Course and grade requirements of the Certificate Program

This information is currently not finalized, but is likely to be so.

1. General Overview

1.1 The requirements are structured to meet the UW Graduate School requirements for interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate programs.

1.2 The StatGen Certificate requirements are of

  • 5 regular 500-level classes (totalling 15+ credits),
  • 3 credits of Statistical Genetics Seminar (BIOST 580B),
  • The program's Capstone experience.

    1.3 Additionally students may need to take prerequisite material in

  • Statistics or Biostatistics
  • Computer Programming
  • Genetics or Genome Sciences.

    2. The 5 regular classes

    2.1 The five courses consist of

  • STAT/BIOST 550-551-552(*),
  • GENOME 562 and EITHER GENOME 540 or 541(**)
    *: Note that 550 is pre-requisite of 551, and 551 of 552.
    **: Note also that to take 541 without 540 requires permission of the instructor: students who have taken STAT/BIOST 550 will have the necessary background to be given this permission.

    2.2 Students may petition to replace any ONE of the above 5 courses by another 500-level class. The petition will be granted only for courses deemed by the Steering Committee to be Statistical Genetics and of comparable technical and scientific standard to the course being substituted.
    Note that since 550 and 551 are required for 552, it is generally not feasible to petition out of 550 or 551.

    3. Required GPA and/or passing grades.

    3.1 Intending Certificate students are very strongly encouraged to take all of their 5 Certificate courses for graded credit. Students wishing to take any of the Certificate courses S/NS should discuss this with the instructor and/or their Statistical Genetics advisor.

    3.2 To meet UW Certificate requirements, at least 9 credits must be taken graded.
    These 9 graded credits must include STAT/BIOST 551 and 552.
    The remaining 2 classes may be taken S/NS.

    3.3 A minimum grade of 2.7 and a GPA of 3.0 is required for the any of the 5 Certifiate classes taken for graded credit.
    For classes taken S/NS, an S (2.7) is required.

    3.4 Although STAT/BIOST 550 is a required pre-requisite of 551, 552, it may be counted towards the Certificate even if taken S/NS. We wish to encourage students from diverse areas who may be uncertain as to their interest or preparation for Statistical Genetics to take STAT/BIOST 550. Generally STAT/BIOST 550 is taken before students formally enroll in the Certificate Program.

    The StatGen seminar and Capstone experience

    4.1 3 quarters of StatGen seminar (currently BIOST 580B) , to be taken as the 3 quarters in one academic year.

    4.2 Students whose degree or class schedules make continuous Fall-Winter-Spring participation impractical may request to count 3 quarters of BIOST 580B that are not within one AY.

    4.2 Capstone experience (required by the Graduate School).
    A literature of research project that arose from any one of the five Certificate courses taken by the student should be presented as a seminar in the Statistical Genetics Seminar. Students who are nearing completion of the Certificate Program should contact the BIOST 580B instructors to schedule this presentation. (See also procedures for application abd graduation -- to be written real soon.)