00
  • How OUA works
  • Advice
13 673600
Sign inCreate account
  1. Home
  2. Subjects

Postgraduate ACU-PUBH620-2023

Biostatistics

Currently ACU-HLSC642

From

$2,794 $2,794

Your upfront cost: $0

International student?

Duration

13 weeks

Study method

100% Online

Available loans

  • FEE-HELP

Assessments

100% online

Prior study

Not required

Australian Catholic University logo

Established in 1991 after amalgamating four eastern Australian Catholic tertiary institutes, Australian Catholic University now has seven campuses, from Brisbane to Melbourne and welcomes students of all beliefs. Specialising in arts, business, education, health sciences, law, theology and philosophy, ACU encourages its students to think critically and ethically and bring change to their communities and offer this online through Open Universities Australia.

Learn more about ACU.

Explore ACU courses.

QS Ranking 2023

31

Times Higher Education Ranking 2023

16

Need help?

Our student advisors are here to guide you with:

  • Enrolling and eligibility
  • Fee and loan information
  • Credit and recognition for prior learning
  • 2023

Subject details

What you'll learn

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate specialised knowledge of statistical concepts and their application to public health practice (GA5);
  2. Distinguish between different statistical tests, especially in terms of application and interpretation (GS4, GA5, GA6);
  3. Perform appropriate statistical analysis using common statistical software and interpret the results (G, GA8);A6
  4. Develop a sound statistical approach to the analysis and interpretation of public health data and communicate findings in an academic-standard output (GA4, GA8, GA9);
  5. Critique public health research on the basis of its statistical methods, analysis and interpretation (GA4, GA5, GA8).
Topics covered
    • Fundamental statistical concepts and methods
    • - Types and levels of measurement of quantitative data and measures of central tendency and variability
    • - Probability distributions
    • - Hypothesis testing
    • - Statistical confidence: confidence intervals, p-values, statistical vs practical significance
    • - Common statistical tests: comparison of means (between two or more dependent or independent groups), proportions
    • - Variability and statistical inference; power and sample size; bias, confounding and adjustment
    • Application to public health practice
    • - Key measures of association in public health: relative risk, attributable risk, odds ratios
    • - Inferential statistics: correlation, linear regression, logistic regression, analysis of variance
    • - Use of statistical software to analyse quantitative datasets: common statistical tests
    • - Writing up statistical analyses: interpretation, requirements for expressing statistical results
    • - Critical appraisal of statistical methods in public health research: common tools and approaches
Entry requirements

In order to enrol in this subject, you must be accepted into one of the following degrees:

Additional requirements

  • Software requirements - An agreement has been negotiated with the software provider to provide a one calendar year SPSS licence for $45. Information on how to access this software will be made available at the first lecture. Students are reminded to regularly work through the SPSS practice analysis each week so that the assessment tasks can be completed in a timely fashion.
Description

Understanding, using and interpreting statistics is crucial to public health research and practice, particularly in monitoring health outcomes and decision-making processes about interventions. This subject will develop students’ knowledge of fundamental statistical concepts, such as descriptive and inferential statistics, common statistical tests and statistical methods commonly used in public health. This will include hypothesis testing, estimation, associations, modelling relationships and prediction using different methods such as logistic regression. Throughout the subject, students will consolidate their understanding of statistical theory through its application to practice. While there are some formulae and computational elements to the subject, the emphasis is on interpretation and concepts. Besides the theoretical material, this subject will also enable students to run basic analyses using common statistical software. Using this software, students will analyse simulated public health datasets and then interpret the results obtained. Statistical understanding and analytical expertise developed by students during the subject will then be applied to practice through critical appraisal statistical methods used in public health research

Assessments

A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. In order to successfully complete this unit, students need to complete and submit three graded assessment tasks and obtain an aggregate mark of greater than 50%. ACU-PUBH620 involves assessment tasks designed to introduce students to the broad range of activity involved in biostatistics. In Assessment Task 1 , students are required to demonstrate their understanding by analysing a public health dataset. In Assessment Task 2, students are required to apply their biostatistical skills by preparing statistical methods and analysis for a peer reviewed journal article. Finally, in Assessment Task 3 students will critique and interpret the statistics in current published journal articles and reflect on how biostatistical knowledge will shape their practice in public health. All assessment tasks will be submitted electronically.

  • Analysis of simulated public health dataset - 2 Parts (20%)
  • Preparation Statistical methods and analysis for peer-reviewed journal artical (40%)
  • Biostatistics reflective practice and critique exercises (40%)
Textbooks

For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).

  • Contact us
  • About us
  • OUA Blog
  • Media centre
  • Partnerships
  • Universities
  • Your career
  • FAQ and glossary
  • Work with us
  • Courses
  • MBA online
  • Partner Hub

Open Universities Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

  • Accessibility statement
  • Cookies
  • Copyright
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Site map
  • Terms of use

Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation.

© Open Universities Australia 2023. All rights reserved.