distance learning phd biomedical

Recommended pages

• Undergraduate open days
• Postgraduate open days
• Accommodation
• Information for teachers
• Maps and directions
• Sport and fitness

PhD by Distance Learning

Tom Hampton of the USA recently completed his PhD by Distance Learning. In the video above, Tom talks about his experiences.

Not all projects within Biosciences are suitable for a PhD by Distance Learning, but the following research staff have indicated they may be able to offer a project appropriate for the distance learning programme. Clicking on the name below will take you to their research profile. If the option of a PhD by Distance Learning is one that appeals to you, please contact the relevant member of staff to discuss further.

• Dr Juliet Coates
• Professor John Colbourne
• Dr Aditi Kanhere
• Dr Lindsey Leach
• Dr Nigel Maxted
• Dr Jim Reynolds
• Dr Eugenio Sanchez-Moran

This list is not exhaustive and is subject to change.

Why study by distance learning? 

The main advantage of studying by distance learning is the flexibility. Financial and practical implications of moving closer to the campus make distance learning a more feasible option and could allow you to combine study with other commitments, including work and family.  Similarly, your research could be related to your area of residence and therefore moving would be detrimental to your capacity to carry out the research.

Is the distance learning route for you? 

The distance learning route to PhD study is not for everyone.  You have to have a very clear idea of your project and be able to motivate yourself.  Undertaking PhD study off campus can sometimes be quite isolating, so the ability to proactively seek out connections from within relevant research communities is important.  This route is well-suited to those who have a research project associated with their work or particular interests and where resources are available locally, over via the internet, to support your research e.g. appropriate archives and data collections.

How will I be supported? 

You will receive the same level of support and supervision as on-campus students.  The only difference is that supervisory sessions will take place via audio and visual communication services such as Skype or Facetime, rather than in person.

What is the cost?

We charge an annual tuition fee which is the same as our standard on-campus PhD but includes:

• Economy class flights to and from Birmingham for the compulsory two-week campus visit in September
• Accommodation at the University for the compulsory two-week campus visit in September
• Economy class flights to and from Birmingham at the end of the study period for the three-day PhD viva examination
• Accommodation at the University for the three-day viva examination

How often will I need to be on campus?

Although you may be able to undertake the majority of your study at an off campus location, you will be fully funded to make one compulsory visit to the University per year of study.  This will enable you to meet your supervisory team, undertake intensive research skills training and make a start on your doctoral studies. You will then be invited to attend the University for annual ‘in-person’ meetings which give you the opportunity to interact with other doctoral students both socially and academically, undertake important progress meetings and carry out necessary training. You will also generally be required to be present on campus for your viva voce.

Am I eligible?

Before we can offer you a place it is important that you have agreement from your potential supervisor and that they are satisfied that you will be able to undertake the PhD on an off campus basis. This may mean that slightly different entry requirements apply, such as English language and more extensive research skills training. Agreements will also need to be reached regarding some of the more practical aspects of undertaking the PhD in this way (for example attendance requirements, suitability of the chosen residency etc). It is important that arrangements are discussed early so that all parties involved know what to expect and to ensure you are able to successfully complete your studies. 

Can I study by distance learning anywhere?

Distance Learning courses can be undertaken from anywhere in the world, including the UK. 

However, it is worth noting that supervisory sessions for Distance Learning students will take place via audiovisual communications, such as Skype or Facetime, rather than in person. 

While we have found that these 21st Century methods have proved popular, for those applicants who would prefer to visit the campus for face-to-face meetings with their supervisor, the traditional part-time study option may be more appropriate. 

How to apply?

Find the programme that you wish to apply for in our course finder and click on the 'Apply' button. 

As part of the application process, we will ask you to provide evidence to demonstrate that you have the time, commitment, facilities and experience to study for a PhD by Distance Learning. Please be prepared to provide evidence, and details, of the following:

• Examples of your postgraduate research experience and ability to work independently e.g. papers/presentations at professional and academic conferences or publications in professional journals or previous completion of an independent research project, etc. 
• Full reasons (academic and personal) for registering for the distance learning mode of study rather than by standard full or part-time on-campus options. In particular, how you will be able to carry out your project in your chosen location. 
• Access to local library facilities (where needed)
• Access to IT facilities
• Access to communications, including e-mail, and audiovisual communication media e.g. Skype and Facetime
• Access to facilities to support any study-related disability (where appropriate)

Please visit the course finder for a full list of subject areas available to study via distance mode.

• Student/Faculty Portal
• Learning Hub (Brightspace)
• Continuous Professional Development

Discover the Ph.D. Program at Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Ph.d. program, ph.d. program overview.

At Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, you’ll discover a unique research training environment of academic inquiry and scientific discovery, combined with exceptional intellectual and technological resources designed to help you achieve your highest scientific career goals.

Through the Ph.D. program, you’ll acquire a broad expertise in biomedical science with the opportunity to go deeper into your primary area of research interest.

year average time to degree

Best graduate school rankings

a top school for biological sciences as ranked by U.S. News & World Report

Guaranteed 5-year internal fellowship

includes full tuition, stipend, and benefits

Whether you’re preparing for graduate school or applying now, the Mayo Clinic experience for biomedical science Ph.D. students is different.

Program highlights:

• Research training by leading investigators in fields ranging from molecules to populations, all in the context of exceptional health care.
• Embedded within a top academic medical center, you’ll have access to clinical data from more than 6 million patient histories.
• A Career Development Internship program where senior students experience networking opportunities in career settings different from those of their research mentors.
• A national destination for research training of students from backgrounds underrepresented in science. Mayo’s NIH-funded IMSD is more than two decades old, and Mayo invented the NIH PREP concept.
• Join about 250 students who have access to 300+ faculty members in small class sizes.
• 87% of graduates since 1989 are employed in academia or industry.
• Three campuses in Minnesota, Florida, and Arizona with diverse research opportunities.
• Every student is awarded a fellowship for five years that fully covers tuition.
• Ph.D. students receive a stipend and health benefits.

See yourself here

Hear from students and faculty to get an idea of what it's like to learn here, live here, and be a Ph.D. student at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.

"I can be the scientist I want to be"

Choosing your area of specialization

You'll choose from one of eight  biomedical science specialty tracks within our Ph.D. Program. Track choice is indicated during the application process and confirmed after admission. But you'll be able to do research and learn in any Mayo laboratory that interests you, even if it's not within your track.

Perspectives on our Ph.D. Program

"Collaboration is massive here"

Collaborative research and learning environment

The hallmark of research at Mayo Clinic is the highly collaborative interaction that occurs between investigators in basic science and clinical areas. While each investigator has a competitively funded independent lab, collaboration with graduate students and staff across the institution is common. As a Ph.D. student, you’re free to select any Mayo mentor, regardless of which track you choose.

"Allowed me to build my own team"

Teaching opportunities

Tutoring and teaching opportunities are available and optional for our Ph.D. students. If you’re interested in developing these skills, serving as a tutor or a teaching assistant can help cement the knowledge you gain from your coursework.

Application window

Apply between Sept. 1 and Dec. 4 for the following academic year.

To get in touch with the Ph.D. Program, fill out the form on the Contact Us page .

Ph.D. and master's degree program catalog (2023-2024), rev. 5-11-23

Virtual visits

Explore our virtual visit options or sign up for a video chat to get a personalized look at our program.

• Seeking Patient Care?
• Graduate Studies
• Doctoral Programs
• Executive Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

 Executive Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Application process.

The Executive Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is targeted toward full-time professionals working in industry or other research laboratories who are involved in research at their workplace but do not have a Ph.D. These individuals do not need to give up their jobs to enroll in this Ph.D. program.

Research performed at the industrial site will serve as the dissertation research topic. The required courses will be done through distance learning technology. This program is available to professionals who are working in the areas of biochemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and medicine. It is intended to help individuals who are seeking to either move ahead in their field or switch careers altogether. It also fulfills the lifelong learning desire of industrial professionals who wish to further their education at the doctoral level.

Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute

Texas A&M University Catalogs

Doctor of philosophy in biomedical sciences.

The Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program is an interdepartmental program of study awarding a Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).  Focusing on cross-disciplinary education in the biomedical sciences and the numerous associated domains of research, the faculty teach and mentor students in fields that have a critical mass of faculty, exceptional productivity, and international recognition.  Examples of these areas of strength include:

• Biomedical Genomics and Bioinformatics
• Diagnostics and Therapeutics
• Infection, Immunity, and Epidemiology
• Physiology and Developmental Biology

A PhD in Biomedical Sciences provides an academic and research experience that educates students within the context of cross-disciplinary knowledge and prepares students to excel in a research career in areas as diverse as academia, government, industry, and others. Additional details, including information about the admissions process and curricular training tracks, can be found at  http://vetmed.tamu.edu/graduate .

This program is approved to be offered on campus in College Station and for delivery via asynchronous or synchronous distance education technology at the Veterinary Education, Research, and Outreach (VERO) Center in Canyon, Texas.

Steps to Fulfill a Doctoral Program  

Program Requirements

• Student's Advisory Committee

Degree Plan

Transfer of credit, research proposal.

• Preliminary Examination

Preliminary Examination Format

Preliminary examination scheduling, report of preliminary examination, failure of the preliminary examination, retake of failed preliminary examination.

• Final Examination

Report of Final Examination

Dissertation, student’s advisory committee.

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

After receiving admission to graduate studies and enrolling, the student will consult with the head of his or her major or administrative department (or chair of the intercollegiate faculty) concerning appointment of the chair of the advisory committee. The student’s advisory committee will consist of  no fewer than four members of the graduate faculty  representative of the student’s several fields of study and research, where the chair or co-chair must be from the student’s department (or intercollegiate faculty, if applicable), and  at least one or more of the members must have an appointment to a department other than the student’s major department . The outside member for a student in an interdisciplinary degree program must be from a department different from the chair of the student’s committee.

Students enrolled in the distance education PHD in Biomedical Sciences must have an approved chair or co-chair at their location.

The chair, in consultation with the student, will select the remainder of the advisory committee. Only graduate faculty members located on Texas A&M University campuses may serve as chair of a student’s advisory committee. Other Texas A&M University graduate faculty members located off-campus may serve as a member or co-chair (but not chair), with a member as the chair.

If the chair of a student’s advisory committee voluntarily leaves the University and the student is near completion of the degree and wants the chair to continue to serve in this role, the student is responsible for securing a current member of the University Graduate Faculty, from the student’s academic program and located near the Texas A&M University campus site, to serve as the co-chair of the committee. The Department Head or Chair of Intercollegiate faculty may request in writing to the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School that a faculty member who is on an approved leave of absence or has voluntarily separated from the university, be allowed to continue to serve in the role of chair of a student’s advisory committee without a co-chair for up to one year. The students should be near completion of the degree. Extensions beyond the one year period can be granted with additional approval of the Dean.

The committee members’ signatures on the degree plan indicate their willingness to accept the responsibility for guiding and directing the entire academic program of the student and for initiating all academic actions concerning the student. Although individual committee members may be replaced by petition for valid reasons, a committee cannot resign  en masse . The chair of the committee, who usually has immediate supervision of the student’s research and dissertation or record of study, has the responsibility for calling all meetings of the committee. The duties of the committee include responsibility for the proposed degree plan, the research proposal, the preliminary examination, the dissertation or record of study and the final examination. In addition, the committee, as a group and as individual members, is responsible for counseling the student on academic matters, and, in the case of academic deficiency, initiating recommendations to the Graduate and Professional School.

On-Campus and Distance Education Programs

The student’s advisory committee will evaluate the student’s previous education and degree objectives. The committee, in consultation with the student, will develop a proposed degree plan and outline a research problem which, when completed, as indicated by the dissertation (or its equivalent for the degree of Doctor of Education or the degree of Doctor of Engineering), will constitute the basic requirements for the degree. The degree plan must be filed with the Graduate and Professional School prior to the deadline imposed by the student’s college and no later than 90 days prior to the preliminary examination.

This proposed degree plan should be submitted through the online Document Processing Submission System located on the website  http://ogsdpss.tamu.edu . A minimum of 64 hours is required on the degree plan for the Doctor of Philosophy for a student who has completed a master’s degree. A student who has completed a DDS/DMD, DVM or a MD at a U.S. institution is also required to complete a minimum of 64 hours. A student who has completed a baccalaureate degree but not a master’s degree will be required to complete a 96-hour degree plan. Completion of a DDS/DMD, DVM or MD degree at a foreign institution requires completion of a minimum of 96 hours for the Doctor of Philosophy. A field of study may be primarily in one department or in a combination of departments. A degree plan must carry a reasonable amount of 691 (research). A maximum of 9 hours of 400-level undergraduate courses may be used toward meeting credit-hour requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy.

Additional coursework may be added by petition to the approved degree plan by the student’s advisory committee if it is deemed necessary to correct deficiencies in the student’s academic preparation. No changes can be made to the degree plan once the student’s Request for Final Examination is approved by the Graduate and Professional School.

Approval to enroll in any professional course (900-level) should be obtained from the head of the department (or Chair of the intercollegiate faculty, if applicable) in which the course will be offered before including such a course on a degree plan.

No credit may be obtained by correspondence study, by extension or for any course of fewer than three weeks duration.

For non-distance degree programs, no more than four courses may be taken by distance education without approval of the Graduate and Professional School and no more than 50 percent of the non-research credit hours required for the program may be completed through distance education courses.

To receive a graduate degree from Texas A&M University, students must earn one-third or more of the credits through the institution’s own direct instruction. This limitation also applies to joint degree programs. 

Courses for which transfer credits are sought must have been completed with a grade of B or greater and must be approved by the student’s advisory committee and the Graduate and Professional School. These courses must not have been used previously for another degree. Except for officially approved cooperative doctoral programs, credit for thesis or dissertation research or the equivalent is not transferable. Credit for “internship” coursework in any form is not transferable. Courses taken in residence at an accredited U.S. institution or approved international institution with a final grade of B or greater will be considered for transfer credit if, at the time the courses were completed, the courses would be accepted for credit toward a similar degree for a student in degree-seeking status at the host institution. Credit for coursework taken by extension is not transferable. Coursework  in which no formal grades are given or in which grades other than letter grades (A or B) are earned (for example, CR, P, S, U, H, etc.) is not accepted for transfer credit . Credit for coursework submitted for transfer from any college or university must be shown in semester credit hours, or equated to semester credit hours.

Courses used toward a degree at another institution may not be applied for graduate credit. If the course to be transferred was taken prior to the conferral of a degree at the transfer institution, a letter from the registrar at that institution stating that the course was not applied for credit toward the degree must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School.

Grades for courses completed at other institutions are not included in computing the GPA. An official transcript from the university at which transfer courses are taken must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions.

The general field of research to be used for the dissertation should be agreed on by the student and the advisory committee at their first meeting, as a basis for selecting the proper courses to support the proposed research.

As soon thereafter as the research project can be outlined in reasonable detail, the dissertation research proposal should be completed. The research proposal should be approved at a meeting of the student’s advisory committee, at which time the feasibility of the proposed research and the adequacy of available facilities should be reviewed. The approved proposal, signed by all members of the student’s advisory committee, the head of the student’s major department (or chair of the intercollegiate faculty, if applicable), must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School at least 20 working days prior to the submission of the Request for the Final Examination.

Compliance issues must be addressed if a graduate student is performing research involving human subjects, animals, infectious biohazards and recombinant DNA. A student involved in these types of research should check with the Office of Research Compliance and Biosafety at (979) 458-1467 to address questions about all research compliance responsibilities. Additional information can also be obtained on the website  http:// rcb.tamu.edu .

Examinations

Preliminary examination for doctoral students.

The student’s major department (or chair of the interdisciplinary degree program faculty, if applicable) and his or her advisory committee may require qualifying, cumulative or other types of examinations at any time deemed desirable. These examinations are entirely at the discretion of the department and the student’s advisory committee.

The preliminary examination is required. The preliminary examination for a doctoral student shall be given no earlier than a date at which the student is within 6 credit hours of completion of the formal coursework on the degree plan (i.e., all coursework on the degree plan except 681, 684, 690, 691, 692, 693, 695, 697, 791, or other graduate courses specifically designated as S/U in the course catalog). The student should complete the Preliminary Examination no later than the end of the semester following the completion of the formal coursework on the degree plan.

The objective of preliminary examination is to evaluate whether the student has demonstrated the following qualifications:

a.     a mastery of the subject matter of all fields in the program;

b.     an adequate knowledge of the literature in these fields and an ability to carry out bibliographical research;

c.     an understanding of the research problem and the appropriate methodological approaches.

