Top-Tier UTHealth Programs for the Big Data Era
University of Texas Health Science Center appears in our ranking of the Top 10 Online Master’s in Bioinformatics.
.At Reuel A. Stallones Hall, the School of Public Health led by Dr. Eric Boerwinkle grants a 45-credit MPH in Biostatistics where University of Texas Health Science Center post-grads must complete 180 fieldwork hours, the Integrative Learning Experience (ILE), and 5000-level courses like Qualitative Methods. Chaired by Dr. Hulin Wu, the MS in Biostatistics plots a 36-credit, CEPH-accredited curriculum with an optional Data Science Certificate and required thesis work in the Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials. The Ph.D. in Public Health offers a 48-credit, post-master’s Biostatistics Concentration headed by Dr. Barry Davis that builds atop seminars from Population Genetics to Sampling Techniques with a qualifying exam, paid student-teaching assistantship, and dissertation research.
Founded in 2010, the School of Biomedical Informatics delivers a 39-credit, CAHIIM-accredited MS in Biomedical Informatics outlined by Dr. Jiajie Zhang for Bioinformatics, Clinical Informatics, Cognitive Informatics, Health Data Science, and Public Health Informatics tracks in Houston or online on Canvas with 270 practicum hours. Directed by Dr. Xiaobo Zhou, the 93-credit, full-time Ph.D. in Biomedical Informatics is an HIMSS Education Partner that requires courses from Advanced Data Structures to Algorithm Design with I2 Lab projects and Center for Big Data in Health Sciences research. The Doctorate in Health Informatics is America’s first such 63-credit, executive-style degree that’s coordinated by Dr. Susan Fenton for Fall cohorts with 3+ years of experience to advance skills online.
About the University of Texas Health Science Center
The University of Texas Health Science Center originated in 1972 when the UT System Board of Regents approved proposals to build a Houston-based biomedical institute. That Fall, the Health Science Center brought together six units, including the School of Public Health opened in 1967, for patient care training. In 1973, UTHealth created the School of Health Information Sciences. In 1989, UTHealth acquired the Harris County Psychiatric Center for its McGovern Medical School. In 1993, its Texas Medical Center invested $248.6 million in expanding the MD Anderson Cancer Center. In 2004, the 195,000-square-foot Community Center was erected for the Jane & Robert Cizik School of Nursing. In 2011, the School of Public Health reached a milestone with more than 6,000 alumni. In 2015, the University of Texas Health Science Center launched the Center for Biostatistics Collaboration & Data Services.
Endowed for $487.6 million, the University of Texas Health Science Center now employs 2,092 faculty teaching 5,241 students from 32 countries online and at the 305-acre Houston campus near MD Anderson Cancer Center with 50+ clubs like the Biomedical Informatics Society. In 2017, UTHealth accepted the UnitedHealthcare PATH Excellence in Patient Service Award. In 2018, the Health Science Center won an Outstanding HACU Member Institution Award of Excellence. The University of Texas Health Science Center received the 2018 HIMSS John Glaser Health Informatics Innovator Award too. The U.S. News & World Report ranked UTHealth 55th for statistics and 23rd for public health programs. On Niche, UTHealth boasts Texas’s 31st best location and 41st most conservative students. The Center for World University Rankings placed UTHealth 76th nationwide with the 194th best professors and 143rd most influence.
University of Texas Health Science Center Accreditation Details
On February 1, 2021, the University of Texas Health Science Center will be due for another evaluation visit by the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to reaffirm the Level VI accreditation through 2031 under President Giuseppe Colasurdo, MD, who earned the Houston Executive Communicator of the Year Award. Located 804 miles northeast via Interstate 10 in Decatur, Georgia, this elite 11-state Gulf Coast Region accreditor is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to review UTHealth’s 45 programs. Further, the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) has accredited the University of Texas Health Science Center since March 14, 1969. The School of Biomedical Informatics was approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM) on April 12, 2019.
University of Texas Health Science Center Application Requirements
Entering the University of Texas Health Science Center is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s since 823 of the 1,425 public health applicants in Fall 2018 were chosen for 58 percent acceptance. Prospective post-grads must have finished 120+ regionally accredited credits in baccalaureate education. The School of Biomedical Informatics gives preference to STEM majors, such as statistics or data analytics. Successful entrants often present a 3.0 cumulative GPA or better. Provisional status is available for GPAs of 2.5-2.99 though. Scoring at the 40th percentile or higher on the GRE General Test is mandatory. Master’s programs seek at least 298 GRE composite scores. Doctoral admission committees strive for GRE marks above 308. Only the Master of Public Health will accept MCAT scores of 500 and greater. Unless waived, international students need a minimum 600 TOEFL pBT or 7.5 IELTS score. Doctorate in Health Informatics cohorts must also verify three years of relevant experience.
The University of Texas Health Science Center has MPH and MS in Biostatistics deadlines of April 1st for Fall or October 1st for Spring starts. The Ph.D. in Public Health has a priority date of December 1st. MS/Ph.D. in Biomedical Informatics cohorts apply until July 1st, November 1st, and March 1st. The Doctorate in Health Informatics closes on March 1st each year. Accordingly, complete the SOPHAS or UTHealth Application online with the $60 non-refundable fee. Forward official transcripts to 700 Fannin Street Suite 600 in Houston, TX 77030. Send testing scores via GRE code 4479 or TOEFL code 5688. Attach supplemental materials, such as the 700-word statement of purpose, three recommendations, scholarly writing sample, resume or CV, and translational practice project proposal. Contact (713) 500-3361 or admissions@uth.tmc.edu with questions.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2019-20, the University of Texas Health Science Center is charging in-state School of Public Health post-grads $3,675 each semester. Non-resident MPH/PhD tuition is $15,525 per full-time semester. Web courses incur a $75 alternative instruction delivery fee. Students pay the $50 orientation fee, $50 portfolio fee, and $62 computer resource fee. The School of Biomedical Informatics is billing Texans $3,765 per full-time semester. Out-of-state residents spend $13,110 each MS/PhD term. Online informatics courses have a $110 alternative instruction delivery fee. Practicum placements cost $510 per credit or $1,530 maximum. The Doctorate in Health Informatics was ranked #2 by Grad School Hub for an annual tuition of $6,972.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Financial Aid Office in University Center Suite 2220 links 62 percent of full-time UTHealth students to median tuition assistance of $5,903 each for $4.31 million combined. Institutional funds include the Toshi Nikaidoh Service Award, Shohrae Hajibashi Memorial Leadership Scholarship, Dr. David Martin Memorial Scholarship, Marion Zetzman Memorial Scholarship, Lauren & Adam Strauss Endowed Scholarship, Catherine Tyrrell Campbell Scholarship, Palmer Beasley MD International Research Award, Richard Remington Biostatistics Scholarship, and Dr. Keith Burau Scholarship. The School of Public Health has a March 15th deadline for its $1,000 MPH Scholarship that requires GPAs above 3.0. The Gulf Coast Consortia’s 12-month Training Program in Biomedical Informatics and Data Science provides stipends of $24,916. Federal resources, such as the Graduate Plus Loan and Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, require FAFSA forms coded 013956. The Texas Health Information Management Association also provides a $1,500 Outstanding Student Scholarship.
Keep reading about the University of Texas Health Science Center at the Department of Biostatistics & Data Science website.
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