Program Overview

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The Internal Master’s in Quantitative Biomedical Sciences Degree

The Internal Master’s in Quantitative Biomedical Sciences Degree is designed for current QBS PhD students and non-QBS PhD students at Dartmouth.

For Current QBS PhD Students

Upon review, QBS PhD students who have completed all of their required coursework may be awarded a Master’s in QBS in situations where they do not successfully advance to PhD candidacy or if they choose to separate from the program.

For Current Non-QBS PhD Students

The internal Master's in QBS degree is offered to current doctoral students at Dartmouth who are enrolled full time in a PhD program other than QBS. Students must be in good standing to apply and have the approval of both their advisor and program. Eligible PhD students must meet the following requirements between the start of their undergraduate degree and the submission of their application:

• 1 course in calculus
• 1 course in statistics or equivalent experience
• 1 course in programming or equivalent experience

Applying to the Internal Master’s in QBS

Applications must be submitted directly through the Dartmouth online application system by the published deadline.

Required Material

• A signed letter of approval to apply to the program from both the student’s advisor and their program (director, chair or administrator) that states the following:
  • That the student is in good academic standing
  • That they have reviewed required coursework
  • That they grant their approval to apply to and complete the program
• An updated Dartmouth transcript

Tuition and Funding

Students accepted to the program are provided a full tuition scholarship and incur no additional costs to complete the degree.

Degree Requirements

The MS in QBS degree is earned by completing 6 units of required core courses and 2 units of approved electives. No final dissertation is required. Upon completion, the degree may be conferred during any quarter of the student’s PhD candidacy, but no later than the final quarter of their dissertation defense.

Course Requirements

Core Courses

6 units from the following core courses with at least 1 unit in each area

Bioinformatics

• QBS 146 Foundations of Bioinformatics I
• QBS 145 Computational Immunology
• QBS 148 Introduction to Statistical Genetics

Biostatistics

• QBS 108 Machine Learning
• QBS 119 Foundations of Biostatistics I: Applied Biostatistics
• QBS 120 Foundations of Biostatistics I: Statistical Theory for the Quantitative Biomedical Sciences
• QBS 121 Foundations of Biostatistics II: Regression Modeling
• QBS 122 Foundations of Biostatistics III: Modeling Complex Data
• QBS 124 Advanced Biomedical Data Analysis
• QBS 126 Analysis of Densely Collected Longitudinal Data
• QBS 177 Methods of Statistical Learning for Big Data

Epidemiology

• QBS 130 Foundations of Epidemiology I: Theory and Methods
• QBS 131 Foundations of Epidemiology II: Theory and Methods
• QBS 132 Molecular Biologic Markers in Human Health Studies
• QBS 133 Clinical Epidemiology
• QBS 136 Applied Epidemiological Methods (0.5 unit)
• QBS 137 Applied Epidemiological Methods II (0.5 unit)

Electives Courses

Choose 2 units from this list.

• QBS 101 Foundations of Programming for Data Scientists
• QBS 101.1 Intermediate Programming (winter)
• QBS 103 Foundations of Data Science
• QBS 108 Applied Machine Learning
• QBS 119 Foundations of Biostatistics I: Applied Biostatistics
• QBS 120 Foundations of Biostatistics I: Statistical Theory for the Quantitative Biomedical Sciences
• QBS 121 Foundations of Biostatistics II: Regression Modeling
• QBS 122 Biostatistics III: Modeling Complex Data
• QBS 123 Biostatistics Consulting Lab (0.5 unit)
• QBS 124 Advanced Biomedical Data Analysis
• QBS 126 Analysis of Densely Collected Longitudinal Data
• QBS 130 Foundations of Epidemiology I: Theory and Methods
• QBS 131 Foundations of Epidemiology II: Theory and Methods
• QBS 132 Molecular Biologic Markers in Human Health Studies
• QBS 133 Clinical Epidemiology
• QBS 136 Applied Epidemiological Methods I (0.5 unit)
• QBS 137 Applied Epidemiological Methods II (0.5 unit)
• QBS 139 Advanced Methods in Health Services Research
• QBS 140 Decision & Cost-Effective Analysis
• QBS 145 Computational Immunology
• QBS 146 Foundations of Bioinformatics I
• QBS 147 Genomics: From Data to Analysis
• QBS 148 Introduction to Statistical Genetics
• QBS 177 Methods of Statistical Learning for Big Data
• QBS 180 Data Visualization (0.5 unit)
• QBS 181 Data Wrangling
• QBS 192 Health Informatics
• QBS 195 Independent Study

Additional Information

Application Review Process

Applications are reviewed by the QBS Director and the QBS Director of Academic and student affairs for program acceptance. Offers will be sent to applicants before January 1.

Admitted Applicants

After accepting the offer to join the MS in QBS degree program, students will meet with the Director of Academic and Student affairs to review their outstanding degree requirements.

Grade Standards

The following statements describe the policies and procedures that apply to students whose academic performance is unsatisfactory.

Grades of LP or NC in core courses have serious consequences. Students who receive more than one NC, or more than two LPs, during one term or over multiple terms, may be suspended or dismissed from the program after an assessment hearing by the QBS Advisory Committee.

Unless otherwise approved by the QBS Advisory Committee, students cannot graduate with 3 or more LPs on their transcripts without retaking one or more of those courses, regardless of the number of units that course holds. If a student retakes a course and receives a second LP or NC, the student may be dismissed from the program.