Biostatistics (BIOS)

Graduate Degree Program
College: Public Health

Abstract

Biostatistics is a science that addresses theory and techniques for describing, analyzing, and interpreting health data. The discipline is primarily focused on applications to problems in the health, medical, and biological sciences. The MPH with a concentration in biostatistics is a 45-credit professional degree that prepares graduates to work in public health services as practitioners, researchers, administrators, and consultants. A full-time student may complete our program in 2 years. Part-time students may take up to 4 years to complete the program. The majority of courses are offered in the evenings. In addition to coursework, all biostatistics master's students are required to complete a 240-hour internship and a capstone project.

Our proximity to the nation’s capital offers students unparalleled opportunities for research experiences in public health, including placements at the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and many other national, state, and local health agencies.

CONTACT

Jamie Trevitt, PhD, MPP
Director of Graduate Studies
Assistant Clinical Professor
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
School of Public Health
University of Maryland, College Park
Email: jtrevitt@umd.edu

Website: http://sph.umd.edu/department/epib

Courses: EPIB SPHL

Relationships: Epidemiology (EPDM)  Epidemiology (EPID)

The MPH in Biostatistics program has a two-part application process: applicants must submit the SOPHAS application (www.sophas.org), the centralized application service for schools and programs of public health, and the UMD Supplemental applicationBoth applications must be submitted and verified by the scheduled deadline. Applications will be reviewed when the SOPHAS and the UMD Supplemental applications are completed.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

  • A Bachelor's degree
  • Minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA
  • At least one undergraduate statistics course
  • Transcripts from all previous coursework
  • English proficiency test score (TOEFL, IELTS or PTE) (international applicants)
  • Statement of purpose and objectives including career and educational goals, professional experience, and public health areas of interest
  • Response to personal experiences question(s)

PROGRAM SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

  • SOPHAS application & UMD Supplemental application
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Resume or curriculum vitae
  • Fit between applicant's goals and expectations and program degree competencies
  • Official GRE Test Scores submission is optional*. If you decide to submit your GRE scores, please have ETS send scores to SOPHAS (code 0485)
    *The review committee will evaluate GRE scores if they are submitted. The lack of scores will not negatively impact applications. If submitted, the program considers competitive scores to be 50th percentile or higher in each of the three parts.

Note for applicants with foreign credentials:

  • The SOPHAS application requires that applicants submit a WES credential evaluation
  • The UMD supplemental application requires the upload of unofficial transcripts issued in the original language with a literal English translation. Visit the Graduate School website for additional information
  • Evidence of English Language proficiency is required if the applicant does not hold a degree from a U.S. institution or one of the English-speaking countries listed on the Graduate School website
  • Language scores must be submitted both to SOPHAS and UMD supplemental application

For detailed instructions on how to apply, please visit the School of Public Health Website: https://sph.umd.ed/graduate-application-process

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Type of Applicant Fall Deadline
Domestic Applicants
US Citizens and Permanent Residents April 4, 2025 (final)
The priority deadline for both the SOPHAS and the UMD applications is December 20, 2024.
International Applicants
F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas; A,E,G,H,I and L visas and immigrants March 7, 2025 (final)
The priority deadline for both the SOPHAS and the UMD applications is December 20, 2024.

RESOURCES AND LINKS

Program Website: https://sph.umd.edu/academics/masters-degrees/mph-master-public-health/mph-biostatistics
Application Process: https://sph.umd.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions/graduate-application-process
Admissions FAQ: https://sph.umd.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions/graduate-application-faqs

Our faculty in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics includes individuals with multi-faceted interests in biostatistics, epidemiology, and bioinformatics. Biostatistics faculty apply statistical techniques including survival and longitudinal analysis, computational statistics, statistical analysis of genomic and proteomic data, machine learning, neuroimaging statistics, (network) meta-analysis, missing data analysis, Bayesian hierarchical methods, and bioinformatics to analyze and interpret health data. Epidemiology faculty have research interests and expertise in the epidemiology of infectious disease and chronic disease with particular focus in the areas of HIV/STIs, cancer, health disparities, cardiovascular disease, obesity/physical activity, and sexual and reproductive health. Additional areas of specialization include social and behavioral determinants of health, aging, cultural competency, and community-based interventions.

Last Name First/Middle Name Graduate Faculty Status Academic Credentials Positions
Carter-Pokras Olivia Full B.S., Tulane University; M.H.S., Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health; Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health Professor Emeritus, Epidemiology
Professor Emeritus, Biostatistics
Cruz-Cano Raul Associate B.S., Autonomous University of Chihuahua, 1999; M.S., University of Texas at El Paso, 2002; Ph.D., University of Texas at El Paso, 2005 Associate Research Professor, Epidemiology
Associate Research Professor, Biostatistics
Dallal Cher Full B.A., University of California at Berkeley, 1998; M.P.H., Yale University School of Public Health, 2002; M.S., University of Southern California, 2005; Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, 2009 Associate Professor, Epidemiology
Associate Professor, Biostatistics
Dyer Typhanye Full B.A., University of California, Los Angeles, 1995; M.P.H., California State University, Long Beach, 2002; Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 2009 Associate Professor, Epidemiology
Associate Professor, Biostatistics
He Xin Full B.S., Peking University, 2003; B.A., Peking University, 2003; Ph.D., University of Missouri, 2007 Associate Professor, Epidemiology
Associate Professor, Biostatistics
Graduate Director, Epidemiology
Graduate Director, Biostatistics
Kleinman Dushanka Full B.S., University of Wisconsin; D.D.S., University of Illinois-Chicago College of Dentistry; M.Sc.D., Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine Professor, Epidemiology
Professor, Biostatistics
Lee Mei-Ling Full B.S., National Taiwan University, 1975; M.S., National Tsing Hua University, 1977; M.A., University of Pittsburgh, 1978; Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 1980 Professor, Epidemiology
Professor, Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation
Professor, Biostatistics
Liu Hongjie Full B.M., Shanghai Medical University, 1993; M.S., UCLA School of Public Health, 1998; Ph.D., UCLA School of Public Health, 2002 Chair, Epidemiology
Chair, Biostatistics
Professor, Epidemiology
Professor, Biostatistics
Lushniak Boris Full B.S., Northwestern University, 1981; M.D., Northwestern University, 1983; M.P.H., Harvard University, 1984 Professor, Epidemiology
Professor, Biostatistics
Ma Tianzhou Full B.S., University of Toronto, 2010; M.S., Yale University, 2013; Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 2018 Assistant Professor, Epidemiology
Assistant Professor, Biostatistics
Nguyen Quynh Full B.A., Stanford University, 2005; M.S.P.H., UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, 2009; Ph.D., UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, 2011 Associate Professor, Epidemiology
Associate Professor, Biostatistics
Trevitt Jamie Lynn Graduate Teaching M.P.P., Georgetown University, 2006; Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, 2010 Assistant Clinical Professor, Biostatistics
Turpin Rodman Associate B.S., Howard University, 2008; M.S., Howard University, 2012; Ph.D., University of Maryland School of Public Health, 2018 Assistant Research Professor, Epidemiology
Assistant Research Professor, Biostatistics