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
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 application. Both 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 3, 2026 (final) |
| The priority deadline for both the SOPHAS and the UMD applications is December 19, 2025. | |
| International Applicants | |
| F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas; A,E,G,H,I and L visas and immigrants | March 6, 2026 (final) |
| The priority deadline for both the SOPHAS and the UMD applications is December 19, 2025. |
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 |