The format of the preliminary examination shall be determined by the student’s department (or interdisciplinary degree program, if applicable) and advisory committee, and communicated to the student in advance of the examination. The exam may consist of a written component, oral component, or combination of written and oral components.

The preliminary exam may be administered by the advisory committee or a departmental committee; herein referred to as the examination committee.

Regardless of exam format, a student will receive an overall preliminary exam result of pass or fail. The department (or interdisciplinary degree program, if applicable) will determine how the overall pass or fail result is determined based on the exam structure and internal department procedures. If the exam is administered by the advisory committee, each advisory committee member will provide a pass or fail evaluation decision.

Only one advisory committee substitution is allowed to provide an evaluation decision for a student’s preliminary exam, and it cannot be the committee chair.

If a student is required to take, as a part of the preliminary examination, a written component administered by a department or interdisciplinary degree program, the department or interdisciplinary degree program faculty must:

a.     offer the examination at least once every six months. The departmental or interdisciplinary degree program examination should be announced at least 30 days prior to the scheduled examination date.

b.     assume the responsibility for marking the examination satisfactory or unsatisfactory, or otherwise graded, and in the case of unsatisfactory, stating specifically the reasons for such a mark.

c.     forward the marked examination to the chair of the student’s advisory committee within one week after the examination.

Prior to commencing any component of the preliminary examination, a departmental representative or the advisory committee chair will review the eligibility criteria with the student, using the Preliminary Examination Checklist to ensure the student is eligible for the preliminary examination. The following list of eligibility requirements applies.

Student is registered at Texas A&M University for a minimum of one semester credit hour in the long semester or summer term during which any component of the preliminary examination is held. If the entire examination is held between semesters, then the student must be registered for the term immediately preceding the examination.

An approved degree plan is on file with the Graduate and Professional School prior to commencing the first component of the examination.

Student’s cumulative GPA is at least 3.000.

Student’s degree plan GPA is at least 3.000.

At the end of the semester in which at least the first component of the exam is given, there are no more than 6 hours of coursework remaining on the degree plan (except 681, 684, 690, 691, 692, 693, 695, 697, 791, or other graduate courses specifically designated as S/U in the course catalog). The head of the student’s department (or Chair of the Interdisciplinary Degree Program, if applicable) has the authority to approve a waiver of this criterion.

Credit for the preliminary examination is not transferable in cases where a student changes degree programs after passing a preliminary exam.

If a written component precedes an oral component of the preliminary exam, the chair of the student’s examination committee is responsible for making all written examinations available to all members of the committee. A positive evaluation of the preliminary exam by all members of a student’s examination committee with at most one dissension is required to pass a student on his or her preliminary exam.

The student’s department will promptly report the results of the Preliminary Examination to the Graduate and Professional School via the Report of Doctoral Preliminary Examination form. The Preliminary Examination checklist form must also be submitted. These forms should be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School within 10 working days of completion of the preliminary examination.

The Report of the Preliminary Examination form must be submitted with original signatures of the approved examination committee members. If an approved examination committee member substitution (one only) has been made, that signature must also be included, in place of the committee member, on the form submitted to the Graduate and Professional School. The original signature of the department head is also required on the form.

After passing the required preliminary oral and written examinations for a doctoral degree, the student must complete the final examination within four years of the semester in which the preliminary exam is taken. Exams taken in between terms will expire at the end of the term that ended prior to the exam. For example, a preliminary exam taken and passed during the fall 2019 semester will expire at the end of the fall 2023 semester. A preliminary exam taken in the time between the summer and fall 2019 semesters will expire at the end of the summer 2023 semester.

First Failure

Upon approval of a student’s examination committee (with no more than one member dissenting), and approval of the Department and Graduate and Professional School, a student who has failed a preliminary examination may be given one re-examination. In accordance with Student Rule 12.5, the student’s department head or designee, intercollegiate faculty, or graduate advisory committee should make a recommendation to the student regarding their scholastic deficiency.

Second Failure

Upon failing the preliminary exam twice in a doctoral program, a student is no longer eligible to continue to pursue the PhD in that program/major. In accordance with Student Rule 12.5.3 and/or 12.5.4, the student will be notified of the action being taken by the department as a result of the second failure of the preliminary examination.

Adequate time must be given to permit a student to address inadequacies emerging from the first preliminary examination. The examination committee must agree upon and communicate to the student, in writing, an adequate time-frame from the first examination (normally six months) to retest, as well as a detailed explanation of the inadequacies emerging from the examination. The student and committee should jointly negotiate a mutually acceptable date for this retest.  When providing feedback on inadequacies, the committee should clearly document expected improvements that the student must be able to exhibit in order to retake the exam.  The examination committee will document and communicate the time-frame and feedback within 10 working days of the exam that was not passed.

Final Examination for Doctoral Students

The candidate for the doctoral degree must pass a final examination by deadline dates announced in the “Graduate and Professional School Calendar” each semester. The doctoral student is allowed only one opportunity to take the final examination.

No unabsolved grades of D, F, or U for any course can be listed on the degree plan. The student must be registered for any remaining hours of 681, 684, 690, 691, 692, 791 or other graduate courses specifically designated as S/U in the course catalog during the semester of the final exam. No student may be given a final examination until they have been admitted to candidacy and their current official cumulative and degree plan GPAs are 3.00 or better.

To be admitted to candidacy for a doctoral degree, a student must have:

1.       completed all formal coursework on the degree plan with the exception of any remaining 681, 684, 690 and 691, 692 (Professional Study), or 791 hours,

2.       a 3.0 Graduate GPA and a Degree Plan GPA of at least 3.0 with no grade lower than C in any course on the degree plan,

3.       passed the preliminary examination,

4.       submitted an approved dissertation proposal,

5.       met the residence requirements.

The request to hold and announce the final examination must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School a minimum of 10 working days in advance of the scheduled date. Any changes to the degree plan must be approved by the Graduate and Professional School prior to the submission of the request for final examination.

The student’s advisory committee will conduct this examination. The final examination is not to be administered until the dissertation or record of study is available in substantially final form to the student’s advisory committee, and all concerned have had adequate time to review the document.  Whereas the final examination may cover the broad field of the candidate’s training, it is presumed that the major portion of the time will be devoted to the dissertation and closely allied topics. Persons other than members of the graduate faculty may, with mutual consent of the candidate and the chair of the advisory committee, be invited to attend a final examination for an advanced degree. A positive vote by all members of the graduate committee with at most one dissension is required to pass a student on his or her exam. A department can have a stricter requirement provided there is consistency within all degree programs within a department. Upon completion of the questioning of the candidate, all visitors must excuse themselves from the proceedings.

The student’s department will promptly report the results of the Final Examination to the Graduate and Professional School via the Report of Doctoral Final Examination form. These forms should be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School within 10 working days of completion of the final examination. The Graduate and Professional School must be notified in writing of any cancellations.

A positive evaluation of the final exam by all members of a student’s advisory committee with at most one dissension is required to pass a student on his or her final exam. The Report of the Final Examination Form must be submitted with original signatures of only the committee members approved by the Graduate and Professional School. If necessary, multiple copies of the form may be submitted with different committee member original signatures. If an approved committee member substitution (1 only) has been made, his/her signature must be included on the form submitted to the Graduate and Professional School.

The ability to perform independent research must be demonstrated by the dissertation,  which must be the original work of the candidate . Whereas acceptance of the dissertation is based primarily on its scholarly merit, it must also exhibit creditable literary workmanship. The format of the dissertation must be acceptable to the Graduate and Professional School. Guidelines for the preparation of the dissertation are available in the  Thesis Manual , which is available online at  https://grad.tamu.edu .

After successful defense and approval by the student’s advisory committee and the head of the student’s major department (or chair of the intercollegiate faculty, if applicable), a student must submit his/her dissertation in electronic format as a single PDF file. The PDF file must be uploaded to the website,  https://grad.tamu.edu . Additionally, a signed paper approval form with original signatures must be received by the Graduate and Professional School. Both the PDF file and the signed approval form are required by the deadline.

Deadline dates for submitting are announced each semester or summer term in the Graduate and Professional School Calendar (see Time Limit statement). These dates also can be accessed via the website  https://grad.tamu.edu .

