Introduction
2023-2024 Student Handbook

COVID-19 Update	Academic Calendar	Administration	Graduate Faculty
Mission	Application Information	Certificate Admission Process	General Admission Process
Additional Application Requirements for International Applicants	Admissions Application Deadlines	Enrollment Status	Student Enrollment

COVID-19 Update

The McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston continues to monitor the impact of COVID-19 and makes updates to school operations in the interest of our community’s health and safety. Current and incoming students are required to complete all degree requirements as defined in the catalog for the year they matriculated into their degree program. Faculty, staff, and students can view updates to school operations on The School of Biomedical Informatics COVID-19 website.

All decisions related to course delivery or academic requirements for the 2023-2024 academic year will be announced via email to the student’s UTHealth Houston email address.

Additional information can be found on the UTHealth Houston COVID-19 Resources website.

Academic Calendar 2023-2024

FALL SEMESTER 2023
Classes Begin	August 28, 2023
Classes End	December 8, 2023
Final Examinations	December 11 - 15, 2023
SPRING SEMESTER 2024
Classes Begin	January 8, 2024
Spring Break	March 18-22, 2024
Classes End	April 26, 2024
Final Examinations	April 29 - May 3, 2024
SUMMER SESSION 2024 (12-WEEK SESSION)
Classes Begin	May 20, 2024
Classes End	August 9, 2024
Final Examinations	August 12-15, 2024

Note: At the discretion of the Dean, the attendance of certain individuals may be required on a scheduled university holiday and on other than the usual scheduled class dates because of practicum/preceptorship requirements. Holidays will be announced in the class schedule each semester/session.

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Administration

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Faculty

A list of current faculty members can be found at https://sbmi.uth.edu/faculty-and-staff/index.htm

Vision

McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston isTransforming Data to Power Human Health^TM.

Mission

The mission of the McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics is to collect, process, and convert data—ranging from molecules to populations—into actionable information, knowledge, and intelligence; to educate current and future leaders, innovators, and problem solvers across Texas, the nation, and the world; to disrupt, transform, and innovate to elicit biomedical discoveries, improve healthcare delivery, and aid in disease prevention by conducting outstanding basic and applied research and developing impactful information technology products and solutions.

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Application Information

All applications to McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston are submitted and processed by the centralized application service, Graduate Enrollment Management Centralized Application Services (GradCAS).

Additional information is available by contacting the school’s Office of Academic Affairs at:

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston)
McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics
Office of Academic Affairs
7000 Fannin, Suite 600
Houston, TX 77030
Telephone: (713) 500-3591
Email address: SBMIAcademics@uth.tmc.edu

Specific requirements for admission to the certificate and degree programs are provided in the program section of this catalog. The school is obligated to ensure academic quality and comparability for all applicants applying to our programs. As such, our school will only consider credits earned for degrees awarded from regionally-accredited institutions in our admissions process. For international applicants, coursework reviewed as part of the Course-by-Course Evaluation Report from WES or ECE must show the U.S. equivalency to coursework completed at a regionally-accredited institution.

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Non-Degree/Certificate Admission Process

Completed applications are reviewed by the Certificate Program Coordinator(s). Recommendations for or against admission are made to the Associate Dean for Student, Faculty, and Community Affairs. The Certificate Program Coordinator(s) advise all certificate students.

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General Admission Process for Degree Programs

The school’s Admission, Progression and Graduation Committee reviews completed applications to the master’s and doctoral programs.

The admission criteria include, but are not limited to:

• Prior academic preparation (depth, breadth, and performance): application, college transcripts, and letters of reference;
• Relevant work experience (particularly practice in the field of study): application, goal statement, curriculum vitae (CV) or resume, and letters of reference;
• Career goals: application, goal statement, and letters of reference;
• Motivation: goal statement, letters of recommendation, and college transcripts;
• Integrity: goal statement, and letters of recommendation;
• Standardized tests: GRE scores and TOEFL/IELTS (if required);
• Thesis, publications and other scholarly works: supplemental documents provided by applicant; and
• Success in overcoming social, economic or educational disadvantages.

Qualified applicants to the doctoral programs will be invited to interview with faculty members at the discretion of the committee. The Office of Academic Affairs will schedule personal interviews. In addition to the listed criteria, the applicant’s communication skills and understanding of the program may be evaluated based on the personal interview. Admissions decisions will be made after interviews are completed.

