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
Xin He, Ph.D.
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
2234 School of Public Health Building
4200 Valley Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.2551
Email: xinhe@umd.edu
Website: http://sph.umd.edu/department/epib
Relationships: Epidemiology (EPDM) Epidemiology (EPID)
The MPH in Biostatistics program has a two-step application process. Applicants first submit the SOPHAS application (www.sophas.org), the centralized application service for schools and programs of public health (Step 1). Once the SOPHAS application has been verified applicants will submit their UMD Supplemental application (Step 2). Applicants will receive an email from the SPH Admissions team with instructions for how to complete the UMD Supplemental Application. Applications will not be reviewed until both the SOPHAS and UMD Supplemental applications are completed.
GENERAL ADMISSION 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 areas of interest
Note: Applicants for the MPH in Biostatistics should have good preparation in mathematics. All transcripts will be reviewed for grades in quantitative courses.
PROGRAM SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
- SOPHAS application (Step 1) & UMD Supplemental application (Step 2)
- 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) and UMD (code 5814)
*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.
For detailed instructions on how to submit your application, please visit the School of Public Health Website: (https://sph.umd.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions/graduate-application-process)
APPLICATION DEADLINES
| Type of Applicant | Fall Deadline |
|---|---|
| Domestic Applicants | |
| US Citizens and Permanent Residents | SOPHAS - Priority: 17 Dec / Final: 6 May |
| UMD Supplemental - June 3, 2022 | |
| International Applicants | |
| F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas; A,E,G,H,I and L visas and immigrants | SOPHAS - Priority: 17 Dec / Final: 11 Feb |
| UMD Supplemental - June 3, 2022 |
RESOURCES AND LINKS:
Program Website: https://live-umd-sph.pantheonsite.io/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 Member | 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, Epidemiology Professor, Biostatistics |
| Cruz-Cano | Raul | Adjunct Member | 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 Member | 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 Member | 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 Member | B.S., Peking University, 2003; B.A., Peking Univeristy, 2003; Ph.D., University of Missouri, 2007 | Associate Professor, Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation Associate Professor, Biostatistics Graduate Director, Biostatistics |
| Lee | Mei-Ling | Full Member | 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 Member | 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 |
| Ma | Tianzhou | Full Member | 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 Member | 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 | Assistant Professor, Epidemiology Assistant Professor, Biostatistics |
| Slopen | Natalie | Full Member | B.S., University of Toronto, 2002; M.A., University of Chicago, 2003; Sc.D., Harvard University School of Public Health, 2010 | Assistant Professor, Epidemiology Assistant Professor, Biostatistics |
| Turpin | Rodman | Adjunct Member | 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 |