Biomedical Informatics, PhD

Program Overview

The Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Informatics prepares researchers to advance information and knowledge management in biomedical and healthcare domains. The program emphasizes the core areas of computer science, medicine, biology, and healthcare, equipping graduates with the skills to conduct high-quality research and develop innovative technologies in biomedical informatics.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Doctor of Philosophy in biomedical informatics (BMI) degree is designed to prepare the next generation of biomedical informatics researchers who are uniquely positioned to advance research and practice in contemporary information and knowledge management that impact biomedical, clinical and translational research, healthcare services, healthcare practice, public health care, and healthcare delivery in general. The mission of the PhD program is to prepare students with the following abilities:

• Understand the theory and application of biomedical informatics focused around the core areas of computer science, medicine, biology, and healthcare
• Knowledge of the analysis, design, development, and implementation of current and future biomedical informatics systems & technologies
• Competence in conducting and managing high quality, basic and applied research in the BMI domain
• Solid grounding in the fundamentals of academic teaching
• Strong foundation in multidisciplinary and emergent areas in biomedical informatics

Outline:

The doctoral BMI program typically requires 90 credit hours beyond a baccalaureate degree. It consists of common required foundation/core courses to include doctoral seminars and colloquia, a major field of study, and a cognate/minor field of study in a related discipline. The doctoral program is divided into four phases from a student's perspective: foundation/core coursework, major field of study/research coursework, additional elective coursework in cognate field/minor field of study (as advised by the student's supervisory committee), and doctoral research and dissertation. Applicants should have a background in programming languages, data structures, statistics, math or experimental methods (any engineering, computer science related degree). Students with degrees in other disciplines will usually have to take foundation courses. Occasionally, a student's work experience may be sufficient to waive one or more foundation courses.

Science Prerequisites:

Applicants should have a background in anatomy, physiology, cell biology or equivalent (any health science degree). Students with degrees in other disciplines will usually have to take foundation courses. Occasionally, a student's work experience may be sufficient to waive one or more foundation courses.

Requirements:

• Foundation Courses (24 credits): A maximum of 24 credit hours of graduate coursework can be transferred from courses taken in a graduate program prior to admission into the PhD program.
These must be approved by the doctoral program committee and included on the plan of study. BMI 8100, Introduction to Biomedical Informatics or equivalent must be included in the 24 hours.
• Required Each Semester (12 credits):
• BMI 8000, ADVANCES IN BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS
• ISQA 9010, FOUNDATIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH
• Select 9 hours from the list below:
• BIOI 8850, SPECIAL TOPICS IN BIOINFORMATICS
• BMI 8020, ADVANCED COURSE IN BIOINFORMATICS
• BMI 8070, HEALTH INFORMATICS RESEARCH METHODS
• CIST 9080, RESEARCH DIRECTIONS IN I.T.
• ISQA 8156, ADVANCED STATISTICAL METHODS FOR IS&T
• Any doctoral level qualitative research method course approved by the Doctoral Program Committee
• Major Field of Study (18 credits): Select one of the following:
• Bioinformatics Track
• Health Informatics Track
• Cognate Field (9 credits): Graduate courses (8000 or higher) in the areas of biology, ISQA, information assurance, neuroscience, public health, computer science, and pathology are determined with faculty advisement.
• Colloquia (3 credits):
• CIST 9040, COLLOQUIUM ON IT RESEARCH
• CIST 9050, COLLOQUIUM ON IT TEACHING
• CIST 9060, COLLOQUIUM ON IT PROFESSION AND ETHICS
• Exit Requirement (24 credits): BMI 9990, DISSERTATION

Track Options (18 hours from either Bioinformatics or Health Informatics):

At least 3 courses (9 credits) must be 9000-level BMI courses. The remaining courses can include at least one 8000-level graduate-only course and up to six hours of 8xx6 courses.

