Program Description and Goals

Undergraduate students have the opportunity to earn both a Bachelor of Arts/Science and a Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics over the course of five years through the Accelerated Master’s Program. The program is an integrated program that overlaps graduate curriculum into the student's undergraduate work, which provides the opportunity to graduate with the bachelor's at the same time as their Graduate Certificate in Biomedical Informatics. The student’s undergraduate degree program must be in an appropriate area, e.g., biomedical science, pre-med, nursing, health sciences, life sciences, management information systems, or computer science to qualify for admission to the Accelerated Master's 4+1 Program.

McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics has collaboration agreements with the following institutions whose students are eligible to participate in this integrated curriculum:

• Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU)
• Texas A&M International University (TAMIU)
• Tuskegee University
• University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV)

The student will graduate with an undergraduate degree in their selected major course of study, but will also have the opportunity to complete a master’s degree in Biomedical Informatics in one additional year instead of the customary two years.

Upon completion of the 15-semester credit hour certificate, students will be awarded a certificate of completion from McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston. A transcript showing graduate credits may be obtained from the Registrar’s Office.

Curriculum for Certificate Programs

The course requirements for earning both the undergraduate degree and graduate certificate from the school will vary by participating institution. Please contact the McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics Accelerated Master's 4+1 Program Coordinator for additional information.

For further curriculum information, please contact:

D. Bradley McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston
Office of Academic Affairs
7000 Fannin Street Suite 600
Houston, Texas 77030
Telephone: (713) 500‐3591
Email: SBMIAcademics@uth.tmc.edu

Admission to the Accelerated Masters 4 + 1 Program

The admission process for the Accelerated Masters 4 + 1 program requires the submission of both a Pre-Application and a McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics application. Both applications must include all supplemental documents.

Step 1:

4+1 PRE-APPLICATION

Prospective students are to complete the 4 + 1 Pre-Application where the applicant will upload the following items:

1. Copy of Degree Audit or unofficial transcripts from the student's undergraduate institution
2. One Letter of Reference/Recommendation
3. Essay Question

See the Accelerated Masters 4 + 1 Program admission requirements webpage for additional information.

All documents for the Pre-Application must be submitted by October 1st for the Spring admission deadline, February 1st for the Summer admission deadline, and June 1st for the Fall admission deadline.

Candidates who successfully make it through the pre-application process will be cleared to begin step 2.

Step 2:

INTERVIEW

Upon meeting the requirements in Step 1, If the pre-application is approved, candidates will be contacted to have an interview with the 4+1 admissions committee.

Step 3:

MCWILLIAMS SCHOOL OF BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS APPLICATION

Upon meeting the requirements in Step 1 and Step 2 (the recommendation of the admissions committee), pre-approved candidates will then submit an application to the Graduate Certificate program.

The applicant should present a completed application and official documentation through GradCAS of the following:

1. $38 application fee
2. Official transcripts from ALL colleges and universities attended in the US.
   • Any dual credit or AP credits must be verified on the transcript from the present college or an official transcript from the awarding college or program.
   • Courses or degrees completed outside of the US must have a WES or ECE course-by-course transcript evaluation with GPA calculation
   • Grade Point Average (GPA): no minimum GPA requirement. Recommended cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
3. Personal Goal statement
4. One Letter of Reference/Recommendation
5. Resume and/or Curriculum Vitae (as appropriate)

Application deadlines

• Fall admission: July 1
• Spring admission: November 1
• Summer admission: March 1

Any student receiving a grade of less than a “B” in a required or elective course must retake the course and receive a grade of “B” or higher to continue on in their academic program. The original grade of “C” will remain on the student transcript. Students are not permitted to earn more than two grades of “C”. The third grade of “C” will result in dismissal from McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics.

No grade lower than a “B” will be accepted for transfer into the McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics master’s or doctoral program.