Master of Science in Biostatistics - Patient Oriented Research Track Columbia University

Despite the advances of the last two decades in molecular and cell biology, there is a clear consensus that clinical investigation and the clinical investigator must remain the cornerstones of patient oriented research. In response to calls from the National Institutes of Health for improved training of clinical researchers in academic medicine, Columbia launched the MS in Patient Oriented Research (POR) program in 1999, a formal, joint endeavor between the schools of public health, medicine, nursing, dentistry, and the arts and sciences.

POR prepares young researchers for independent careers as clinical scientists and to compete more effectively for research funding through training in the fundamentals of clinical investigation. The two-year, 30-credit master’s degree program is comprised of a multidisciplinary series of courses and colloquia, some of which were developed exclusively for POR. The curriculum emphasizes strong quantitative training as well as critical thinking skills and practical strategies for addressing the complex challenges of clinical research.