Prospective Students: Program Prerequisites
Potential M.S. and Ph.D. students may enter the Graduate Program in Biostatistics from an undergraduate major in mathematics, statistics, or a biological sciences field. Students are occasionally admitted with backgrounds in other fields; however, all applicants should have the equivalent of 30 or more quarter credits in mathematics and statistics, which must include:
- approximately two years of calculus (must cover multivariate calculus)
- one course in linear algebra
- one course in probability theory
University of Washington courses which are approximate equivalents to these requirements are:
- First-year calculus; MATH 124-125-126
- Advanced calculus: MATH 324 and/or 326
- Linear Algebra: MATH 308 or 318
- Probability: MATH 394 and/or 395
For descriptions of these courses, please refer to the UW Math Department's course catalog. This information may help you to decide whether your background is sufficient to meet our prerequisites. When planning your remaining undergraduate courses, applicants are encouraged to complete more mathematics; students planning to apply to the Ph.D. should consider coursework in real analysis (though you may take this as part of your graduate study). Additional credits in the biological sciences are also desirable.
MPH applicants: To be considered for admission to the Biostatistics MPH pathway, a candidate must hold a doctoral level degree in another field (e.g., M.D., Ph.D., J.D.) or be currently working on such a doctoral degree. Candidates who have not yet been awarded a doctoral degree will not be awarded the Biostatistics pathway MPH until they are awarded their doctoral degree. All other prerequisites and required materials are the same for M.S., M.P.H., and Ph.D. applicants.