Online Master’s in Bioinformatics Programs
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Bioinformatics is a specialty in the healthcare industry that focuses on solving complex biological problems. The National Human Genome Research Institute describes bioinformatics as a scientific subdiscipline involving computer technology to collect, store, analyze and disseminate biological data and information, such as DNA and amino acid sequences or annotations about those sequences.
This work aims to discover new types of biology and make predictions that can improve human health. The methods of computation used by bioinformatic scientists include mathematical modeling, analytical methods, and simulation.
Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary specialty combining several different but complementary fields to solve complex biological problems. Some of these fields include biology, physics, biomedical engineering, chemistry, genetics, genomics, neurology, biostatistics, mathematics, and computer science.
Bioinformatics scientists break down the human body into small groups of cells involved in various types of complex processes. They study human DNA to understand the symptoms and causes of current diseases and predict future conditions. Bioinformatics scientists use cutting-edge technologies to do this. One of the most common techniques is called next-generation sequencing, a high-throughput sequencing (HTS) method.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) regularly shares data on medical scientists’ occupational outlook, including bioinformatics scientists, among many other types of medical scientists. Opportunities for medical scientists are expected to grow 17 percent between 2021 and 2031, more than three times the average growth projected among all U.S. occupations.
The BLS (May 2022) lists a mean annual salary for medical scientists of $110,670 with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $58,190 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $170,260. Typically a doctoral degree is required in biology or a related life science field for these positions, but some positions may accept a master’s degree.
A similar occupation category that also includes bioinformatics scientists is computer and information research scientists. This career pathway requires a master’s degree in computer science with coursework in a related field of study. For example, a biomedical scientist may have a master’s degree in computer science and substantial coursework in biology as well as laboratory science experience.
The BLS predicts that computer and information research scientist careers will grow at a rate of 21 percent between 2021 and 2031, creating 7,100 fresh new positions in that decade. Computer and information research scientists earn mean annual salaries of $155,880; most positions require a master’s degree.
People who choose this career path have strong scientific skills and a desire to help others through their research. Most have already worked in healthcare for several years. Since the profession typically requires at least a master’s degree, many schools now offer the opportunity to earn credentials online. This option is ideal for those looking to advance their career or change their course.
| Featured Bioinformatics Programs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins University - Advanced Academic Programs | MS Bioinformatics | View Full Profile |
Featured Online Master’s Programs in Bioinformatics
Below are ten schools from locations nationwide that offer online master’s degrees (or related programs) in bioinformatics.
The bioinformatics degree at Johns Hopkins University combines engineering and bioinformatics to create a rigorous academic program. Students learn to analyze sequencing data and interpret complex biological information using bioinformatics software.
The program consists of 11 courses of three to four credits each. Some of the classes that online students can expect to complete include molecular biology; epigenetics, gene organization & expression; introduction to bioinformatics; practical computer concepts for bioinformatics; protein bioinformatics; molecular phylogenetic techniques; next-generation DNA sequencing and analysis; gene expression data analysis and visualization; and genomic and personalized medicine.
The program was created with working professionals in mind and courses can be taken online or on-campus, with the option of completing the program entirely online. On-campus classes are taught during the evenings and on weekends.
Prospective students must have met several prerequisites before applying to this program. These include a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college, a minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA, two semesters of organic chemistry, one semester of biochemistry, Java C++ or C proficiency, and one course each in probability and statistics, data structures, and calculus.
Prospective students also need to include a 500-word statement of purpose, professional resume, and official transcripts of previous college work with their application. The program does not require prior work experience or a GMAT/GRE.
- Location: Baltimore, MD
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- Format: Online
- Expected Time to Completion: 16 to 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $5,090 to $5,210 per course
George Washington University offers an online master of science in health sciences (MSHS) in biomedical informatics program. All courses in this 100 percent online program are delivered in a flexible, asynchronous format so that students can earn their graduate degree while keeping up with their personal and professional commitments. This program does not require any campus visits. The program faculty includes experienced and knowledgeable professors.
