Biomedical Informatics - Master's Degree

The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Biomedical Informatics prepares trainees for practical, hands-on careers in health care, hospitals, biotechnology,consulting, insurance, pharmaceuticals, and many other industries. This program can be completed on a full-time basis over 12 to 18 months or on a part-time basis over two to three years. Students must have the flexibility if part-time to be present during the day when classes are in session since there are no evening or on-line courses offered by our department.  All students must take and pass an Oral Examination before completion of the degree. Course approval forms are to be completed by the students and their academic advisor at the beginning of each semester. Progress in the Master's program is tracked each semester using a set of standard reporting forms. Please click here to see a list of when classes are offered.

Curriculum

Students must complete a minimum of 30 units of Columbia University instruction at the 4000 level or higher, address any admission deficiencies, and complete two residence units (the equivalent of two full-time semesters). The following table shows the minimum number of courses required to meet the program's educational objectives. Students who meet biomedical, computational, or mathematical objectives through prior graduate preparation are not required to take further courses in these areas, but must still fulfill the Columbia University requirement of 30 points of courses at Columbia University for the degree. Students who enter unprepared to take computational or mathematical courses at the graduate level will be required to enroll in additional courses to meet those expectations at their own expense. Students must consult with their academic advisors to determine appropriate courses at the beginning of each semester.

Research Project

All Master's students require experience in using Biomedical Informatics techniques to solve practical problems. This requirement is met by taking G6001 Projects in Biomedical Informatics under the direction of a faculty member for 3 points and submitting a master's essay. In the semester prior to the final semester, all students are required to submit a brief written proposal for the project to the faculty instructor for G6001, clearly defining the scope, goals, timeline and deliverables. A brief written project report is expected at completion of the project, generally in the final semester. The paper should be of publishable quality.  The report requires two faculty readers, one of whom is the faculty member from the G6001 Projects course in which the student enrolled. The second reader can be decided in consultation with that faculty member, the academic advisor, or the Graduate Degree Program Director.  Students must submit a master's essay form signed by

their research advisor and a second reader, verifying that the master's essay meets the requirement.

Additional Requirements

All Master's students, whether full-time or part-time, are expected to attend the weekly Research Seminar (G4099). In addition to fulfilling their coursework and residence units requirements, they must also successfully pass an Oral Examination to receive the degree.