The master's and certificate programs can be completed 100% online. The doctor of philosophy in biomedical informatics is a full-time, in-house program.
Yes, courses taken in the certificate program with a grade of a “B” or higher are transferrable into the master’s and Ph.D. programs. The specific academic programs build upon themselves.
Students enrolled full-time usually complete the certificate in two semesters and the master’s in five semesters. Students enrolled part-time must complete the certificate in three years and the master’s in eight years. Normal time for completion of the Ph.D. program is four to five years.
Note that maximum program lengths vary depending on year and semester of program entry. Please refer to a specific catalog for more details.
Each May, SBMI hosts Connect to give prospective students a chance to learn more about our school, the research findings of our current students and the career possibilities available in the industry. For more information on Connect, click here: https://sbmi.uth.edu/connect
SBMI also holds several times a year to discuss the admissions process with prospective students. To see a list of upcoming webinar dates, click here: Prospective SBMI Student Webinar Sessions
The applied track is more of a hands-on approach and students use different information systems to advance patient care. The applied track curriculum educates students in the correct and safe utilization of information systems to promote better quality of care for patients.
The research track focuses more on an abstract approach to information systems used in the healthcare field. This can include natural language processing techniques used for building clinical decision support systems or formulating algorithms used for health care datamining.
In essence, students in the research track pilot processes and innovate new technologies that are then evaluated, implemented and utilized daily by students in the applied track.
There is no part-time Ph.D. program. The master's and certificate programs are all offered part-time.
Students enrolled at TAMIU or Texas A&M International University have the opportunity to complete the graduate certificate in biomedical informatics during their fourth year of undergraduate study.
The 4+1 allows for SBMI graduate courses to satisfy advanced program electives in the majors of biomedical science, applied technology, biology, psychology, mathematics, and computer science.
Upon graduation from TAMIU, these students have the opportunity to complete the remaining master’s in biomedical informatics program requirements at SBMI in one year.
Yes, all students must be covered by private health insurance or an insurance policy obtained under the Affordable Care Act. Student who do not have insurance can purchase a policy provided by the UT System by clicking
HERE or online at HealthCare.gov during open enrollment.
Admission requirements vary for each program. Visit the
admission requirements webpage to view the requirements for each program.
You will upload all application requirements to your application. All documents that are uploaded to your application are considered unofficial documents.
If you are offered admission to one of our programs you will at that time be required to submit official copies of your transcripts, education evaluations, and test scores to the UTHealth Registrar’s Office. If you submit an education evaluation that includes your transcripts it is not necessary to submit another official copy of these transcripts.
Please send official GRE and TOEFL scores to the UTHealth Registrar’s Office directly from ETS using institutional code 6906; no department code is necessary.
Physical Address P.O. Box
UTHealth - Office of The Registrar UTHealth - Office of The Registrar
7000 Fannin, Ste 2250 PO Box 20036
Houston, Texas 77030 Houston, Texas 77225-0036
To monitor your application and the receipt of any outstanding documents, please log in to your
self-service center SBMI does not allow auditing of courses. You will need to apply to the program to take courses.
Yes, all courses taken in the certificate or non-degree programs are transferrable into the master’s or Ph.D. programs if you have received a grade of “B” or higher in your coursework.
Yes, all courses taken in the research track master’s program are transferrable to the Ph.D. program if you have received a grade of “B” or higher in your coursework.
The minimum acceptable score for TOEFL is a 87 on the Internet-based test. The minimum acceptable score for IELTS is a seven (7).
GPA of 3.0 or greater out of 4.0 scale.
We recognize degrees obtained from universities accredited by
- the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC),
- North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NAS),
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS),
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC),
- and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Previous educators, employers or someone who can speak to your utilization of informatics, your academic ability or your potential to be a good fit for informatics.
For current students of the School of Biomedical Informatics who are applying to another SBMI program, it is highly recommended that a reference letter from at least one SBMI faculty member be submitted.
We strongly recommend that you submit all of your applications materials by the application deadline.
Please send your results from ETS using institutional code 6906; no department code is necessary.
The GRE is only a requirement for the Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Informatics program and no substitutions are allowed.
Waivers of the GRE requirement are not taken into consideration for our Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Informatics program.
No, SBMI utilizes a holistic review process for all applicants. This enables us to give careful consideration to all the credentials presented by the applicant. This ensures that no single factor leads to either accepting or excluding the applicant from admission.
The majority of successful applicants have individual GRE scores (quantitative, verbal and analytical) in the 50th percentile for our doctoral program.
We do not accept MCAT or GMAT scores for admissions to our programs.
You must submit TWO applications – one to the School of Biomedical Informatics and one to the School of Public Health. The application for SBMI is to be completed using
ApplyNow and the application for the master’s in public health is to be completed with SOPHAS.
You do not need to apply for both programs at the same time. However, you cannot have more than 21 hours in each college in order to be eligible for the dual program. You must notify each college of your intent to pursue a dual program so the appropriate degree plans can be completed.
F-1 students who complete a graduate certificate at SBMI are not eligible for F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT). F-1 students should contact the Office of International Affairs for more information.
A cost estimate breakdown for the School of Biomedical Informatics can be viewed on
the Registrar's website.
For students seeking financial assistance, please contact the
Office of Student Financial Services. Students interested in scholarships or job opportunities at SBMI can find additional information at our website, the
UTHealth School of Biomedical Informatics.
Yes, our
OPE ID is 00495100. You can find more information here:
https://www.uth.edu/student/veterans/ or contact Winston Matranga, Veteran Affairs Coordinator at 713-500-3351 or
Winston.Matranga@uth.tmc.edu.
