Admission requirements

Doctor of Philosophy in Biostatistics

We strongly prefer our students to have taken three semesters of calculus and one semester each of linear algebra and basic statistics, but do not automatically disqualify students based on these courses. That being said, we do require some sort of college-level mathematics background because our first semester biostatistics courses will utilize advanced mathematics concepts. We would strongly advise any student interested in pursuing a graduate degree in biostatistics to take as many of these mathematics courses as possible prior to beginning our program.

In keeping with the university’s goal to become a top 10 university and given our position as a research 1 institution, the college has set minimum quantitative standards we typically expect for admission consideration to our PhD programs. These include: 

  • GRE (Verbal + Quantitative)              
    >300
  • GRE Writing Score                               
    >3.0  with at least 150 GRE Verbal, or >3.5 if GRE Verbal <150
  • GPA                                                          
    >3.0 for the last 60 hours of undergraduate credit (based on a 4.0 grading scale)
  • TOEFL (if applicable)                          
    >80 on the internet version; >550 on the paper version

On-campus Master of Science in Biostatistics

Candidates for admission to the program must have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. In addition, all students are expected to meet the minimal admission requirements of the University of Florida’s Graduate School, which include:

  • Baccalaureate degree from an accredited university or college
  • Junior-senior level grade point average of 3.0
  • A completed application for Graduate School, including a letter of intent, official transcripts, completed application form, and three letters of recommendation

International students whose primary language is not English will have to demonstrate a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based, 213 on the computer-based, or 80 on the web-based version of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).

Applicants will be expected to have taken the following coursework: Calculus III, a linear algebra course, and an introductory statistics course.

The application deadline for fall acceptance is March 15.

Online Master of Science in Biostatistics

Candidates for admission to the program must have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. In addition, all students are expected to meet the minimal admission requirements of the University of Florida’s Graduate School, which include

  • Baccalaureate degree from an accredited university or college
  • Junior-senior level grade point average of 3.0
  • A completed application for Graduate School, including a letter of intent, official transcripts, completed application form, and three letters of recommendation

International students whose primary language is not English will have to demonstrate a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based, 213 on the computer-based, or 80 on the web-based version of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).

The application deadline for fall acceptance is July 15. The application deadline for spring acceptance is December 1.

Master of Public Health, Biostatistics concentration

  • U.S. bachelor’s degree or equivalent
  • At least a 3.0 GPA for undergraduate coursework taken after the first 60 hours. Advanced Placement (AP) or Dual Enrollment credit that appears on the applicant’s undergraduate transcript should count toward the first 60 credit hours. The undergraduate 3.0 GPA minimum may be waived for applicants at the discretion of the admissions committee. You can use a GPA calculator to calculate this.
  • Due to current admission examination testing difficulties amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the MPH program, in sync with the UF Graduate School, is waiving the GRE/MCAT requirement for applicants seeking Spring 2021, Summer A/B/C 2021, or Fall 2021 admission. This temporary emergency waiver applies only to admission for those four semesters. If you are looking to apply to a future semester (Spring 2022 and beyond), please contact Katherine Pizarro-Gutierrez for GRE requirements.
  • Satisfactory English proficiency. All international applicants must submit scores from one of the tests listed below:
    • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with the following minimum scores: 550 paper-based, 213 computer-based, or 80 internet-based
    • The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a minimum score of 6
    • The Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) with a minimum score of 77
    • International students whose country’s native language is English or who have attended a college or university in the United States full-time for at least one year are not required to submit TOEFL scores, but must have acceptable scores on the General Test section of the GRE. For a list of countries whose citizens are exempt from the TOEFL requirement that most non-U.S. applicants must meet, go to the Graduate School English Language Testing Exemptions.
  • A strong professional interest in at least one of the public health concentrations