Biostatistics PhD Program Details

Program Structure

Our PhD program is organized to move students quickly from strong foundations into research. You will complete most core coursework in Year 1, formalize advising early, and use rotations to identify a great fit for dissertation work.

  • Year 1:  Majority of core coursework (Applied: 718, 719; Theory: 905, 906, 920, and/or 911, as scheduled), two  research rotations (BIOSTAT 908; one each semester),  BIOSTAT 900  doctoral seminar each semester, plus professional development (BIOTRAIN 701 and BIOSTAT 910).  Advisor affiliation  typically happens in late April/May.
  • Summer after Year 1:  Full-time research (additional rotation(s) if still selecting an advisor, or independent research with your advisor).
  • Year 2:  Finish the remaining core and  five electives , form the  dissertation committee  within 6–12 months of advisor affiliation (no later than the start of Year 3), continue  BIOSTAT 900 , and begin preliminary exam preparation.
  • Year 3:  Complete the oral preliminary examination  (NIH/NSF-style written proposal + oral defense) by the end of the spring semester; continue dissertation research.

Coursework Requirements

  • Core:  BIOSTAT 718, 719, 905, 906, 911, 920.
  • Seminar:  BIOSTAT 900 (every semester in Years 1-3).
  • Responsible Conduct of Research:  BIOTRAIN 750-754 sequence (OBGE).
  • Career Development and Prep: BIOSTAT 910, 916.
  • Electives:  Five electives (15 graded units); students must complete at least  seven graded Duke courses  in total (required + elective). Each elective must be B- or higher to count.

Foundational master’s-level knowledge  (e.g., applied methods, programming, probability, inference) is treated as a  prerequisite  rather than required PhD coursework. Most PhD students do not enroll in 700-level courses; if gaps are identified during onboarding, targeted coursework may be assigned to address these gaps. Students who do not begin taking PhD core theory courses (905, 906, 911, 920) in Year 1 will sit for the Master's Level Theory Exam (MLTE) in late May/early June (with an August retake option).

Rotations, Advising, & Teaching

  • Research rotations (BIOSTAT 908):  Two in Year 1 (one per semester).
  • Advisor affiliation:  By late April/May of Year 1 (no later than the summer after Year 2).
  • Committee formation:  Within 6–12 months of advisor affiliation; no later than the start of Year 3.
  • Teaching assistantships:  Two semesters (assignments determined by the DGS; duties may include grading, precepting/sections, tutoring, and office hours).

Oral Preliminary Exam & Defense

  • Oral Prelim:  NIH/NSF-style written proposal + oral defense by the end of Year 3 spring semester (committee-approved ≥ 30 days prior).
  • Dissertation & defense:  Dissertation features substantive methodological contribution (often ~3 publishable papers); final public defense followed by committee deliberation.

Why this model?

  • Depth + relevance:  The theory sequence builds durable tools; applied core focuses on models and data structures common in modern biomedicine.
  • Early research immersion:  Rotations and early advising get students onto publishable work sooner.
  • Professional growth:  BIOSTAT 900/910/916 builds communication and career readiness alongside research.

 

Important Components

Students are required to complete two research rotations before making a decision on a dissertation advisor. Each research rotation will have a predefined beginning and end, typically starting at the beginning of a semester and lasting until the semester’s end. During each rotation, the student will work with a faculty member on a methodological problem that is of interest to both the student and the faculty and that can be completed within the rotation period. The primary goal of the rotations is to provide students with exposure to different research areas and the ability to evaluate fit with potential dissertation advisors. The student’s initial advisor will assist the student in identifying faculty for research rotations. To balance between having sufficient theoretical knowledge to make the rotations productive and informative and the need to be able to affiliate with a dissertation advisor around the beginning of the third year, students are strongly encouraged to start the research rotations at the end of their first year. Students coming into the program with an appropriate theoretical background may be able to begin research rotations earlier with the approval of the DGS.

Students, with counsel of the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), are expected to decide on the dissertation advisor around the beginning of the third year only after they have completed two research rotations. This timing would allow students sufficient time to develop their dissertation proposal and to pass the oral preliminary examination of their dissertation proposal by the end of the third academic year.

Once the dissertation advisor is selected, the student should work with the advisor to form dissertation committee as soon as the dissertation topic is decided. The dissertation committee must be appointed and approved by the associate dean at least one month (30 days) before the preliminary examination can take place. The committee consists of at least four members with one member, usually the dissertation advisor, designated as chair and majority of members from the student's major research area. At least two members of the committee, including the chair, must have primary or secondary faculty appointments in the Biostatistics & Bioinformatics department. One member of the committee must be from outside the student's main area of research. This designated "minor area representative" could be from another department or program, or from a different research subfield within the degree-sponsoring department or program. The minor area representative should not be directly involved in the student’s area of research focus. A majority of the committee members must be Duke faculty, while all committee members must have a current appointment on the Duke Graduate Faculty (whether employed by Duke or not). This committee, with all members participating, will determine a program of study and administer the preliminary examination.

Before the end of the third year (the end of the third spring term if you enter the program in the fall), PhD candidates will submit a short written proposal on their anticipated area of thesis research to be presented and discussed at the oral preliminary exam. The proposal usually consists of literature review, research questions, and proposed research methods on how the PhD candidates plan to complete the research. It is recommended that the candidate meets with the dissertation committee regularly and has the committee’s approval for the presentation of the preliminary exam. Successful completion of the preliminary exam qualifies the student as a PhD candidate in Biostatistics.   A candidate who fails the preliminary examination may be granted a single re-examination upon recommendation of the dissertation committee and approval of the Associate Dean no sooner than three months and no later than six months after the date of the first examination. The detailed procedures for the preliminary examination can be found here.

All Duke biomedical PhD students are required to complete 18 contact hours of Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) training. RCR training is provided by the Office of Biomedical Graduate Education (OBGE). The required curriculum differs for students matriculating in Fall 2020 or later and those who matriculated prior to Fall 2020.

 

Distinguishing Features

Three things make our PhD distinctive: an integrated core that pairs depth in theory with modern applied training, early research immersion with clear advising timelines, and a student-led research culture with intentional professional development.

  1. Integrated core that balances depth & relevance. Students complete a coordinated core across applied (BIOSTAT 718, 719) and theory (BIOSTAT 905, 906, 911, 920), with most core courses finished in Year 1 and all core by the end of Year 2.
  2. Early research immersion & advising model. Two research rotations in Year 1 (BIOSTAT 908) help students identify fit; advisor affiliation typically occurs in late April/May of Year 1, the dissertation committee is formed within 6-12 months (no later than the start of Year 3), and the preliminary exam (NIH/NSF-style proposal + oral) is completed by the end of Year 3 spring.
  3. Student-led research culture & professional formation. The doctoral seminar (BIOSTAT 900) builds presentation and collaboration skills; BIOSTAT 910/916 provides structured career development; and OBGE’s BIOTRAIN 750-754 sequence delivers Responsible Conduct of Research training.