Admissions

Application Information

All applications to McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston are submitted and processed by the centralized application service, Graduate Enrollment Management Centralized Application Services (GradCAS).

Additional information is available by contacting the school’s Office of Academic Affairs at:

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston)
D. Bradley McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics Office of Academic Affairs
7000 Fannin, Suite 600
Houston, TX 77030
Telephone: (713) 500-3591
Email Address: SBMIAdmissions@uth.tmc.edu

Specific requirements for admission to the certificate and degree programs are provided in the program section of this catalog. The school is obligated to ensure academic quality and comparability for all applicants applying to our programs. As such, our school will only consider credits earned for degrees awarded from regionally-accredited institutions in our admissions process. For international applicants, coursework reviewed as part of the Course-by-Course Evaluation Report from WES or ECE must show the U.S. equivalency to coursework completed at a regionally-accredited institution.

Non-Degree/Certificate Admission Process

Completed applications are reviewed by the Certificate Program Coordinator(s). Recommendations for or against admission are made to the Associate Dean for Student, Faculty, and Community Affairs. The Certificate Program Coordinator(s) advise all certificate students.

General Admission Process for Degree Programs

The school’s Admission, Progression and Graduation Committee reviews completed applications to the master’s and doctoral programs.

The admission criteria include, but are not limited to:

  • Prior academic preparation (depth, breadth, and performance): application, college transcripts, and letters of reference;
  • Relevant work experience (particularly practice in the field of study): application, goal statement, curriculum vitae (CV) or resume, and letters of reference;
  • Career goals: application, goal statement, and letters of reference;
  • Motivation: goal statement, letters of reference, and college transcripts;
  • Integrity: goal statement, and letters of reference;
  • Standardized tests: GRE scores and TOEFL/IELTS (if required);
  • Thesis, publications and other scholarly works: supplemental documents provided by applicant; and
  • Success in overcoming social, economic or educational disadvantages.

Qualified applicants to the doctoral programs will be invited to interview with faculty members at the discretion of the committee. The Office of Academic Affairs will schedule personal interviews. In addition to the listed criteria, the applicant’s communication skills and understanding of the program may be evaluated based on the personal interview. Admissions decisions will be made after interviews are completed.

Additional Requirements for International Applicants or Applicants with International Coursework

An international student is a student who is not a citizen or a permanent resident of the U.S. All international students must contact and must be cleared by the UTHealth Houston Office of International Affairs prior to registration. Here is additional information regarding the international applicant admission process. (Students with transcripts from an international institution may also be subject to one or more of the below criteria):

  • The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Testing System (IELTS). For admissions consideration a minimum acceptable score of 94 on the internet-based TOEFL is required or a minimum acceptable overall score of 7.0 on the IELTS is required. Test scores are valid for two years from the test date. The official scores must be submitted directly to GradCAS from the applicable test center. Submit official TOEFL scores by using the reporting code B886; no department code is required. Submit official IELTS scores by sending them to GradCAS; no code is needed. Testing is at the applicant’s expense.
  • Applicants that have completed coursework outside of the United States and who have received a diploma from a university at which English is the language of instruction are not required to submit an English Language exam. If this school is outside of an English-speaking country, evidence that indicates the language of instruction will need to be provided with your application such as a letter from the University on official letterhead.
  • Applicants that have completed coursework outside of the United States must submit official transcripts and a course‐by‐course education evaluation of all transcripts from all universities attended outside the United States. The application forms for such an evaluation may be obtained online from the service providers, Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE) and World Education Services (WES). Only evaluations from ECE or WES will be accepted. The results of the evaluation must be submitted directly to GradCAS by the agency. The evaluation report is at the applicant’s expense.
  • F-1 sponsorship is available for students in the Research Master’s, and PhD programs. F-1 sponsorship is not available for the Certificate, Applied Master’s, Dual degree or DHI programs. International applicants are still eligible to apply for SBMI programs and can be enrolled at a distance.
  • The I‐20 form, required by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), is prepared by UTHealth Houston and issued to qualified non-immigrant applicants who have been admitted and who have demonstrated financial ability to support their education. Upon acceptance, the non-immigrant student will be asked to provide financial and visa information so that the I‐20 form may be completed. The student must submit the completed form to the American Embassy in his/her country of origin in order to receive a student visa or must otherwise be eligible for F‐1 status in the U.S. Please contact the UTHealth Houston Office of International Affairs for information (713-500-3176, utoiahouston@uth.tmc.edu).
  • Official transcripts provided directly to GradCAS will be shared with the Office of the Registrar. If the applicant is an actively enrolled student at the college/university at the time of applying, a final official transcripts at the end of the last semester of enrollment with degree conferral must be sent directly to the Office of the Registrar prior to the first day of classes of their starting term. Failure to submit final official documents by the first enrolled term will result in a hold placed on the students account preventing them from future course registration.

Admissions Application Deadlines

Certificates in Biomedical Informatics Application Deadlines
Fall admissions: July 1
Spring admissions: November 1
Summer admissions: March 1

Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics Application Deadlines
Fall admissions: July 1
Spring admissions: November 1
Summer admissions: March 1

Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Informatics Application Deadlines
Fall admissions: December 1
Spring admissions: July 1

Doctorate in Health Informatics Application Deadline
Fall admissions: March 1

Address application inquiries to:

Office of Academic Affairs
D. Bradley McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston
7000 Fannin, Suite 600
Houston, TX 77030 713-500‐3591
SBMIAdmissions@uth.tmc.edu

Waiver or alteration of admission requirements, other than those mandated by statute, for admission to McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics or of courses offered by the school, must be based upon a review of the circumstances, a justification and review by the faculty, and final written approval by the Dean. Requirements mandated by statute will not be waived or altered.

In order to register, a student must have on file in the Office of the Registrar official transcripts and documents of all previous academic work and meet all admission requirements. A student who knowingly falsifies or is a party to the falsification of any official University record (including transcripts and/or application for admission) will be subject to the offer of admission being withdrawn, or disciplinary action, which may include dismissal from the University.