Department of Biostatistics 
Admissions and Financial Support
Admissions
The Department of Biostatistics offers three degrees for residential students: a Master’s of Science (M.S.); a Master's of Public Health (M.P.H.); a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). We also offer an On Job/On Campus program from which you can receive a Master’s of Science in Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis. The Horace
H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies administers the M.S. and Ph.D. programs, while the School of Public Health administers the M.P.H. program.
Application Procedure
Applicants for the M.S. or Ph.D. programs should fill out a Rackham School application. An M.P.H. program application is available through SOPHAS (Schools of Public Health Application Service). Those wishing to apply to the Biostatistics Department should submit a complete online application form, a non-refundable application fee, official transcripts for all previous undergraduate and graduate work, three letters of recommendation (submitted online), a statement of purpose, a personal statement and general test GRE scores. International students whose first language is not English must also submit TOEFL scores.
Deadlines for applications to all Biostatistics residential programs (M.S., M.P.H. and Ph.D.) is December 15. Applications received after December 15 will be considered if space and funding remain available. We encourage you to contact the department at 734-615-9817 or fenechn@umich.edu if you are considering submitting a late application.
A special note to international students: because obtaining a visa for study in the USA from abroad can take a long time; we strongly recommend that late international applicants apply as early as possible and preferably no later than March 15. Please, keep in the mind that the deadline for funding is December 15.
The Clinical Research Design & Statistical Analysis program accepts new applicants on a rolling admission basis until the cohort is full.
Minimum Requirements
- A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- Applicants for the Doctoral Program would usually have a relevant Master's Degree (i.e. a graduate degree comparable to our M.S. in Biostatistics), although strong candidates with Bachelor’s degree will be considered for Ph.D. admissions.
- Mathematics prerequisites for the M.S. are three semesters of calculus, a course in matrix or linear algebra, and an introductory course in statistics or biostatistics. Students with less preparation in mathematics or statistics may be conditionally admitted.
- General GRE exam from within the last 5 years.
- Applicants whose native language is not English are required to present evidence of competency in English (TOEFL or MELAB scores) with their application or to have been granted a degree in an English speaking institution. Please refer to the Admissions page for international applicants for details on English proficiency requirements and other requirements specific to international students.
- The code for both the GRE and TOEFL is 1839.
Transcripts
Rackham Applicants for MS and PhD programs: Submit Academic Records/Transcripts to the Department of Biostatistics and to Rackham Graduate School Admissions
You must provide 2 sets of official final undergraduate and/or graduate academic records/transcripts, with your degree posted. Official documents must be provided from the institution awarding the degree. One set must be submitted to your graduate program and the second set must be sent to Rackham Graduate School Admissions. It is your responsibility to request the release of any such records from the institutions involved.
Mail transcript to:
- Department of Biostatistics School of Public Health
Attn: Transcripts
University of Michigan
1420 Washington Heights
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029
- Rackham Graduate School Admissions
Attn: Transcripts
915 E. Washington Street
Ann Arbor MI 48109-1070
MPH Applicants: Submit Academic Records/Transcripts to SOPHAS.
Your completed online application and supporting documents (including academic records/transcripts, test scores, and letters of recommendation) should be submitted early enough to arrive two to three weeks prior to the deadline (December 15).
The deadline is the date by which all application materials must be received by both the graduate program and Rackham. Early submission may avoid unnecessary delays.
Note: All credentials submitted for admission consideration become the property of the University of Michigan and will not be returned in original or copy form.
Financial Support
All students admitted to one of our residential programs are considered for financial support. There are four types of financial support that we offer our students: Graduate Student Instructor (GSI), Graduate Student Research Assistant (GSRA), Training Grants and Fellowships.
Graduate Student Instructor (GSI)
Graduate Student Instructors are appointed at 50% effort, which involves working approximately twenty hours per week. This appointment includes full payment of tuition, health insurance coverage, registration fees and a monthly stipend. GSI’s are appointed to help with the instruction of Biostatistics courses offered to students from other Public Health Departments. The duties of a GSI can include preparing materials for and teaching labs, holding office hours, grading homework and exams, and tutoring.
Graduate Student Research Assistant (GSRA)
GSRA’s are appointed at 50% effort, which involves working approximately twenty hours per week on a research project. This appointment includes full payment of tuition, health insurance coverage, registration fees and a monthly stipend. GSRA’s generally work closely with a faculty member who is a principal or co-investigator on the research project. The duties of the GSRA can involve analysis of biomedical research data or statistical research. Currently, GSRAs are working on projects involvingstatistical methods development and application to bioinformatics, cancer, clinical trials, dentistry, diabetes, environmental health, epidemiology, genetics, health education, kidney disease, and survival analysis.
Training Grants
Students are also supported through involvement in training grants which provide support similar to the GSRA or GSI appointments. Currently, the Department has three training grants. Information can be obtained by clicking on the links below.
Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards
Awards for tuition assistance are available and are granted without a work obligation. These awards are generally made on the basis of academic merit, expected contribution to the field, and underrepresented backgrounds. Some examples of awards our students have received include the Shapiro Award, the Rackham Merit Fellowship for Historically Underrepresented Groups, the Rackham Non-Traditional Fellowship, the Rackham Regents Fellowship, the School of Public Health Tuition Assistance Award. Other award/scholarship opportunities exist for continuing students. They include the Rackham One-Term Dissertation Grant, the Barbour Scholarship, the Pre-doctoral Fellowship, the Susan Lipshutz Award and the Rackham Travel Award. The Rackham Sources of Aid page lists various sources of information on financial assistance available to students on campus.
Prospective students interested in applying for specific awards should contact Student Services at (734) 615-9817 or fenechn@umich.edu.
Financial Aid
Many of our students are offered funding as GSIs, GSRAs or fellows. If a student does not receive such an offer, he or she may apply for financial aid through the University of Michigan’s Office of Financial Aid. This office requires applicants for any and all types of financial aid to complete the Free Application for Federal Student AID (FAFSA) provided by the American College Testing Center (ACTC). A FAFSA will be sent to you directly if you indicate your interest in financial assistance on the admission application form. FAFSAs are available from most high school or college libraries and financial aid officers, as well as from the School of Public Health Office of Academic Affairs. FAFSA is also available at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact us:
By Telephone:
(734) 615-9817
By E-mail:
fenechn@umich.edu
By Mail:
Department of Biostatistics School of Public Health
University of Michigan
1420 Washington Heights
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029
Fax: (734) 763-2215
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