PhD Admission Requirements

Admission to the PhD program in Biostatistics is made by the Admissions Committee of the Department of Biostatistics with the concurrence of the faculty. Recommendations for admission are then forwarded to the KUMC Office of Graduate Studies for final processing. Each applicant is notified of the admission decision in writing. Qualified students are admitted without regard to race, color, national or ethnic origin, gender, age, or disability.

Minimum Requirements

To pursue the PhD program, the applicant must meet the general KUMC requirements for admission to graduate studies. The minimum requirements for admission into the PhD in Biostatistics program are:

1. A Masters degree in statistics, biostatistics, mathematics or applied mathematics from an accredited program or a terminal degree (MD, PHD) in another field and get approval from the graduate program director. (Those without a Masters degree in the above are recommended to apply to the Biostatistics MS program).
2. A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or better is required for regular admission status. Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 may be considered for admission under provisional status.
3. B average in calculus I-III (or equivalent).
4. Successful completion of a course in any computer programming language.
5. Successful completion of at least one of the following courses: linear algebra, differential equations, numerical analysis.

An applicant meeting the fore going standards is referred to the Biostatistics admissions committee for approval or disapproval. Approval for admission is good for up to 12 months from the approved date for admission. Failure to enroll during this time will require a new application if admission is desired.

A student is required upon admission to purchase a laptop meeting the minimum departmental specifications: 1.86 Ghz Intel Dual core or equivalent, Windows XP or Windows 7 (recommended) operating system, 4 GB RAM, 80 GB hard drive, wireless capabilities 802.11g. If a student is applying for financial aid, they should wait until the academic year begins before purchasing the laptop in order for the cost to be covered by financial aid funds.

Transfer of Graduate Credits

Within the guidelines established by the KUMC Office of Graduate Studies, transfer of credit is inappropriate due to lack of a minimum number of required hours. However, relevant prior graduate work will be taken into consideration in setting up individual programs of study leading to the PhD.

For questions regarding the PhD in Biostatistics program, contact:

Jo Wick, Ph.D.
Assistant Director of Graduate Education, Department of Biostatistics
jwick@kumc.edu
(913) 588-4790