Academics

Why Study Biostatistics?

Biostatistics is an integral part in solving public health public health and medical questions using innovative and quantitative statistical methods.

  • 30% average job growth from 2018 - 2028 for Statisticians! (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
  • Statistician was the #2 ranked in Best Business Jobs (2019, 2021), #5 in Best STEM Jobs, and #6 in the 100 Best Jobs (2019, US News and World Report)

Biostatistics research is important to public health because it can:

  • Evaluate the effectiveness of new drugs
  • Determine the risk factors for different diseases
  • Evaluate health care interventions
  • Explain biological phenomena
  • Assess the performance of new medical imaging technologies in practice
  • Model emerging epidemics

Degree Programs 

Pitt Biostatistics is internationally known and ranked in the top 20 among all biostatistics programs in the U.S.

Master's Programs
student in commons
Master of Science in Biostatistics

The MS in Biostatistics is an academic degree program for students with a background in calculus and a strong interest in public health.

MS
biost students in classroom
MS in Biostatistics - Health Data Science

The HDS concentration emphasizes biostatistical theory and statistical computational methods for analyzing, processing and interpreting large-scale data sets.

MS in HDS
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MS in Biostatistics - Statistical and Computational Genetics

The SCG concentration emphasizes biostatistical theory and statistical computational methods for analyzing and interpreting omics data. 

MS - SCG

"students talking in the auditorium"Doctor of Philosophy in Biostatistics

The PhD in Biostatistics emphasizes statistical theory and methods so that students are prepared to be effective statistical collaborators in interdisciplinary studies; and lead the design and execution of studies. 

PhD

Our Research

Biostatistics faculty currently have the following ongoing research projects and publish actively in scholarly journals.

Collaborative and applied research efforts include:
  • Design and analysis of genomic studies in cancer, mental health, liver diseases
  • Design and analysis 80,000 patients in more than 40 Phase 3 clinical trials of the National Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project
  • Design and analysis of studies from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, which is a National Institutes of Health-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Design and analysis of studies of health disparities in US Veterans based on large scale administrative databases and electronic health record information
  • Design and analysis of studies of the effect of occupational and environmental exposures on health outcomes
  • Design and analysis of large spatio-temporal neuro-imaging studies
Areas of current statistical methodological research by Biostatistics faculty:
  • Missing Data Analysis
  • Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve Analysis
  • Statistical and Computational Genomics
  • Stochastic Modeling
  • Statistical Computing
  • Survival Analysis
  • Time series Analysis