Biomedical Data Science Ph.D. Program Degree Requirements

Completion of the program requires 75 credits. This includes:

• 15 hours of foundational coursework drawn from computer science and mathematics,

Students with conditional admission are also required to take the following leveling courses:

• For students not meeting the required computing background:
  • CS 240 Data Structures and Algorithms
  • CS 300 Design and Implementation of Database Management Systems
  • CS 340 Design and Analysis of Algorithms
• For students not meeting the required math background:
  • MSDS 520 Mathematical and Statistical Foundations for Data Science
  • MSDS 530 Statistical Inference and Modeling
  • MSDS 520 Introduction to Biostatistics
• 36 hours of “core” courses drawn from data science, computer science, and advanced statistics.
• Candidacy Exam (or qualifying) exam in the following 6 courses. The candidacy exam is taken at the end of the second year. The Ph.D. student must pass all 6 courses and will be allowed to retake the exam(s) from any of the courses no more than once.
  • MSBD 502 Computational Structural Biology
  • MSBD 551 Applied Machine Learning
  • MSDS 565 Predictive Modeling & Analytics
  • MSBD 710 Mathematical and Statistical Theory
  • MSBD 720 Advanced Biostatistics
  • MSBD 735 Advanced Epidemiology for Public Health
• 6 hours of research seminar
• 6 hours of special topics and electives.
• 12 hours devoted to dissertation and defense.

Candidacy Exam and Dissertation Committee

Upon admission to the program, each student will work towards completing the courses leading up to passing the Candidacy Exam and gaining candidacy as a Ph.D. student, as this is a major milestone event. During this time, the student may seek academic guidance from the program director.

Student enrollment in MSBD 800 Candidacy Exam shall signify your intent to take the exam.

Upon successful completion of the Candidacy Exam, the candidate may seek formation of a Ph.D. Dissertation Committee, which requires an approval document to be completed by the committee chair, members and student. The committee chair will become your primary resource for advisement and guidance for planning your proposal submission and defense, then subsequent dissertation presentation and defense.