University of Washington Biostatistics

In addition to challenging Programs of Study, the Biostatistics Department offers students a variety of benefits:

The University: The University of Washington was founded in 1861 and is the oldest public institution of higher education on the Pacific Coast. The University enrolls approximately 42,000 students in a variety of fields, including arts and sciences, business administration, dentistry, education, engineering, fisheries, forest resources, law, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and public health. The Graduate School has approximately 8,500 students and 1,900 faculty members. Comprehensive intercollegiate and intramural athletic programs are offered, as is a range of performing arts and cultural programs. The beautiful green main campus encompasses 680 acres and is bordered on the east by Lake Washington and on the south by Lake Union. The University of Washington is ranked among the top twenty universities in the United States and is a center of academic excellence in the Northwest.

Research Facilities: The extensive University of Washington library system includes separate specialized libraries in natural sciences, mathematics, fisheries and oceanography, chemistry, and medicine. The Health Sciences Library is located in the same building as the Department of Biostatistics and has a research-level collection in biostatistics. The Department of Biostatistics maintains several computing facilities dedicated to student use. These include a 20-node Linux cluster and an 8-way 64-bit Linux host for analyses requiring large memory sizes. Student offices are all provisioned with desktop computers and all computers are tied into the UW network. Free use of other campus host computers and of the Health Sciences Library PC Lab is also available.

Location: Seattle, the largest city in Washington, is situated between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, with the Olympic Mountains to the west and the Cascade range to the east. The city combines the cultural attributes of an urban setting (for example, good restaurants, opera, ballet, and symphonies) with outdoor activities, such as boating, skiing, and hiking. Seattle has professional football, hockey, and baseball teams as well as amateur leagues in all sports. City parks are located in all areas of the city, and bus transportation is good.

Student Group and Activities: There are typically between 70-80 students in the graduate program, with 45-50 women and 25-30 men; of these, around 30 will be international students. A maximum of eighteen students are supported by traineeships, approximately 45-50 are supported by research assistantships, and approximately 25 per quarter are supported by teaching assistantships.

Students have numerous opportunities to participate on department committees, including the Alumni Relations, Computer Policy, and Communications Committees. There are also several social events throughout the year, including pizza parties, annual spring potluck, an annual department retreat every autumn, and student led intramural activities.

Student Personal Webpages: Personal webpages for current students in the Department of Biostatistics. Learn about their research activities, and more.

Cost of Study: Students supported by an RA or TA do not pay tuition and are only responsible for student fees.

Cost of Living: Information about on-campus and off-campus housing is available on-line at: Student Life. In general, the neighborhoods near the UW offer: shared housing, starting at about $650 per month; studio apartments starting at about $750 per month; one-bedroom apartments starting at about $950 per month, and two-bedroom apartments at $1100 per month.

Financial Support: Teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and traineeships (fellowships) are available for student support during the academic year. Traineeships are restricted to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Trainees received a stipend plus partial remission of tution and fees.

Applying to the Program: Please visit the Application section of this website for further information and instructions on applying to the Graduate Program in Biostatistics. Applications are welcomed from students with an undergraduate or master's degree in mathematics, statistics, or a biological sciences field. Applications for the fall term should be submitted by December 1 of the prior year.

Related programs available at the University of Washington:

• Center for Quantitative Science (Undergraduate)
• Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management
• Biomedical and Health Informatics
• Statistics

Please direct all application inquiries to:

• Alex MacKenzie, Applications and Curriculum Coordinator, Room H-655 HSB, 206-616-6790, bioadmit@uw.edu