View a complete list of program courses, program-specific and degree-level requirements, and more.
This program requires 36 total credits.
This course must be taken within the first 6 credits of study (if required). The UCSP 615 requirement may be waived if you previously earned a graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution. For more information, contact your academic advisor.
This is our recommended course sequence to progress through this program. This sequence incorporates course prerequisites and program requirements but does not list course alternatives that may be available. We recommend you take a maximum of 6 credits per term. You cannot take a prerequisite with its subsequent course during the same session. Your plan will be unique and dependent on multiple factors, including the number of credits you transfer to this program.
Contact an advisor if you have any questions about this plan, course alternatives, or your course load limit.
Not sure whether you want to sign up for a master’s program? Earn an online graduate certificate in bioinformatics and get a head start on your master’s. The certificate program consists of only six courses and 15 credits. Once you have successfully completed the certificate, you may be able to apply that credit toward this master’s program.
This information is for students who enroll in the 2025–2026 academic year. For prior year requirements for this program or to review UMGC's complete program requirements for a specific academic year, visit our program catalog archive.
Bioscience companies are looking for employees who are agile, adaptive to new information, and ready to analyze large sets of crucial information (using innovative techniques such as high-throughput screening). This online master’s program is designed to help you expand your skill sets in areas such as data analysis, workflow management, regulatory compliance, and management. You’ll use data reduction techniques and neural networks (AI) to analyze big data.
Our program directors refresh and update the curriculum regularly, with a focus on helping students achieve these learning goals:
Pursue Highly Valued STEM Skills
This program has received a special designation as a Professional Science Master’s Degree program through the Council of Graduate Schools.
"Professional Science Master’s (PSMs) are designed for students seeking a STEM graduate degree who understand the need for developing workplace skills valued by top employers. The PSM is a perfect fit for professionals because it allows you to pursue advanced training and excel in science or math without a PhD, while simultaneously developing highly-valued business skills."
Source: Professional Science Masters Website
This online master's program is designed to help you prepare for cutting-edge careers in several areas, such as computational biology, biomedical science, genomics, and more. Potential job titles include bioinformatics software developer, biostatistician, bioinformatician, and biological scientist. UMGC courses are taught by experienced faculty and address skills and competencies that are highly valued by today’s employers.
Throughout your online master’s curriculum, your instructors will assign coursework that will help you prioritize in-depth skills and experience and pursue career paths in the field. In past courses, students have been able to complete the following course projects:
Gain insight and delve deeper into topics ranging from career preparation to transfer credit.
Get answers to questions that current and prospective students are asking about program details, length, cost, and more.
This online program may help prepare you to work as a biotech professional for organizations in the public and private sectors, such as biomedical research or other biotechnology industries. In this 36-credit graduate-level program, you'll take courses that blend biology, computer science, and math, while learning how to analyze biological data via hands-on projects featuring AI and machine learning.
This online 36-credit program features courses offered year-round. You can expect to finish the program in two years or less, depending on how many credits you complete each term and the number of credits you may be able to transfer.
UMGC is committed to keeping our tuition and fees as affordable as possible. This program follows the standard program tuition rates for graduate students, which appear at the top of this webpage. We also offer scholarships for eligible students, an interest-free monthly payment plan, and no-cost digital materials in place of most textbooks to help make your education more affordable.
You don't need to have majored in a specific area to be successful in this state-of-the-art master’s degree program. However, you must complete a molecular biology course with at least a grade of C in an undergraduate course or B in a graduate course to be accepted into the program. In addition, if you have not taken prior coursework in statistics, you will be required to take (3 Credits, STAT 200) (or equivalent) before taking (3 Credits, BIFS 613). We also recommend you have previous experience in statistics, programming, and biology and possess strong writing skills.
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