Each student who submits a document for review is assessed a one-time thesis/dissertation processing fee through Student Business Services. This processing fee is for the thesis/dissertation services provided. After commencement, dissertations are digitally stored and made available through the Texas A&M Libraries.

A dissertation that is deemed unacceptable by the Graduate and Professional School because of excessive corrections will be returned to the student’s department head or chair of the intercollegiate faculty . The manuscript must be resubmitted as a new document, and the entire review process must begin anew. All original submittal deadlines must be met during the resubmittal process in order to graduate.

Additional Requirements

Continuous registration, admission to candidacy.

• 99-Hour Cap on Doctoral Degree

On-Campus Degree Program

A student who enters the doctoral degree program with a baccalaureate degree must spend one academic year plus one semester in resident study at Texas A&M University. A student who holds master’s degree when he/she enters doctoral degree program must spend one academic year in resident study. One academic year may include two adjacent regular semesters or one regular semester and one adjacent 10-week summer semester. The third semester is not required to be adjacent to the one year. Enrollment for each semester must be a minimum of 9 credit hours each to satisfy the residence requirement. A minimum of 1 credit hour must be in a non-distance education delivery mode. Semesters in which the student is enrolled in all distance education coursework will not count toward fulfillment of the residence requirement.

To satisfy the residence requirement, the student must complete a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester or 10-week summer semester in resident study at Texas A&M University for the required period. A student who enters a doctoral degree program with a baccalaureate degree may fulfill residence requirements in excess of one academic year (18 credit hours) by registration during summer sessions or by completion of a less-than-full course load (in this context a full course load is considered 9 credit hours per semester).

Students who are employed full-time while completing their degree may fulfill total residence requirements by completion of less-than-full time course loads each semester. In order to be considered for this, the student is required to submit a Petition for Waivers and Exceptions along with verification of his/her employment to the Graduate and Professional School. An employee should submit verification of his/her employment at the time he/she submits the degree plan. See  Registration .

See  Residence Requirements .

Distance Education Degree Program

The distance education modality does not have any residence requirement.

All requirements for doctoral degrees must be completed within a period of ten consecutive calendar years for the degree to be granted. A course will be considered valid until 10 years after the end of the semester in which it is taken. Graduate credit for coursework more than ten calendar years old at the time of the final oral examination may not be used to satisfy degree requirements.

A final corrected version of the dissertation or record of study in electronic format as a single PDF file must be cleared by the Graduate and Professional School within one year of the semester in which the final exam is taken. Exams taken in between terms will expire at the end of the term that ended prior to the exam. For example, a final exam taken and passed during the fall 2022 semester will expire at the end of the fall 2023 semester. A final exam taken in the time between the summer and fall 2022 semesters will expire at the end of the summer 2023 semester. Failure to do so will result in the degree not being awarded.

A student in a program leading to a Doctor of Philosophy who has completed all coursework on his/her degree plan other than 691 (research) are required to be in continuous registration until all requirements for the degree have been completed. See  Continuous Registration Requirements .

• completed all formal coursework on the degree plan with the exception of any remaining 681, 684, 690 and 691, or 791.
• a 3.0 Graduate GPA and a Degree Plan GPA of at least 3.0 with no grade lower than C in any course on the degree plan,
• passed the preliminary examination (written and oral portions),
• submitted an approved dissertation proposal,
• met the residence requirements. The final examination will not be authorized for any doctoral student who has not been admitted to candidacy.

A student is required to possess a competent command of English. For English language proficiency requirements, see the Admissions section of this catalog. The doctoral (PhD) foreign language requirement at Texas A&M University is a departmental option, to be administered and monitored by the individual departments of academic instruction.

99-Hour Cap on Doctoral Degrees

In Texas, public colleges and universities are funded by the state according to the number of students enrolled. In accordance with legislation passed by the Texas Legislature, the number of hours for which state universities may receive subvention funding at the doctoral rate for any individual is limited to 99 hours. Texas A&M and other universities will not receive subvention for hours in excess of the limit.

Institutions of higher education are allowed to charge the equivalent of non-resident tuition to a resident doctoral student who has enrolled in 100 or more semester credit hours of doctoral coursework.

Doctoral students at Texas A&M have seven years to complete their degree before being charged out-of-state tuition. A doctoral student who, after seven years of study, has accumulated 100 or more doctoral hours will be charged tuition at a rate equivalent to out-of-state tuition. Please note that the tuition increases will apply to Texas residents as well as students from other states and countries who are currently charged tuition at the resident rate. This includes those doctoral students who hold GAT, GANT, and GAR appointments or recipients of competitive fellowships who receive more than $1,000 per semester. Doctoral students who have not accumulated 100 hours after seven years of study are eligible to pay in-state tuition if otherwise eligible.

Doctoral students who exceed the credit limit will receive notification from the Graduate and Professional School during the semester in which they are enrolled and exceeding the limit in their current degree program. The notification will explain that the State of Texas does not provide funding for any additional hours in which a student is enrolled in excess of 99 hours. Texas A&M University will recover the lost funds by requiring students in excess of 99 hours to pay tuition at the non-funded, non-resident rate. This non-funded, non-resident tuition rate status will be updated for the following semester and in all subsequent semesters until receipt of a doctoral degree. Please see the  Tuition Calculator  at the non-resident rate for an example of potential charges.

The following majors are exempt from the 99-Hour Cap on Doctoral Degrees and have a limit of 130 doctoral hours:

• Biochemistry
• Biomedical Sciences
• Clinical Psychology
• Counseling Psychology
• Genetics and Genomics
• Health Services Research
• Medical Sciences
• Microbiology
• Neurosciences (School of Medicine)
• Oral and Craniofacial Biomedical Sciences
• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Public Health Sciences
• School Psychology

• Log in
• Site search

Pharmacy and Biomedical Science (Distance Learning)

Entry requirements.

An upper second-class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject or a master's degree in an appropriate subject. Exceptionally, equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will be considered. All applicants will be invited to attend an interview.

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.

Months of entry

February, April, October

Course content

If you want to further your research in Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences, Portsmouth is the ideal place to continue your journey.

Our Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences research focuses on growing our understanding of how the body functions in health, how it malfunctions in disease, and the genetic and molecular drivers of physical and mental illnesses.

We're researching the molecular, cellular, physiological and behavioural processes occurring in the body at times of health and disease. We're identifying and characterising the biomarkers of disease, and helping develop new drugs from initial discovery to clinical application with our partners in industry.

Much of our research takes place at the Institute of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (IBBS) . Some of our successful projects at IBBS include researching microporous materials for environmental and drug delivery, sperm freezing to reduce the use of animals in research, and developing endoscopy methods and training to improve patient outcomes. 100% of our impact case studies in the area of Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy were rated as very considerable in terms of their reach and significance in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) .

As a postgraduate research degree student, you'll join our collaborative research community, help find new, more effective treatments for patients, and play your part in turning knowledge into impact.

Support and facilities

When you join us, you'll be supported by our Graduate School , alongside your assigned supervisory team, who'll help you get the most from our facilities. The Graduate School will help you become part of our thriving, collaborative research community, and help grow your skills as a researcher through the Graduate School Development Programme , which offers training, workshops and events.

As a postgraduate researcher, facilities you can use include our microscope suite, cell culture facilities, molecular biology laboratories, microscope software, and our radioisotope facility.

Depending on your research project, you could work in our European Xenopus Resource Centre , which supports researchers using Xenopus models. The Centre is funded by the Wellcome Trust, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). Researchers are encouraged to deposit Xenopus transgenic and mutant lines, Xenopus in situ hybridisation probes, Xenopus specific antibodies and Xenopus expression clones.

What can a postgraduate research degree do for my career?

Once you complete your postgraduate research degree, you'll be a highly-skilled researcher with the knowledge and skills to make an impact in many different industries.

Your postgraduate research qualification demonstrates to potential employers that you're an intelligent, capable and motivated person, with provable abilities and experience in critical thinking, problem-solving, project management, communication, leadership and creativity.

After researching with us, our successful postgraduate research candidates have gone on to impressive positions in a variety of fields.

Further information about our Research Areas and funded opportunities can be found at www.port.ac.uk/research

Department specialisms

Please visit https://www.port.ac.uk/study/courses/postgraduate-research/pgr-pharmacy-pharmacology-and-biomedical-sciences for the latest research project information.

