DCMB Accelerated Master's Program
With the Accelerated Master’s Degree Program (AMDP) you fast-track your computational medicine and bioinformatics training while still getting an outstanding education and a unique experience as a U-M student. AMDP offers the same curriculum and experience as the traditional Master’s Degree, but you start as an undergraduate junior student.
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How to Apply
The application deadline is April 1; late applications will not be considered. Students must submit an online Rackham application. Applicants should be in their junior year or approximately 18 months before finishing undergraduate degree requirements. Undergraduates who are pursuing a dual degree are ineligible for the Bioinformatics AMDP.
Accepted students enroll in the Bioinformatics AMDP during the last year of undergraduate study. For the 5th year, AMDP students enroll in Rackham as an MS student. Students MUST enroll for a minimum of 9 credit hours for the two terms they are registered Rackham Master’s students.
We highly recommend contacting the Master’s guidance advisors, Cristina Mitrea, PhD or Lindsey Muir, PhD for advice before applying. With them, you will be able to discuss course options, what courses from your undergraduate studies may be transferred or double-counted, and other general information about the program.
Application Materials
When applying, use Program Code 02161.
The Bioinformatics Graduate Program requires the following:
- GPA, minimum 3.2/4.0 – no GRE is required
- Letters of recommendation (1 required): Please be aware that submitting only the Rackham Recommendation for Admission Form is insufficient; forms must be accompanied by a letter from the recommender. All letters are due by the application deadline. Without them, applications will not be considered complete or reviewed by the Program Admissions Committee.
- Statement of Purpose: The Statement of Purpose should be a concise, well-written statement about your academic and research background, your career goals, and how Michigan's graduate program will help you meet your career and educational objectives.
- Personal Statement: The Personal Statement should be a concise, well-written statement about how your personal background and life experiences, including social, cultural, familial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan. This is not an Academic Statement of Purpose, but a discussion of the personal journey that has led to your decision to seek a graduate degree.
- Rackham AMDP Election Form: This should outline what courses you anticipate taking in the upcoming two years to satisfy both your undergraduate and Bioinformatics MS requirements.
- Resume/CV
- Current U-M Transcripts: Please submit transcripts electronically with your online application.
Students submit an online application in their junior year of undergraduate study (or, at most, 18 months, prior to finishing undergraduate requirements). Include the Rackham AMDP Election Form with your application as this will indicate your anticipated course of study. The application deadline is April 1
While we cannot waive the application fees, in rare cases the Bioinformatics Graduate Program can cover the cost. In order to qualify applicants must:
In order to qualify you have to
be a U.S. citizen, permanent residents, or undocumented student with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA);
have a record of superior academic achievement (e.g., grade point average, honors, or other designation);
and meet at least two of the following criteria:
Come from an educational, cultural, or geographic background that is underrepresented in graduate study in their discipline in the United States or at the University of Michigan;
Have demonstrated a sustained commitment to diversity in the academic, professional, or civic realm through their work experience, volunteer engagement, or leadership of student or community organizations. By commitment to diversity, we mean efforts in the U.S. to reduce social, educational, or economic disparities based on race, ethnicity, or gender, or to improve race relations in the U.S.;
Have experienced financial hardship as a result of family economic circumstances;
Are first-generation U.S. citizens or are the first generation in their families to graduate from a four-year college.
If you believe that you meet these criteria, please submit your unofficial transcript and a brief description of your qualifications to the Bioinformatics Graduate Office.
Please note that we can accommodate a limited number of requests.
Program Overview
A total of 30 credit hours, plus relevant research experience is required and includes the courses and electives listed below. In the final year, when registering for classes under Rackham, students must enroll in a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester.
- Introductory Bioinformatics (BIOINF 527 or BIOINF 529)
- Computing & Informatics – 3 or 4 credits, several choices
- Probability & Statistics –3 or 4 credits, 1 or 2 courses
- Molecular Biology – any graduate level or an undergraduate course approved for graduate credit
- Two Advanced Bioinformatics and/or Computational Biology courses
- Two semesters of Bioinformatics Journal Club; 1 term of BIOINF 602 and 1 term of BIOINF 603
Electives for the MS degree can be any of the listed courses, or any graduate course in the relevant topics (biology, computing, statistics). Applied mathematics or applied computing courses will be considered only if in relation to biology topics.
Up to 6 credits for the undergraduate degree may be taken during graduate enrollment.
Up to 15 credits can be transferred from the undergraduate years; up to 9 credits can be double counted.
A transfer credit is one that is not needed for ANY graduation requirements – not for 120 credits, not for LSA distribution, nor your major or minor – your undergraduate degree would be the same without this.
Double counted credit: Only credit for free or technical electives in your major.
Note: As an exception, AMDP students whose undergraduate degree is Statistics, Life Sciences Institute (LSI), or CSE can double count BIOINF 527. Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB) undergraduates can double count Molecular Cellular & Developmental Biology (MCDB) 427 even though it is required.
Students are expected to begin studies while still an undergraduate student.
At least 300 hours of research experience is also required for the Master’s degree. This can be either a paid part-time research experience, spring or summer full-time internship (BIOINF 998 registration required), or research for credit (BIOINF 599 registration). A maximum of 6 credit hours of BIOINF 599 will count towards your degree.
All students are required to give a short, public presentation regarding the research completed in order to receive the MS degree. All students who participate in an internship are required to register for BIOINF 998, which includes a public presentation upon conclusion of the experience.
In the final year in the AMDP program (last two semesters), students register under Rackham Graduate School and graduate-level tuition is assessed. Students are required to register for a minimum of 9 credit hours for two terms; part-time registration is prohibited. Students can prepare for this with course planning and tuition assessment guidance can be accessed on this Rackham Graduate School information page: https://rackham.umich.edu/admissions/applying/cost-of-attendance/ .
If students need to withdraw due to financial constraints, they may apply for the Bioinformatics Master’s Program in the future. A Master’s Guidance Advisor will be glad to assist in preparation.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Our Master students are largely self-funded. You may apply for teaching or research assistantships but there is no guarantee. Please note that the Bioinformatics Program offers few positions and priority is given to PhD students. A student may obtain a teaching position (GSI) in another unit.
While many Master's students get some funding, rarely is a student fully funded without some type of external award or fellowship. If interested in research assistantships, you need to contact specific faculty for those positions. Having significant programming experience is helpful.
Yes. Some students take coursework while working full time. A student is expected to complete all coursework within five years from the date of first enrollment in the program.
As an interdisciplinary field, Bioinformatics attracts graduate students from mathematics, statistics, physics, computer science, biomedical engineering, chemistry, biochemistry and biology. Most incoming students have both a major in one and a minor in another discipline. In recent years students have entered with undergraduate training in bioinformatics or computational biology.
This webpage focuses on prospective students. If you're currently enrolled in the DCMB PhD or a Master's program, all essential information including detailed policies, procedural guidance, handbooks, administrative forms, and program resources is housed on our dedicated DCMB internal website (SharePoint). This is your primary resource for everything related to your time in the program, such as advising information, dissertation instructions, funding, and graduation requirements.
Please visit the DCMB SharePoint site for immediate access. If you can't find what you need there, please contact your Bioinformatics Graduate Advisor or staff.
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