At least two letters of recommendation written within past twelve months (can be submitted with form at https://graduate.louisville.edu/apply).
4. Submission of GRE scores to SIGS (85th percentile or better on Quantitative section is preferred).
5. All postsecondary transcripts (may require foreign credential evaluation if not from accredited U.S. institution).
6. Statement of goals submitted to the department office (must include desired academic and degree program).
7. Foreign credential evaluation is required for each degree not from an accredited U.S. institution. This requirement may be waived, with approval by the dean, for degrees not considered to be relevant to evaluation of the applicant or whose transcript requires no foreign credential evaluation.
8. A baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution is required for admission.
9. A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 is required for unconditional admission.
10. International students for whom English is not their primary language must show English language proficiency by one of:
    • Award of a degree from an accredited U.S. institution
    • Official TOEFL score of 100 or higher (iBT, or Internet-Based Test), 250 or higher (CBT, or Computer-Based Test), or 600 or higher (PBT, or Paper-Based Test)
    • Official documentation of passing the exit examination for the advanced level of the Intensive English as a Second Language Program at the University of Louisville

Coursework

36 total credit-hours of required coursework

24 credit-hours of core coursework

3-6 credit-hours of concentration coursework

6-9 credit-hours of thesis research

Electives

An elective course must be chosen from the following list or as approved by student’s faculty advisor.

Biostatistics Concentration

Coursework

Decision Science Concentration

Coursework

Thesis

To successfully complete the M.S. degree, each student must successfully defend a master’s thesis on a topic approved by his or her major professor and thesis committee.

Guy Brock, Ph.D.

Somnath Datta, Ph.D.

Susmita Datta, Ph.D.

Robert J. Esterhay, M.D.

L. Jane Goldsmith, Ph.D.

Seongho Kim, Ph.D.

Maiying Kong, Ph.D.

Steven J. McCabe, M.D., M.Sc.

John A. Myers, Ph.D.

Rudolph S. Parrish, Ph.D.

Shesh Rai, Ph.D.

Dongfeng Wu, Ph.D.