BIOM-MS - Biomedical Informatics (MS)
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Program Overview
OUT OF DATE - Refer to program for AY23-24 forward.
The Biomedical Data Science Program is interdepartmental and offers instruction and research opportunities leading to MS and PhD degrees in Biomedical Data Science. All students must complete the core curriculum requirements and additional coursework that fulfills degree requirements and pursues their technical interests and goals as specified for each degree program.
The program can provide flexibility and complement Stanford’s other applied medical research opportunities. Special arrangements may be made for those with unique needs or those simultaneously enrolled in other degree programs within the university. Similarly, students with prior relevant training may have the curriculum adjusted to eliminate requirements met as part of prior training.
The GRE is not required for admission.
See Graduate Degrees for university requirements for the MS degree.
Advising
Upon entering the program, each student is assigned an academic advisor to help with course selection and monitor progress toward program milestones and degree requirements. Each research-track (academic) MS and PhD student conducts research under the primary mentorship of a faculty supervisor, who guides their scholarly and professional development. Further details about the advisor roles and responsibilities are found in DBDS Student Handbook and Biomedical Data Science.
Master of Science in Biomedical Data Science (Academic)
This degree is designed for individuals who wish to undertake an in-depth study of biomedical data science with research on a full-time basis. Typically, a student spends two years in the program and implements and documents a substantial project by the end of the second year. The first year involves acquiring the fundamental concepts and tools through coursework and research project involvement. Academic MS students are expected to devote 50 percent or more of their time to participating in research projects. Research rotations are not required but can be done with the approval of the academic advisor or training program director. Graduates of this program are prepared to contribute creatively to basic or applied projects in biomedical data science. This degree requires a written research paper to be approved by two faculty members.
Master of Science in Biomedical Data Science (Professional/Honors Cooperative Program)
This degree is designed primarily for the working professional with advanced training in one discipline who wishes to acquire interdisciplinary skills. Although many classes necessary for the degree are available online, some requirements may be fulfilled by implementing an alternative plan to be approved by the program. The professional MS is offered with the Stanford Center for Professional Development (SCPD), which establishes tuition and fee rates. The program uses the honors cooperative program (HCP) model, which assumes that the student works full time and is enrolled in the MS part-time. Students who live locally may attend their courses on campus. Students have up to five years to complete the program. Research projects are optional; the student must make arrangements with program faculty if interested. Graduates of this program are prepared to contribute creatively to basic or applied projects in biomedical data science.
Master of Science in Biomedical Data Science (Coterminal)
The coterminal degree program allows Stanford University undergraduates to study for a master’s degree while completing their bachelor’s degree(s) in the same or a different department. See Coterminal Master's Degrees for additional information. See the Registrar’s Office website for university coterminal degree program rules and application forms.
The coterminal Master of Science program follows the same program requirements as the Master of Science (Professional), except for the requirement to be employed full-time. The coterminal degree is available only to current Stanford undergraduates. Coterminal students are enrolled full time, and courses are taken on campus. Research projects are optional; the student must make arrangements with program faculty if interested. Graduates of this program are prepared to contribute creatively to basic or applied projects in biomedical data science.
Minimum Units in the Program
Minimum University Units
Core courses must all be taken for a letter grade.
All core courses are required for HCP except BIOMEDIN 212, which is highly recommended if possible. BIOMEDIN 212 requires special arrangements with the instructor, so we can include you in the class remotely if possible.
Students are expected to participate regularly in course Biomedical Informatics Student Seminar and a research colloquium. Regardless of their enrollment, they should attend all meetings throughout their graduate training and a research colloquium appropriate to their interests. This course can be taken up to three times for one unit credit each time.
A complete list of courses accepted for this requirement is on the DBDS website Electives page.
Students are expected to create a program of study with graduate-level courses in computer science, statistics, and other technical informatics-related disciplines to achieve in-depth mastery. The program of study may focus on aspects of these disciplines, including machine learning, statistical modeling, artificial intelligence, data mining, image analysis, human-computer interaction, and data visualization. Electives on the DBDS website has a complete list of courses accepted for this requirement.
Please note:
Up to eight CS/Stats/Math/Eng units can be taken pass/fail. No more than nine units can be courses below the 200-level.
course Programming Methodology and course Programming Abstractions cannot be counted for this requirement.
Students are expected to be familiar with issues regarding responsible conduct of research, reproducibility of research, and ethical, legal, social, organizational, and behavioral aspects of the impact of biomedical data science technologies on society.
Type “dbds::ethics” into the search box in explorecourses.
Note: MED 255 is required only for Academic MS and PhD students.
These courses may be taken on a Satisfactory/No credit basis.
Unrestricted units: 11 for Academic + Coterm MS students; 14 for Honors Coop.
They need to be at or above the 100 level.
All students in the Academic MS program must engage in biomedical data-science-related research under the supervision of a DBDS Advising Faculty member. Labs are arranged by mutual agreement between the student and the research supervisor. Before graduating from the Academic MS program, students must write a research paper reviewed and approved by two faculty members, including the Research Advisor.
Additional Requirements and Information:
Completing the DBDS MS program with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher is required for graduation.
No one is required to take courses in an area in which they have already been adequately trained; under such circumstances, students are permitted to skip those courses and substitute more advanced work using a formal annual waiver process administered by the DBDS executive committee.
At least 24 units of formal letter-graded coursework are expected for all MS and PhD candidates.
Unrestricted Electives needed to complete 45 units. Students may fulfill this requirement with any Stanford graduate courses, including courses taken to satisfy program prerequisites.
At least 23 units of courses must be at level 200 or above.
