Graduate Programs

The doctoral program in Biostatistics provides the training necessary to carry out independent research in theory, methodology and the application of statistics to important problems in biomedical research, including research biology, public health and clinical medicine.

The Ph.D. program is administered by an active, expanding and highly interdisciplinary faculty in the Department of Biostatistics. Major areas of research activity include Bayesian inference, analysis of biomarkers and diagnostic tests, causal inference and missing data, time series and functional data analysis, modeling of social networks, bioinformatics, longitudinal data, and multilevel modeling. Faculty collaborate actively with investigators in the areas of cancer prevention and screening, behavioral sciences, HIV/AIDS, health care policy, genetic epidemiology, neuroscience, and genomics.

Additional Resources

All PhD graduate students are provided with a new laptop computer and office space.  Students also have access to the computing infrastructure at the Center for Statistical Sciences, a high-end, continuously updated computing environment featuring both Unix and PC/MAC networks, with access to all major software for data analysis and numerical computing. CSS also maintains a considerable collection of statistics texts and journals in the Walter Freiberger Biostatistics Library.

Application Information

MCAT or LSAT tests cannot be substituted for the GRE. Applicants to the Ph.D. program should have taken courses in calculus (three semesters), and advanced undergraduate courses in linear algebra and probability. Experience with numerical computing is also recommended. Applications from students in applied fields such as biology, biochemistry, economics, and computer science are strongly encouraged, with the understanding that necessary mathematical coursework may have to be completed before or soon after enrollment in the program.

Applicants to this School of Public Health program should apply through SOPHAS, a centralized application service for accredited schools and programs in public health. Brown University School of Public Health GRE reporting code: 7765.

Application Requirements

GRE Subject:

Not required

GRE General:

Not required

Official Transcripts:

Required

Letters of Recommendations:

(3) Required

Personal Statement:

Required

Resume/CV:

Required

Additional Materials:

Application Fee

Additional Requirements:

International Applicants

  • Language Proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS if applicable)
  • Transcript Evaluation (if applicable)

Dates/Deadlines

Application Deadline

Completion Requirements

For all Ph.D. students, 24 credits are required of students matriculating in the program without a master's degree; 16 are required beyond the master's. For those with a related master's degree, up to eight units can be transferred. Both written and oral exams, plus a dissertation comprising an original contribution to the field, also are required. Students are expected to participate in academic activities such as the Statistics Seminar and faculty–organized working groups.

Alumni Careers

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Leadership

Department Chair
Joseph Hogan
Director of Graduate Studies
Zhijin Wu

Contact and Location

Department of Biostatistics

Mailing Address

Brown University
Box G-S121-7
Visit the Department of Biostatistics

Resources