professional masters program

biomedical informatics

Description

The Biomedical Informatics program offers two Master’s degree programs. The Academic M.S. program is a full-time on-campus program and the Professional M.S. program is part-time, online, distance program. We require all students to be formal degree candidates.

An important belief underlying our programs is that leaders in this field require broad exposure to formal coursework in addition to intensive research training. Thus, the requirements for both M.S. degrees follow those of the university and, in addition, can be tailored to fit the background and interests of each student.

The Professional M.S. program in biomedical informatics was initially funded by the Sloan Foundation and was part of an initiative to create a new type of degree program at the master's level in the sciences. As the degree of complexity has grown in science, so has the need for technical education beyond the undergraduate level. In many cases, individuals with advanced training who wish to extend their research areas to include biomedical informatics generally need to obtain additional training. Traditional programs at the master’s and Ph.D. level offer training in research skills which are redundant or unnecessary, and can be too specialized or too lengthy. We are addressing the need for advanced didactic training via the part-time Professional M.S. degree in Biomedical Informatics.

While the Professional M.S. program is a technical degree and is designed for the needs of students interested in non-academic careers, the program requirements for the degree are identical to those for the Academic M.S., with the exception that a thesis is not required. There is no difference in scientific focus. Students may only enroll in the Professional M.S. program as part-time, Honors Co-op (HCP) students. The Professional M.S. degree is the only part-time degree offered by the Biomedical Informatics Training Program.

Eligibility
To be eligible for the professional MS program, candidates need to be employed on a full time basis and should remain employed full time throughout the duration of the program.

Distance Learning
The Biomedical Informatics training program and the Stanford Center for Professional Development (SCPD) offer all of the Professional M.S. classes online. Lectures and PowerPoint presentations can be viewed with a browser that supports Windows Media Player and an Internet connection with sufficient bandwidth. Course readings are available over the Internet . Alternatively we can mail hard copies to students. You may also take classes on-campus in order to take electives or participate in a short research project, or both, but your presence on campus is not required for this degree.

Duration
HCP students have up to five years to complete the Profession M.S. program. In general, however, we expect candidates to undertake a program of study that can be completed in approximately 3-4 years. Students should enroll in an average of 4 course units of study every quarter (on average) for four years in order to complete the 45 total units required for the degree.
Note that due to scheduling, achieving a perfectly balanced load, spread over four quarters is difficult. Applicants to this program should seriously consider if their work environments and personal obligations are conducive to work-study and should be sure they can take courses at the minimum required frequency. The program is rigorous and time management should be considered carefully.
Applicants should be aware that Stanford University expects a three-unit course will require, on average, a time commitment of 12-15 hours per week. Some courses, especially project courses or courses with significant programming requirements, may require more time than average.

Employer Support including membership
The professional M.S. program is meant to serve the needs of students working in industry. As such, each student’s employer must support the entry of an employee into the program. Examples of support may include: willingness to work witht the student's study schedule, allocation of company resources to the project, student supervision to ensure satisfactory progress, and consultation with program faculty for career advising. Employers must become corporate members of the Stanford Center for Professional Development's program.

Industrial Site Supervisor
Each student should elect an Industrial Site Supervisor. The supervisor's responsibilities include the administration of examinations, student oversight to ensure satisfactory progress, regular progress reports to the BMI program, and consultation with program faculty to resolve difficulties.

International Students
We presume that candidates who are not US citizens hold H-1 visas, given that most will be employed on a full-time basis in the United States. For students outside of North America, please consider that many of our classes have a project component where you will be required to interact with groups of students in the Pacific Time Zone. Adjustments to your lifestyle to accomodate time zone differences are usually unsustainable for the duration of a graduate degree. If you are employed outside of the United States and believe this will not present a major difficulty, please contact the Director of the Program.

Tuition
Tuition for an Honors Co-op student is approximately $1280 per unit plus fees. Check the current tuition and fees. HCP students in the Professional M.S. program are not eligible for funding from many U.S. government fellowships due to the required research component of the fellowships.