Fees and funding

https://www.port.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/funding-your-research-degree

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

• Online learning is available for this qualification

Course contact details

• Home »
• Search »
• biomedical sciences

Online Postgraduate Courses in Biomedical Sciences - 35 Courses

• Refine your search:
• Biomedical engineering
• Biomedical materials science
• Medical microbiology

University of Birmingham School of Biomedical Science

• Bioinformatics (Online) MSc

University of Greenwich Natural Resources Institute

• Biomedical Science MSc
• Biomedical Science (Online) MSc

London Metropolitan University School of Human Sciences

• Blood Science (Distance Learning) MSc

Nottingham Trent University School of Science and Technology

• Biomedical Science (Flexible Learning) MSc

Queen Mary University of London William Harvey Research Institute

• Clinical Drug Development Online MSc Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip
• Genomic Medicine Online MSc Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip
• Neuromodulation and Pain Management Online PGCert Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert

University of Southampton Clinical and Experimental Sciences

• Allergy MSc Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip

University of Southampton Human Development and Health

University of westminster, london school of life sciences.

• Life Sciences - MPhil Master of Philosophy - MPhil

Anglia Ruskin University Life Sciences

Cardiff university school of medicine.

• Medical Toxicology MSc Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip

University of Exeter Biosciences

• Medical Mycology (online) MSc Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip

University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) Applied Life Studies

• Infection Prevention and Control MSc

University of Leeds Inter-Disciplinary Ethics Applied Centre

• Biomedical and Healthcare Ethics (Online Distance Learning) MA Masters in Research (MRes) Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip

University of Nottingham School of Molecular Medical Sciences

• Clinical Microbiology (Distance Learning) MSc
• Clinical Microbiology (Distance Learning) MSc MSc

Robert Gordon University School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences

Ulster university e-learning.

• Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Monitoring (E-Learning) MSc Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip

Ulster University School of Geography and Environmental Sciences

Search for biomedical sciences by....

• Attendance :
• All attendance types
• Online / distance learning
• Short / block course
• All qualifications
• Masters/Diploma/PG Cert
• Research/PhD
• All countries
• Europe (any country)
• Europe non-EU (any country)
• Northern Ireland
• United Kingdom
• UK Location :
• All regions
• East Midlands
• East of England
• West Midlands
• Yorkshire and the Humber

Exclusive bursaries Open day alerts Funding advice Application tips Latest PG news

Sign up now!

Take 2 minutes to sign up to PGS student services and reap the benefits…

• The chance to apply for one of our 5 PGS Bursaries worth £2,000 each
• Fantastic scholarship updates

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can i find details about the program.

Please review this website, and our program listing in  ExploreDegrees .

What is the best way to see if my interests align with the program?

Review the details of our curriculum and summary descriptions of  core and affiliated faculty.  You should also do web searches to find the faculty websites, and check out their most recent publications. Also, examine the  list of our current students .

What is the difference between Stanford's program and other biomedical data science programs?

Our program is particularly strong in methods development, drawing heavily on quantitative and computational approaches. Many other programs are more applied in nature. Also, DBDS and the rest of Stanford Biosciences is extremely interdisciplinary, so there are many opportunities to work with faculty in other programs and departments.

How do DBDS graduate students pick a lab and faculty research supervisor?

Students do rotations the first year in labs chosen through mutual agreement by the student and the faculty member.

What is the average class size of the program?

See our  list of students .

How long does it take to get a degree?

• PhD: 4-6 years
• Academic MS: 2 years
• HCP MS: 3-5 years

What kind of jobs do Stanford DBDS graduates get?

Please look at our  alumni pages .

Questions about Applying

Should i apply to the stanford dbds program.

Only you know enough about your circumstances to make this decision. We encourage all applicants to consider their personal and career goals, their background and abilities, financial constraints, and reasonable alternatives, before applying.

How do I apply?

Review our website to see if our program is a good fit with your goals. The specifics depend on the degree program to which you are applying. You can find instructions for each degree under  Prospectve Students .

What is the general timeline for admissions?

Applications for PhD and Academic MS are due late November or early December; the exact date varies from year to year. Invitations for interviews (PhD only) go out by early January. Interviews are in February or early March. Offers of admission are sent starting early March. Your final admission decisions are due April 15. Most students start in the Autumn (late Sept, Stanford is on quarter system). Some start Summer quarter in late June. Some of these dates have been modified because of Covid.

All PhD and Academic MS applications are reviewed together, so there is no competitive advantage in applying early; however, we  very strongly recommend  that you not wait until the last minute (or day).

The  HCP MS  and  co-terminal MS  has several application cycle per year. See the webpages for those programs.

I missed the deadline. Can I apply late (or early) to the PhD program?

No. We do not accept applications to the PhD program out of the normal cycle, as it causes problems both for admissions process which is coordinated with the other Biosciences programs, and for arranging funding.

Does Stanford DBDS offer conditional admission?

Is my application good enough am i eligible to apply.

We are unable to answer that question for specific applicants. The DBDS admissions committee considers many factors, including grades, letters of recommendation, the personal statement, prior research experience, life circumstances, and fit with our program. The decision is based on a composite of these elements in the context of all the applications we receive each cycle. You should also note that admission to our program, especially for the PhD, is very  competitive, so it is to your advantage to make sure your application is as strong as you can make it in all of the listed dimensions. There is no such thing as “eligible”; we review all applications that we receive.

Stanford requires a TOEFL score (if needed) of greater than or equal to 100. If your score is below 100 and you are accepted, Stanford requires that you retake the exam to achieve that threshold. Unfortunately, we cannot make exceptions to this rule. See  here .

If I have not completed all the prerequisites, will I still be considered?

Yes, but this is rarely a good idea. The goals of the prerequisites are: (1) to provide clear evidence that you will succeed if admitted, (2) to give us some basis for ranking admission candidates. It also helps you figure out if you enjoy working in this field. In most cases, it is better to delay application until those prerequisites have been achieved. Your application will almost certainly be stronger for having done so. Otherwise, please clearly indicate what your plan is to complete them, preferably prior to enrolling in DBDS. If you are admitted, you need to be ready to take graduate-level classwork at Stanford in Biomedical Informatics, Statistics, and Computer Science.

How many people apply?

The PhD application process is extremely competive. Recently, the PhD acceptance rate has been about 5% or less. The acceptance rate for the MS programs varies considerably by program and by year. We do not publicly release details beyond what was just mentioned.

Is it okay if some of my application materials arrive late?

You need to submit the main application before the deadline. Unofficial test scores (TOEFL) and unofficial transcripts should arrive before the deadline. Your unofficial transcripts and test scores will be validated when your official ones are received by the University, which can occur after the admissions deadline.

Outside of that, we strongly recommend against late applications, including letters of recommendation. We start reviewing applications immediately after the deadline closes. Incomplete applications will be reviewed, but incomplete applications are unlikely to be as strong as the complete ones, placing you at considerable disadvantage in an already very competitive application process. This is especially true for the PhD program.

What is the status of my application?

We realize that the application process is anxiety provoking, and it is natural to be concerned about the possibility of information missing from your application, or wondering where you are in the application ranking. After the formal deadline, if something has changed, you may email the updated information to our  Contact Address . We ask, though, that you refrain from contacting us to request routine updates about your status. If your application is deficient in some way, we will contact you. However, you will have to wait for interview invitations and the final admission decisions on schedule.

Oops. I forgot to upload some of the supplemental materials for my application and now the system won't let me add them. What should I do?

Just email the additional materials to our  Contact Address .

I'm interested in several departments in Stanford. Which one should I apply to?

This is a  very important  decision, so it is worth your time to explore and consider your options carefully. Stanford Biosciences is very interdisciplinary; if admitted, you will be able to pick research supervisors from many different departments. You should select a home department on the basis of your background, your interest in a particular curriculum, your fit with the research done by that program’s faculty, and your career plans. In general, we recommend applicants apply to DBDS if they are interested in methods and to other departments, such as Genetics or Cancer Biology, if they are primarily interested in those research domains. Also see the next few FAQs.

What are "Biosciences"?

Stanford Biosciences  represents the majority of departments and programs in the School of Medicine, including BMI, that grant PhD degrees. You apply through Biosciences for any of those programs, and you may list two different programs in your application.

