Online Master of Science

First in the Nation

Established in fall 2017, our Online Master of Science in Biostatistics program is the first fully online Master of Science in Biostatistics program in the nation. Originally designed for working professionals, this flexible remote learning modality in which all courses are 100% online and asynchronous has been increasingly attractive to a wide range of learners from working professionals to full-time students.

Top-ranked

UF was ranked #6 among public universities and #28 nationwide in its Best National University Rankings by US News & World Report in October 2023, while our department was ranked #11 at public universities and #21 nationwide in its Best Biostatistics Programs by the US News & World Report in 2022. In its 2024 Best Colleges in the US, the Wall Street Journal ranked UF #1 public university and #15 nationwide. Our online M.S. Program has been continuously on the top list among its alike by various organizations.

Great Value

Our program has been listed as the Top 4 most affordable among all online MS in biostatistics and online MPH in biostatistics programs by Healthcare Management in 2023. The affordable tuition and uncompromising quality of our program puts excellence within your reach!

Tuition for the Biostatistical Methods and Practice concentration costs $750.00 per credit hour (regardless of residency status) plus miscellaneous fees paid directly to UF (roughly $35 per credit hour).

Tuition for the Health Data Science concentration costs $448.73 per credit hour for Florida residents and $950 per credit hour non-Florida residents plus miscellaneous fees paid directly to UF (roughly $82 per credit hour for Florida residents and $35 per credit hour for non-Florida residents).

Two Concentrations

Students in our program can choose to pursue one of two concentrations.

  • Biostatistical Methods and Practice: This concentration is designed to facilitate students’ development of a strong methodological foundation in biostatistics and analytical skills for biostatistical applications.
  • Health Data Science: This concentration is designed to emphasize methodological and computational foundations in data science and artificial intelligence with applications in public health and medicine, and to prepare students interested in becoming health data scientists.

Program Requirements

Aligning with our residential MS in Biostatistics program (started 2009), this online MS in Biostatistics program requires 36 post-baccalaureate credit hours and a capstone project that consists of either an assessment of research or data analysis. The basic characteristic and requirements for graduation are:

  • Five biostatistics and public health core courses (15 credits)
  • Three concentration core courses (9 credits)
  • Four biostatistics electives courses (12 credits)
  • Capstone Project

Eligible applicants are required to have a bachelor’s degree in biostatistics, statistics, mathematics, biology, biomedical science, or other related fields.

Rich Opportunities

Our faculty have broad research interests in artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data and data networks, causal inference, clinical trials, longitudinal data analysis, metabolomic, statistical genetics and genomics, an survival analysis. Our faculty collaborate extensively with researchers and practioners in diverse health institutions, including  UF’s Health Science Center and various global organizations, conducting critical scientific investigations funded by prestigious funding agencies. The department is home to the Center for Statistical and Quantitative Infectious Diseases (CSQUID), the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), and Research Design and Data Coordinating Center (RDDCC). Students in our programs benefit from these rich opportunities.

Strong Support

Our highly engaged faculty and staff commit to creating an interactive and supportive learning environment. We understand that students in online programs usually feel less connected and lack of belonging. Therefore, students in our program are instructed to form digital teams, discuss ideas and assignments in groups with the help from instructors and teaching assistants. Students can expect timely response from department personnel whenever needed. No one is left alone during their educational journey here!

Program Highlights

  • Build a solid theoretical and methodological foundation
  • Learn cutting-edge data analysis methods
  • Work directly with leaders in biostatistics, public health and medicine
  • Connect with researchers and practitioners around the world
  • Train in the innovative and interdisciplinary culture of the College of Public Health and Health Professions and the College of Medicine

Career Paths

Graduating from our program opens doors to numerous career opportunities. Our students transition seamlessly into highly competitive careers across academia, industry and government, with typical positions of data managers, data analysts, data scientists, biostatisticians, research analysts, bioinformatics analysts, bioinformatics scientists in organizations including but not limited to

  • Universities and research institutions
  • Government agencies (FDA, NIH, Census Bureau)
  • Hospitals and cancer centers
  • Pharmaceutical companies

What Our Alumni Say About Our Online MS Program

“…I liked that there was a mix of public health and applied statistics courses…It gave me experience with data analysis, particularly genetic data analysis, and statistical programming languages…”

— Sabrina Khuntia

“…I enjoyed the flexibility to attend courses from home and watch lectures on my own schedule. I enjoyed connecting and working with other students in the program… ”

— Brian LaBarre

“… The program prepared me well since I acquired the necessary skills that I needed to become a Biostatistician. All of my professors were extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and supportive… I am confident to say that the Biostatistics department at UF is one of the best if not the best in the nation. It was an exciting and fruitful experience that I will never forget…”

— Erick Velis

Increasing Demand for Biostatisticians

The demand for trained biostatisticians continues to increase as the world becomes more dependent on predictive data and numerical reasoning, particularly related to research in the health sciences.

Fortune magazine ranked the Master of Biostatistics number one on the list of Best Graduate Degrees for Jobs in 2016, based on long-term outlook for job growth, median salaries and job satisfaction scores. The master’s degree in Biostatistics has a 23% projected growth in jobs by 2024; and 85% of degree-holders said they were “highly satisfied” in one of PayScale’s surveys. This ranking is up from number two on this same list in 2015 which stated:

Those who earn a graduate degree in biostatistics, work in health care, biotech, and life sciences, using computer models to, for example, predict cancer growth in a cell. The degree still isn’t offered by many schools but is gaining traction.

Also, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, improvements in statistical and mapping software will improve analysis, make epidemiological data more useful, and enhance health educators’ and community health workers’ ability to identify healthy habits and behaviors and good health care services that will improve health outcomes and reduce health care costs. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, published in September 2023, a 31.6% and 35.2% job growth between 2022 and 2032 for statisticians and data scientists are expected, respectively.

Online course excerpts