Applicants to the program must have a bachelor’s degree, a grade point average of 3.0 or above, a written personal statement, a completed application, a current resume, two letters of recommendation, official transcripts from every college and university attended, and English language proficiency for international students.
Comprising 36 credits, the curriculum consists of courses such as high-performance computing; topics in healthcare leadership; issues and trends in health systems; biostatistics for clinical translational research; epidemiology translational research; and principles of medical informatics.
The program teaches students how to apply data science for improving healthcare, demonstrate data analysis, data manipulation, and develop programming skills. They also learn how to provide care that is focused solely on patients and design solutions to the gamut of healthcare problems.
Graduates of the program are well-equipped to work in a variety of settings. They can take up roles such as health information consultants, clinical informatics specialists, health informatics directors, informatics nurses, and chief medical information officers.
- Location: Washington, DC, United States of America
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $990 per credit
Lewis University offers a master’s degree in data science with a concentration in computational biology and bioinformatics. Students enrolled in this program learn to solve current complex healthcare problems and analyze bioinformatics big data and biological markers.
The master’s program consists of 33 credits, and the bioinformatics concentration includes four three-credit courses. These include introduction to computational biology; data systems in the life sciences; research in biotechnology; and data science projects for life scientists.
Students can also take the computational biology and bioinformatics concentration as a stand alone graduate certificate program. Students who complete this certificate program can apply all credits towards the school’s master’s degree in data science. This certificate instructs students on how to create software that enables them to analyze bioinformatics and big data. It prepares participants to pursue careers in fields such as biotechnology, botany, genetics, information technology, database administration, and several others.
Applicants to the program must submit official transcripts from previous colleges, a two-page letter of intent, two letters of recommendation, and a professional resume. Additionally, all applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college with at least a 3.0 grade point average. Lewis University doesn’t require previous healthcare administration work experience or a GMAT/GRE submission.
- Location: Romeoville, IL
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Format: Online
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 to 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $845 per credit
George Mason University offers a master’s degree in bioinformatics and computational biology for professionals interested in pursuing careers and learning about the latest bioinformatics technology. It provides students with computational bioinformatics skills and a biotech background to prepare them for a demanding, yet rewarding, career.
Due to its proximity to the nation’s capital, the school has partnerships with organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Institutes of Health.
The breakdown of the 31 credits includes 12 credits of core courses, a three-credit advanced class, a one-credit seminar course, three to six credits research course, and nine to 12 credits of elective courses. Core courses include bioinformatics methods; molecular cell biology for bioinformatics; bioinformatics programming; and systems biology. While the entire program can be completed online, most courses are delivered synchronously, meaning students must plan to attend virtual instructor-led classes regularly.
Application requirements include a bachelor’s degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA, official college transcripts, a goals statement, a professional resume, three letters of recommendation, and submission of GRE scores. Students may also need to complete some prerequisite courses if they do not already have a strong foundation in calculus, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, molecular biology, and physical chemistry.
- Location: Fairfax, VA
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- Format: Online
- Expected Time to Completion: Two to three years
- Estimated Tuition: VA state residents ($793.25 per credit); out-of-state residents ($1,681.25 per credit)
Northeastern’s bioinformatics master’s program provides students with an interdisciplinary education across research, theory, and innovation. It’s designed to set them up for a successful career in bioinformatics. Students should expect to learn about biology, computer science, and information technology as they relate to bioinformatics.
Once accepted, students can choose from seven optional concentrations: bioinformatics and chemoinformatics; bioinformatics enterprise; biotechnology; data analytics; health informatics; medical health informatics; and omics (the analysis of large data sets).
The program can be completed entirely online with a full- or part-time commitment and an optional co-op position. The co-op work experience provides students with supervised, real-world experience towards the end of the degree program. Some of the most recent co-op partners include Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Courses required for this 32-credit degree fall under the categories of computational methods, research and seminar, statistics and programming, co-op work experience, and electives. Research and seminar courses include ethics in biological research and the biotechnology enterprise, worth two credits each. The courses for statistics and programming include bioinformatics programming and statistics for bioinformatics, both of which are four-credit classes. Students also complete a 12-credit concentration or 12 semester-hours of electives. Examples of these electives include stem cells and regeneration, biological imaging, and immunology.
