Biostatistics

Often the topic of the Oral Comprehensive Examination will be the dissertation topic and the members of the ad hoc examination become the dissertation committee, but this is not required.

The dissertation must be independent, original research which advances knowledge by the application of existing statistical methods to an important problem in public health.

The dissertation defense committee, consisting of three members of the Department and two outside members, is proposed by the student’s dissertation sponsor and approved by the Department chair. Once the committee is approved, and a hard copy of the dissertation is approved by the sponsor and a second reader as ready to defend, the sponsor may schedule the defense which follows a format similar to that of the Oral Comprehensive Examination.

The successful oral defense of the dissertation is the final requirement for the Doctor of Public Health degree.