Bioinformatics Track:

• Select 18 hours from the following:
• BMI 8300, PUBLIC HEALTH GENOMICS
• BMI 8400, LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ADVANCED COMPUTING AND AI
• BMI 8860, SPECIAL TOPICS IN BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS
• BMI 8866, BIOINFORMATICS ALGORITHMS
• BMI 9900, ADVANCED RESEARCH IN BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS
• BMI 9980, INDEPENDENT RESEARCH IN BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS
• CSCI/MATH 8156, GRAPH THEORY & APPLICATIONS
• CSCI 8456, INTRODUCTION TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
• CSCI 8876, DATABASE SEARCH AND PATTERN DISCOVERY IN BIOINFORMATICS
• ISQA 8460, INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT), BIG DATA AND THE CLOUD
• ISQA 8700, DATA MINING: THEORY AND PRACTICE
• ISQA 8750, STORYTELLING WITH DATA
• ISQA 9020, TECHNICAL AND PROCESS ISSUES IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH

Health Informatics Track:

• Select 18 hours from the following:
• BMI 8086, SPECIAL TOPICS: HEALTH INFORMATICS RESEARCH METHODS
• BMI 8300, PUBLIC HEALTH GENOMICS
• BMI 8400, LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ADVANCED COMPUTING AND AI
• BMI 9980, INDEPENDENT RESEARCH IN BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS
• ISQA 8060, RESEARCH IN MIS
• ISQA 8460, INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT), BIG DATA AND THE CLOUD
• ISQA 8700, DATA MINING: THEORY AND PRACTICE
• ISQA 8736, DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS
• ISQA 8750, STORYTELLING WITH DATA
• ISQA 9020, TECHNICAL AND PROCESS ISSUES IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH

Assessment:

• Qualifying (Comprehensive) Examination: Students must pass the written qualifying (comprehensive) examination.
• Dissertation Proposal: Students must receive the approval of their dissertation proposal before the supervisory committee (oral examination).
• Dissertation Defense: The dissertation will be defended at an open meeting conducted by the student's supervisory committee.
• Grade Requirements: All doctoral students must obtain a grade of B or better in any of the required courses.

Teaching:

Other:

• Doctoral Program Supervisory Committee: The supervisory committee shall be established before a doctoral student begins the last 45 credit hours of their program of study.
This committee will have responsibility for planning and supervision of the student's doctoral program in coordination with the BMI graduate program committee, including the development of the comprehensive exam, defense of the doctoral dissertation proposal, the approval of the completed dissertation, and the final oral examination.
• Academic Requirements: Academic requirements for the doctorate degree include:
• Doctoral research seminars in one or more of the thematic areas of the program.
• Advanced courses (subject to dissertation advisor and graduate committee approvals) related to the student’s expected field of study/research area.
• Courses in an associated field of study.
• Courses or colloquia relating to teaching, ethics and research.
• Participation in relevant graduate research seminars each semester.
• Successful passing of qualifying (comprehensive) examination.
• Presentation and defense of a dissertation research proposal on a topic in the approved major field of study/research area.
• Submission of the final dissertation manuscript in appropriate format after a successful dissertation defense.
• Pass the written qualifying (comprehensive) examination.
• Successfully complete all coursework with satisfactory grades.
• Receive the approval of his/her dissertation proposal before the supervisory committee (oral examination).
• Dissertation and Final Examination: The dissertation should treat a subject in-depth from the candidate’s major field of study/research area and as approved by his/her supervisory committee.
The student’s dissertation should show his/her technical mastery of the field and create novel material by advancing or modifying knowledge, creating new material, finding new results, drawing new conclusions, or interpreting old material in a new light.
• Residency Requirements: All full-time doctoral students must complete 27 hours within 18 months in order to meet the residency requirement of the University.
Part-time students must complete 18 hours during the same period.
• Progress Report: At the end of each semester, every doctoral student (full-time or part-time) must complete the Progress Report form and submit it to the chair of the doctoral program committee.
• Satisfactory Progress: A minimum of three years of full-time graduate study is normally required to complete a doctoral program.
The maximum time allowed is eight years from the filing of the student’s plan of study in the Office of Graduate Studies.
• Leave of Absence: Under extraordinary circumstances, e.g., medical problems, a student may request a leave of absence from the program for a period of no more than one year.
• Completing Graduation Requirements: After successfully defending his or her dissertation, the student should obtain signatures from all members of their supervisory committee on the Report on Completion of Degree form and submit the form along with a copy of their title and abstract page to the Office of Graduate Studies.