Admissions

All applications submitted by the March 15th deadline will be reviewed, though Ph.D. applications received after December 15th will not be considered for financial support.
 

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Other application or program questions may be directed to our Graduate Program Coordinators at stat-grad-staff@ucdavis.edu.

The Biostatistics graduate program at UC Davis is targeted toward students who are attracted to statistics, but who also wish to understand the interface between problems of the life sciences, data, and the more theoretical aspects of models and methods. Applications for the Biostatistics Graduate Group are made online at the Office of Graduate Studies.

We value diversity. The Graduate Group in Biostatistics is committed to increasing diversity and equity among our graduate student population. Our Admissions Committee takes a holistic approach to admissions by considering a number of factors to assess if applicants have the background to be successful in the program, including exposure to and performance in coursework in mathematics, statistics, and life sciences, personal statements by the applicants to gain insight into their interest, motivation, and fit for the program and the recommendations of other faculty. We do not consider race, ethnicity or gender in our admissions decisions. 

Please note that we only accept entry in the Fall, and we do not admit part-time students.

Our Statistics and Biostatistics Master's and Ph.D. programs are STEM designated degree programs.

Admissions Requirements & Prerequisites

An undergraduate major in Mathematics, Statistics, Biostatistics or Biological Sciences with a quantitative orientation is typical for Biostatistics graduate students but is not required. However, because of the mathematical nature of some of the graduate coursework, students should be able to demonstrate good mathematical ability and should have taken coursework in mathematics. Students preferably would have had some exposure to courses in the life sciences (biological, environmental, medical, and agricultural sciences). Students without sufficient coursework in mathematics or life sciences may be admitted on the condition that deficiencies will be corrected during the first year of study. Applicants for the Ph.D. must have completed the course requirements (or their equivalents) for the M.S. degree in Statistics.

• Ph.D. Program: Minimum Requirements and Prerequisites
• The minimum requirements for the Biostatistics PhD program are as follows:
         - Bachelor’s Degree with overall GPA of 3.0 or above
         - Demonstrate good mathematical ability
         - Exposure to courses in the life sciences (biological, environmental, medical, and agricultural sciences)
         - One year of calculus
         - One course of linear algebra
         - Familiarity with a programming language
         - Upper division coursework in Mathematics and/or Statistics. Upper division coursework in Biology and/or Biostatistics is strongly recommended
  
  Prerequisites:
          - Applicants are expected to have the equivalent of the following UC Davis courses:
                        MAT 127A (Real Analysis) & MAT 167 (Applied Linear Algebra).
  
  Please keep in mind that the application process is very competitive, and that only a handful of students are admitted each year, from a strong pool of applicants. Each part of the application is important, and we look for solid overall applications which are the best fit to our program.
• M.S. Program: Minimum Requirements
• The minimum requirements for the Biostatistics Master's program are as follows:
         - Bachelor’s Degree with overall GPA of 3.0 or above
         - Demonstrate good mathematical ability
         - Exposure to courses in the life sciences (biological, environmental, medical, and agricultural sciences)
         - One year of calculus
         - One course of linear algebra
         - Familiarity with a programming language
         - Upper division coursework in Mathematics and/or Statistics. Upper division coursework in Biology and/or Biostatistics is strongly recommended
         - See English Language Testing requirements info below
  
  No specific prerequisites are required.
• Funding
• Please note: funding is currently only offered to Ph.D. applicants.  
  
  Funding is available in the form of fellowships, employment within the graduate group as a Teaching Assistant or as a Graduate Student Researcher with a specific professor; prospective students are encouraged to contact faculty members with whom they are interested in conducting research prior to application, though it is not a requirement for (nor guarantee of) admission. Teaching Assistants and Graduate Student Researchers are eligible for tuition remissions. There are also a limited number of fellowships available to help pay for non-resident tuition. 
  
  Students who apply for the Ph.D. program before December 15 will be automatically considered for financial support from the graduate group.  Additionally, Internal Fellowships are offered by Graduate Studies; you can submit an online application for Internal Fellowships at the time of application, if applying before December 15. Instructions will be given in the online application system.
• English Language Testing Requirements for Admission
•  
  More detailed information can be found on the Graduate Studies admissions pages here
  
  This requirement is automatically waived in the application if the applicant has earned or will be earning a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from either:
            - A regionally accredited U.S. college or university where English is the sole language of instruction
  OR
            - Foreign colleges and universities which list English as the sole language of instruction in the IAU World Higher Education Database (WHED). If English is not the sole language of instruction listed (or if no language is listed at all), or if the institution does not appear on the WHED website, the waiver will not be approved. No other documentation (e.g. letters, language certificates, school websites) will be reviewed or accepted.
  
  Applicants who do not meet the above requirements must submit English language test scores no more than two years old:
      - TOEFL iBT Scores (in-person or online exams): minimum of 80
              Note: iBT scores below 104 will require additional coursework or testing to work as a Teaching Assistant (TA).
              Note: TOEFL MyBest scores are not accepted.  You may submit multiple exam scores to UC Davis, each exam score will be reviewed separately.
      - IELTS (in-person or online exams): 7.0 or above on a 9 point scale
      - Duolingo English Test Scores (online exam): 115 or above
  
  Note: All graduate students are required to enroll in an English language course (UWP225 or UWP226 or equivalent) during their first academic year, unless:
         - Undergrad or grad degree is from approved English-medium institution OR TOEFL = 105+ or IELTS 7.5+ OR TOEFL Writing=24+ and Speaking=23+
• International Students: English Language Requirements as a UCD Student

• UC Davis has three English Language requirements for international students.  If you do not plan to apply for a Teaching Assistant position, you do not need to fulfill the third requirement.  
    