Application requirements for the bioinformatics master’s degree program include transcripts from previous colleges, a personal statement, two letters of recommendation, and proof of English proficiency via a degree earned at an English-speaking institution. The school recommends submitting a GRE score but does not require it.
- Location: Boston, MA
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Format: Online
- Expected Time to Completion: Two to three years
- Estimated Tuition: $1,730 per credit
In New York University’s 30-credit master’s in bioinformatics program, students learn about genomics, proteomics, and sequence and pathway analysis. They also learn how to program with Python, Perl, and R and how to use some of the most innovative and cutting-edge genome informatics tools and algorithms. The program includes two concentration options in laboratory science and translational science.
Prospective students can also begin their studies with the school’s online Tandon Bridge program which is ideal for students who are lacking a bioinformatics degree or other substantial related experience. Students who choose this bridge program option benefit from a fee waiver to the master’s program and do not have to submit GRE scores for admission.
In the master’s degree, students must complete 18 credits of core courses, six credits of concentration courses, and six credits of electives. Core courses include algorithms and data structures for bioinformatics; problem solving for bioinformatics; biology and biotechnology for bioinformatics; applied biostatistics for bioinformatics; and machine learning and data science for bioinformatics.
The laboratory science concentration includes courses in proteomics for bioinformatics, and next-generation sequence analysis for bioinformatics. The concentration in translational science includes courses in translational genomics and computational biology, and population genetics and evolutionary biology for bioinformatics.
In addition to a bachelor’s degree and 3.0 GPA, students may need to take specific prerequisites depending on their previous major. Other requirements include a personal statement, professional resume, official transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and a GRE score for full-time applicants only.
- Location: Brooklyn, NY
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- Format: Online
- Expected Time to Completion: As little as a year-and-a-half and up to five years
- EstimatedTuition: $2,102 per credit
The professional science master’s program in bioinformatics at the University of Maine instructs students in several interdisciplinary areas. These include computer science, mathematics, molecular and cell biology, and spatial information science and engineering. Students applying to the program should have a strong background in molecular and cell biology already.
The 30-credit program is broken down into 17 credits in core courses, seven credits of electives, and six credits of applied field experience. Examples of courses include information systems programming; responsible conduct of research; introduction to bioinformatics; foundations of biomedical science & engineering; metadata systems; information systems programming; data mining; and molecular genetics. The applied field experience combines computer science, mathematics, and biomedical sciences into a project that is relevant to each student’s employment.
To apply to this program, prospective students should submit a letter of interest, three letters of recommendation, and official academic transcripts. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher in previous college coursework and a professional background in mathematics, information science, computer science, or cellular and molecular biology.
- Location: Orono, ME
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Format: Online with field study
- Expected Time to Completion: Two years
- Estimated Tuition: $590 per credit
The curriculum for UMGC’s biotechnology master’s degree with a specialization in bioinformatics was designed with input from scholars, industry experts, and employers. The program focuses on how important big data is to modern biology and how to uncover cures, therapies, and new diseases through the use of data. Students learn to code in Perl and Java, and how to analyze big data, scientific data, and next-generation sequencing data.
The program requires the completion of 36 credits and all courses are available online; some courses may be available in a hybrid format. The core courses include bioprocessing and the business of biotechnology; introduction to bioinformatics; societal issues in biotechnology; and techniques of biotechnology. Students must also take seven specialization courses and complete a capstone project.
Students who do not have a background in molecular biology must complete an introductory course before officially starting the program. Other admission requirements include the completion of a bachelor’s degree at an accredited institution and the submission of official transcripts. Master’s degree programs at this school don’t require submission of GRE scores.
- Location: Adelphi, MD
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- Format: Online
- Expected Time to Completion: Up to five years
- Estimated Tuition: In-state ($524 per credit); out-of-state ($659 per credit)
The University of Texas’ School of Biomedical Informatics at Houston offers a master of science program in biomedical informatics with two track options: a research track and an applied biomedical informatics track. Accredited by CAHIIM, both these tracks provide students with the skills and knowledge required for delivering innovative solutions to real-world problems in health information technology and can be completed entirely online. With both part-time and full-time options, credits earned in this program are transferable to the doctoral program.
