Master of Public Health in Biostatistics
May 15, 2026
August 25, 2026
Turn data into action with the online Master of Public Health
Advance your public health career with the online Master of Public Health (MPH) in Biostatistics from The Ohio State University. Designed for working professionals, this fully online, STEM-designated MPH provides advanced training in biostatistics while offering the flexibility to continue working full time.
The MPH in Biostatistics emphasizes statistical methods, data analysis, and applied research skills used to inform public health decision-making. With 23 of the 42 required credit hours dedicated to biostatistics coursework, you’ll build deep technical expertise while grounding your work in real-world public health contexts.
Why earn your online MPH in Biostatistics at Ohio State?
This online master’s degree in public health with a biostatistics focus prepares graduates for analytical and leadership roles across public health, health care, research, and data-driven organizations. In the program, you’ll:
- Learn in a 100% online format designed for working professionals
- Complete 42 credit hours, with full-time and part-time pathways available
- Develop advanced skills in biostatistics, including statistical modeling, data interpretation, and applied public health research
- Apply statistical methods to population health challenges, strengthening evidence-based decision-making
- Learn from expert faculty in the College of Public Health at The Ohio State University, the No. 1 college for public health education in Ohio (U.S. News & World Report)
Applied learning in an online biostatistics program
As an online MPH student at Ohio State, you’ll go beyond theory. Through the Applied Practice Experience (APE), you’ll work with public health professionals on real projects, research, and population health initiatives—applying what you learn directly to your career and community.
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“The MPH in Biostatistics complemented my skills gained in medical training, leading to a positive impact on both my NIH-funded research and evidence-based patient care.”
Katherine Buck, MD Online Master of Public Health in Biostatistics Grad -
“I find myself using articles, techniques and strategies I’ve learned in class in my daily work practice. And the best thing is that it happened right away — the first chapter I read, I was taking notes for work, not just for class.”
Heather Thobe Online Master of Public Health Grad
Frequently Asked Questions
The Master of Public Health in Biostatistics is a flexible online program, with full-time and part-time options available for degree-seeking students. You can complete the 42 credit hours in as little as two years or take up to five years to earn your MPH degree.
Yes. The Ohio State online MPH is delivered primarily asynchronously, with some courses offering optional or required synchronous sessions. You can complete the program without traveling to campus.
Courses are offered online in highly interactive formats, including group conversations, presentations, discussions, and lectures. You will connect with peers and instructors through Ohio State’s learning management system, CarmenCanvas, giving you the flexibility to complete assignments while maintaining dynamic connections with your learning community.
The MPH Program for Experienced Professionals focuses on leadership, management, and systems-level public health practice. The MPH in Biostatistics is a specialized program with a strong emphasis on statistical methods and data analysis, dedicating more than half of the curriculum to biostatistics coursework.
You’ll receive one-on-one guidance from a faculty advisor throughout the online MPH program. You’ll also receive support from the College of Public Health’s student services team, and access to Ohio State’s academic, career, and professional development resources—ensuring support from enrollment through graduation.
The APE is a flexible, supported field experience in Ohio State’s online MPH program, with faculty guidance and options to complete it through your current workplace or a public health setting that fits your goals. It allows you to apply population health leadership and management skills in a professional setting by completing at least 120 hours of supervised practice.
A top-ranked public health education
Top 30 U.S. public health school
Join 700+ students pursuing degrees and certificates at the College of Public Health — many of them online.
Top 30 biostatistics program
Earn a graduate certificate from the home of Ohio's best biostatistics program (U.S. News & World Report, 2026).
A public health degree you can trust
The College of Public Health is fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
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Related Programs
In addition to the online MPH in Biostatistics, Ohio State offers a range of online and on-campus public health degrees and certificates—giving you the flexibility to choose a program that aligns with your career goals and lifestyle. All graduate programs require a bachelor’s degree for admission.
Ohio State’s fully online Master of Public Health – Program for Experienced Professionals (MPH-PEP). With its tailored curriculum, you’ll gain essential skills in leadership, strategy, and planning to support health organizations.
Ohio State’s online 14-credit-hour Biostatistics Graduate Certificate equips you to effectively analyze data, apply statistical methods, and contribute to public health research.
The Ohio State University College of Public Health offers several campus-based MPH specializations, including biomedical informatics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health behavior and health promotion, and veterinary public health.
Academic Calendar
The Master of Public Health in Biostatistics follows Ohio State’s academic calendar, with Autumn start terms each year. Review upcoming application deadlines and term start dates below, and apply early for the greatest flexibility. Our Enrollment Advisors are available to help you determine the best start term based on your professional and personal schedule.