  

  
  First-Year English Course requirement (more info here):
  All graduate students are required to enroll in an English language course (UWP225 or UWP226 or equivalent) during their first academic year, unless they meet any of the conditions listed above. 
  
  Notes: you cannot mix & match TOEFL scores from different tests.  TOEFL Home Edition is allowable.
  
  Students are required to only take one of the available courses that fulfill the requirement, but they may choose to take more if they would like more language or writing instruction. Besides UWP 225 and UWP 226, another way to satisfy the first-year requirement is by taking courses that are considered equivalents by the Graduate Council. These equivalents are all undergraduate courses. See below for more detail.
  
               University Writing Program (UWP) course options: 
                 UWP 225 (offered Fall/Winter/Spring) - Multi-skills Academic English for International Graduate Students
                 UWP 226 (offered Winter/Spring) - Writing for International Graduate Students
                 UWP 102 series - Writing in the Disciplines
                 UWP 104 series - Writing in the Professions
  
  TA/AI (Teaching Assistant/Associate Instructor) Language Proficiency requirement:
               Find more information about eligibility and the TOEP (Test of Oral English Proficiency) exam

Application Materials:

• Statement of Purpose
• Personal Statement
• Three letters of recommendation
• Copies of transcripts
• TOEFL or IELTS scores, if applicable
• Application Fee
• GRE: required for admission

Please make sure your application is complete! It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure all application materials are submitted and received, and that the application is complete.

• Statement of Purpose
• Describe your academic preparation, relevant experience, motivation for applying, research interests/intended focus of your studies, and professional goals as they relate to the graduate program and major field. Each essay is limited to 4,000 characters (including spaces).
  
  - Academic preparation refers to educational background, practical learning, extracurricular activities, self-directed research, and academic accomplishments/qualifications that demonstrate your potential for success as a master’s or doctoral student in the graduate program
  --- Examples: related coursework, academic research and writing, fieldwork, internships, laboratory activities, scholarships/awards, independent study, presentations, publications, teaching, faculty or peer mentorship, studio projects, organizational membership, and study abroad.
  - Interests, specializations, and career goals may include your research interests, disciplinary subfields, area/s of specialization, and professional objectives.
  - Alignment may include how your preparation, experiences, and interests match, specific faculty or resources and characteristics of your graduate program at UC Davis. Please include specific faculty within your desired graduate program with whom you would like to work and how your interests align with the identified faculty member/s.
• Personal Statement
• While the Statement of Purpose is primarily focused on academic preparation, research interests/concept, and alignment with the graduate program, the Personal Statement is an opportunity to share the unique background, experiences, perspectives, and abilities that you will bring to a graduate program. Each essay is limited to 4,000 characters (including spaces).
  
  Please describe how your background and life experiences shaped your academic and/or professional path and influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree. This may include formative experiences, environment, values, motivations, interactions, decisions, etc.
  
  We encourage you to consider these potential scenarios when developing your Personal Statement:
  - Commitment to overcoming significant obstacles despite economic disadvantage, challenging social environment, or other specific experiences of hardship.
  - Unique talents, abilities or skills relevant to personal growth.
  - Employment experiences, extracurricular activities, or community participation that inspired further education.
  - Evidence of growth, maturity and commitment to graduate study and/or a major field.
• Recommendation Letters
• Three letters of recommendation must be uploaded directly from your recommenders to your online application. 
  More information can be found here.
   
• Copies of Transcripts
• UC Davis requires academic records from each college-level institution you have attended.  You will be instructed to upload scanned copies of your transcripts after you have submitted your online application.  More information can be found here.
• English Language Testing requirements
• This requirement is automatically WAIVED if the applicant has earned or will be earning a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from either:
            - A regionally accredited U.S. college or university where English is the sole language of instruction, OR
            - A foreign college or university which provides instruction solely in English ().
  
  Applicants who do not meet the above requirements must submit English language test scores no more than two years old:
      - TOEFL: minimum of 80.  Institution code: 4834.  No department code.
      - IELTS: 7 or above on a 9 point scale
      - Duolingo (Fall 2022 & 2023 only): minimum score 115 (see important note about Duolingo on this page)
  
  More detailed information can be found here
  
  If you believe you are eligible for a waiver and the English proficiency examination requirement currently appears in your application,  please contact our office (stat-grad-staff@ucdavis.edu).
• Application Fees
• A graduate application fee is required from all applicants. Applicants who choose to apply to more than one graduate program must pay an application fee for each program. The application fee is not refundable and must be paid before the application can be reviewed. Instructions for payment will appear when you submit your online application.  Current fees can be found here.
• GRE Scores: Required with the application
• We require the General GRE test only, and you must have taken the test within the last five years. If your GRE scores are more than five years old, you will be required to take the test again before you can be admitted.
  
  GRE scores must be sent to UC Davis electronically from ETS. 
  
  GRE Campus Code: 4834.
  No department code required.
  
  Your GRE scores will be transmitted to UC Davis electronically and matched to your applicant record using the information you provided in your application. If you apply to more than one graduate program, you only need to send one GRE score to UC Davis

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