Introductory Biostatistics for Researchers

Combination of web lectures, exercises, and test your knowledge applications. With the possibility to do extra exercises, and the possibility to practice with different statistical programmes.

Target Audience

Participants need to have some basic knowledge on statistics and mathematics. The course is organised by the Julius Center, UMC Utrecht.

Course description

An intensive course that requires a time investment of approximately 14 hours per week during 11 weeks. This course provides an introduction in statistical methodology and discusses a number of statistical techniques for practical data analysis, including T tests, Chi‐square tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), (multiple) linear and logistic regression and survival analysis. Concrete examples and case studies are used to apply the theory to practical situations. The course ends with a group assignment in which a case study is analyzed using the newly acquired statistical techniques.

Instructional method

The course is 100% online and consists of 10 Learning Units (LU’s): 1 Learning Unit per week and 2 weeks for LU 10. In each LU a statistical theme is explained using short web lectures, alternated with computer exercises. Examples from medical and biological research will be used in the exercises. Datasets will be analyzed using the statistical software packages R and/or SPSS (you need to ensure that these programs are available to you; R is freeware, for SPSS a campus license is available for most universities). In the various LU’s discussion forums are provided in which you can discuss theory and practice exercises with staff and fellow participants. The Statistics Cafe will serve as a virtual meeting place for discussing more general statistical questions, and to talk with your peers about your own research.

Prerequisite knowledge

Although active statistical knowledge is not a prerequisite, we assume some basic knowledge on statistics and mathematics acquired through, for example, courses in biostatistics in the bachelor programme or self study.

The basic knowledge we assume are:

  • the concepts of population and sample
  • histogram, boxplot, frequency table, scatterplot
  • mean, median
  • variance, standard deviation, range, interquartile range, standard error of the mean
  • probability, probability distributions (especially the normal distribution)

Group size

40 participants

Number of credits

4.0 EC

Course certificate

After active participation during the entire course participants will receive a certificate.

Cancellation and no-show policy

This course is free for GSLS PhD candidates. However: free of charge does not mean free of responsibility. Once you have signed up for a course, we expect you to attend. For every late cancellation or no-show we have had to disappoint others who would have liked to attend. This is our policy:

  • You may cancel free of charge up to 4 weeks before the start of the course. After this date you can only cancel if you have a GSLS PhD candidate to replace you in the course. Send the name and contact information of your replacement to pcc@uu.nl, at least 2 working days before the start of the course;
  • We expect that you actively attend the full course, but at least 80%. It is mandatory to attend the first session. If you are absent the first session you cannot follow the remaining of the course;
  • Not meeting the above requirements means you will be charged a no-show fee (€ 700). We will send the invoice after the course has ended. We are unable to make any exceptions, unless you have a valid reason (i.e., illness or death in the family 1st/2nd degree or partner). Your supervisor has to send an e-mail to pcc@uu.nl indicating the reason.

Entrance fee: This course is free for GSLS PhD candidates, registered in GSLS MyPhD

Location: Online

More information and registration

To register for this course, please send an e-mail to secretariaatbiostatistiek@umcutrecht.nl, including the 4 points below. Your registration can only be processed when you include all this information.

  • You are a PhD candidate of the GSLS
  • You are registered at the GSLS in MyPhD (this is required, without it you can't participate)
  • The PhD programme of the GSLS that you are part of and your affiliation
  • The course that you would like to attend

Interest list

Is this course fully booked? Or would you like to follow a course at a later moment? When you subscribe to the interest list of a course, you will receive an e-mail when a new edition opens for registration. The interest list is for GSLS PhD candidates only.