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Additional Application Requirements for International Applicants

An international student is a student who is not a citizen or a permanent resident of the U.S. All international students must contact and must be cleared by the UTHealth Houston Office of International Affairs prior to registration. Here is additional information regarding the international applicant admission process. (Students with transcripts from an international institution may also be subject to one or more of the below criteria):

• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Testing System (IELTS). For admissions consideration a minimum acceptable score of 94 on the internet-based TOEFL is required or a minimum acceptable overall score of 7.0 on the IELTS is required. Test scores are valid for two years from the test date. The official scores must be submitted directly to GradCAS from the applicable test center. Submit official TOEFL scores by using the reporting code B886; no department code is required. Submit official IELTS scores by sending them to GradCAS; no code is needed. Testing is at the applicant’s expense.
• International applicants who have received a diploma from a university at which English is the language of instruction are not required to submit an English Language exam. If this school is outside of an English-speaking country, evidence that indicates the language of instruction will need to be provided with your application such as a letter from the University on official letterhead.
• International applicants must submit official transcripts and a course-by-course education evaluation of all transcripts from all universities attended outside the United States. The application forms for such an evaluation may be obtained online from the service providers, Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc., www.ece.org and World Education Services, www.wes.org. Only evaluations from ECE or WES will be accepted. The results of the evaluation must be submitted directly to GradCAS by the agency. The evaluation report is at the applicant’s expense.
• • F-1 sponsorship is available for students in the Research Master’s, and Ph.D. programs. F-1 sponsorship is not available for the Certificate, Applied Master’s or DHI programs. International students are still eligible to apply for these programs and can be enrolled at a distance.
• The I-20 form, required by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), is prepared by UTHealth Houston and issued to qualified non-immigrant applicants who have been admitted and who have demonstrated financial ability to support their education. Upon acceptance, the non-immigrant student will be asked to provide financial and visa information so that the I-20 form may be completed. The student must submit the completed form to the American Embassy in his/her country of origin in order to receive a student visa or must otherwise be eligible for F-1 status in the U.S. Please contact the UTHealth Houston Office of International Affairs for information (713) 500-3176, utoiahouston@uth.tmc.edu.
• Official transcripts of all previous academic institutions must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

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Admissions Application Deadlines

Certificates in Biomedical Informatics Application Deadlines

Fall admissions	July 1
Spring admissions	November 1
Summer admissions	March 1

Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics Application Deadlines

Fall admissions	July 1
Spring admissions	November 1
Summer admissions	March 1

Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Informatics Application Deadlines

Fall admissions	December 1
Spring admissions	July 1

Doctorate in Health Informatics Application Deadlines

Fall admissions

March 1

Address application inquiries to:

Office of Academic Affairs
McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston
7000 Fannin, Suite 600
Houston, TX 77030 713-500-3591
SBMIAcademics@uth.tmc.edu

Waiver or alteration of admission requirements, other than those mandated by statute, for admission to McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics or of courses offered by the school, must be based upon a review of the circumstances, a justification and review by the faculty, and final written approval by the Dean. Requirements mandated by statute will not be waived or altered.

In order to register, a student must have on file in the Office of the Registrar official transcripts and documents of all previous academic work, and meet all admission requirements. A student who knowingly falsifies or is a party to the falsification of any official University record (including transcripts and/or application for admission) will be subject to the offer of admission being withdrawn, or disciplinary action, which may include dismissal from the University. .

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Enrollment Status

Students who matriculate in the School of Biomedical Informatics fall into one of the following categories.

Full-time Student: a graduate student enrolled in at least nine semester credit hours (SCH) each during the fall and spring semester, or six semester credit hours in the 12-week summer session. Only those credit hours in UTHealth Houston courses taken for credit are counted in the calculation of credits designating a full-time student.

Part-time Student: a graduate student enrolled in a program for fewer than nine semester credit hours in the fall or spring semester, or fewer than six semester credit hours in the 12-week summer session.

Certificate Student: a student admitted to a certificate program seeking a certificate of completion of 15 semester credit hours. Enrollment in a certificate program does not entitle a student to admission to a degree-seeking program.

Non-degree Student: a student who is admitted to McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics for one or more courses but not admitted to a degree or certificate program. Enrollment as a non-degree student does not entitle a student to admission to a program. A non-degree student is not eligible to receive a degree. Non-degree students will not be allowed to register for practicum/doctoral courses. Non-degree students can complete a maximum of 9 semester credit hours and must maintain a 3.0/4.0 grade point average.

Accelerated Masters Student: a student who is presently enrolled in a bachelors-level academic program at another accredited institution that has a signed Program Agreement with McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics and has been admitted to McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics to complete a graduate certificate at the same time as completing an undergraduate degree.

Concurrent/Inter-institutional Student: Concurrent and inter-institutional students can complete a maximum of 12 semester credit hours and must maintain a 3.0/4.0 grade point average.

Any degree or certificate seeking student enrolled at UTHealth Houston who is not admitted to a degree program or certificate program in McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics can complete a maximum of 12 semester credit hours and must maintain a 3.0/4.0 grade point average.

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Student Enrollment

Students enroll each semester by using myUTH on the web at https://my.uth.tmc.edu. There is no on-site enrollment. Enrollment dates are announced in the online Registration Schedule found on the Office of Registrar website at: http://www.uth.edu/registrar/current-students/registration/registration-schedule.htm.

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