Online Bioinformatics
Masters

A Bioinformatics Master’s usually combines biology, computer science, chemistry, statistics, and mathematics, coupled with real-world experience. The program helps students integrate the knowledge, skills, experience, and confidence they need to develop, evaluate, and deploy bioinformatics and computational biology applications.

This Master’s Degree will prepare individuals for various positions in the growing and challenging field of Bioinformatics, whether they already work in the field, want to advance their career, or want to change careers. With a variety of quantitative and computational skills, blended with biotechnology, this advanced degree will allow graduates to work in various sectors, including Medical Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Pharmaceuticals, Software Development, Biotechnology, Government, Education, and Consulting, among others.

Bioinformatics Masters Degree Types

There are two ways of studying Bioinformatics Master’s– one is an MBA program, and the other is an MS program. Both programs are fundamentally similar but cater to different personal and professional goals.

Specializations in Bioinformatics Masters Programs

Specializations and concentrations in online Bioinformatics Master’s are required for students to dive deeper into one particular aspect of bioinformatics or specialized knowledge and skills to prepare for a certain career path. A few from the many available options include:

• Bioinformatics and Chemoinformatics: addresses the need for informatics for both large and small molecule biological products.
• Bioinformatics Enterprise: integrates business and management skills along with innovation, marketing, and leadership, with the science of bioinformatics.
• Biotechnology: creates a strong foundation in basic biotechnology concepts and skills (best suited for those who do not already have a biotechnology background).
• Data Analytics: provides foundational knowledge in data science, including data management, data mining, statistics, machine learning, and visualizing and communicating data.
• Health Informatics: addresses the combined clinical, technical, and business needs of health-related professionals.
• Medical Health Informatics: addresses the combined medical needs from a patient’s health perspective, technical, and business needs.
• Omics: analyzes large data sets related to proteomics, genomics, transcriptomics, and new-omics fields, as they evolve.

Other examples of specializations and concentrations include but are not limited to:

• Bioinformatics Specialization
• Master of Science in Genomics and Bioinformatics
• Computational Biology Degree Online
• MS in Individualized Genomics and Health
• Molecular Cell Biology for Biotechnology
• Cheminformatics
• Computational Genomics
• Proteomics in Bioinformatics
• Managing and Leading a Biotechnology Company
• Biotechnology Entrepreneurship
• Semantic Web
• Advanced Genomics and Genetics Analyses
• Genomic and Personalized Medicine
• Practical Introduction to Metagenomics
• Principles of Bioinformatics
• Cell Culture Processes for Biopharmaceutical Production
• Analysis of Gene Expression and High-Content Biological Data
• Protein Bioinformatics
• Computational Drug Discovery and Development
• Computational Aspects of Molecular Structure
• Bioinformatics: Tools for Genome Analysis
• Bio-Perl
• Next Generation DNA Sequencing and Analysis
• Statistics for Bioinformatics
• Modeling and Simulation of Complex Systems
• Computational Aspects of Molecular Structure
• Systems Biology
• Molecular Phylogenetic Techniques
• Gene Expression Data Analysis and Visualization
• Advanced Practical Computer Concepts for Bioinformatics

Curriculum and Skills Gained in Online Bioinformatics Masters Programs

An online Bioinformatics Master’s curriculum is largely based on biology, chemistry, mathematics, statistics, and computer science-related subjects. Computational genomics, bioinformatics programming, and database management are usually common to the program. A specific Bioinformatics course can also be unique to a program, and it is wise to read the program guide or prospectus carefully before choosing a program. Examples of the courses that make up a Master’s in Bioinformatics are:

• Bioinformatics Computational Methods
• Molecular Biology
• Biological Databases and Database Tools
• Ethics in Biological Research
• Introduction to Bioinformatics
• Bioinformatics Programming
• Epigenetics, Gene Organization & Expression
• Statistics for Bioinformatics
• Practical Computer Concepts for Bioinformatics
• Principles of Database Systems
• social and ethical issues in biomedical informatics
• Societal Issues in Biotechnology
• Bioprocessing and the Business of Biotechnology
• Techniques of Biotechnology
• Molecular Cell Biology for Bioinformatics
• Systems Biology
• Bioinformatics Programming
• Biostatistics/Computational Biology and Genetics
• Information Systems Programming
• Computational Methods in Biomedical Science
• Database System Applications
• Genetics, Genomics, and Evolution
• Introduction to Epidemiology
• Medical Microbiology
• Bioinformatics Computational Methods
• Ethics in Biomedical Research
• Foundations of Biomedical Information Sciences
• Research Design and Evaluation in Biomedical Information
• Scientific Writing in Healthcare
• Algorithms and Data Structures for Bioinformatics
• Proteomics for Bioinformatics
• Bioinformatics: Functional Prediction

