Degree Requirements
The Ph.D. in Bioinformatics is a 90-credit-hour program that includes core courses, research rotations, the choice of a minor, qualifying examinations, and a dissertation.
Required core courses (12 cr.)
- INFO-B 519 Introduction to Bioinformatics (3 cr., fall and spring)
- INFO-B 528 Computational Methods for Analyzing High-Throughput Biological Data (3 cr., spring)
- INFO-B 556 Biological Database Management (3 cr., spring)
- INFO-B 573 Programming for Science Informatics (3 cr., fall and spring)
Required core courses (12 cr.)
- INFO-B 536 Computational Methods for Biomedical Informatics (3 cr.)
- INFO-B 627 Advanced Seminar I – Bioinformatics (3 cr.)
- INFO-B 637 Advanced Seminar II – Bioinformatics (3 cr.)
- INFO-I 790 Independent Study/Rotation (3 cr.)
Bioinformatics electives (12 cr.)
Choose four:
- INFO-B 518 Applied Statistical Methods for Biomedical Informatics (3 cr., fall or spring)
- INFO-B 529 Machine Learning in Bioinformatics (3 cr., spring)
- INFO-B 536 Computational Methods for Biomedical Informatics (3 cr., fall)
- INFO-B 574 Next-Generation Sequencing Data Analysis (3 cr., spring)
- INFO-B 585 Analytics of Biomedical Data (3 cr., fall)
- Choose one course only:
INFO-B 605 Social Foundations of Informatics (3 cr., summer) or
INFO-B 627 Seminar in Bioinformatics (3 cr., fall) - INFO-B 636 Genomic Data Analytics and Precision Medicine (3 cr.,
prerequisites: INFO-B 528 and INFO-B 573, fall) - INFO-B 646 Computational System Biology (3 cr.)
- Advisor approved courses
Minor (minimum 12 cr.)
Students select a Ph.D. minor with the recommendation of their advisor to add breadth and value to their bioinformatics degree. The minor must be taken from outside bioinformatics from the list of approved minors in the graduate bulletin. Appropriate minors include Applied Data Science, Applied Statistics, Biostatistics, Computer Science, Medical and Molecular Genetics, Population Health Analytics, and Translational Cancer Biology, among others. Minor requirements are set by the minor department or program.
Students may request approval for an individualized minor comprising 12 credit hours from two or more programs. Students must obtain approval from the Dean of the Graduate School on the recommendation of their advisory committee before taking any of the courses.
The minor must be 12 credit hours. Courses counted toward a minor cannot also be counted toward the bioinformatics major.
Written qualifying examination
All students will take a written qualifying examination that covers the required core courses and bioinformatics electives. The examination will be set by a group of faculty who are familiar with the content of the courses. Examinations will be offered in August. Students who do not successfully complete the examination can retake the examination a second time.
Oral qualifying examination
- The oral examination will take place after the student successfully passes the written examination. Students must pass both the written and oral examination before passing on to candidacy. Only two attempts to pass the oral examination will be allowed.
- The oral examination will be based on the student’s response to the written examination and any material from the core courses.
Dissertation proposal
This is an oral review that covers in-depth knowledge of the student’s primary research area and dissertation proposal. The research proposal for dissertation must be approved by the student’s research committee. That committee may have the same membership as the advisory committee, or the students may choose different members. The advisor for the dissertation will be a faculty member in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering in Indianapolis and an endorsed member of the graduate faculty. At least one the three members of the committee will be based outside the school. The student will defend the thesis proposal at a public colloquium in the school. The review should be completed within one year after passing the Qualifying Examinations.
Research (54 cr.)
Students complete 54 credit hours of research, which include at least 48 credit hours of dissertation. Students may also complete a research-focused internship, independent study, or rotation with the approval of their research advisor.