The Master of Science in Biostatistics aims to train the next generation of biostatisticians through an innovative curriculum and equip them with the necessary analytical, leadership and communication skills to meet the challenges of a data-intense era.  It will help foster the development of novel statistical theory and the application of state-of-the-art data analytical solutions for problems in public health, veterinary epidemiology and the biomedical sciences.

Comprehensive training in the principles and applications of statistics in biological science and public health will be provided.  Students are trained in Biostatistics using One Health approach to enhance their knowledge, abilities and professional capabilities to solve the interdisciplinary health problems posed by emerging medical and public health issues.  

Graduates can pursue careers, for example, in biomedical and public health studies in government, biotechnology companies and national/international research institutions.  The programme also provides the necessary academic preparation for those who wish to pursue PhD-level training in biostatistics at a later date.

Programme Intended Learning Outcomes (PILOs)

Upon successful completion of this Programme, students should be able to:

• Acquire a thorough understanding of the fundamental statistical techniques and models needed for analyzing biomedical data;
• Acquire the ability to carry out appropriate statistical analyses on real biomedical data sets using statistical software;
• Advise on the design of biomedical studies (in terms of sample size, power, models and feasibility);
• Advise on novel solutions for problems associated with the application of biostatistical methods to problems in public health;
• Communicate effectively and work closely with people from diverse educational, professional backgrounds and experience; and 
• Apply the One Health approach along with biostatistical and scientific skills to address public health issues and/or undertake research.

Applicants must satisfy the University's General Entrance Requirements and the following programme entrance requirements:

• Possess a recognized undergraduate degree that includes courses in the mathematical or biomedical sciences.  Semester courses in calculus, linear/matrix algebra and introductory statistics are highly encouraged.  
• Applicants who might not have solid training in mathematics and statistics during their undergraduate studies would also be considered.  Prior coursework in linear algebra, calculus and statistics is highly desirable. 

Applicants satisfying the admission requirements who have relevant working experience will be considered favourably.

English Proficiency Requirements

Applicants whose entrance qualification is obtained from an institution where the medium of instruction is NOT English should fulfil the following minimum English proficiency requirement: 

• a score of 79 (for tests taken prior to 21 January 2026) or 4 (for tests taken from 21 January 2026 onwards) (Internet-based Test) in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)^@#; or 
• an overall band score of 6.0 in International English Language Testing System (IELTS) ^@#; or 
• a score of 450 in the Chinese Mainland's College English Test Band 6 (CET-6); or 
• other equivalent qualifications 
  
    

^@ TOEFL and IELTS scores are considered valid for two years. Applicants are required to provide their English test results obtained within the two years preceding the start of the University's application period. 'TOEFL iBT Home Edition', ‘TOEFL MyBest Score’, ‘IELTS Indicator’, ‘IELTS One Skill Retake’ and ‘IELTS Online’ are not acceptable. All TOEFL results must be sent directly by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) using CityUHK’s institution code 3401, while IELTS results must be sent via the IELTS Results Service e-delivery to 'City University of Hong Kong - Graduate School'.

^#  Applicants with an IELTS overall band score of 6.0 or a TOEFL overall score of 4 will be required to pass an interview for English proficiency conducted by the concerned academic unit. Applicants with a comparable overall score of 79 or above shown on the TOEFL report may be exempt from the interview requirement. Interviews for other applicants may not be required. 

Students are required to complete 30 credit units for graduation.

Core Courses (18 credit units)

• Principles of Epidemiology and One Health
• Probability
• Statistical Computing
• Advanced Methods in Biostatistics
• Statistical Inference   
• Communication and Project Study

Elective Course (12 credit units) 

• Introduction to Biostatistics in One Health
• Time Series Analysis
• Spatial Data Analysis
• Survival Analysis
• Clinical Trials
• AI for Biostatistics：Practice in Life Science and Healthcare
• Selected Topics in Biostatistics
• Longitudinal Data Analysis
• Statistical Methods for Categorical Data Analysis
• Introduction to Statistical Learning
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Intermediate Level Statistics for One Health
• Public Health Surveillance and Risk Analysis
• Computational Biology, Experimental Design and Data Science
• Research/Internship Project
• Artificial Intelligence in Health Science Research and Management
• Wearable Technologies and Digital Medicine
• Storytelling of Health Science Data with Analysis and Visualization

The offering and the term to offer elective courses are subject to change without prior notice.

Department of Biostatistics
College of Computing
Course Descriptions