The Bioinformatics PhD Program is well established, with a long history of successful graduates in both academia and industry.
Timeline showing the PhD curriculum steps, from admission to graduation
For each year, the tasks are:
Year 1: Rotations, Program advising and course work
Year 2: Join a mentor lab, course work and preliminary exam
Year 3: Start your own research, select and receive approval of your dissertation committee, present at conferences
Year 4: Continue your research, hold dissertation committee meetings, and present at a conference or publish your work
Year 4.5: Finalize research results, hold dissertation committee meetings, and start writing dissertation
Year 5-5.5: Complete dissertation, oral defense, complete the Program and graduate!
If you are a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident who wishes to pursue a Bioinformatics PhD, or a current University of Michigan student who, regardless of nationality, already has an established UM mentor affiliated with the program, then submit your application directly to the Bioinformatics PhD Program. Admission is highly competitive as only a limited number of offers are made each year.
International applicants or those considering bioinformatics along with other interests, should apply to the Program in Biomedical Sciences (PIBS). This is an interdisciplinary umbrella program for 14 different PhD Programs, including Bioinformatics, and is also highly competitive.
If you are certain about pursuing a Bioinformatics PhD, then applications should be submitted directly to the Bioinformatics PhD Program; there are more than 100 diverse affiliated faculty to choose from.
Applicants should be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. In addition, applicants with a background in quantitative sciences should consider applying directly. Separately, if you are transferring from another University of Michigan Program or have obtained an established University of Michigan mentor affiliated with the program, a direct application is most appropriate.
PIBS is an umbrella program that offers first-year PhD students flexibility in exploring opportunities in bioinformatics and thirteen other graduate programs. Through PIBS, students have the opportunity to rotate in, and potentially join the lab of a faculty mentor in another program; there are more than 500 diverse faculty to select from. PIBS students who list Bioinformatics as their primary choice must complete at least one rotation with a Bioinformatics-affiliated faculty member. After 10 months in PIBS, students officially join Bioinformatics (or one of the other programs). You can visit the PIBS website for more information.
Please note that reviewing admissions faculty for both PIBS and direct applications are the same. In addition, admitted applicants take the same Bioinformatics-specific courses and activities. See below for details on program diversity outreach, application materials, and funding.
Students who will have an MS in a relevant field (e.g. computer science, statistics, biostatistics, biology) from another university may request to have up to 6 credit-hours (two classes) waived. These classes may be used to help fulfill the core PhD requirements for biology (1 course), statistics (2 courses), and/or computing (1 course). To obtain approval, students need to send a detailed syllabus of the class(es) they took to the PhD directors along with their grade(s), which must be a B or better. The other PhD course requirements, including BIOINF-529 and two advanced bioinformatics courses, cannot be waived. Approval is at the program's discretion; no classes can be transferred to the PhD.
Most international Bioinformatics PhD applicants should apply through PIBS. However, some who are already embedded in a University of Michigan mentor lab affiliated with the program may be an appropriate fit for the direct Bioinformatics PhD program.
The TOEFL or IELTS exam is required unless Rackham Graduate School waiver requirements have been met. Criteria for English proficiency exemption can be found on the Rackham website. In addition, a list of required credentials from non-U.S. institutions for an application can be found here.
The Bioinformatics Graduate Program encourages applications from traditionally underrepresented minorities, students with disabilities, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. There are numerous funding opportunities and resources on campus to contribute to students overall well-being while pursuing studies. Several resources available to students can be found on the Rackham Graduate School Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion website.
All application materials should be submitted electronically when possible. Applicants must meet Rackham's Minimum Requirements for Admission. The online application form can be found on the Rackham Admissions webpages. The application is available in early September through the deadline.
- GPA, minimum 3.2/4.0 (exceptions may be made if deemed appropriate)
- Letters of recommendation (3 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.
- Resume/CV
- Transcripts: Please submit unofficial transcripts electronically with your online application
- GRE scores are no longer included as part of admission
- Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency via either the TOEFL or IELTS exam. The institution code is 1839. Other exams may not be substituted. The program requires a minimum of 100 TOEFL or 7.5 IELTS. Rackham Graduate School offers a full explanation of this requirement, including exemption criteria. Please contact Rackham directly ([email protected]) with questions.
