McWilliams Academic
Programs

Students enrolled in the certificate program at McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics will develop a deep understanding of both the opportunities and challenges of integrating information technology into health care. The program focuses on learning about and understanding the design, planning, implementation and evaluation of new biomedical information technology.

Upon completion of the program, students will have completed 15 hours of graduate credit and will receive a graduate-level certificate in either biomedical informatics, applied biomedical informatics or public health informatics.

The McWilliams Certificate Program is perfect for...

Health care professionals looking to advance their careers:

• Established physicians
• Young physicians interested in a Clinical Informatics Fellowship
• Medical students
• Nurses
• Medical engineers
• Physical therapists
• Pharmacists
• Health care management professionals
• Mental health workers
• Other health care providers

Non-health care professionals looking to learn biomedical & health informatics:

• IT professionals in health care organizations
• Developers, designers and managers at HIT companies
• IT professionals in non-health care industries who want to impact HIT
• Consultants in HIT, general IT, management, business, etc.

Recent college graduates or college seniors considering advanced careers:

• Students in engineering disciplines, such as computer science and engineering, software engineering, EE, biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, etc.
• Students studying related math and science disciplines, such as mathematics, statistics, biological sciences, neuroscience, physics, chemistry, etc.
• Students earning degrees in business and management disciplines
• Students studying information science and library science

→ Certificate Programs
→ Admission Requirements

At McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics you can be a part of the health care revolution by earning your Master of Science Degree in Biomedical Informatics. With two flexible program tracks, including a fully online option, the school provides you with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver innovative solutions to real-world problems in health information technology.

Traditional Research Track:

Become a leader in the field of biomedical informatics. While completing this program, students will gain solid understanding of the various aspects of biomedical informatics, as well as in-depth knowledge in focus areas of their choosing. This track focuses on the acquisition of health care data and how it is used to support clinical decision making, making it a key factor in the future of health care.

The traditional research track culminates in a capstone project that allows students to apply learned skills in a real-world setting.

Applied Biomedical Informatics Track:

This fully online program focuses on the knowledge and skills needed to implement, maintain and evaluate electronic health records (EHRs) and related health information systems. Students will learn about the modern U.S. health care system, health care legislation, standards, health information security protocols, health data analytics, clinical decision support and project management.

The applied track culminates in a capstone project that allows students to apply learned skills in a real-world setting.

Both tracks require 39 semester credit hours to complete. Upon completion of either track, students will receive a Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics. All semester credit hours earned in the master's programs are transferrable to the doctoral program.

Career Opportunities after Graduation:

• Chief Medical Information Officer
• Director of Medical Informatics
• Assist VP for Information Technology
• Health Information Management Director
• Clinical Data Analyst
• Health Information Data Manager
• Health Information System Application Designer
• Developer and Designer at EHR companies
• R&D at HIT companies
• Compliance Officer
• HIT Consultants
• System analysts

→ Master's Program
→ Admission Requirements

The biomedical informatics doctoral program is an intensive post-baccalaureate degree that emphasizes in-depth biomedical informatics concepts while allowing students to focus on research. Through both face to face and online classes, students will build upon their previous knowledge and skills, going beyond the fundamentals and exploring advanced concepts that are essential to the integration of information technology in all traditional healthcare disciplines.

The doctoral degree program requires 93 hours at the graduate level, and is only offered as a full-time, campus-based program.

Career opportunities after Graduation:

• Faculty Member and Researcher
• Chief Medical Information Officer
• Director of Medical Informatics
• Assist VP for Information Technology
• Health Information Management Director
• Clinical Data Analyst
• Health Information Data Manager
• Health Information System Application Designer
• Developer and Designer at EHR companies
• R&D at HIT companies
• Compliance Officer
• HIT Consultants
• System analysts

→ PhD Program
→ Admission Requirements

The Doctorate in Health Informatics program is the nation’s first terminal degree in health informatics. This practice doctorate is for professionals with documented executive or management-level healthcare experience. Students will explore how to translate evidence from original research, evaluate current practices, and utilize critical thinking to accelerate the adoption of best informatics practices in clinical and healthcare organizations.

Through both online classes and campus visits, students will examine evidence from original clinical and informatics research and apply it in a real-world scenario to enhance organizational and clinical practices. Rather than write a dissertation for the culminating project, the DHI program requires a large-scale translational project that students must complete in a healthcare organization.

The DHI degree program requires 63 hours for students who already hold a master’s degree in health informatics, or a related field. Students without the master’s degree must complete 33 semester credit hours of didactic coursework before starting the DHI curriculum.

→ DHI Program
→ Admission Requirements

Take full advantage of McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics programs by participating in one of the available dual degree educational options. 

MS/MPH Dual Degree Program

This program combines the Master of Public Health from the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health with Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics from McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics.With an integrated program that includes both shared courses and a practicum experience and/or thesis topic in public health informatics, students will learn the skills necessary to become leaders in the field.

PhD/MPH Dual Degree Program

This program combines the Master of Public Health with the Ph.D. in Biomedical Informatics from McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics. Students will participate in an integrated curriculum that will prepare them to be leaders in Public Health Informatics. Students will work with an advisory committee comprised of faculty from both institutions to determine specific fieldwork, practicum and courses.

MD/MS Dual Degree Program

This program combines the Doctor of Medicine degree from McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, UTRGV School of Medicine, or Baylor College of Medicine with the Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics degree from McWilliams. Students in this dual degree program will understand core clinical informatics disciplines such as technology assessment, quality and outcome improvement, data analytics and precision medicine.

PharmD/MS Dual Degree Program

Through this unique program, students earning a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) College of Pharmacy also study at McWilliams and earn a Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics during their four years of pharmacy school. PharmD/MS Dual Degree program is for students aspiring to be both pharmacists and informaticians. 

Admission

To qualify for the dual degree program, students must be admitted separately to each institution. Additionally, students must fulfill individual diploma requirements for each program to earn their dual degree.

→ MPH Dual Degree Programs
→ MD Dual Degree Program
→ Admission Requirements

Texas prides itself in its public universities, which offer high quality education at historically low rates. By attending our school you are ensuring not only that you receive exemplary instruction, but that it is a worthwhile investment. The chart below highlights McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics MS program as well as its certificate program compared to similar programs around the country. 

Tuition Comparison for Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics (2021-2022)
	Cost of Program (Resident)	Cost of Program (Non-Resident)
McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics	$18,900	$42,663
University of Houston	$48,112	$61,212
University of Utah	$25,542	$69,720
College of St. Scholastica	$27,636	$27,636
University of Illinois at Chicago	$53,900	$53,900
University of Washington	$48,330	$48,330
Oregon Health & Science University	$47,000	$55,000
Vanderbilt University	$60,780	$60,780
Northwestern	$57,816	$57,816
Columbia	$78,208	$78,208
University of Michigan	$29,722	$49,096
Stanford	$95,570	$124,241

Tuition Comparison for Biomedical Informatics Certificate Program (2021-2022)
	Cost of Program (Resident)	Cost of Program (Non-Resident)
McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics	$7,140	$16,275
Stanford	$13,520	$13,520
College of St. Scholastica	$11,844	$11,844
University of Utah	$15,051	$34,860
Columbia	$18,300	$18,300
University of Illinois at Chicago	$18,000	$18,000
Northwestern	$20,454	$20,454
Oregon Health & Science University	$20,000	$23,000