Skip to content

Studies & Degrees in Biomathematics

Biomathematics, also called mathematical biology, uses mathematics and computing to describe and predict how living systems behave. The Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology at the University of Oxford sums up the method: researchers build biologically realistic mathematical and computational models, test and refine them with experimental data, and make predictions that experiments can check.

The field is broad. The Society for Mathematical Biology, founded in 1973, has subgroups for mathematical epidemiology, mathematical oncology, mathematical neuroscience, population dynamics, ecology and evolution, immunobiology and infection, and pharmacometrics, among others. A student may end up modelling the spread of an infectious disease, the growth of a tumour, the electrical activity of neurons or the size of an animal population.

Students need both sides of the subject. The mathematical core is the same as in any mathematics degree: calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, probability and statistics, plus programming and numerical methods. To this they add biology courses, so that the models answer real biological questions.

Qualifications and levels

Few universities offer a degree with biomathematics in its name. More often it is a major, a track or a research area inside a mathematics, applied mathematics or biology department.

  • Bachelor's degree. At Florida State University (FSU), the Department of Mathematics offers a B.S. in Mathematics with a major in Biomathematics, next to majors in Mathematics and in Applied and Computational Mathematics. The department also offers a joint BS/MS option.
  • Master's degree and PhD. FSU offers MS and PhD degrees in five areas of mathematics, one of which is Biomathematics. It is an interdisciplinary area, so the curriculum includes subjects from other departments. The required coursework is completed within the first two years, and the course work can emphasise modelling or data science. PhD students do research with faculty on biological topics, in some cases together with experimental laboratories.
  • Research groups. Elsewhere, mathematical biology is often a research group that takes graduate students within a mathematics doctorate, as at the Wolfson Centre in Oxford.

In Spain, official degrees follow a fixed structure: a bachelor's degree (grado) of 240 ECTS credits and master's degrees of 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. Students interested in biomathematics should look at the optional subjects and specialisations of mathematics, biotechnology or biomedical degrees and ask the university which mathematical biology subjects it teaches.

Where to study it

SpainExchange currently lists one active school for biomathematics: Florida State University, in Tallahassee, Florida, in the United States. Teaching is in English. Because the subject usually sits inside a larger department, it is worth searching under mathematics, applied mathematics, bioinformatics and biostatistics as well.

When comparing programmes, check how many biology courses are required, whether the programme works with experimental laboratories, and which research topics the supervising faculty cover.

Careers

Graduates work in university and hospital research, in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, in public health agencies and in data analysis. Many continue to a doctorate: FSU states that its programme has placed graduates in postdoctoral and faculty positions in and outside the United States.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has no separate category for biomathematicians. For mathematicians and statisticians as a group, it projects employment to grow 10 percent from 2025 to 2035. It notes that they typically need at least a master's degree, although some positions are open to holders of a bachelor's degree, and that the top employers are the federal government and scientific research and development companies. It adds that coursework in biology, chemistry or health sciences is useful for testing pharmaceutical or agricultural products.

Frequently asked questions

Is biomathematics the same as mathematical biology?

Yes. Florida State University, for example, uses both names for the same major. Bioinformatics and biostatistics are neighbouring fields that focus on biological data and on statistics.

Do I need a biology background to study biomathematics?

You need strong mathematics first. Biology is added during the programme: at Florida State University the biomathematics area includes subjects from other departments. Ask each university about its prerequisites.

Which degrees are available in biomathematics?

Florida State University offers a B.S. in Mathematics with a major in Biomathematics, and MS and PhD degrees in the area of Biomathematics. At many other universities it is a specialisation or research area within mathematics.