YES, that is an excellent field, perhaps especially for someone with an advanced degree. In many areas of research and industry, people who master biostatistics are in increasing demand and short supply.
@2016mililani Here’s a link to a webpage of the American Statistical Association (the leading professional association for statisticians): http://www.amstat.org/careers/biostatistics.cfm
Note this: (I think the starting salary figures are a bit on the low side. I’ve hired a couple of PhD biostatisticians in recent years.) Quote from the above link:
"Opportunities for Graduates
Biostatisticians with advanced degrees can look forward to excellent career opportunities in government, industry, and academia. The shortage of biostatisticians is noted in Objectives for the Nation and the Seventh Report to the President and Congress on the Status of Health Personnel in the United States.
Job prospects for new graduates with master’s and PhD degrees in biostatistics are excellent. Typical starting salaries range from $35,000 to $65,000 for master’s-level graduates and $55,000 to $85,000 for PhD-level graduates.
Recent graduates have found positions with employers as diverse as pharmaceutical companies, university research groups, hospitals, and health-related industries."
Is there an advantage to studying Biostatistics specifically, over Statistics more generally, as an undergrad? That seems like a lot of specialization perhaps sooner than necessary, or useful, for keeping options open.
For an undergrad, I do not advise a specialty so early. A general math and Stats background with a minor or focus in an area like business, social science etc. would be more beneficial. Biostatistics employment usually requires a Masters or PhD. An undergrad program should be for getting a firm footing in advanced college math and Stats and related subjects. As a faculty member, I don’t get this current trend toward specialty , boutique undergrad programs. Sometimes, faculty who put these programs together(especially at smaller universities) do it in a vacuum without consulting any folks from industry.
I second the position that your undergrad should be the general field rather than some “interdisciplinary” field of uncertain value. The general degree has a well-known and well-established set of fundamentals, while the interdisciplinary field can either be a serious field or a mish-mash of random courses.
It’s different in grad school because that’s when you actually want to specialize in something, whether you do that explicitly by getting a specialized degree or by specializing within a more general degree. Though even there, you STILL want to keep your options open, in case your specialization of choice isn’t as marketable as you would have liked (but you still have strong fundamentals in a useful advanced field).
@2016mililani , Is your son interested in computers? If he can specialize in cryptography/computer security he can find jobs in Honolulu. For example, check this entry-level position and educational requirements.
https://www.dice.com/jobs/detail/Computer-Network-Defense-%28CND%29-Analyst-NSA-Honolulu-HI-96801/10470536/1069766?icid=similarpositions
Experienced specialist with this skill-set would also be able to live in HI and work remotely for wide variety of companies.
This is what my son does for the USAF. He is currently being recruited for contract work doing the same. I will say that with a few years experience (while serving) he is being offered about 30% more starting rate. From what I gather, a very good field.