New Distance Learning Professional Masters Program in Biomedical Informatics at Stanford University

The Biomedical Informatics (BMI) training program at Stanford University will offer a professional Masters degree beginning Spring Quarter of 2003. The professional MS program is specially designed so students may remain fully employed while studying for their degree. Students accepted into the program may enroll part-time with up to 5 years to complete the program. It is possible to fulfill the requirements for the degree on-line through courses delivered by the Stanford Center for Professional Development; students are not required to attend classes on-campus.

The goal of the BMI program is to train scientists with the necessary research skills to develop novel methods in biomedical informatics. Students in the program may choose to specialize in either bioinformatics or medical informatics. The current academic M.S. program has a strong focus on the research project and students are expected to enroll full-time for two years. The new program will not focus on research (although research can be performed for credit). Because our online course offerings are currently strongest in technical fields of computer science and statistics, the initial class of students must enter with previous training in biology or medicine. Thus, the professional Masters degree program is appropriate for students who already have advanced training in biology or medicine, and wish to acquire inter-disciplinary skills.

For more information about the program and how to apply, please review the website at http://smi-web.stanford.edu/academics/