Our frequently asked questions (FAQ) makes it easy for you to find answers to your most pressing inquiries into the PhD in Biostatistics program. If you can't find your answer here, please feel free to contact associate director of graduate affairs, Shawne Mathis, or use the site search to find the information you need.
See the tuition rates and estimate your total costs using the tuition calculator on our Cost & Finances page.
Financial support is available to qualified students in the form of teaching assistantships (TAs), research assistantships (RAs), or university fellowships. In addition, supported students receive a fee scholarship, which remits most of the cost of tuition and payment of the mandatory student health insurance premium.
Financial support may be renewed for up to 10 semesters provided the recipient is making satisfactory progress toward the degree and is discharging the teaching or research assignment in an approved and professional manner. As the objective of financial support is to allow the student to devote their full effort to their studies and research responsibilities, it is expected that recipients will not hold any outside employment.
About teaching assistantships
To qualify for a teaching assistantship, foreign students must take the SPEAK exam (oral English proficiency) administered by the IU Indianapolis ESL program. Students who do not pass the exam must enroll in G020 Communication Skills for TAs before retaking the exam.
Teaching assistants will be responsible for teaching (instruction, recitation, tutoring, and/or grading) up to 20 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters, plus one of the six-week summer sessions. Vacation time is dictated by the academic calendar and is not to exceed four weeks per academic year.
Students whose performance as a TA is deemed unsatisfactory will be notified so they can improve their performance. If sufficient improvement has not been made by the end of the following semester, support will be terminated.
About research assistantships
Some program faculty may have research grants that include a 12-month stipend, tuition remission, and fees for graduate students assigned to work on the funded research project. The availability of research assistantships varies each year.
Awards are usually not made by the department, but rather are arranged with the professor serving as PI or the leading investigator of the funded research project.
Research assistants are expected to devote up to 20 hours per week to their assigned research responsibilities during the year. Vacation time must be pre-arranged with the RA supervisor, and is not to exceed four weeks per academic year.
Students whose performance as an RA is deemed insufficient will be notified and given one semester to correct the deficiency. If sufficient improvement is not made, support will be terminated.
About university fellowships
Doctoral students with outstanding credentials may receive competitive first-year IU Indianapolis fellowships. If university stipends are less than support levels offered by the program, students will be guaranteed support equal to minimum program levels after the first year, contingent on satisfactory performance. All first-year fellowships come with fee remission and graduate student health insurance.
Applicants must apply online through SOPHAS. Be sure to designate the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health as your school choice, along with your desired program.
No, only applications submitted online through IU Indianapolis will be accepted.
For the current application cost, visit the IU Indianapolis Bursar website.
You will be notified via email when we have received your application.
You will be asked to submit email addresses for your recommenders as part of the SOPHAS online application. After your online application is submitted, recommendation forms and submission instructions will be sent electronically to your recommenders.
Late or incomplete applications will not be considered after the January 15 deadline.
Any applicant who has a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited institution and shows promise for successfully completing all the degree requirements will be considered for admission to this program.
No, the GRE subject test is not required.
GRE test scores are no longer required. If you submit a GRE test score, the test must have been taken within the last five years. The testing service (ETS) must send those scores to SOPHAS for your Biostatistics PhD application.
In addition to completing the online application, you must submit the following documents through SOPHAS:
The admissions committee will use IU Indianapolis’s Foreign Credential Analysis (FCA) or World Education Services (WES) ICAP course-by-course evaluation for all post-secondary foreign institutions attended to guide them in their decisions for international students. When the committee recommends admission for an international applicant, IU Indianapolis’s office of international affairs will conduct their own evaluation to finalize the admission process.
A bachelor's or higher degree from a country designated by IU Indianapolis as predominantly native-English speaking is required to exempt you from taking the TOEFL exam or providing other acceptable proof of English proficiency.
Students who are admitted with a TOEFL iBT of 79-99 or IELTS of 6.5-7.0 will be required to take the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) placement test.
Please note, students admitted with an online English Proficiency exam, Duolingo (DET), IELTS Indicator, TOEFL iBT Home Edition or TOEFL Essentials will also be required to take the EAP placement test in all cases. Depending on your EAP test results, you may need to take EAP courses at the same time as your academic major courses for one or two semesters. Your letter of admission will indicate if you are required to take this test.
Priority application deadline for the Biostatistics PhD program is December 15 to be considered for funding.
The application deadline for the Biostatistics PhD program is January 15.
Late or incomplete applications will not be considered after the January 15 deadline.
Applications for the Biostatistics PhD program will be reviewed by the program's admissions committee after the December 15 application deadline. The committee may conduct face-to-face interviews with applicants. The committee typically begins making admission decisions and notifying applicants of their admission status in March.
The admissions committee uses the submitted application material to assess an applicant’s scientific leadership potential and ability to engage in advanced graduate work. In addition, the admissions committee will compare the applicant’s career goals and objectives with the mission of the Biostatistics PhD program.
The admissions committee will use IU Indianapolis’s Foreign Credential Analysis (FCA) or World Education Services (WES) ICAP course-by-course evaluation for all post-secondary foreign institutions attended to guide them in their decisions for international students. When the committee recommends admission for an international applicant, IU Indianapolis’s office of international affairs will conduct their own evaluation to finalize the admission process.
Yes, you are required to complete and return the "Intent to Accept/Decline" by the deadline indicated on the form.
Yes. A faculty advisor will be assigned to you upon acceptance into the program. You will need to talk with your advisor before registering for classes in the fall. If you are unable to meet in person, you can make an appointment for a telephone conversation.
Students register for classes online through a program called one.iu.edu. Registration details will be sent to all admitted students over the summer.
Applications for PhD programs are reviewed only once per year. Students are expected to begin the program the following fall. In special circumstances, other arrangements may be possible.
Yes, the program can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis.
No, the Biostatistics PhD program is not currently offered online. However, some courses in PhD minor areas are offered online.
Cohorts of approximately four to six students are admitted to the Biostatistics PhD program for matriculation in the fall semester.
Yes, contact Shawne Mathis to schedule an appointment.
The on-campus housing options include campus apartments, residence halls, and townhomes. Learn more about on-campus housing options.
Admission to the program is valid for 10 years. Coursework must be completed in seven years or less, and the dissertation must be completed within the 10-year limit.
Biostatistics PhD courses must be completed within seven years of the student taking the oral qualifying exam. Courses taken more than seven years prior to taking the qualifying exam must be revalidated before they can be applied to the PhD program.
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