Apply for a PhD in Biostatistics

The application for the Doctor of Philosophy program in Biostatistics is administered by the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies. Applications for the Fall 2026 semester are open through December 1.

APPLY FOR A PHD IN BIOSTATISTICS

Those applying for the Doctor of Philosophy program should complete the following:

  • online application form
  • a non-refundable application fee  
    • all domestic applicants will receive an automatic fee waiver  
  • three letters of recommendation (submitted online)
  • a statement of purpose
  • a personal statement
  • A scanned/electronic copy of the official transcript will be used for initial review by our admissions committee.  You will be required to have your official transcript sent to the Rackham Graduate School only if you are recommended for admission.
  • Applicants who have not earned a degree from an institution at which the official language of instruction is English will need to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores.

Michigan Public Health does not require and does not review GRE or other standardized test scores for admission to any master's or doctoral programs. Applications will be reviewed holistically based on required application components. Please contact our admissions staff at sph-inquiries@umich.edu if you have questions.

Minimum Requirements

  • Applicants with either a relevant master's degree (i.e. a graduate degree comparable to our MS in biostatistics) or strong candidates with a bachelor’s degree will be considered for PhD admissions.
  • Mathematics prerequisites for the MS:
    • three semesters of calculus, including Multivariable Calculus
    • a course in matrix or linear algebra
    • an introductory course in statistics or biostatistics
    • students with less preparation in mathematics or statistics may be conditionally admitted.
  • Applicants who have not earned a degree from an institution at which the official language of instruction is English will need to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. 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 TOEFL is 1839.
  • Transcripts
    • All applicants must upload a scanned copy, front and back, of their official transcript/academic record issued by the Registrar or Records Office, to ApplyWeb for each bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree earned or in progress. The scanned copy of the official transcript is used for initial review by the graduate program faculty.  After an offer of admission is made, an official transcript must be submitted to Rackham.  
    • Please refer to Rackham Graduate School guidelines when submitting transcripts.

Current online grades policy 

Pre-requisite courses are expected to be completed in person unless taken during 2020-2022. If courses were completed online, courses must be :

  1. taken at an accredited university and successful participation is documented by a grade on the transcript or by a written communication from the instructor; OR
  2. followed by more advanced coursework (for example, multivariable calculus is followed by real analysis) at an accredited university and successful participation in the more advanced course is documented by a grade on the transcript or by a written communication from the instructor.

Courses without grades or evaluation of class performance by the instructor typically will not satisfy program admissions requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Information

Email: sph.bio.inquiries@umich.edu

Department of Biostatistics
School of Public Health
University of Michigan
1415 Washington Heights
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029