The department of Biomedical Informatics partners with the College of Public Health to offer two degrees, a Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Science (MS), each with a specialization in biomedical informatics.
Through the specialization in biomedical informatics, students will learn about methodology and tools for addressing problems that range from big data and biomolecular analyses to implementation science and clinical informatics. The wide range of faculty expertise in the department provides students with the opportunity to learn about diverse research that falls within the field of biomedical informatics. In addition, students in our programs will receive a strong background in public health, including coursework in biostatistics and epidemiology.
Our degree programs are designed to cultivate biomedical informatics expertise in public health and clinical practitioners and researchers. Previous graduates have pursued a variety of careers, including positions at academic institutions, health care organizations, and health departments, and health technology companies.
A summary of the total credits and distribution among the didactic and non-didactic categories for each degree is summarized below:
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Students pursuing a MPH degree will get hands-on experience with biomedical informatics techniques and technology.
- Course breakdown (45 credit hours)
- Required Core Courses (12 credit hours)
- Required Specialization Courses (19-20 credit hours)
- Electives (8-9 credit hours)
- Practicum at a Healthcare Organization (2 credit hours): Students have flexibility in choosing the type of organization to do their practicum in (e.g. small start-ups, hospitals). Your practicum location should be chosen in consultation with your academic advisor.
- Culminating Project (3 credit hours)
Master of Science (MS)
Students pursuing a MS degree will gain research competency and experience in using biomedical informatics techniques and technology.
- Course breakdown (48 credit hours)
- Required Core Courses (10 credit hours)
- Required Specialization Courses (26-27 credit hours)
- Electives (5-6 credit hours)
- Research Thesis (6 credit hours)
Desired Eligibility Requirements (for MPH and MS degrees)
- Grade Point Average: Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
- For International Students: At least 550 on the TOEFL-PBT; or 79 on the TOEFL-IBT; or 82 on the MELAB; or 7 on the IELTS. Your scores must be from the last 2 years
Graduate students pursuing the MPH degree will focus more on applied practice and pursue electives in public health and other applied areas to this end. Graduate students pursuing the MS degree will take electives that give them an increased scope and depth of research experience and pursue electives more from the computational sciences and biomedical informatics.
Although we encourage the plan outlined above for MPH and MS elective-taking, students can customize a curriculum plan with their academic advisor that intersects at their research interests.
Deadlines for Applications:
Priority Graduate Funding Opportunities: December 1
Deadline for MPH and MS Biomedical Informatics degree programs: May 15
Please read these instructions and our admissions criteria/recommended preparations document before submitting your application.