Academic Calendar
The Master of Public Health in Biostatistics follows Ohio State’s academic calendar, with Autumn start terms each year. Review upcoming application deadlines and term start dates below, and apply early for the greatest flexibility. Our Enrollment Advisors are available to help you determine the best start term based on your professional and personal schedule.
Admission Criteria
The MPH in Biostatistics is ideal for those seeking a flexible, data-driven public health degree. To be considered for the program, you should have:
- At least a four-year bachelor’s degree (or equivalent)
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for the last degree earned (recommended)
- Good math education, especially in linear algebra and calculus
- At least one course in probability and/or statistics
No GRE is required. If you need help navigating your application, connect with an Enrollment Advisor who can answer your questions and guide you through the admission process.
Application materials
When you apply, you’ll submit the following materials with an application through the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS). The SOPHAS application opens each August for an application deadline each May. There is a $150 SOPHAS application fee.
All applications for programs submitted through SOPHAS require a supplemental application ($60 domestic fee). This is emailed to you from The Ohio State University within a week after your centralized SOPHAS application reaches “verified” status. SOPHAS requires four to six weeks to verify an application.
Share your professional experience and accomplishments. Upload an updated copy of your resume or CV listing work and educational experience in the online application system.
To complete your application, you must submit an official transcript of all post-secondary coursework where college credit was awarded. Transcripts must be sent by the institution where credit was received. Ohio State students applying to an Ohio State Public Health program must submit their Ohio State transcript through SOPHAS. Learn more about transcripts and the SOPHAS submission process.
You will submit three letters of recommendation as part of the SOPHAS application. Your recommenders should know your academic ability, qualifications for graduate study, and/or professional performance. Letters of recommendation should come from professional or academic references, or a mix of both.
Tell us about your academic and professional goals and what you hope to achieve through graduate study in the MPH program. Include your reasons for interest in public health, program of study, and career goals.
As mentioned, there is a non-refundable application fee of $150 for SOPHAS and $60 for the Ohio State supplemental application. Ohio State alumni may be eligible for a supplemental application fee waiver.
Application review process
Applications to Ohio State’s online MPH program are reviewed on a rolling basis, subject to available space, and evaluated holistically. Admissions decisions consider:
- Leadership and professional experience
- Academic preparation and performance
- Program fit and readiness for graduate-level study
- Commitment to equity in public health
- Evidence of perseverance and professional growth
The Ohio State University participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA).
SARA is a national initiative that increases student access to distance education courses and programs while maintaining compliance with state regulations. Institutions participating in SARA can offer educational opportunities in all 49 SARA member states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico without seeking individual approval in each state.
California is not a SARA member state, however, OSU may offer online courses and programs to students located in California under the California Private Post-Secondary Act of 2009.
The Application Process
Once you understand your program’s admission criteria, please note the application deadline. You’ll need a quiet space and a variety of materials for your application. To learn more, please see our Admissions page for the full process. Ready to Apply? Find your application here.
Career Outlook
Elevate your expertise in health data analysis and research. Ohio State’s online MPH in Biostatistics equips you to make critical decisions in public health policy and clinical practice, using your advanced skills in statistical analysis to develop meaningful research.
Top Occupations by Median Income
What They Do
Conduct research using bioinformatics theory and methods in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology, computational biology, proteomics, computer information science, biology and medical informatics. May design databases and develop algorithms for processing and analyzing genomic information, or other biological information.
Work Activities
Develop new software applications or customize existing applications to meet specific scientific project needs. Communicate research results through conference presentations, scientific publications, or project reports. Create novel computational approaches and analytical tools as required by research goals.
Wage Range
- Entry Level: $54,500
- Mid Level: $93,330
- Senior Level: $159,780
Job Outlook
Bright
Projected Growth
5.6%
Related Careers
- Bioinformatics Technicians
- Biostatisticians
- Data Scientists
- Geneticists
- Molecular and Cellular Biologists
Job Sectors
- Biology
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Chemistry
What They Do
Apply principles and methods of bioinformatics to assist scientists in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology, computational biology, proteomics, computer information science, biology and medical informatics. Apply bioinformatics tools to visualize, analyze, manipulate or interpret molecular data. May build and maintain databases for processing and analyzing genomic or other biological information.
Work Activities
Analyze or manipulate bioinformatics data using software packages, statistical applications, or data mining techniques. Extend existing software programs, web-based interactive tools, or database queries as sequence management and analysis needs evolve. Maintain awareness of new and emerging computational methods and technologies.
