The requirements for admission are governed by the Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics at the UMKC School of Medicine. The admissions committee is composed of faculty from the three emphasis areas who will review applications and determine which students will be admitted. 

Applicants admitted to the Master of Science in Bioinformatics program begin coursework in August or January. 

Requirements for Admission

• Applicants for admission to the M.S. Bioinformatics program must have earned, or will soon earn, a baccalaureate degree from a nationally accredited college or university. 

Recommended Qualifications & Coursework

• Preferred baccalaureate degrees are in a scientific discipline (or applicant has earned a health-related professional degree)
• A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Applicants interested in the Genomics emphasis complete the following pre-requisite courses:
  • Genetics
  • Biochemistry or molecular biology
  • Discrete mathematics/structures
• Applicants interested in the Computational emphasis complete the following pre-requisite course:
  • Discrete mathematics/structures
  • Programming course(s)
• It is recommended that all applicants complete the following courses:
  • Two semesters of calculus
  • Two semesters of introductory biology
  • Two semesters of introductory computer science
  • One semester of statistics or probability

TOEFL or IELTS Score (International Applicants Only)*

• The TOEFL exam or IELTS exam is required for international applicants whose native language is not English. Duolingo scores are not accepted.
  • More information on which countries are exempt from the TOEFL or IELTS can be found here.
• TOEFL Scores: A minimum score of 550 (paper-based exam), 213 (computer-based exam) or 79 (Internet-based exam) is required.
  • UMKC TOEFL electronic code: 6872
• IELTS Scores: A minimum score of 6.0 is required for graduate-level study at UMKC.
  • IELTS scores should be sent to:

UMKC International Student Affairs
Student Success Center, G-04
5100 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO  64110

• Applicants who are currently participating in or have successfully completed a graduate medical residency or fellowship and have passed USMLE Step II – Clinical Skills are not required to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score.

*For applicants interested in working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, a minimum score of 24 on the speaking section of the TOEFL is required.

Advising

The Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics strongly recommends that prospective students communicate with a faculty advisor prior to applying for the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research. Please contact the Office of Admissions, and we would be happy to connect you with a program advisor.