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Academics: Master of Science & Master of Biomedical Informatics: In-Depth

 

Overview

The primary goal of both our Master's programs is to educate the future developers and managers of health care information systems. Individuals with a variety of backgrounds are provided a strong technical grounding in medical informatics, health and medicine, computer science, and research methods so that they may assume positions that require a thorough understanding of both information technology and the health care environment. Although the curriculum has a large core of courses, it can be individualized so that those with a prior background in one area (i.e., a health care professional or computer scientist) can focus on other areas where their background is less strong.

The programs are primarily designed to meet the educational needs of two types of students - the health care professional seeking additional training in information management and technology and the non-health care professional seeking training in health information and technology. This is accomplished by providing students with a theoretical and practical understanding of the role of information in health care; a sound basis for implementing, developing, maintaining, and managing information resources and systems in health care; skills in the management of health information, technology, and decision making; and research experience in medical informatics. Most graduates have gone on to assume jobs in industry and academia. Among the companies and institutions who have hired graduates into informatics positions are OHSU, the National Library of Medicine, Cerner Systems, Epic Systems, Vanderbilt University, WebMD, Kaiser-Permanente, and Protocol Systems.

Coursework

The overall curriculum for the MBI and MS programs are identical, with the exception that a master's thesis is not required for the MBI. Instead of a thesis, students are required to take additional elective courses and complete a Capstone Project. The MBI is offered both on-campus and via distance learning, while the MS is an on-campus program. The MBI program requires 52 credit hours for completion. There is a six-credit on-campus requirement for the MBI degree. Once or twice a year, a week or two of high intensity short courses or hybrid courses are offered on the OHSU campuses to meet this requirement.

Element Core Courses Minimum Credits
Biomedical Informatics
  • BMI 510 - Introduction to Biomedical Informatics
  • BMI 512 - Clinical Systems
  • BMI 514 - Information Retrieval
  • BMI 520 - Consumer Health Informatics
  • BMI 521 - Public Health Informatics
  • BMI 571 - Bioinformatics Survey
 9 credits total.
Required courses are in bold. Additionally, two classes (6 credits) must be chosen from the list of core courses.
Biomedical and Clinical Practice
  • BMI 530 - Practice of Health Care
  • BMI 532 - Biomedical Research and Practice
  • BMI 537 - Healthcare Quality
 6 credits total.
Required courses are in bold. Students without a health professional degree must complete 6.0 credit hours - 1 required course and one other course. Students with a health professional degree (RN, MD, etc) must complete either BMI 537 or the equivalent (by arrangement with faculty).
Computer Science
  • BMI 540 - Computer Science I - Advanced Computer Programming
  • BMI 542 - Computer Science II - Computer Networks
  • BMI 544 - Computer Science III - Databases
  • BMI 546 - Software Engineering
 9 credits total.
Required courses in bold. A prerequisite for admissions is a college-level Computer Programming course taught in C, C++, Java or Perl, which must be completed prior to enrolling in the CS courses.
Evaluative Sciences
  • PHPM 524 - Biometry Survey (4.0)
  • BMI 526 - Qualitative Research Methods
  • BMI 560 - Design and Evaluation in Health Informatics
  • BMI 562 - Quantitative Research Methods
 7 credits total.
Required courses are in bold (4 credits). An additional course must be chosen from the list for 3 more credits.
Organizational Behavior and Project Management
  • BMI 517 - Organizational Behavior and Management
  • BMI 518 - Project Management
 6 credits total.
Capstone/Thesis Prep
  • BMI 515 - Ethical, Legal and Social Issues in Medical Informatics (2.0)
  • BMI 570 - Scientific Writing for Informatics Students (2.0)
 4 credits total.
Graduation Requirements
  • BMI 503 - Master’s Thesis (12.0 credits)
  • BMI 580/581 - Capstone Project (4.0 credits)
 MS Degree requires BMI 503. MBI degree requires BMI 580/581.
Electives
  • BMI 501 - Research
  • BMI 502 - Independent Study
  • BMI 504 - Internship
  • BMI 505 - Reading & Conference
  • BMI 507 - Seminar
  • BMI 509 - Practicum
  • BMI 519 - The Business of Health Care Informatics
  • BMI 536 - Evidence-based Medicine
  • BMI 550 - Medical Decision Analysis (2.0 - 3.0)
 Any credits not met by other requirements may be taken from electives.

Applying

Application deadline for Fall 2008 is March 14. 
Applications received after this date will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Submit paper applications only.

Applications and procedures can be found on the OHSU School of Medicine Admissions website.

Any questions about applying and admissions can be directed to the Program Director at 1.503.494.2547. Please make sure to check our FAQ. Many common questions have already been answered there.

To apply for any of the Master's programs, you must have:

  • Bachelor's Degree (in any field of study) from an accredited institution
  • TOEFL scores, if English is not your native language (institution code 4865)
  • cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • official sealed transcripts to accompany the application
  • personal statement
  • 3 letters of recommendation
  • introductory course in computer programming, preferably C++, Perl, or Java (see the CS Policy for more info)
  • introductory course in anatomy and physiology
  • GRE scores from within the last 5 years for those who do not already have a doctoral degree from an accredited US institution

In some circumstances the anatomy and programming requirements may be met after acceptance to the program.

Individuals who are not residents of USA or Canada and who intend to apply for temporary U.S. residency (F-1 visa) status should complete and submit our pre-application. There is substantial competition for entry into OHSU graduate programs and only highly qualified applicants are likely to be considered. Students should have excellent command of the English language as well as excellent GRE scores and strong academic records. Student transcripts should be evaluated for U.S. equivalency.

 
 
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