Join the health care revolution at McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston, formerly UTHealth Houston School of Biomedical Informatics (SBMI) and earn your graduate certificate, Master of Science degree, PhD in Biomedical Informatics, or Doctorate in Health Informatics. With both online and in-person options, our programs are flexible, providing you exciting career opportunities at an extraordinary value. Students can select one of three concentrations for their studies. The Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Concentration focuses on AI and data-driven solutions for improving patient care, disease prevention, and biomedical discovery. The Clinical and Health Informatics Concentration focuses on the optimal use of information through technology to improve health care, individual and population health, and biomedical and clinical research. The Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine Concentration focuses on the integration of biology, statistics, mathematics, and computational modeling to help researchers and clinicians understand biological data and link them to imaging and clinical data to benefit patients.
Program Curriculum
Sample an online course
Prospective Student Webinar Session
Online and In-Person Recruitment Events
| Academic Programs | Data Science and Artificial Intelligence |
Clinical and Health Informatics |
Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine |
|
| Certificate | ||||
| Applied Biomedical Informatics | ||||
| Biomedical Informatics | ||||
| Dental Informatics | ||||
| Health Data Science | ||||
| Pharmacy Informatics | ||||
| Public Health Informatics | ||||
| Masters - Research Track | ||||
| Bioinformatics | ||||
| Clinical Informatics | ||||
| Health Data Science | ||||
| Human Factors Engineering | ||||
| Public Health Informatics | ||||
| Masters - Applied Track | ||||
| Doctor of Philosophy (PHD) | ||||
| Doctorate in Health Informatics (DHI) | ||||
McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics utilizes a holistic review process for all applicants. This enables us to give careful consideration to all the credentials presented by the applicant. Applicants are reviewed only once each cycle term, be sure to submit your application with the strongest material.
Admissions requirements vary by degree and program. Please carefully review the admissions requirement webpage that outlines specific requirements.
International Applicants: In addition to the program requirements, please ensure to also review the “Additional Information for International Applicants” category reflected in the admissions requirements page.
| PROGRAM | FALL | SPRING | SUMMER |
| Certificate | July 1 | November 1 | March 1 |
| Master's | July 1 | November 1 | March 1 |
| PhD | December 1 | July 1 | N/A |
| DHI | March 1 | Only one DHI cohort will be admitted annually. | |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Take full advantage of McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics programs by participating in one of the available dual degree educational options.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 |
| Programs | Online | In-Person Instruction | TX Resident Tuition Only | Hours | GRE Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate & 4+1 | Yes | Yes (optional) | $3,855 | 15 | No |
| Masters - Research | Yes | Yes (optional) | $10,023 | 39 | No |
| Masters - Applied | Yes | No | $10,023 | 39 | No |
| PhD | No | Yes (required) | $23,901 | 93 | Yes |
| DHI | Yes | Once a semester | $16,191 | 63 (96 without a MS) | No |
Please go to Apply Now to start an application to one of our certificate, master’s, or PhD programs. You may only apply to one program per admission cycle.
Application criteria may vary depending on the program you wish to be admitted to. Please see the admission requirements for more information.
If you have any questions regarding the application process or the admission requirements, please contact the Office of Academic Affairs at 713-500-3591 or [email protected].
If you would like additional information about a specific program, please fill out the request form by clicking the "REQUEST MORE INFO" button.
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