What is the difference between Bioengineering and Biomedical Data Science?

The biomedical computation track in Bioengineering is different from DBDS in that it focuses mostly on physical simulation of molecular or physiological systems, and less on informatics issues of data and knowledge representation, storage, retrieval, mining, analysis and machine learning. The DBDS program offers more opportunities for deeper training in computer science and statistics. Both programs allow students to work with virtually any faculty member, so students should choose a graduate program based on the aspects of the curricula that appeal to them. Also, Bioengineering is not part of Biosciences.

Can I apply to both DBDS and Genetics PhD programs at the same time?

Yes, you can apply to any two programs or departments in  Biosciences  in the same year.

Can I apply to both DBDS and Bioengineering PhD programs at the same time?

No. You are limited to one PhD application per academic year. Applications to Biomedical Informatics go through the central Biosciences Program in the School of Medicine, which allows the applicant to select two Biosciences Programs for simultaneous consideration. Unfortunately, Biosciences does not include Bioengineering, Computer Science or other engineering fields. Therefore, it is important to decide which program best fits your background and career goals.

Note that if you are accepted into another program, you can take DBDS courses, or even get a PhD minor  or  MS from DBDS .

Can I apply to both DBDS and Computer Science PhD programs at the same time?

No. See previous question.

Can I apply to both DBDS and Epidemiology PhD programs at the same time?

No, for the same reasons. As mentioned above, you should carefully examine the respective program and faculty interests, and apply to the program that best fits your own. It is possible, but not routine, for us to redirect applications to another program that appears to be a better match. We strongly recommend you make the best choice for you when you apply.

I have been out of school for a while. Do you accept older students?

Yes. Many of our students have gotten other degrees, worked in industry or in clinical practice, or had other relevant experiences before entering the DBDS program.

I was not admitted. Can I meet with someone to tell me why?

While we understand that situation is disappointing, we are not able to provide individual feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Can I visit DBDS? Can I meet with DBDS faculty before applying? Can I request an interview?

Generally, no.

Due to time constraints we are not able to accomodate requests to meet one-on-one with our faculty prior to submitting an application, give individual tours, or meet to provide guidance about applications, the admissions process, and career planning.

We only interview a limited number of applicants. Top candidates for our PhD program will be invited out to visit us during the application process. We will contact you by mid-January if we want you to come for an interview. Note that the interview process is quite extensive; you will interview with multiple faculty and students, tour our campus, and meet with many of our current students in social settings. We do not typically interview MS program candidates.

I have contacted one of the DBDS faculty about admissions. Will I receive a response?

Our faculty members receive many emails and requests for information. Unfortunately, they are unable to respond to all such contacts. Please email specific questions about the admissions process to us at our  Contact Address .

Should I contact faculty to get a research assistantship before I am admitted?

Generally, we only admit PhD students whose funding is pre-arranged by the DBDS program or through outside scholarships. There is more information about funding below. As part of the admission process, we will bring your application to the attention of the appropriate faculty. We prefer you do not contact the faculty directly. Just to be clear: you apply to the DBDS program; you do not apply to individual faculty labs.

If you are applying to the Academic MS program, you may want to identify faculty in those labs you are interested in working. They may research funds to support you. You should wait until you receive an offer of admission before contacting them.

Can I be admitted to Stanford and then finish the prerequisites there?

Maybe, but the rest of your application will have to be quite strong to make up for this.

Do I have to complete the prerequisites at Stanford?

No. We accept prerequisite courses from any accredited college or university, including evening courses from a community college.

I have taken some coursework at Stanford before. Can I count those units towards another degree if I am admitted?

Generally, yes. However, you can’t count the same course towards two different degrees. If you have extra units from a prior degree or a currently active degree program, then those units can count towards a DBDS MS.

How can I complete the computer science prerequisites?

The main goal of our listed CS prerequisites is to learn not merely a particular computer programming language, but the fundamentals of computer science, including data structures and algorithms, and software engineering principles, including abstraction, modularity, and object-oriented programming. We expect our applicants to know something about computer  science .

The particular Stanford classes we list are CS 106 A and B. These can be taken at Stanford or on-line through SCPD; the course content is also available for free through  Stanford Engineering Everywhere . The particular languages covered in those classes are Python and C++. There are many good equivalent options available at other colleges and universities, and on-line.

Most of our students end up learning and using multiple languages. It is not necessary to have mastered all these languages before applying.

I took the prerequisites years ago. Is that okay?

That depends. If you have been working in a position that uses the knowledge and skills from those prerequisites, then that may suffice. If you have been out of school for a while, it is highly advised that you refresh your knowledge. The point of the prerequisites is to make sure that you can do the work required by our program without excessive delay if admitted.

Do I need any particular undergraduate major in order to apply?

No. Our students have diverse backgrounds, with undergraduate training in computer science, mathematics, statistics, engineering, or the biomedical sciences.

If I come to DBDS, can I work with a particular professor?

If you have already identified a possible research mentor, then you are one step ahead. However, be advised that even if admitted, there is no guarantee that that professor would have space in their lab, have appropriate funding, or be a good interpersonal match with you. In general, we recommend that you apply to Stanford DBDS because your interests align well with our overall program philosophy and emphasis. Note for international students: you apply to DBDS (within Biosciences), you don’t apply to a particular professor.

Does DBDS have an undergraduate degree?

No, but there is a coterminal MS program in DBDS for current Stanford undergraduates, and Stanford offers an undergraduate biocomputation major .

Do I need to have an MS degree before I apply for the PhD?

Why do you offer three different ms degrees.

Each serves different purposes and has somewhat different application procedures.

• The academic research MS program is for those who are seeking research training in biomedical informatics. We have funding for those who have postdoctoral status (MD, or PhD).
• The HCP (Honors Cooperative Program, distance learning) MS is designed for part-time study from off-campus, typically for working professionals.
• The coterminal program is for Stanford undergraduates who through additional study can complete the DBDS MS

I'm working towards my doctoral-level degree, but it has not yet been conferred. Can I still apply to the post-doctoral MS program?

You can apply for the post-doctoral MS before your PhD degree has been awarded. You should apply using the instructions on the  Academic MS page . Note that you cannot be placed on postdoctoral NLM funding until your doctoral degree has been conferred, so there may be problems if your graduation is delayed.

Is there a part-time MS degree program?

Yes, see the  HCP MS  program details.

How do I get answers to questions about the distance education MS?

For questions about fees, video availability, and employment requirements, please see the  SCPD  website, or email their customer service contact.

For questions about the MS curriculum and degree requirements, please review the relevant section of both the SCPD and DBDS websites, and address remaining questions to us via email.

Is there a full-time distance education Masters option?

There is no specific full-time option. Per SCPD policy, you can take up to 10 units per quarter, although that is not typical.

Is financial aid available for the distance education program?

No financial aid is available through Stanford. Some employers pay partial or full cost for technical training of their employees, so that may be available to you.

Is there a part-time PhD degree program? Is there a distance learning PhD?

No. Our faculty believe that the PhD must be obtained on-campus, with full-time involvement.

We do have distance learning (part-time) programs (MS and certificate), whose coursework can be used towards a PhD if the student is later accepted into the PhD program. The student doing the PhD must meet all the residential requirements of BMI and Stanford for that degree, which means at least several years on campus. The distance learning courses can be used ahead of time to get a start on some of the coursework. The BMI program doesn’t require taking any course for a second time on entering the PhD program, but Stanford requires a minimum number of additional units that must be completed as part of the degree. Up to 18 credit units earned for a graduate certificate may count toward a degree program if you apply and are accepted.

How do I submit transcripts?

When you apply, submit scanned versions of whatever transcripts you have up to that date. Later, you may update your file by submitting the supplementary documentation when your courses are completed via email to us; however we cannot guarantee that the information will arrive in time for the admissions committee to take it into account. If are accepted into the program you are required to submit final transcripts showing degree conferral prior to matriculation at Stanford.

I applied before. Do you need official copies of my transcripts again?

For PhD applicants, yes. For MS applicants, we keep the official copies for one year.

Can I transfer credit?

Transferring credit means using credit for courses taken  outside of  Stanford to reduce the number of credits taken  at  Stanford.

For the MS degree: No. The University residency requirement is 45 units taken at Stanford for an MS. No transfer credits are allowed to count towards the masters residency requirement. If you have taken coursework elsewhere, that could allow you to take more advanced coursework at Stanford, but it doesn’t change the total number of units required.

