Biostatistics from alternative background

[Kaz_KV]

Hi all - thanks for the help in advance.

I can keep this pretty short. I am a second year MS in Data Science student but I am now looking to apply to Biostats PhDs this fall. My background is pretty atypical, so I wanted to see what others thought about how I should approach this. My undergrad is in Public Policy, with a minor in Math (and History lol). I've taken the necessary prerequisites (Calc 1-3, Diff EQs, Linear Algebra, Real Analysis, Discrete, Math Stats, etc.) as well as a lot of 'applied' stats and ML that isn't explicitly rigorous, but has been good prep in R/Python/SAS. I've TA'd some stats classes and worked as a Research Assistant for some social science profs helping clean their data, but no experience doing stats research. 

All A's in my math and stats courses so far (both undergraduate and graduate level). That all being said, I don't have nearly the math background as a Math or Stats major, and I'm not totally sure admin committees will buy that I'm sufficiently prepared/interested in Biostats.

So like I said, I'm wondering if anyone has thoughts on how I should approach applications. Should I dedicate a chunk of my SOP to convincing admin committees that I have sufficient math prep? Or, should I take a year and do a predoc/take more math classes? Happy to hear any thoughts and appreciate the feedback.

Thanks everyone! 

[Counterfactual]

Hi, I'm also applying for Fall 2023 stats/biostats phd programs. I think your mathematical background definitely suffices. Most programs only require the calculus sequence + one course in linear algebra + one programming course + real analysis I + probability/math stats. Good scores in other upper div/ grad math courses is a plus but not a must, especially for biostats phd programs. 

So if I were you, I'd just apply directly without taking any additional math courses. And probably ask a professor whom I have taken upper div/graduate math classes with to write about math ability if necessary. (Though if you already have better letters from professors whom you know well, I'd just stick to those)

Good luck :)! 

[Dr-H]

15 hours ago, Kaz_KV said:

Hi all - thanks for the help in advance.

I can keep this pretty short. I am a second year MS in Data Science student but I am now looking to apply to Biostats PhDs this fall. My background is pretty atypical, so I wanted to see what others thought about how I should approach this. My undergrad is in Public Policy, with a minor in Math (and History lol). I've taken the necessary prerequisites (Calc 1-3, Diff EQs, Linear Algebra, Real Analysis, Discrete, Math Stats, etc.) as well as a lot of 'applied' stats and ML that isn't explicitly rigorous, but has been good prep in R/Python/SAS. I've TA'd some stats classes and worked as a Research Assistant for some social science profs helping clean their data, but no experience doing stats research. 

All A's in my math and stats courses so far (both undergraduate and graduate level). That all being said, I don't have nearly the math background as a Math or Stats major, and I'm not totally sure admin committees will buy that I'm sufficiently prepared/interested in Biostats.

So like I said, I'm wondering if anyone has thoughts on how I should approach applications. Should I dedicate a chunk of my SOP to convincing admin committees that I have sufficient math prep? Or, should I take a year and do a predoc/take more math classes? Happy to hear any thoughts and appreciate the feedback.

Thanks everyone! 

If you meet all the requirement stated on the program`s website and your quant scores are good -and the quant score of your GRE is high (if needed)- there is no need to take additional courses or an extra year. No need for a predoc. And you should not dedicate any part of your SOP to math prep. This is not the place for that. Make sure that your SOP is outstanding and that your LORs are strong and relevant. Hope this helps!

[Kaz_KV]

6 hours ago, Dr-H said:

If you meet all the requirement stated on the program`s website and your quant scores are good -and the quant score of your GRE is high (if needed)- there is no need to take additional courses or an extra year. No need for a predoc. And you should not dedicate any part of your SOP to math prep. This is not the place for that. Make sure that your SOP is outstanding and that your LORs are strong and relevant. Hope this helps!

This is super helpful - thanks! Just curious, should I largely focus on research fit/interests in the SOP? I know that's the norm with social science PhDs but I was unclear about if 'stem' fields had different expectations (due to some advice I received from a friend in an engineering phd). 

Appreciate the help! 

[cyberwulf]

18 hours ago, Kaz_KV said:

This is super helpful - thanks! Just curious, should I largely focus on research fit/interests in the SOP? I know that's the norm with social science PhDs but I was unclear about if 'stem' fields had different expectations (due to some advice I received from a friend in an engineering phd). 

You may not have specific research interests yet, which is fine. I would recommend focusing on what drew you to biostatistics and what types of problems you might be interested in working on. As I've posted before, the SOP just isn't that important unless your profile is way outside the norm (and yours isn't).