Graduate Admissions in Biostatistics

Your application will not be considered until the entire 2-step process is completed:

Step 1: Complete your SOPHAS application

Deadline: February 1st 11:59pm EST

Timeline: SOPHAS averages 2-4 weeks for verification of submitted applications. We strongly encourage you to submit to SOPHAS as early as possible.

You will pay $150 for the first application; if you are applying to more than one school or program, the fee is $60 for each additional application. (Note: SOPHAS application fees are paid to SOPHAS, not UMass)

SOPHAS will hold your application and won’t submit it for verification until the following criteria are met:

• Completion of personal essay/statement of purpose for each designation and any supplemental questions each school of choice might include
• All U.S. or Canadian transcripts are received
• Two out of three recommendations have been submitted
• Payment of the SOPHAS application fee

Once SOPHAS has completed their verification, they will send UMass Amherst your application electronically. This can take up to 4 weeks at peak submission times, so please submit as early as possible. If you have concerns about the timing of your SOPHAS verification, please feel free to contact the SPHHS Admissions Office directly.

In order to check on the status of transcripts, letters of recommendation, or any issue regarding the SOPHAS application prior to its being submitted to UMass Amherst, simply log in to a designated SOPHAS account. For problems regarding the receipt of transcripts, the submission of recommendation letters, or the application, please contact SOPHAS customer service directly at 617-612-2090 or sophasinfo@liaisoncas.com.

Step 2: Complete your UMass Amherst Supplemental Application

Deadline: March 1st 11:59pm EST

Timeline: You will be sent an invitation via email within 72 hours (3 business days) of SOPHAS verification. 

NOTE: You must use the personalized link sent to your email. It is not possible to complete the Supplemental Application directly through the Graduate School’s website. Creating an independent Slate account may cause issues or delays.

The Supplemental Application fee is $65. This is paid to UMass Amherst, NOT SOPHAS.

You will have until March 1st 11:59pm EST to submit your Supplemental Application. We strongly discourage waiting until the last minute to submit your application materials; it is possible for spaces within the program to fill up prior to the final deadline.

If you do not receive an email from us within 72 hours of SOPHAS verification, or have concerns about the timing of your submission, please contact the SPHHS Admission Office directly.

Admissions is a process shared by the University of Massachusetts Graduate School, SOPHAS, and the Biostatistics program. To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must meet the minimum requirements set out by both SOPHAS and the Graduate School.

• Education: Applicants must have achieved a US baccalaureate degree (or the international equivalent) by the start of the program. For the PhD, preference will be given to applicants who hold a relevant graduate degree or professional qualification, and/or at least 2 years' work experience in the field of public health. Successful applicants typically earn at least 3.0/4.0 GPA in their baccalaureate degree. We do not disqualify students who have had periods of poor academic performance, and we invite students to provide explanations for periods where their performance was not consistent with what they feel their potential is.
• Quantitative coursework: Multivariate calculus is required, and linear algebra is recommended for applicants to the MS program. Both multivariate calculus and linear algebra are required for applicants to the PhD program. Otherwise, no specific undergraduate courses are required for admission to the MS or PhD program. Successful applicants will have completed coursework that demonstrates their quantitative skills. Successful applicants in the past have included graduates from math/stat undergraduate programs as well as students who were not math/stat majors but performed well in quantitative coursework as an undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or graduate student.
• Statement of Purpose/short essays: Applicants’ Statement of Purpose (MS) or responses to short essay questions (PhD) are evaluated to assess not just your academic maturity and performance in the classroom, but also your prior engagement with research projects and service to your community.
• Letters of recommendation (minimum of three)
• Résumé/CV
• PhD Mentorship: Our admissions committee reviews all applications holistically.  You do not need to reach out to individual faculty members for sponsorship prior to applying. If your application is accepted, you will be matched with a faculty member whose research interests align with your own. However, we strongly encourage you to review our faculty directory and identify potential mentor matches.

*Please note, Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores are not required and will not be considered or reviewed by our admissions committee.

We encourage international applicants to apply to continue their educational journey with us! All international applicants should visit the University of Massachusetts Graduate School’s website for international applicants for important information on:

• English Language Proficiency Requirement
  • Successful Community Health Education candidates typically earn a TOEFL score of 100 or higher, or the equivalent on other approved tests.
• Prerequisite degrees and international transcripts
  • Transcripts and degree documents that are in a language other than English must be accompanied by an official English translation or an official course-by-course credential evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). UMass Amherst reserves the right to request credential evaluations for any international transcripts or degrees.
• Estimated expenses
• Receiving the I-20

PhD: We have traditionally been very successful in providing funding for PhD students (including first-year students) in the form of research assistantships (RAs), teaching assistantships (TAs), and traineeships. First-year students who receive funding typically receive a 20-hour-per-week position that includes a tuition waiver as well as a competitive paid stipend. The level of funding is dependent upon the availability of faculty-held grants and TA openings as well as the ranking of the student applicant in the context of the entire pool of applications. There is no separate application for funding; you will automatically be considered when you apply and are accepted for admission. Detailed information about funding will be communicated at the time of admission.

MS: Master’s students are typically self-funded and do not receive funding as part of their admissions offer. Matriculating master’s students can apply for any open positions on-campus after accepting their offer. Limited funding opportunities are prioritized for PhD students, then 2nd year Master's students. For more information on how to potentially fund your graduate studies, please visit the SPHHS Financial Aid and Scholarships site, the Graduate School funding site, and the University financial aid site. Information on open positions is also available here. 

The department is unable to provide fee waivers directly to applicants. SOPHAS is a platform independent of the university, so we’re unable to waive their $150 application fee or their $60 additional program fee. They have their own fee waiver program, which you can read about here. 

Our Graduate School offers fee waivers for our $65 UMass Supplemental Application fee (NOTE: this is paid in Slate, not SOPHAS), which you can read about here under the heading ‘Application Fee Waivers’. However, please be aware that these waivers are only available to applicants within specific categories. Most international students do not qualify.

Most current UMass Amherst and other Five College undergraduate students applying to a master’s only program, excluding MFA programs, can get this fee waived. The fee is automatically waived based on information provided in the Academic History section of the online application.