Ottawa-Carleton Joint Program

MSc with specialization in biostatistics

The Ottawa-Carleton Institutes combine the research strengths of the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. The Institutes offer graduate programs leading to the master’s (MSc) and doctoral (PhD) degrees in several fields (biology, chemistry, earth sciences, etc.).

Biostatistics is an interdisciplinary area of research linking statistics, biology, medicine, and health sciences. This growing area demands knowledge of the theory behind statistical procedures, an ability to put that theory into practice, and an understanding of the area of application. The applications range from clinical trials to population epidemiology and the development of new procedures. The specialization is intended to prepare a graduate for a career as a biostatistician in a health-related industry, or for a career in research.

The program operates within the general framework of the regulations and procedures for Joint Graduate Programs and the general regulations of the graduate faculty at the two universities. The general regulations of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS) of the University of Ottawa are posted on the FGPS website.

Participating Units

• The MSc in Mathematics offered by the Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Mathematics and Statistics (OCIMS), the joint graduate program of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Ottawa and of the School of Mathematics and Statistics at Carleton University.

• The MSc in Epidemiology graduate program of the Department of Epidemiology and Community Medecine at the University of Ottawa.

The professors included in the list below are members of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. This means that they are authorized to supervise or co-supervise theses. A complete list of the faculty and staff members associated with the program can be found at

ALVO, Mayer, Full Professor
Nonparametric statistics; sequential analysis

BERGERON, Pierre-Jérôme, Assistant Professor
Survival analysis, truncated and censored data, biased sampling, computational statistics, recurrent event data, clinical trials

BIRKETT, Nicholas, Associate Professor
Cancer and molecular epidemiology

CHEN, Yue, Full Professor
Chronic disease and genetic epidemiology

DAWSON, Donald, Associate Professor
Sociology of leisure; social theory; youth and schooling

IVANOFF, Gail, Full Professor
Theory and applications of set-indexed and multiparameter stochastic processes; including martingale theory; Markov processes; renewal theory; survival analysis; stochastic orders

KREWSKI, Daniel, Cross-appointment
Environmental and occupational epidemiology; biostatistics; population health risk assessment

PARK, David, Cross-appointment
Mechanisms of neuronal death

PESTOV, Vladimir, Full Professor
Topological transformation groups; geometry of large dimensions

SCOTT, Philip, Full Professor
Logic; category theory; theoretical computer science

WELLS, George, Full Professor
Clinical trials; systematic reviews; health technology assessment; biostatistics

WILSON, Brenda, Associate Professor
Public health genetics; cancer research

ZAREPOUR, Mahmoud, Associate Professor
Resampling; nonparametric bayesian inference; infinite variance random variables

Admission to the collaborative program in biostatistics is governed by the general regulations of the Ottawa-Carleton Institute and by the general regulations of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS).

Candidates must indicate in their admission form that they wish to be accepted in the collaborative program.

All applicants must be able to understand speak and write proficiently in either English or French. Applicants whose first language is neither English nor French must provide proof of proficiency in one or the other. The list of acceptable proofs is indicated in the 'Admission' section of the general regulations of the FGPS.

In accordance with the University of Ottawa regulation, assignments, examinations, research papers and theses can be produced in either English or French.

To be considered for admission candidates must:

• Be admitted in one of the two primary participating programs.
• Be the holder of a bachelor's degree with a major or a specialization in biostatistics (or equivalent) with a minimum average of 75% (B+).
• Provide at least one letter of recommendation from a professor who is willing and available to act as thesis supervisor.
• Be sponsored into the collaborative program by a faculty member, normally the thesis supervisor, who must be appointed, cross-appointed or stand as an adjunct at one or more of the participating units.

NOTE: (1) The choice of thesis supervisor will determine the primary campus location of the student. It will also determine which university awards the degree. (2) Students pursuing the MSc in Mathematics by coursework do not need to have found a thesis supervisor.

MSc in Mathematics (Specialization in Biostatistics)

• 21 credits including EPI5240, EPI5241, EPI6178, EPI6278, MAT5190, MAT5191 and another 3 credits of graduate course in mathematics and statistics.
• Enrollment in the seminar course in biostatistics MAT5992 (STAT5902), which involves the presentation of a seminar, and regular attendance at the seminars presented by the Department.
• Presentation and defence of a thesis in biostatistics (MAT7999) based on an original research carried out under the supervision of a faculty member participating in the biostatistics collaborative program.

MSc in Epidemiology (Specialization in Biostatistics)

• 9 credits are compulsory: EPI 5240 (3cr.), EPI5242 (3cr.) and EPI 6178 (3cr.)
• 6 optional credits must be selected among the following: EPI5340 (1.5cr.), EPI5341 (1.5cr.), EPI5342 (1.5cr.), EPI5343 (1.5cr.), EPI5344 (1.5cr.), EPI5345 (1.5cr.), EPI5346 (1.5cr.), EPI5241 (3cr.), EPI6188 (3cr.), EPI6189 (3cr.), EPI6276 (3cr.), EPI6278 (3cr.) and EPI7184 (3cr.)
• The 6 elective credits may be taken from graduate courses offered in the Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, or in other departments with the approval of the graduate studies committee of the Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine.
• Thesis (EPI7999)

Master’s by Coursework (Only Available for the Mathematics Program)

• 27 credits including EPI5240, EPI5241, EPI6178, EPI6278, MAT5190, MAT5191 and three graduate courses of 3 credits each in mathematics and statistics.
• Enrollment in the seminar course in biostatistics MAT5992 (STAT5902), which involves the presentation of a seminar, and regular attendance at the seminars presented by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

Minimum Standards