Prospective Students

The Biomedical Informatics Graduate Program's aim is to educate and support the next generation of informatics leaders. Before you apply, learn more about our graduate programs and the benefits of studying at Oregon’s only public academic medical center.

How Biomedical Informatics at OHSU stands out:

  • Cutting-edge curriculum, with two major courses of study.
  • One of the largest and oldest biomedical informatics programs in the country.
  • Internationally known faculty who have deep connections to the industry.
  • Hands-on learning through internships, practicum experiences and research opportunities.
  • The flexibility to learn remotely or on our wooded campus overlooking downtown Portland.
  • A building-block approach to our degree programs. If you choose to, you can start at entry level and stay with DMICE all the way to your Ph.D.

    Is OHSU’s biomedical informatics program right for you?

    Students who do well in our programs are self-motivated, intensely curious and passionate about using technology to make health care better.

    Biomedical Informatics is not just an exciting career path — it’s a chance to be at the forefront of advances in biomedicine. Our graduates work in fields such as health care industry, academia, government and private consulting.  When you’re ready to explore your professional options, we’ll pair you with a dedicated career specialist to help you see how your interests and skills fit into the world of informatics.

    The educational programs also allow you to specialize in your area of interest. We offer two major tracks: Health and Clinical Informatics and Bioinformatics and Computational Biomedicine. When you apply to OHSU, you’ll select one of these tracks as your primary focus.

    You can choose from a graduate certificate, master’s degree, doctorate or post-doctoral degree in Health and Clinical Informatics. Bioinformatics and Computational Biomedicine is offered at the master’s, doctorate and post-doctorate levels.

    Overviews of each track are below. For sample coursework and information about degree requirements, explore the Biomdical Informatics programs and curriculum in detail.

    The field of clinical informatics aims to transform health care by analyzing, designing, implementing and evaluating information and communication systems.

    In this program, you’ll learn to how to use data to improve patient care, public health and biomedical research.

    Health and Clinical Informatics is a good fit for two types of students:

    • Health care professionals who want a deeper understanding of information management and technology.
    • People who have not worked in health care before and want to better understand how medical fields use information and technology

      This major is for students who want to become researchers or analysts by applying informatics to cellular and molecular biology, often with a focus on genomics.

      On this track you’ll learn to handle, analyze and understand large amounts of data produced by the advanced techniques used in modern biological research. This means immersing yourself in learning across disciplines such as statistics, algorithms, research methods, biology and computation. You’ll also study ways that these approaches overlap, such as in computational biology.

      Some students complete this track at the master’s degree level, while others go on to pursue a Ph.D. The videos below can help you decide which is right for you.

      Supportive community, world-class reputation

      Our location on the Marquam Hill campus, OHSU’s largest, puts you in the heart of a thriving, internationally respected medical and research community:

      • DMICE is one of more than two dozen departments in the OHSU School of Medicine. That means you’ll be well positioned to collaborate with faculty and researchers across medical fields and disciplines.
      • DMICE’s large faculty – about 80 dedicated teachers and mentors – has a singular mission. Its goal is to develop imaginative leaders who can bring novel strategies and ideas to biomedical informatics.
      • OHSU researchers are known for breakthroughs that have a tremendous impact. You’ll have the chance to join research teams as they explore new frontiers in biomedicine, clinical epidemiology and information science.
      • DMICE works closely with other top health systems, companies and organizations. These relationships help you make strategic connections outside of OHSU. Our career services expert is also here to help you with your job search and beyond.

        Prospective student open house

        Register for our annual open house in October on to get a deeper look at what DMICE has to offer. This on-campus event includes speaker panels, poster sessions, and a Q&A with admissions and career services staff.

        Can’t make it to campus for the open house? Discover more about DMICE through these presentations from past events:

        You can also find details about our majors in our informational webinars.

        Important dates

        Application deadline for HCIN Spring Admissions - Usually February

        Application deadline for HCIN Fall Admissions - Usually mid June

        Contact us

        We’re happy to answer questions and share information about DMICE programs.

        Send us an email and we’ll get back to you in 1-2 business days or less.

        ‘Invaluable’ connections

        “While completing my graduate certificate at OHSU, I felt supported in all ways by faculty and staff. The network I built through this program is invaluable.”

        —Aurae Beidler, compliance and privacy officer

        Creative solutions to real-world problems

        “At OHSU, I was well-prepared for real-life situations — learning about the state of affairs in clinical informatics, learning to collaborate with individuals coming from diverse backgrounds — and developing my understanding of complex issues and my communications skills to work with others to create solutions.”

        —Alfredo Almerares, physician executive and clinical safety officer

        A path to leadership

        OHSU helped propel me into a key executive role in my county health system. There has never been a better time to be in informatics, and I am grateful for the skills I learned at OHSU!

        —Anthony Dunnigan, vice president and chief medical officer