About Our Program
The graduate training program offers the PhD degree, and three MS degrees (an academic research-oriented degree, a professional distance-learning masters for part-time students, and co-terminal for Stanford undergraduates). We also have post-doctoral fellows, and offer distance learning certificates in bioinformatics and clinical research informatics.
- Prerequisites. For a graduate degree, the University requires the applicant to have a bachelor's degree, and to submit GRE scores (or MCATs for MDs). We do not require any particular major, but we do require that students have strong undergraduate preparation in computer science/software engineering, mathematics (especially calculus, probability and statistics, and linear algebra), and college-level biology. Applicants with limited backgrounds in these areas should fill the deficiencies prior to applying to our program.
- Curriculum. MS and PhD candidates take coursework in four areas: (1) core BMI classes, (2) an individual plan with electives in computer science, statistics, mathematics, engineering, and allied informatics-related disciplines, (3) requiried coursework in social, legal, and ethical issues, (4) unrestricted electives. In addition, PhD candidates are required to choose electives in some area of biology or medicine. Degree candidates also learn important didactic skills by serving as teaching assistants in our core courses.
- Funding. We have been continuously funded by a training grant from the National Library of Medicine since 1984, which provides fellowship support for entering students who are US citizens and permanent residents. International students bring outside funding or compete for Stanford Graduate Fellowships. Senior graduate students typically receive funding support through their research supervisor.
