Course details

Summary

The Master of Science (MSc) programme enables you to pursue advanced study in your area of interest with the opportunity to work on independent research.

Programme overview

Studying for an MSc is an opportunity for committed scientists to focus on a relevant area of interest or practise and pursue an advanced qualification. While taught masters will provide you with specialist training in your chosen field, a research masters will develop advanced research skills, working alongside Faculty of Science researchers - many of whom are major contributors in their field.

Medical Statistics

Medical Statistics, or Biostatistics, is the study of human health and disease, with applications ranging from biomedical laboratory research, to clinical medicine, to health promotion, to national and global systems of health care. Medical statisticians design and analyse studies to identify the real causes of health issues - as distinct from chance variation.

The Medical Statistics major is designed for those wanting a statistics qualification that is more clearly targeted at careers in the medical area.

Career opportunities

Medical Statisticians typically work in collaboration with Scientists and Physicians. They may work in academic institutions, in hospitals, in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, or in the government organisations that fund and provide health care.

The key tasks a Medical Statistician is likely to undertake, include:

• Meeting with medical researchers to identify and understand their needs
• Selecting an appropriate study design to address the medical questions being researched
• Selecting and applying appropriate statistical techniques for analysing medical data
• Analysing and managing statistical data using a range of software packages
• Interpreting results
• Writing up the results and presenting them to the medical community
• Keeping up-to-date with new developments in medical statistics

The career opportunities that open up reflect the level of research being undertaken. At the higher levels, the career steps are similar to those in academia, in other words a graduate will start off as a Research Fellow, then move to the position of Senior Research Fellow, then to Associate Professor. Opportunities also exist to move into consulting roles.

Requirements: Taught Masters

30 points: STATS 790 Masters Dissertation 1
45 points: STATS 732, 761, 780
At least 15 points from BIOINF 704, POPLHLTH 702, 707–709, 711, STATS 701–787
Up to 30 points from 700 level courses in Statistics or related subjects, as approved by the Head of Department

Further study options

Doctor of Philosophy

Other Master of Science (MSc) Subjects

Applied Mathematics, Bioinformatics, Biological Sciences, Biomedical Science, Biosecurity and Conservation, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Clinical Exercise Physiology, Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Environmental Management, Environmental Science, Exercise Sciences, Food Science, Forensic Science, Geography, Geology, Geophysics, Logic and Computation, Marine Science, Medical Statistics, Optometry, Pharmacology, Physics, Physiology, Psychology, Speech Science, Sport and Exercise Science, Statistics, Wine Science.

Entry criteria

The prerequisite is a BSc(Hons) or PGDipSci in Statistics or Medical Statistics and STATS 210.

English language requirements: