This course aims to train students from a variety of academic backgrounds to work as statisticians in various sectors including higher education, research institutions, the pharmaceutical industry, central government and national health services. It provides a training in the theory and practice of statistics with special reference to clinical trials, epidemiology and clinical or laboratory research for improved global health.
Available Funding
Graduates from this course pursue careers in medical and epidemiological research, in academic institutions, hospitals, the pharmaceutical industry and various governmental institutions.
The TEG Postgraduate Training Fellowship in Medical Statistics, funded by the UK Medical Research Council, provides support for two years training in medical statistics for an African Scientist (scholarships information).
The PSI Andrew Hewett Prize is founded in memory of Andrew Hewett, an alumnus of LSHTM and awarded by the PSI (Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry) to the best student on the course.
Course Duration
Full-time for one year or part-time over two years. Part-time students can take various routes through the course depending on their interests, and will attend the school on Mondays and Tuesdays or Thursdays and Fridays.
" Good lecturers, quality teaching, provision of in-depth course notes and a lot of support make this a really excellent course. Robyn Drake from New Zealand studied for MSc Medical Statistics - Full profile
Objectives
By the end of this course students should be able to:
- select appropriate study designs to address questions of medical relevance
- select and apply appropriate statistical techniques for managing common types of medical data
- use various software packages for statistical analysis and data management
- interpret the results of statistical analyses and critically evaluate the use of statistics in the medical literature
- communicate effectively with statisticians and the wider medical community, in writing and orally through presentation of results of statistical analyses
- explore current and anticipated developments in medical statistics
Programme specifications: A comprehensive summary of the key elements of the degree, including educational aims and intended learning outcomes, plus details on programme structure, assessment requirements, student support and more.
Term 1
Students take the following compulsory modules: Foundations of Medical Statistics; Introduction to Statistical Computing; Clinical Trials; Basic Epidemiology; Robust Statistical Methods.
Terms 2 and 3
Students take a total of five modules, one from each timetable slot (C1, C2 etc.). A typical selection of modules is given below, though not all modules will be available in any one year. Compulsory modules are shown in italics.
C1 slot: Generalised Linear Models.
C2 slot: Statistical Methods in Epidemiology.
D1 slot: Analysis of Hierarchical and Other Dependent Data; Epidemiology of Non-Communicable Diseases; Modelling and the Dynamics of Infectious Diseases; Social Epidemiology.
D2 slot: Survival Analysis and Bayesian Statistics.
E slot: Advanced Statistical Modelling; Advanced Statistical Methods in Epidemiology.
Further details for the course modules can be found here.
Project Report
Students complete a research project usually consisting of analysing a set of data and writing a report, but methodological research can also be undertaken.
Entrance Requirements
Applicants must normally satisfy LSHTM’s general entrance requirements and additional programme specific entrance requirements to be considered for admission. Applications must be submitted in accordance with the procedures and deadlines given in the web-based or printed prospectus.
• The normal minimum entrance qualification for registration is at least a second-class Honours degree of a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, or a registerable qualification in medicine, dentistry or veterinary studies appropriate to the programme. Applications with an appropriate technical qualification, or equivalent qualification and experience from overseas, are also welcomed.
• For the MSc Medical Statistics it is preferred that students should normally have obtained a mathematically-based first degree which includes some statistics. Graduates from other fields who have quantitative skills and some familiarity with statistical ideas may also apply.
• Any prospective student who does not meet the above minimum entry requirement, but who has relevant professional experience, may still be eligible for admission. The Registry can advise on eligibility to apply in such cases.
Application for London-based Study
Applications can be made online by using the following links:
Alternatively, applications can be downloaded here:
Paper applications should be sent either by post to The Registry, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom or by email to registry@lshtm.ac.uk
Instructions on how to complete these forms and an outline of the application process are available with the relevant Application Forms or by viewing the Online Application Guidelines.
Please note: You must send a copy of the personal details and photograph page of your passport with your application form.
Your application will not be considered until you have provided the above documents.
Masters Courses
Applicants wishing to be considered for School scholarships are advised to apply by 1 March 2013. Please note that this is not a closing date. Although we accept applications all year round, other applicants are also advised to apply before this date as courses can become full rapidly. While early application is encouraged, late applications are always considered until all places on the course have been filled. All applicants should be able to start the course on the first day of the academic year, 30 September 2013.
All Masters courses are offered on a part-time basis over two years. Students interested in part-time study should contact the appropriate Course Organiser, via the Registry, to discuss course requirements and likely timetables, and should read the Masters degree information.
There are two ways of undertaking part-time study:
1) attending part-time throughout the two years: Students need to be available for up to four or five half days every week for 27 weeks per year. Evidence may be required to prove that applicants are able to commit this minimum period of time to their study
2) attending full-time for modules in the first two terms in Year 1 (September-March), and undertaking third term modules, exams and project in Year 2 (April - September). Such an option may be attractive to applicants who are unable to be released from employment for a continuous twelve-month period. This option is called split study.
All courses commence on 30 September 2013 and last one year for full-time study or two years for part-time study.
