Face Today's Most Challenging Issues

At the UMass Amherst Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, we help you build strong analytic and quantitative skills that will enable you to conduct impactful public health research.

We offer a full complement of degrees at the master’s and doctoral levels. Which one is right for you? Let us show you.

•  Distinct graduate programs: MS and PhD in biostatistics, and MPH, MS, and PhD in epidemiology

•  No GRE scores required

•  Finish your master’s degree in 2 years or less

•  Apply by Feb. 1 for fall admissions (priority deadline for PhD: Dec. 15)

Building an Inclusive and Supportive Environment

Whether you choose biostatistics or epidemiology, you’ll learn in a diverse and inclusive community of students, faculty, and staff. With our low student-to-faculty ratio, you’ll receive individualized attention and engage in hands-on training with leading scientific experts. You’ll never feel lost in the crowd.  

Research That Directly Impacts Lives

Collaborate with biostatistics faculty on hands-on research projects ranging from the nation’s first COVID-19 Forecasting Hub to international HIV intervention studies. Epidemiology students can work alongside faculty on research ranging from prenatal and reproductive health to infectious disease.  

Graduate Education at a Fraction of the Cost

Receive great value through New England’s only publicly funded school of public health. UMass offers a range of career resources to help you find jobs in the biostatistics and epidemiology fields. Solve complex problems in public health and health sciences and lead in academic and industry settings.

"Biostatistics made me feel like I’m doing something that’s bigger than myself."

— Stephen Lauer ’19 PhD, biostatistics

"I chose UMass because I wanted a school that saw public health issues as dynamic and multifaceted, and that didn’t back away from the complexities of issues around health and health inequities."

— Colleen Beatriz '21 MPH, epidemiology

Solve Complex Public Health Issues

Biostatistics students graduate with the strong analytical and quantitative skills needed for etiologic research, disease surveillance, program evaluation, and public health practice.

Our epidemiology graduates work in city, state, and federal health agencies, medical schools, hospitals, consulting firms, universities, private research groups, and industry. 

Why UMass SPHHS?

•  Accreditation: Fully accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

•  A rising research powerhouse: Over the past decade, faculty research productivity has increased by 120 percent with funding from the NIH, NSF, US DOE, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and more.

•  Hands-on training with nationally recognized academics: Our low student-to-faculty ratio provides students with individual contact and hands-on training with leading scientific experts partnering with the CDC, NIH, and WHO.

•  Vibrant and engaging community: Situated in the heart of western Massachusetts on the slopes of the Berkshires, UMass offers residents year-round outdoor recreation activities and a vibrant art scene in a community that values diversity, multiculturalism, and a commitment to sustainability.

•  LGBTQ-friendly: The university's LGBTQ and women's centers were among the first established in the nation, and Campus Pride rates UMass Amherst as one of the best campuses in the country for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students.

•  Great value: As New England’s only publicly funded school of public health, SPHHS provides great value compared to our private institution peers.