Along with the core courses required to take in a Bioinformatics Master’s, at least 1 or 2 elective courses are mandatory. Some of these elective courses to choose from are:

• Representations and Algorithms for Computational Molecular Biology
• Data-Driven Medicine
• Computational Methods for Biomedical Image Analysis and Interpretation
• Statistical Processes for Biotechnology
• Data Structures and Algorithms
• Systems-Level Approaches in Bioinformatics
• Database Design
• Biological Sequence Analysis
• Numerical Method for Bioinformatics
• Stem Cells and Regeneration
• Microbial Biotechnology
• Cellular Engineering
• Legal and Ethical Aspects of Health Informatics
• Quality and Outcome Improvement in Healthcare
• Standards in Health Informatics
• Introduction to Systems Biology
• Statistics and Mathematics for Bioinformatics
• Economic Dynamics of Change in Biotechnology
• Next Generation Sequence Analysis for Bioinformatics
• Large Scale Database Systems
• Evolutionary Computation
• Foundations of Software Engineering
• Rich Internet Applications with Ajax
• Principles of Enterprise Web Development
• XML Design Paradigms
• Data Visualization
• Introduction to cGMP Compliance
• Marketing Aspects of Biotechnology
• Bioscience Communication
• Independent Research Project in Bioinformatics
• Big Data Processing Using Hadoop
• Agile Development with Ruby on Rails
• Mobile Application Development for the Android Platform
• Software Systems Engineering
• Machine Learning
• Web Application Development with Java
• Bioethics
• Ethical, Legal & Regulatory Aspects of the Biotechnology Enterprise
• Independent Studies in Biotechnology Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
• Social Entrepreneurship in Bioscience
• Advanced Cell Biology
• Life Science Entrepreneurial Ventures

Graduates of a Master’s in Bioinformatics will acquire a host of skills by the end of their program, such as the ability to:

• filter and transform general data;
• process and check domain-specific data;
• apply statistics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence where applicable and/or possible;
• better integrate domain-specific data via the use of APIs, databases, and/or flat files;
• effectively use domain-specific statistical tools, reporting tools, and data visualization;
• write Python/R packages and/or use Perl;
• write reusable, efficient, and documented code with version-control for data analysis tasks; and
• communicate data-driven insights/stories via publications, journals, and presentations.

Accreditation for Online Bioinformatics Masters Programs

Accreditation has a huge role to play in Master’s programs. Not only does accreditation endorse the expected high standards and quality of a program, but it also ensures that set standards are currently and constantly met, adding tremendous credibility to the program and/or college. One example of accreditation for an online Bioinformatics Master’s is the Institute for Credentialing Service (ICE) that bestows the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) Accreditation and the Assessment-based Certificate Accreditation Program (ACAP). In some cases, colleges or programs may be endorsed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).  Regional accreditation is granted by organizations like the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), Higher Learning Commission (HLC), Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), or the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

Timeline for graduation from Online Bioinformatics Masters Programs

In most cases, full-time students require anywhere from 16 to 36 months to complete an online Bioinformatics Master’s, with an average of about 24 months. Part-timers will take longer to complete the program; some universities allow an upper limit of up to 5 years.

Online Bioinformatics Masters Programs Admission Requirements

MS Bioinformatics prerequisites are almost identical to those of other science-related degrees, whereby students are required to have a Bachelor’s Degree preferably with courses in subjects such as Calculus, Biostatistics, Bio-Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Introduction to Programming using Java. However, Bioinformatics prerequisites vary by college and program, and students must check the program guide for specific requirements. Apart from this eligibility criterion, Bioinformatics Master’s requirements are generally:

• An Application to the Program, with its Prescribed Application Fee;
• Official Academic Transcripts for all Institutions Attended;
• A Personal Statement; and
• At least 2 Letters of Recommendation.

Most schools do not require a standardized test score such as the GRE score, although it is recommended to submit one. A Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0 is expected.