For the PhD degree: Yes. The PhD requires 135 units, of which 90 units must be taken at Stanford during the PhD program. Thus, you could transfer credits taken elsewhere or taken at Stanford in another graduate program. More information is  here .

Note that for both degrees, up to 18 units of academic credit from relevant Certificate or Non-degree option programs  taken at Stanford  may be used upon acceptance into the degree program.

In all cases, we make decisions about the effect of prior coursework only after your acceptance into one of our degree programs, not before.

Are the GREs required?

No. The GRE General Test score is not required and will not be considered if submitted. Also, we do not require any GRE Subject Test scores.

Do I have to take the TOEFL?

TOEFL scores are required by Stanford University of all applicants whose first language is not English. There are some complications and exceptions. See the  official Stanford policy for details. Note that page says the qualifying degree must have been earned; degrees expected to be earned before starting in the DBDS program are sufficient, and the TOEFL is not required.

If you take the test near our application deadline, email the unofficial scores to us as soon as possible; the official scores can arrive after the deadline.

Can I take another language exam in place of the TOEFL?

No. Stanford only accepts the TOEFL.

Can international students apply to the program?

Yes. If you have very strong credentials then you should consider applying to the program. See below for important information about funding, and our page for  International Applicants .

Questions from Clinicians

I have an md. can i apply.

Yes. We encourage applications from MDs, or others with doctoral-level professional degrees (DO, DDS).

MDs (or equivalent) may be interested in the two-year research MS, which could be completed before, after, or (with planning) during residency training or subspecialty fellowship. This degree is full-time (half-time classes, half-time research). Both this and the PhD are rather rigorous and you should make sure you had the computer science and mathematics (calculus, probability, statistics, and linear algebra) coursework in order to apply. You should contact us as early as possible, especially if you are interleaving the DBDS training with medical residency or fellowship training. See also below the comments about clinical informatics options.

Note that NLM training grant funds can only support US citizens or permanent residents. Others will need to consider alternative sources of funding.

I am a clinician. Which degree is most appropriate?

We recommend you review thoroughly the descriptions of our programs, consider your personal and financial constraints, and professional goals, then address remaining questions via  email .

Can I have a clinical practice while at DBDS?

Yes, with limitations. The NLM training grant limits outside work activities (including clinical time) to eight hours per week. Given the demands on your time in our program, it is unlikely that you would be able to devote more than eight hours per week to clinical work, regardless of the NLM restrictions.

How do I find clinical work while in the program?

Some residency and fellowship training programs provide funded time to pursue research, and this might align with time spent in graduate training at DBDS.

If you have already completed residency or fellowship training, then you will need to make your own arrangments for clinical appointments. These could be at Stanford, UCSF, the VA, Kaiser, or elsewhere.

Questions about Clinical Informatics

Is dbds a degree program in clinical informatics.

Not exactly.

If you are interested in research involving clinical data, then you may apply to the DBDS graduate program; many of our students use data from clinical systems, such as STRIDE .

If you are interested in the clinical informatics fellowship, an MD-only subspecialty fellowship with the goal of board certification, then see  the CI Fellowship page .

You should also know about the new Stanford  MS program in Clinical Informatics Management  (MCiM).

Does a degree from Stanford DBDS make me eligible to take the Clinical Informatics Subspeciality Board Examination?

If you are a pathologist, you should contact the American Board of Pathology. If you are not a pathologist, the  American Board of Preventive Medicine says : “A 24 month Masters or PhD program in Biomedical Data Science, Health Sciences Informatics, Clinical Informatics, or a related subject from a university/college in the US and Canada, deemed acceptable by ABPM (e.g. NLM university-based Biomedical Data Science Training). A copy of the program curriculum and a description of the training is required.” Note that the CI exam tests material in areas that are not typically covered in the DBDS curriculum; you should examine their content outline carefully. In any case, the ultimate decision about appropriateness of our degrees for board certification lies with the sponsoring Board, not with DBDS.

Questions about Tuition, Fees, Program Costs, Funding, and Financial Aid

How much does it cost to get the ms (or phd).

Tuition and other fees for the Academic MS and PhD program are set by Stanford University. The most up-to-date listing is on the Stanford Registrar’s  website . Fees for the distance education (HCP) MS program are set by the  Stanford Center for Professional Development , and you should check their website for details.

What financial aid does DBDS provide?

The NLM training grant is available to PhD students and post-doctoral MS students who are US citizens or permanent residents, and covers tuition, stipend, and health insurance. International students will need to find other sources of support; PhD candidates may be eligible for the Stanford Graduate Fellowship. We do not provide financial support for students enrolled for the MS degree who do not already have a PhD, MD, or similar doctoral degree; some of those students find Research Assistantship support after arrival at Stanford (by directly contacting professors after admission).

We do not provide financial support for the HCP (distance learning) MS program. Such students are generally not eligible for student loans or scholarships. Most loan programs require full-time commitment to courses. Most scholarships or fellowships have a required research component. However, some employers offer educational benefits to their employees. Please contact the Human Resources Department within your organization.

For the Coterminal Masters program, students are eligible for undergraduate financial aid until the 12th quarter of their studies. Coterminal MS students may also seek Research Assistantships.

Stanford’s Research Management Group maintains a  comprehensive list of funding .

Questions about DBDS

How much does it cost to live close to stanford university or in the sf bay area how can i find out about my housing options.

The SF Bay Area is expensive. Many graduate students choose to live on campus for convenience and to minimize costs. Please refer to Stanford’s  Housing Office  for more information.

Can I switch from one MS program to another?

The answer is “yes, with restrictions”. Please contact us to discuss your particular circumstances. It is possible to change from the Academic MS to the HCP MS, or vice versa. Students in the coterminal program must fulfill the requirements for the undergraduate degree and it is unlikely that a switch would be possible. Note that several excellent Professional MS students have later been admitted to the PhD program.

Other Questions

What is the difference between dbds and bmir.

DBDS is the Biomedical Data Science Training Program, the program affiliated with the Department of Biomedical Data Science  in Stanford’s School of Medicine granting MS and PhD degrees. BMIR is the  Stanford Center for Biomedical Data Science Research , a division in the Department of Medicine devoted to research in this area. Several faculty are affiliated with both DBDS and BMIR, and DBDS students can do research at BMIR.

What do I do if I still have questions?

Send us email ( Contact Us ). We are busy keeping all the machinery behind the scenes running smoothly, but we try to respond to every inquiry within one to two business days. It is much better to email us questions directly rather than asking us if you can call.

• Accessibility Options:
• Skip to Content
• Skip to Search
• Skip to footer
• Office of Disability Services
• Request Assistance
• 305-284-2374
• High Contrast
• School of Architecture
• College of Arts and Sciences
• Miami Herbert Business School
• School of Communication
• School of Education and Human Development
• College of Engineering
• School of Law
• Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science
• Miller School of Medicine
• Frost School of Music
• School of Nursing and Health Studies
• The Graduate School
• Division of Continuing and International Education
• People Search
• Class Search
• IT Help and Support
• Privacy Statement
• Student Life

• Search Site
• Main College
• College News

Biomedical Engineering

• Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering
• Civil and Architectural Engineering
• Electrical and Computing Engineering
• Industrial Engineering
• Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• What is BME?
• Mission Statement
• Educational Objectives
• Undergraduate
• Imaging, Optics, & Lasers
• Biomechanics, Microfluidics, Biomaterials and Tissue
• Neural Engineering, Signals, & Instrumentation
• News and Events
• Advisory Board
• PhD Students
• History and Current Enrollment
• MS in Medical Physics
• PhD in Medical Physics
• Certificate Program
• Student Publications
• Listening Exercise
• Communications

The PhD in Biomedical Engineering – Medical Physics Program focuses on training students’ research ability and experience in the field of medical physics with an emphasis on radiation therapy, in addition to the course work required by the MS in Biomedical Engineering – Medical Physics Program. Students graduating from the program are required to take the American Board of Radiology (ABR) exam and to apply for medical physics residency programs. Students are encouraged to seek academic positions after graduating from the program.