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The Bioinformatics Graduate Program will provide tuition, healthcare coverage, and a stipend on a 12-month basis. This level of support will be maintained throughout a student's tenure in the Program, provided s/he remains in good academic standing and makes reasonable progress towards the degree as determined by the Graduate Directors, with faculty input. It is expected that the student will be supported directly by the mentor's laboratory, beginning in the second year. The expected time to degree is typically 5-6 years.
The U-M MS program is a terminal degree program. If you are interested in the Bioinformatics PhD Program, you must submit a new application. If you are a Bioinformatics MS student who is in good academic standing and has identified a Bioinformatics affiliated faculty mentor, you may apply for admission directly to the PhD Bioinformatics Program for the Winter term. Reviewing faculty take all application components into account. Mentors should be prepared to take both academic and financial responsibility for their trainees.
Eligibility: Only current or recently graduated University of Michigan Master’s students are eligible. Before applying, students must have completed more than half of all required courses, with at least six credits from the Bioinformatics Program.
Application deadline: October 1
The online application form can be found on the Rackham Admissions webpages. The application is available in early September through the deadline.
- GPA, minimum 3.2/4.0 (exceptions may be made if deemed appropriate)
- Letters of recommendation: Please be aware that submitting only the Rackham Recommendation for Admission Form is insufficient; forms must be accompanied by a letter from the recommender. If you wish to include three letters from your original application, only one additional letter is needed. It must be from the DCMB faculty member who will serve as your primary mentor. The letter should state clearly that the mentor takes responsibility for your funding upon admission.
Alternatively, you may wish to obtain three new letters of recommendation. The Admissions Committee strongly encourages you to include letters from those familiar with your research and coursework obtained while pursuing your Master’s degree. Of these, one must be from the faculty member who will serve as your primary mentor. The letter should state clearly that the mentor takes responsibility for your funding upon admission. - 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 the PhD 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.
- Resume/CV
- Transcripts: Only a current, unofficial U-M transcript is necessary. You do not need to re-submit materials included with your Master’s application.
- TOEFL: If you submitted TOEFL scores when applying to the Master’s Program, additional test scores are not needed.
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.
Each student obtains individual counseling from a graduate program advisor upon arrival and throughout their academic career. As Bioinformatics is still developing, new courses are added all the time. Current students are encouraged to contact the Program Directors about courses that may be relevant to their studies and are not listed on the website (esp. if they are new or infrequently offered).
In most cases, we recommend you apply to the PIBS program, as it provides flexibility in classes, funding, and a central admission for many biomedical programs. If you have no or very little biology background, please contact our Student Services Representative as to whether a direct application would be better. Current students who are considering transferring areas of study should also contact the Bioinformatics Graduate Office.
There is no need to apply both direct and through PIBS, as the same committee sees your applications.
For most students, dissertation work includes computing, reading, writing and some also participate in wet laboratory work. Please check both the research areas and student webpages for an overview of the varied subjects addressed in research and student dissertations.
Many of our graduate students obtain academic postdoctoral fellowships and go on to faculty positions. A significant number of graduates also go into non-academic professions such as small or large biotech companies. Some have founded their own business, and others apply their analytical skills in companies unrelated to bioinformatics.
No.
The aims of the preliminary examination in Bioinformatics are two-fold. The first is to demonstrate that students have developed the ability to analyze a scientific problem and develop appropriate strategies to carry out a research plan, and the second is to demonstrate that students have the fund of knowledge in bioinformatics needed to carry out dissertation research.
The preliminary examination in Bioinformatics consists of both a written and an oral component. For the written portion of the exam, each student will – independently of their dissertation advisor(s) – prepare a condensed version of an NIH graduate student research proposal. The topic may be an extension/advancement of their current research (but that is not required). The oral portion of the exam is divided into two roughly equal sections: first, the candidate defends a research proposal and second, the committee questions the candidate on the proposal and general subject matter that the committee feels is relevant to the candidate’s proposed area of research.
The preliminary exam is usually the last but not the only required step before candidacy. Hence, students should have finished the required course work before taking the preliminary exam.
Diversity is a key component of excellence, especially for solving the complex biomedical challenges that our field of computational medicine and bioinformatics faces. We believe that all people—regardless of background, race, religion, sexual/gender orientation, age or disability—deserve an equitable opportunity to pursue the education and career of their choice.