Wage Range
- Entry Level: $40,330
- Mid Level: $71,490
- Senior Level: $154,140
Job Outlook
Bright
Projected Growth
6.9%
Related Careers
- Biological Technicians
- Data Scientists
- Database Architects
- Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars
- Statistical Assistants
Job Sectors
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Biology
What They Do
Develop and apply biostatistical theory and methods to the study of life sciences.
Work Activities
Draw conclusions or make predictions, based on data summaries or statistical analyses. Analyze clinical or survey data, using statistical approaches such as longitudinal analysis, mixed-effect modeling, logistic regression analyses, and model-building techniques. Write detailed analysis plans and descriptions of analyses and findings for research protocols or reports.
Wage Range
- Entry Level: $60,390
- Mid Level: $103,300
- Senior Level: $170,700
Job Outlook
Bright
Projected Growth
11.8%
Related Careers
- Bioinformatics Scientists
- Bioinformatics Technicians
- Clinical Data Managers
- Data Scientists
- Statisticians
Job Sectors
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Medicine and Dentistry
What They Do
Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software. Apply data mining, data modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to extract and analyze information from large structured and unstructured datasets. Visualize, interpret, and report data findings. May create dynamic data reports.
Work Activities
Analyze, manipulate, or process large sets of data using statistical software. Apply feature selection algorithms to models predicting outcomes of interest, such as sales, attrition, and healthcare use. Apply sampling techniques to determine groups to be surveyed or use complete enumeration methods.
Wage Range
- Entry Level: $63,650
- Mid Level: $112,590
- Senior Level: $194,410
Job Outlook
Bright
Projected Growth
36%
Related Careers
- Bioinformatics Technicians
- Financial Quantitative Analysts
- Operations Research Analysts
- Statistical Assistants
- Statisticians
What They Do
Develop or apply mathematical or statistical theory and methods to collect, organize, interpret, and summarize numerical data to provide usable information. May specialize in fields such as biostatistics, agricultural statistics, business statistics, or economic statistics. Includes mathematical and survey statisticians.
Work Activities
Analyze and interpret statistical data to identify significant differences in relationships among sources of information. Evaluate the statistical methods and procedures used to obtain data to ensure validity, applicability, efficiency, and accuracy. Report results of statistical analyses, including information in the form of graphs, charts, and tables.
Wage Range
- Entry Level: $60,390
- Mid Level: $103,300
- Senior Level: $170,700
Job Outlook
Bright
Projected Growth
11.8%
Related Careers
- Bioinformatics Scientists
- Biostatisticians
- Clinical Data Managers
- Data Scientists
- Mathematicians
Job Sectors
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- English Language
What They Do
Plan, develop, or conduct surveys. May analyze and interpret the meaning of survey data, determine survey objectives, or suggest or test question wording. Includes social scientists who primarily design questionnaires or supervise survey teams.
Work Activities
Review, classify, and record survey data in preparation for computer analysis. Monitor and evaluate survey progress and performance, using sample disposition reports and response rate calculations. Produce documentation of the questionnaire development process, data collection methods, sampling designs, and decisions related to sample statistical weighting.
Wage Range
- Entry Level: $36,950
- Mid Level: $63,380
- Senior Level: $118,730
Job Outlook
Below Average
Projected Growth
-0.2%
Related Careers
- Data Scientists
- Management Analysts
- Social Science Research Assistants
- Statistical Assistants
- Statisticians
Job Sectors
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- Computers and Electronics
National occupational information in Ohio State Online’s Career Outlook tool is sourced from O*NET Online and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The median annual wage displayed to the right of each occupational title above is based on the BLS Employment Projections program. Outlook and percent change indicate projected growth or decline over the next 10 years.
Curriculum
Through 100% online coursework, you’ll expand on foundational public health curriculum with specialized courses in biostatistics, public health informatics and statistical computing software.
Foundational MPH Courses
The biostatistics-focused master’s program builds on the College of Public Health’s foundational MPH curriculum and competencies, which comprise 12 of 42 credit hours.
Fundamentals of biostatistics and epidemiology for MPH students: Will cover core knowledge areas in quantitative data analysis, morbidity, mortality, and risk assessment to understand population health.
Explores the values, history and essential services of the US public health system and the foundations of the social and environmental determinants of health, including the impact of racism, poverty and other structural inequalities.
Addresses the methodology, conceptual frameworks, and strategies for planning and evaluating public health programs.
Examines the organization, delivery and payment of healthcare services in the US and across the world; the framework for organizing the presentation and use of information concerning the effect of environmental conditions on health status.
