This video serves as a great introduction to biomedical informatics: What is biomedical informatics?

People who have a degree in biomedical informatics have a wide variety of career opportunities. The type of informatics career that an individual can pursue is, to some extent, dependent on his or her background, and selected area of study. Biomedical informatics trained professionals may become:

• Chief medical information officers
• Chief medical officers
• Chief information officers
• Directors of medical informatics
• Chief nursing information officers
• Project managers
• Implementation specialists
• Project Designers
• Researchers
• Programmers
• Clinical Systems analysts
• Health information technology educators, trainers and consultants
• Template writers
• Nursing informatics specialists
• Account representatives

These professionals often work in hospitals and health systems, community health centers, physician practices and clinics, health care agencies within the federal and state government, and for health information technology system vendors, eHealth and health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions and consulting services.

Resources for current job opportunities can be found on our employment page.

• American Health Information Management Association
• American Medical Informatics Association
• American Nursing Informatics Association
• eHealth Initiative
• Healthcare Informatics Online
• Health Information Management Systems Society
• Health Level Seven International
• International Medical Informatics Association
• Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

A cost estimate breakdown for the School of Biomedical Informatics can be viewed on the Registrar's website.

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.

Admission requirements vary for each program. Visit the admission requirements webpage to view the requirements for each program.

All application documents are submitted to the Office of the Registrar.
Official transcripts can be submitted to:

Office of the Registrar
7000 Fannin, Suite 2250
Houston, Texas 77030

Goal statements, CV/resumes and letters of recommendation can be submitted via email to admissions@uth.tmc.edu. When submitting documents via email, please include your student identification number.

All applicants can check the status of their application by logging in to their myUTH account and checking their “To Do List.”

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.

The master's and certificate programs can be completed 100% online. The doctor of philosophy in health informatics is a full-time, in-house program.

There is no part-time Ph.D. program. The master's and certificate programs are all offered part-time.

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 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 95 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.

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 five years. Normal time for completion of the Ph.D. program is 4-5 years.

We strongly recommend that you submit all of your applications materials by the application deadline.

Students enrolled at UT-Brownsville have the opportunity to complete the graduate certificate in health 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 UT-Brownsville, these students have the opportunity to complete the remaining master’s in health informatics program requirements at SBMI in one year.

Application Deadlines

Use 6906 to submit your TOEFL and GRE scores.

Use 2264 to submit your MAT scores.

Yes, the GRE or MAT is required for all degree-seeking programs. If you have previously taken another standardized test, contact the Office of Academic Affairs at 713.500.3591, as this is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

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.

If you have previously taken another standardized test, contact the Office of Academic Affairs at 713.500.3591, as this is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

You must submit TWO applications – one to the School of Biomedical Informatics and another to the School of Public Health. The application for SBMI is to be completed at the UTHealth website 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.

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.

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The full list of courses (updated every semester) can be found on the course offerings page

You can obtain the schedule by clicking on the following link: Two-Year Course Rotation.

An approval code is the key that allows you to register and enroll in the courses on MyUTH. Please note, approval codes are only required for the following courses: practicum, directed study, preceptorship, research in health informatics, and dissertation. An email showing prior approval from the instructor must be forwarded to the Office of Academic Affairs SBMIAcademics@uth.tmc.edu) in order to issue the approval code.

For all new incoming master of health informatics students, Dr. Amy Franklin will act as your stand-in advisor. For all new incoming master of applied health informatics students, Dr. Susan Fenton will act as your stand-in advisor. Faculty advisors are not assigned. Students are expected to develop relationships with faculty members who they can then approach about acting as their advisor. You can learn about our faculty through your classes, the SBMI website, publications, and other sources, as well as posted YouTube videos. All master's students will need one faculty advisor and at least one other faculty committee member. Your advisor will help you select courses each semester in order to acquire the skills and knowledge required to complete your state of the science paper and your degree.

Course enrollment in Moodle is automatic. If a Moodle course is ready and made available to students, your enrollment status will be updated within 6 hours after registering in MyUTH. However, if a course is still being prepared, it may not be open to the students during the preparation and will have "_PREP" in the course short name. All web-based courses will be available to students by the time the semester begins. If you have any question related to Moodle, please contact Distance Education for assistance.

This PDF will give you directions for clearing your health insurance hold.

Yes, a request will need to be sent to the Office of Academic Affairs (SBMIAcademics@uth.tmc.edu) including a jpeg file of a head shot (ending at the shoulder) and the mailing address to where you would like the badge mailed.

This link will provide you information regarding Poster Sessions.

Everything required for graduation checkout can be found on the graduation webpage in the "For Our Graduates" section under "Graduation Checkout Procedures.”

Submit an electronic copy of your approved state of the science paper in Microsoft Word format to SBMIAcademics@uth.tmc.edu. The signed cover sheet for your respective program can be found in the student handbook and must be original signatures either mailed or dropped off in person to the Office of Academic Affairs.

Students may drop courses through their MyUTH account before the 12th day of class in the fall and spring and prior to the fourth day of class in the summer. An Add-Drop/Withdrawal/Audit form must be used after the 12th class day in the fall and spring and after the fourth class day in the summer. A grade of “WP” or “WF” will be assigned by the instructor.

No

Yes, the maximum number of transferable semester credit hours is three for the certificate program, 12 for the master’s program, and 36 for the doctoral program.

Only students in the master of science in health informatics must complete a practicum course.

Students in the master of science in health informatics program must complete 135 clock hours to earn the three credit hours that are required. Practicum hours can be completed in one semester or over the course of three semesters (1 semester clock hour per semester).

Typically, students will have completed 24 credit hours in their respective program before enrolling in a practicum.

Students needing assistance with practicum placement must contact the Practicum Coordinator at least 30 days before the start of the semester.

Please contact the SBMI practicum coordinator for information on how to enroll in the practicum course (Chelsea.E.Overstreet@uth.tmc.edu).

The practicum coordinator can provide assistance in securing a practicum site.

If you have secured a site, please contact both your faculty practicum advisor and the practicum coordinator for information on getting practicum agreements filed (Chelsea.E.Overstreet@uth.tmc.edu). Please note that both an affiliation and program agreement must be filed if the site is not directly associated with UTHealth.

Students will have an on-site practicum preceptor that they will report to. He or she will assign the student tasks, monitor student progress on-site, arrange student’s practicum work schedule, etc. If you encounter issues while at your practicum site, you can contact your faculty practicum advisor for assistance.