Biostatistics

Subject POPH90013 (2015)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2015.

Credit Points: 12.5
Level: 9 (Graduate/Postgraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

Semester 1, Parkville - Taught on campus.
Pre-teaching Period Start not applicable
Teaching Period 02-Mar-2015 to 31-May-2015
Assessment Period End 26-Jun-2015
Last date to Self-Enrol 13-Mar-2015
Census Date 31-Mar-2015
Last date to Withdraw without fail 08-May-2015


Timetable can be viewed here. For information about these dates, click here.
Time Commitment: Contact Hours: 32 hours: 1 hour lecture and 1 hour tutorial per week plus four blocks of 2 hour computing practicals
Total Time Commitment:

170 hours

Prerequisites:

None

Corequisites:

None

Recommended Background Knowledge:

None

Non Allowed Subjects:

-

Subject
Core Participation Requirements:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.
The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website.

Coordinator

Dr Enes Makalic

Contact

emakalic@unimelb.edu.au

OR

Academic Programs Office
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
Tel: +61 3 8344 9339
Fax: +61 3 8344 0824
Email: sph-gradinfo@unimelb.edu.au

Subject Overview:

This subject is compulsory for students enrolled in the Master of Public Health, Master of Epidemiology and the Master of Science (Epidemiology). Students should enrol in this subject early in their program of study.

The subject introduces the fundamental concepts of statistics and the essential methods required to equip students to perform basic statistical analyses and interpret research findings in the public health setting.

Learning Outcomes:

At the completion of the subject, students should be able to:

  • Distinguish basic data types (categorical, continuous) and summarise them appropriately using tables and graphs;
  • Calculate and interpret:

- Summary measures of statistical distributions
- Confidence intervals for means and proportions
- Confidence intervals for comparison of means, comparison of proportions, risk ratio and odds ratio
- P-values for comparison of means and proportions;

  • Explain the central role of sampling variability in statistical inference;
  • Distinguish between statistical significance and clinical or public health relevance;
  • Use Mantel-Haenszel methods to control for confounding in statistical analyses;
  • Describe the importance of statistical power and perform simple sample size calculations;
  • Use statistical software ‘Stata’ for basic statistical analyses.
Assessment:
  • A written assignment of not more than 8 pages due in the 7th week of the subject (30%)
  • A written assignment of not more than 8 pages due in the 11th week of the subject (40%) and
  • A 2-hour open-book examination (administered by the University) to be held during the examination period (30%).
Prescribed Texts:

BR Kirkwood and JAC Sterne, Essential Medical Statistics Second Edition, Blackwell Science, 2003.
Getting Started with Stata. Release 13, Stata Press, 2013

Students need to purchase the Stata statistical software package Survey Design and Analysis Services Pty Ltd www.survey-design.com.au

Recommended Texts:

None

Breadth Options:

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills:

Upon completion of this subject students will have developed skills in:

  • Critical thinking and analysis,
  • Finding, evaluating and using relevant information,
  • Problem-solving,
  • Written communication,
  • Using computers.
Links to further information: http://www.sph.unimelb.edu.au
Notes:

Related Course(s): Master of Adolescent Health & Welfare
Master of Adolescent Health & Wellbeing
Master of Epidemiology
Master of Public Health
Master of Science (Epidemiology)
Related Majors/Minors/Specialisations: Doctor of Medicine
Electives in the Master of Veterinary Public Health (Emergency Animal Disease)
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Gender and Women's Health
Global Health
Health Economics and Economic Evaluation
Health Program Evaluation
Health Social Sciences
Indigenous Health
Primary Care
Public Health
Public Health
Sexual Health
Tailored Specialisation
Tailored Specialisation

Download PDF version.