Required Specialization Courses
Ohio State’s online Master of Public Health degree includes 23 credit hours required for the Biostatistics specialization.
Examines ethical challenges related to research design, data collection, data integrity and stewardship, data analysis and interpretation, and data reporting in the conduct of public health and biomedical research. Through presentation of historical and current case studies we discuss ethical concerns commonly faced by biostatisticians and provide tools to address future quandaries.
Applied biostatistical methods with an emphasis on regression methods commonly used in the health sciences. The focus is on linear regression and ANOVA. Integrated with use of computer statistical packages.
Regression modeling for public health, including models for binary outcomes, count outcomes, survival/censored outcomes, and data collected from complex survey designs.
Design, monitoring, and analysis of clinical trials including protocol development, randomization schemes, sample size methods, and ethical issues.
Basic biomedical research methodologies; collaborate with biomedical researchers to design experiments and plan analyses; protocol preparation; professional skills development; statistical report preparation, and writing analytical code for ensuring scientific rigor and reproducibility of results.
Provides an in‐depth analysis of a specific question to which genomic methods are applied. Intersperses experimental methods and statistical analysis of biological data. Some experience with programming is recommended.
Other 7000 level PUBHBIO courses may be substituted for this course with advisor approval in advance of registering.
This is an introduction course to the commonly used statistical methods for causal inference. The course starts with potential outcome framework as the conceptual foundation for inferring causality.
Other 7000 level PUBHBIO courses may be substituted for this course with advisor approval in advance of registering.
Statistical models and methods for the analysis of data arising from longitudinal studies with repeated measurements on subjects over time.
Other 7000 level PUBHBIO courses may be substituted for this course with advisor approval in advance of registering.
Introduction to the emerging and interdisciplinary field of public health informatics. This course will highlight the history, current and future use of informatics in the public health settings, and give students an understanding of the role and broad application of informatics to promoting health and preventing disease.
Statistical Computing Courses
Select one course to satisfy the two credit hours of statistical computing required for the Master of Public Health in Biostatistics.
Introduces underlying concepts of the R programming language and R package ecosystem for manipulation, visualization, and modeling of data, and for communicating the results of and enabling replication of their analyses.
The basic statistical procedures covered will be illustrated using SAS; covers some of the SAS statistical methods that MPH in biostatistics students require for their own research.
Introduction to programming using SAS software to accomplish public health data management and analysis.
Applied Practice Experience
The applied practice experience (APE) is an integral part of the MPH-PEP. It allows you to apply what you’ve learned in the online classroom in a public health setting. Learn more about the APE from the College of Public Health.
Integrative Learning Experience
Final project for MPH degree to demonstrate synthesis of foundational and concentration competencies applicable to a public health topic.
Understanding Online Course Types
As you research the right online program for you, you likely will come across the terms “asynchronous” and “synchronous.” Learn what these terms mean and how they’re important to consider when understanding how a program will fit into your life.
Learn More
Program Faculty
In Ohio State’s online public health master’s degree in biostatistics, you’ll learn from the same world-renowned faculty who teach on campus, ensuring you receive a top-tier education tailored to your needs.
Featured Faculty
Kellie Archer
Chair and Professor
“It is essential to conduct research, make evidence-based decisions and derive policies in public health using data from well-designed studies that are appropriately analyzed. Working as a biostatistician at Ohio State allows me to engage in a wide range of applications that are seeking to reduce disease burden and improve public health. Additionally, we are training the next generation of biostatistical researchers to advance methodologies for solving new statistical challenges posed by collecting complex, high-dimensional and high-volume data.”
Faculty
Rebecca Andridge
Professor
Eben Kenah
Associate Professor
Bo Lu
Professor
Andy Ai
Ni
James Odei
Clinical Associate Professor
Michael Pennell
Professor
Grzegorz A. Rempala
Professor
Patrick Schnell
Associate Professor
Fernanda Schumacher
Assistant Professor
Abby Shoben
Associate ProfessorYuzi Zhang
Assistant ProfessorTestimonials
Learn how Ohio State’s online students use what they have learned in their online coursework and applied it through a variety of professional lenses.
“The MPH in Biostatistics complemented my skills gained in medical training, leading to a positive impact on both my NIH-funded research and evidence-based patient care.”
“Ohio State is a large institution with a lot of possibilities and opportunities. You will meet people who you can connect with and who will connect you with others.”
“This degree will give me more tools to do the work I’m doing with more impact and enable me to better respond to the health needs of the population I serve.”
Tuition fees are subject to change. The table above serves as a guide and not an official bursar’s bill. Full-time costs are total tuition costs per semester.
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