Students are expected to participate regularly in BIOMEDIN 201 Biomedical Informatics Student Seminar and a research colloquium.
An Academic MS student funded by the program must be a teaching assistant for one course; those students may register for 1-3 BIOMEDIN 290 Biomedical Informatics Teaching Methods units.
HCP professional master’s students who are local are encouraged to participate in on-campus coursework and seminars.
Masters students should sign up for BIOMEDIN 801 TGR Master’s Project for their project units after completing their 45-unit residency requirement.
Students design appropriate programs for their interests with the assistance and approval of their Biomedical Data Science academic advisor.
Nine units for HCP students. (See Core Courses above for a list of required classes) Although many classes necessary for the degree are available online, some requirements may be fulfilled by implementing an alternative plan to be approved by the program. BIOMEDIN 212 requires special arrangements with the instructor, so we can include you in the class remotely if possible. Note that core courses should be taken for a grade, not pass/no credit
If Stats 200 is not offered remotely, then you can consider taking: MS&E 226 or EPI 259 and EPI 261 (both).
Computer science, statistics, mathematics, and engineering electives (18 units). Courses that can count for CS/Stats/Math/Eng are listed on the Electives page. Up to eight CS/Stats/Math/Eng units can be taken pass/fail. CS 161 and STATS 200 are required, along with either STATS 315A or CS 229. These three courses, or some of their prerequisites, may not be available through SCPD. You should submit a course plan with the next best alternatives: these may include similar courses at Stanford or other institutions (note that outside courses would not count towards the required 45 units).
See the complete list of courses above in Social & Ethical Issues.
Note that although MED 255 is listed as required, it is required only for MS and PhD students engaged in NIH-funded research at Stanford. This typically does not apply to HCP students.
Additional Requirements and Information
How to put the courses in order. Use one of the course flowsheets. First, check ExploreCourses and the SCPD website for which quarter the courses are offered. Also, check the listed prerequisites for each class and also the course websites for additional information about what’s expected so you can estimate how difficult each class will be for you. Typically, SCPD students take one course per quarter. Note that SCPD imposes an upper limit of three courses per quarter. Also, use the DBDS Student Wiki for advice on courses.
The following courses are only available P/F: BIOMEDIN 201, 205, 206, 207, 290, 299, 801, 802, and MED 255.
45 units are required for the DBDS MS.
All courses counted towards the MS must be at or above the 100 level.
You can include up to 18 units that you took Non-Degree Option before entering the MS program.
At least 23 units must be courses at or above the 200 level.
At least 24 units must be taken for a grade.
The coterminal degree program allows Stanford university undergraduates to study for a master’s degree while completing their bachelor’s degree(s) in the same or a different department. See Coterminal Master's Degrees section for additional information. See the Registrar’s Office website for university coterminal degree program rules and application forms/
The coterminal Master of Science program follows the same program requirements as the Honors Cooperative, except for the requirement to be employed full-time. The coterminal degree is available only to current Stanford undergraduates. Coterminal students are enrolled full time and courses are taken on campus. Research projects are optional; the student must make arrangements with program faculty if interested. Graduates of this program are prepared to contribute creatively to basic or applied projects in biomedical data science.
Application to the Coterminal Program
For complete information, see the program’s Coterminal Master's Degrees page.
Submit the university Coterminal Online Application.
Submit your academic resume or curriculum vitae.
Submit a one-page Statement of Purpose describing how and why the DBDS program is well matched to your interests.
University Coterminal Requirements
Coterminal master’s degree candidates are expected to complete all master’s degree requirements as described in the Degrees section. Graduate Degrees lists university requirements for the master’s degree.
After accepting admission to this coterminal master’s degree program, students may request a transfer of courses from the undergraduate to the graduate career to satisfy the requirements for the master’s degree. Transferring courses to the graduate career requires review and approval of both the undergraduate and graduate programs on a case-by-case basis.
In this master’s program, courses taken three quarters before the first graduate quarter or later are eligible for consideration for transfer to the graduate career. No courses taken before the first quarter of the sophomore year may be used to meet master’s degree requirements.
Course transfers are not possible after the bachelor’s degree has been conferred.
The university requires that the graduate advisor be assigned in the student’s first graduate quarter even though the undergraduate career may still be open. The university also requires that the Master’s Degree Program Proposal be completed by the student and approved by the department by the end of the student’s first graduate quarter.
DBDS Coterminal Requirements
You are required to have at least 180 units (undergraduate) and 45 units (graduate).
No units may be counted toward both undergraduate and DBDS MS degrees.
45 units are required for the DBDS MS.
All courses counted towards the MS must be DBDS -related courses at or above the 100 level (as approved by the advisor and DBDS program).
At least 23 units must be courses at or above the 200 level.
At least 24 units must be taken for a grade.
DBDS core courses may not be taken pass/fail. Exceptions: BIOMEDIN 201, 205, 290, 299, 390, 801, 802, and MED 255, or BIOMEDIN courses that are offered only on an S/NC basis
A complete list of elective courses that can count for CS/Stats/Math/Eng is listed here. Up to six CS/Stats/Math/Eng units can be taken pass/fail.
You can apply to DBDS upon completion of 120 units but no later than the quarter before the expected completion of the undergraduate degree.
Coterminal students are permitted to count coursework taken in the three quarters immediately before their first graduate quarter toward their graduate degree (summer quarter is not included in the count).
The Coterminal Course Transfer eForm is used to transfer courses from the undergraduate to the graduate career and vice versa. This must be done before the undergraduate degree is conferred.
You may take any course you want at Stanford while in the program, including electives not at all related to DBDS , as long as you also have an approved DBDS -related 45-unit program of study that satisfies the requirements for the DBDS degree.