Application Information

Dear Applicant:

Re: Application for admission to MSc in Epidemiology

Thanks for your interest in our program.

You will see that the Masters Degree is a 2-year program, with the first year devoted to course work and the second year to a thesis. We require that students register full time for at least three terms, normally at the beginning of the program. Wherever possible, we hope that students will base their thesis on an empirical study that they design and carry out. The thesis must use epidemiologic methods and can be based in clinical or community settings. Candidates from developing countries may carry out the research in their own countries, if adequate supervision of the thesis can be arranged. The student must successfully complete an oral defence if the thesis is judged acceptable.

Admission requires a good academic standing (at least B+) in a discipline relevant to epidemiology. Admission is based on consideration of your previous academic record, the quality of your c.v. (resumé) and a narrative statement. The narrative should describe your background, achievements and your reasons for wishing to take this program. (It should include: what are what are your longer term goals and how will the program contribute to these? Have you participated in research activities in the past?) The statement should be about 2 pages long.

Applications are due by January 31 and are evaluated during February/March for admission in September. Please see application details below. The early deadline is to help the students apply for external funding, many sources of which require letters of acceptance into the program. Applications may be considered at other times under exceptional circumstances, at the discretion of our Graduate Studies Committee.

Financial support from the department is minimal. We strongly urge you to apply for external funding. Information on other sources of funding can be obtained from the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at http://www.grad.uottawa.ca/awards/index.html. Students with excellent grades may receive a tuition waiver from the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

If you need additional information or clarification, please e-mail us at grad.med@uottawa.ca .

Dr Doug Coyle, MA, MSc, PhD
Professor and Director, Graduate Program
Telephone: (613) 562-5800 ext. 8690
dcoyle@uottawa.ca

Application

You will need to apply online at http://www.grad.uottawa.ca/apply.

Deadline for receipt of completed application (all documents): January 31 Your application requires each of the following: *

You must apply online and pay fees ($100.00 Canadian).
A hard copy of your completed application form.
Two letters of recommendation are required - using the appropriate forms. At least one reference must be from a professor who can comment on your academic abilities. In certain circumstances, the second reference can be an empolyer who can comment on your research abilities. Each recommendation is to be mailed by the referee to the address given above OR given/mailed to the applicant in a signed sealed envelope, and the student submits it along with the application.
A copy of your curriculum vitae.
Your narrative statement.
Official university/college transcripts of ALL post-secondary-school studies.
Non-Canadian students whose native or educational language is not English are required to provide evidence of proficiency in English.

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION AND ALL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS TO:

MSc Program in Epidemiology
Graduate Studies
Faculty of Medicine
University of Ottawa
451 Smyth Rd., Room 2135
Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
K1H 8M5
(613) 562-5800 ext. 8008

*INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED

Biostatistics for the MSc Program

Rama C. Nair

Candidates accepted for the M.Sc. in Epidemiology will be expected to possess, before entering the program, knowledge and skills in basic concepts of statistics and probability as listed below. (Any student who wishes to take the Biostatistics course as a special student, will also have to meet the criteria.)

Concepts of probability
Probability distribution, at least the Binomial and Normal distribution
Definition, properties and the ability to use a table and/or computer program to calculate appropriate percentages of the probability distribution and identify the limitations of applying these distributions to a set of data

Statistical theory of estimation and test of hypothesis
concept of confidence intervals, calculation of confidence intervals for parameters of binomial (estimated proportion of events) and normal distribution (mean and standard deviation of a continuous variable), definition of Type I and Type II errors and statistical power

Ability to perform and interpret simple tests of hypothesis
chi-square / z-test for comparison of proportions and z-test / t-test for comparison of means

Simple methods of testing for association of two variables
correlation coefficient, chi-square tests and simple linear regression

Ability in these topics could be assessed by any self-assessment tools available (see below). If the student has obtained a reasonably good grade in a course recently taken, this may be sufficient evidence of competency. Generally, if the statistics course is taken within the last two years, it will be considered 'recent'; however, it is the responsibility of the student to review the concepts and methods before starting classes in September.

Self assessment

The students should verify their level of knowledge in the above topics, either by referring to the textbooks or by following a 'web-based' statistics course. Some of the relevant textbooks are listed below.

Textbooks:

A Review of Biostatistics - Paul Leaverton [ISBN: 0-316-51854-9]

Primer of Biostatistics - Stanley Glantz [ISBN: 0-07-024268-2]

An Introduction to Medical Statistics - Martin Bland [ISBN: 0-19-261502-5]

Essentials of Biostatistics - Robert Elston and William Johnson [ISBN: 0-8036-3123-5]

Web sites:

There are many courses on statistics/biostatistics available on the web; some free, some for a fee. These sites keep changing. You may search for ‘(bio)statistics courses on the web' which will bring up some sites (many of them outdated, so you will have to keep trying).

Further information:

Rama Nair, Professor, Department of Epidemiology, 562-5800 ext 8282, rnair@uottawa.ca