Admissions and Financial Aid
Students are admitted into the MS and PhD degree programs in Biostatistics for the fall term only. Information and application materials are available by August of the year preceding the intended matriculation, with an application deadline of December 1. Announcements of admission and fellowship awards to successful candidates are typically made by April 15.Application Form
Request application materials by contacting:
Ann R. Facciolo
Manager, Graduate Studies in Biostatistics
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB)
615 Blockley Hall
423 Guardian Drive
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021
facciolo@mail.med.upenn.edu
Letters of Recommendation
Applicants must complete an application form and submit three letters of recommendation. The application and letters should identify personal attributes, experiences, and accomplishments relevant to success in the program. Only original letters of recommendation written on official university or business stationery will be accepted. Applicants who are currently enrolled in a degree program must arrange for at least one letter of recommendation to be sent from a faculty member at their current department.Transcripts
Two official transcripts from all undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools are required. Please note that the transcripts should come directly from the institutions and must be originals.Admission Requirements: Prior Coursework
Entering students in both the MS and PhD programs must have completed at least one year of calculus (including multivariable methods), one semester of linear algebra, and have a working knowledge of a programming language. Previous experience with data analysis and statistical packages is desirable but not required. Advanced courses in mathematics are helpful, particularly for students in the PhD program.Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
All applicants must take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test. We do not require the GRE Subject Test. GRE scores are valid for five years from the date of the exam. We must receive an official score report from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) by the application deadline. Students who have completed graduate or professional degrees at other schools are not exempt from the GRE requirement. Visit the GRE website for registration information. On the drop-down window our ETS Institution Name is University of Pennsylvania Bmed Grad St. We do not have a department code.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
All applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL, scores for which are valid for two years from the date of the exam. We must receive an official score from ETS by the application deadline. Applicants whose native language is not English but who have completed a degree in an English-speaking university and do not currently have a valid TOEFL score may apply to waive this requirement. Our ETS institution code is 2900.Financial Obligations and Support
Most full-time PhD students receive financial support for their training from one or more of the following sources: Research assistantships supported by federal and non-federal research grants, training grants, other fellowships supported by federal or non-federal sources, research awards supported by private industry, research awards supported by private foundations, and donations from private sources.Students who receive full-time support are expected to accept no additional employment during the same time period. The University of Pennsylvania faculty/staff assistance program (available to those with faculty or staff appointments at the University of Pennsylvania or the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania) offers tuition support to full-time Penn employees who are also part-time MS or PhD students. Support for MS students depends on the availability of funds; priority is given to full-time students.
Research Assistantships and Teaching Assistantships are available for qualified students.
Financial Aid
The Office of Student Financial Services provides students with information on student expenses and billing, processes financial aid applications, awards financial assistance, and administers the Penn Plan payment programs. The Office address is:
Room 100 Franklin Building
3451 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6270
215-898-1988
Email: sfsmail@SFS.upenn.edu
Tuition costs for future years have not yet been determined. The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania reserve the right to increase tuition and fees and to otherwise amend the regulations concerning tuition and fees at any time and to make such changes applicable to students in the University at that time.
