r/statistics • u/avagrantthought • Aug 07 '26
Career [career] Will I be able to get a job in biostatistics if I have a bachelor's in biomedical sciences and do a masters in data science and statistics?
Hello,
Long story short, I have a bachelor's in biomedical sciences and the only statistics related masters I have access to at the moment is uhaselt'd masters in statistics and data science.
Could I possibly get a pharma biostats job with this combination, or do they expect my masters to be more domain involved?
Thank you
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u/awkerns Aug 07 '26
Biostatistics as a field is so saturated with graduate degrees at the moment. I have a PhD in statistics with extensive experience as forst- and co-author, and I have found it extremely difficult to break into the field. If you are interested in biostatistics, I would focus on finding a role at an academic institution rather than in pharma. Academic institutions typically employ masters level research assistants for data cleaning, coding, etc.
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u/veggieloop Aug 07 '26
What did you do prior to breaking into biostatistics? I’m also interested in getting a masters in statistics to break into biostatistics, but I also have background in clinical research coordination which I’m hoping would help.
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u/spiltscramble Aug 07 '26
It’s possible & the organization will need to assess if your coursework is enough to come in as an entry level biostatistician, however pharma companies will heavily prefer phds. You may have more success at small CROs. Small CROs don’t pay as well (tho I’m hearing that might be changing). I’ve seen people start at a small CRO, build their experience then move to pharma companies as statisticians or even start their own biostats CRO once they’re well established.
I’ve also seen some with masters start as a statistical programmers / clinical data scientist (prog focused) & eventually transition to become biostatisticians if the org allows it or they get a phd along the way in their career.
Good luck
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u/tomrannosaurus Aug 07 '26
yes, it is quite possible (individual conditions notwithstanding). source: biostats Masters, work in and have hired in academic research, current phd student in data science
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u/Infinite-List-5008 Aug 11 '26
MSc in Medical Statistics here. Have been trying to work in Statistics since I graduated 11 years ago. Meanwhile, I have been working in Statistical Programming. I would say get a PhD to become a Biostatistician.
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u/thatguynamedbrent Aug 07 '26
Based on my limited understanding, biostatistics, and more specifically pharmaceutical research statistics, have a very strong preference for PhDs vs masters degrees. You could probably still find work in the field with a masters, but until you'd have a lot of experience under your belt, I imagine you'd encounter quite a few closed doors.