Skip to content

Studies & Degrees in Biostatistics

Biostatistics applies statistical methods to questions in medicine, public health and biology. The University of Minnesota describes a biostatistician as someone who designs studies and develops statistical tools to extract meaning from complex data, working with researchers from many scientific disciplines. Typical problems are the design of a clinical trial, the analysis of how a disease spreads, or the study of genetic and environmental data.

Students learn probability and statistical inference, regression and other modelling methods, study design, statistical computing and data management, together with some epidemiology. The Master of Science at Drexel University, for example, covers statistical theory and methods, computing and data management, and epidemiology. Communication matters as well, because results have to be explained to doctors and researchers who are not statisticians.

Qualifications and levels

Biostatistics is mostly a graduate subject. Students usually arrive with a first degree in mathematics, statistics or a science and specialise at master's or doctoral level, often in a school of public health or medicine.

  • Master's degrees in the United States. At Drexel University the MS in Biostatistics requires a minimum of 47 credit hours and most students finish in less than two years. Washington University in St. Louis offers a two-year, 42-credit-hour Master of Science in Biostatistics and Data Science that includes a six-credit internship or mentored research experience. At the University of Minnesota every MS student completes a research project of three to six months with a faculty adviser.
  • Spain. Official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Máster Universitario en Bioestadística of the Universitat de València has 90 credits over two academic years, including 6 credits of external placements and a 12-credit final project. It is taught on campus, in Spanish, and offers 30 places.
  • Doctorates. A PhD prepares for original research and university teaching. Vanderbilt University and the University of Minnesota offer both MS and PhD programmes, and King's College London offers research degrees (MPhil, MD(Res) and PhD) in biostatistics and health informatics.

Admission depends heavily on mathematics. Drexel asks for at least two semesters of calculus and one of linear algebra; the University of Alabama at Birmingham asks for a three-semester calculus sequence and linear algebra. The Valencia master's is open to graduates from medicine, biology, pharmacy, environmental science and agricultural engineering as well as mathematics and statistics.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 18 active schools for biostatistics. Twelve are in the United States, and Denmark, Ethiopia, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom and the Philippines have one each. The US list includes Harvard University, the University of California campuses at Berkeley, Los Angeles and San Francisco, Vanderbilt University, the University of Minnesota, Drexel University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Saint Louis University and Washington University in St. Louis. Outside the United States it includes the University of Copenhagen, King's College London, Addis Ababa University, the University of the Philippines Manila and, in Spain, ADEIT, the university-business foundation of the Universitat de València.

Most of these programmes are taught in English. The Valencia master's is taught in Spanish. Check the language of instruction and the mathematics prerequisites of each programme before applying.

Careers

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that biostatisticians work in pharmaceutical companies, public health agencies and hospitals, where they may design studies to test whether drugs successfully treat diseases. The University of Minnesota reports that its graduates have gone to research and consulting positions in academic institutions, government agencies, health insurers, pharmaceutical companies and technology start-ups. The Valencia programme names epidemiology, clinical and pharmaceutical research and environmental research as its fields of work.

According to the BLS, statisticians typically need at least a master's degree. It projects overall employment of mathematicians and statisticians in the United States to grow 10 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,000 openings a year. The BLS does not publish a separate figure for biostatisticians.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a mathematics degree to study biostatistics?

Not necessarily, but you need university-level mathematics. US programmes such as Drexel and the University of Alabama at Birmingham require calculus and linear algebra, and the Valencia master's admits graduates from health and life sciences as well as mathematics and statistics.

How long does a master's in biostatistics take?

Usually about two years. Examples are 47 credit hours at Drexel, 42 credit hours over two years at Washington University in St. Louis and 90 ECTS credits over two academic years at the Universitat de València.

Is a master's degree enough to work as a biostatistician?

For many jobs, yes: the BLS states that statisticians typically need at least a master's degree. A PhD is the usual route to independent research and university teaching.

Can I study biostatistics in Spanish?

Yes. The Máster Universitario en Bioestadística of the Universitat de València is taught in Spanish. Most other programmes in the directory are taught in English.