BS CS or BA CI to MS Bioinformatics

  • Bioinformatics

BS CS or BA CI to MS Bioinformatics

Combined Advanced Degree in Bioinformatics

The Master of Science in Bioinformatics program produces highly trained students who are prepared to directly contribute to the pharmaceutical, biological and/or biomedical research fields. Bioinformatics is a multidisciplinary field that develops and uses computational tools to investigate and analyze complex biological, biomedical, and biochemical systems. The goal of the field is to analyze large biological data sets generated in the lab or clinic for ways to enhance our understanding of biology and to develop better diagnostic, prognostic and treatment methods. A major goal of our program is to provide hands-on experience so students use the skills they learn towards real-world research questions. This includes advanced training in theory and laboratory settings to allow students to diversify into other biomedical research fields.

Application/Description

The one-page CADP in Bioinformatics Application Form is available for download.

 The CADP in BioInformatics Program Guide for BSCS students is available for download.

The CADP in BioInformatics Program Guide for BACI students is available for download.

Process for Application

This program allows highly motivated students to begin taking graduate courses in their senior year, accelerating their graduate studies while still at the undergraduate level and while paying undergraduate tuition and fees. The program is also known as the Combined Advanced Degree Program or the 4+1 degree because it allows interested and qualified students to complete the department’s bachelors and masters degrees in five years rather than the normal six.

The Combined Advanced Degree in Bioinformatics process is as follows:

  1. Complete your admissions application during the last semester of your junior year by the application deadline (see dates below).
  2. Your application is then reviewed by the CS Graduate Committee for admission approval. The Committe will be looking for a high CS GPA and two strong letters of recommendation.
  3. During your senior year you take four graduate courses, instead of the four CS restricted electives that are required for the BS in CS. These four graduate courses count as your CS restricted electives, and you get to pay for these 12 graduate credits at the less expensive undergraduate tuition rate. You can walk at graduation and the CS department can give you a letter saying that you have completed the BS in CS degree requirements, but you don't get your diploma yet.
  4. You continue enrollment as a full-time Rowan student for one more year while you complete additional graduate credits, for which you are charged the graduate tuition rate. After completing your total of 30 graduate CS credits, you receive your BS in CS and MS in Bioinformatics diplomas simultaneously.
  5. Notice that you receive your BS and your MS in five years (instead of the 4 + 2 years of a traditional MS degree) while paying for only 18 graduate credits (instead of 30). You pledge to stay for a "graduate year" as a full-time graduate student immediately after your BS degree. If you leave the program during your "graduate year" before completing the requirements for the MS, you will get your BS in CS degree but not the MS degree
Requirements for Application

To apply to the program, student has to:

  • Be enrolled in the BS Computer Science Degree Program at Rowan University.
  • Have completed at least 75 credits towards the BS in Computer Science.
  • Have completed at least 24 credits of undergraduate Computer Science courses (listed in the Combined Advanced Degree in Bioinformatics Program application) at Rowan University with an average Computer Science GPA of at least 3.5.
  • Obtain two letters of recommendation from faculty members in the Rowan Computer Science Department.
Application Deadlines
  • Fall: March 1st
  • Spring: October 1st