The research track focuses on the collection and processing of biomedical and health data into health information and knowledge and they are applied for supporting clinical decision making. Courses in this 39-credit track include introduction to biomedical informatics; foundations of biomedical information sciences; statistical methods in biomedical informatics; foundations of pharmacogenomics; and current topics in genomics.
The applied track focuses on educating and training future leaders, problem solvers, and innovators. Students in this track will be utilizing data, knowledge and information for designing, implementing, and evaluating health information solutions to improve human health. Courses in this track include legal and ethical aspects of health informatics; health information visualization & visual analytics; change management in health informatics; and foundations of electronic health records and clinical information systems.
Both tracks require students to complete a practicum during their academic program.
- Location: Houston, TX
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)
- Format: Online
- Expected Time to Completion: Two years
- Estimated Tuition: In-state ($260 per credit); out-of-state ($880 per credit)
Brandeis University offers an online master of science degree in bioinformatics preparing students to thrive in rewarding pharmaceutical and biotechnology careers and helping them in deepening their programming knowledge in this fascinating field. Applicants to this program must have completed undergraduate-level coursework in statistics, probability, or biostatistics; and molecular biology or biochemistry. GRE or GMAT scores are not required for admission.
Comprising 30 credits, the program includes core courses such as bioinformatics scripting and databases with python; molecular biology, genetics, and disease; biological sequence analysis; mathematical modeling for bioinformatics; molecular profiling and biomarker discovery; and biomedical statistics with R. in addition to these, students must complete four electives, in subjects such as structural bioinformatics; cheminformatics; special topics in bioinformatics; and computational systems biology.
- Location: Waltham, MA
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Format: Online
- Expected Time to Completion: 15 to 36 months
- Estimated Tuition: Part-time ($3,660 per course); full-time ($2,928 per course)
Professors to Know in Online Master’s Programs in Bioinformatics
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Albert-Laszlo Barabasi PhD, Northeastern University
Dr. Albert-Laszlo Barabasi is a distinguished professor and the Robert Gray Dodge Professor of Network Science at Northeastern University. He is also the director of the Center for Complex Network Research.
Dr. Barabasi is well-known in bioinformatics as he consults with Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital and is a member of the Center for Cancer Systems Biology at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. He earned his doctorate degree in physics from Boston University and his master’s degree in theoretical physics from Eotvos University in Budapest, Hungary.
He created and operated the Barabasi Laboratory to study how networks are formed, what they look like, and how they change. He discovered that specific natural networks follow a blueprint similar to those created by humans. This discovery created scale-free networks and dynamic network modeling, which have positively impacted research across every area where these networks exist.
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Mgavi Elombe Brathwaite New York University
Mgavi Elombe Brathwaite is the bioinformatics program manager and an academic adviser at the Tandon School of Engineering at NYU. He has more than 20 years of experience in bioinformatics, computational biology, and sequence analysis. Before coming on staff at NYU, he held positions across the public and private sectors at IBM's Center for Computational Biology, Columbia University's Genome Center, and the NIH, among others.
As a reputable leader in next-generation sequence analysis, computational biology, and systems biology, Professor Brathwaite has been instrumental in developing the bioinformatics program at NYU and has published several articles and studies on bioinformatics. He obtained his undergraduate degree in chemistry at Lincoln University, and his master's in plant genomics at Tuskegee University.
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Sherry Ogg, PhD Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Sherry Ogg is a senior lecturer at Johns Hopkins University Center for Biotechnology Education. She teaches or has taught courses on advanced cell biology; agricultural biotechnology; molecular biology; introduction to bioinformatics; and biofuels for Johns Hopkins' online advanced academic program in biotechnology.
Dr. Ogg obtained her doctorate in animal science from the University of Maryland, her master’s degree in agricultural and animal science from California State University, and her bachelor’s degree in dairy science from Delaware Valley College. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Maryland.