Students will complete most of the coursework in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and will join research projects in the Department of Radiation Oncology, or other collaborative departments or clinical sites. PhD students in the program will take two qualify exams. The first one is the general qualify exam required by the Department of Biomedical Engineering, usually after two-semester study and before the third semester starts. The second qualify exam is required by the Medical Physics Graduate Program, usually after all coursework has been completed.

The Medical Physics curriculum is designed to provide students with the technical and intellectual skills required for successful careers in the field of medical physics. In addition to the coursework required by the Biomedical Engineering PhD program, PhD students enrolled in the medical physics program must successfully complete 32 medical physics course credits, at least 12 credits in research dissertation (BME 830/840) in the field of medical physics, and other requirements by the BME PhD program.

• 1251 Memorial Drive McArthur Engineering Building Coral Gables , FL 33146
• 305-284-2445 305-284-2445
• Academic Calendar
• Alumni & Friends
• Medical Center
• Hurricane Sports
• Parking & Transportation
• social-facebook
• social-twitter
• social-youtube
• social-instagram

Copyright: 2024 University of Miami. All Rights Reserved. Emergency Information Privacy Statement & Legal Notices

Individuals with disabilities who experience any technology-based barriers accessing the University’s websites or services can visit the Office of Workplace Equity and Inclusion .

Our cookies

We use cookies for three reasons: to give you the best experience on PGS, to make sure the PGS ads you see on other sites are relevant , and to measure website usage. Some of these cookies are necessary to help the site work properly and can’t be switched off. Cookies also support us to provide our services for free, and by click on “Accept” below, you are agreeing to our use of cookies .You can manage your preferences now or at any time.

Privacy overview

We use cookies, which are small text files placed on your computer, to allow the site to work for you, improve your user experience, to provide us with information about how our site is used, and to deliver personalised ads which help fund our work and deliver our service to you for free.

The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience.

You can accept all, or else manage cookies individually. However, blocking some types of cookies may affect your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

You can change your cookies preference at any time by visiting our Cookies Notice page. Please remember to clear your browsing data and cookies when you change your cookies preferences. This will remove all cookies previously placed on your browser.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, or how to clear your browser cookies data see our Cookies Notice

Manage consent preferences

Strictly necessary cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems.

They are essential for you to browse the website and use its features.

You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. We can’t identify you from these cookies.

Functional cookies

These help us personalise our sites for you by remembering your preferences and settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers, whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, then these services may not function properly.

Performance cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and see where our traffic comes from, so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are popular and see how visitors move around the site. The cookies cannot directly identify any individual users.

If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to improve its performance for you.

Marketing cookies

These cookies may be set through our site by social media services or our advertising partners. Social media cookies enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They can track your browser across other sites and build up a profile of your interests. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to see or use the content sharing tools.

Advertising cookies may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but work by uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will still see ads, but they won’t be tailored to your interests.

Course type

Qualification, university name, distance learning phd biology and life sciences.

2 degrees at 2 universities in the UK.

Customise your search

Select the start date, qualification, and how you want to study

Related subjects:

• PhD Biology and Life Sciences
• PhD Biology
• PhD Human Biology
• PhD Human Biology and Biomedicine

• Course title (A-Z)
• Course title (Z-A)
• Price: high - low
• Price: low - high

Human Sciences PhD

London south bank university.

• 6 years Distance without attendance degree: £4,820 per year (UK)
• 3 years Full time degree: £4,820 per year (UK)
• 5 years Part time degree: £2,892 per year (UK)

Biological Sciences PhDs and MPhils (Distance Learning)

University of portsmouth.

• 6 years Distance without attendance degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

Course type:

• Distance learning PhD
• Full time PhD
• Part time PhD

Qualification:

Related subjects:.

• Lab Members
• News and Media
• Data Download
• Publications

INFORMATION FOR

• Prospective Students
• Current Students
• Academic Calendar

How to Train a Biomedical Data Scientist

Learn about programs offered by the section of biomedical informatics and data science.

Introducing the new Certificate in Medical Software & Artificial Intelligence

Contributed by Xenophon (Xenios) Papademetris, PhD | Papademetris is a Professor of Biomedical Informatics & Data Science and Professor of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging. He is the Director of Image Processing and Analysis, Bioimaging Sciences, at Yale Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging.

On March 13, we launched our new Certificate Program in Medical Software and Medical AI. We have an initial cohort of 16 students from four continents (Asia, Africa, Europe, North America). It has taken us a little over four months to go from final approval to launch. During this time, we have recorded close to 20 hours of video lectures, plus another six to seven hours of supplementary guest expert interview videos.

Our non-degree program builds on the foundation of the recently published textbook “Introduction to Medical Software: Foundations for Digital Health, Devices, and Diagnostics” and the popular companion Yale Coursera Course “ Introduction to Medical Software ,”which has enrolled over 16,000 students from around the world.

The new certificate program will be taught by a team of experienced faculty from the Section of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science at the Yale School of Medicine with expertise in AI, data science, clinical decision support, and medical software.

The program will consist of four 4-week modules as follows:

• Introduction to Medical Software – an overview of both the regulatory and software engineering aspects of medical software
• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence – a broad overview of modern machine learning, beginning with core concepts and running all the way to modern generative AI and large language models. Frequent medical examples will ensure that students already experienced in AI will be able to enrich their knowledge base with applied examples.
• Medical Software with AI – we will focus here on how medical software design, implementation, and testing are affected when incorporating AI modules and the associated regulatory processes in this area
• Current and Emerging Applications of AI in Medicine – we will cover how AI-powered medical software is used in various settings, including radiology applications, clinical decision support in emergency medicine, clinical decision support in the context of global health, and emerging applications in genomics and other areas.

Each week of the program will consist of a pre-recorded video and a live online session where students can ask questions of both the instructors and visiting guest experts from academia and industry. Visit the Yale Biomedical Informatics & Data Science YouTube Channel to see recordings of informational webinars about this program, sample lecture videos, and freely available guest expert interviews.

If you're looking to advance your career in the medical device industry, our certificate in Medical Software and Medical Artificial Intelligence is the perfect opportunity. Enroll and take the first step toward achieving your career goals.

Applications for Spring 2024 are closed. Information for the next round of applications will follow.

Where Data Meets Biology and Medicine: PhD in CBB

Information contributed by Mark Gerstein and Steven Kleinstein | Gerstein is the Albert L Williams Professor of Biomedical Informatics and a Professor of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Computer Science, and Statistics & Data Science. Kleinstein is the Anthony N Brady Professor of Pathology and, along with Gerstein, Co-Director of Graduate Studies for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics.

The rapid acquisition of data such as electronic health record (EHR) data and other types of health data, as well as data made possible by genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics technologies, has unveiled the gap between data availability and their biological and medical interpretation. Computational and theoretical approaches must be developed to help close this gap. Computational modeling of biomedical processes, management of biomedical data and knowledge, machine and statistical learning,algorithms, human-computer interfaces, as well as statistical and mathematical analyses, are some of the topics in the CBB (Computational Biology & Bioinformatics) curriculum.

Yale has an interdepartmental CBB PhD program, which means that students complete the CBB curriculum while being able to do their dissertation research in the laboratory of a faculty member in any relevant department at Yale.

Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the field, we anticipate that students will be extremely heterogeneous in their background and training. As a result, we are willing to meet with students to help them individually tailor the curriculum to their background and interests. The emphasis will be on gaining competency in three broad “core areas”: computational biology and bioinformatics, biological sciences (e.g. genetics), and informatics (e.g. computer science and statistics). Completion of the curriculum will typically take 4 semesters, depending in part on the prior training of the student. Since students may have very different prior training in biology and computing, the courses taken may vary considerably. In addition, students will spend a significant amount of time during this period doing intensive research rotations in faculty laboratories and attending relevant lectures and seminars.

"My experience has allowed me to see the most recent research involving AI and machine learning in healthcare," says Lucy Zheng, first-year PhD student in CBB. As part of her program, she plans to explore computational methods to enhance genetic and biomedical research. First-year PhD student Kevin Jin is interested in computational psychiatry, wearable devices, and clinical natural language processing. After his program, he hopes to apply his skills in industry.

Building the New MS in CBB with Bioinformatics Track

Information contributed by Cynthia Brandt, MD, MPH | Brandt is a Professor of Biomedical Informatics & Data Science and Professor of Biostatistics at Yale School of Medicine. She is also Vice Chair for Education in the Section of Biomedical Informatics & Data Science.

Without the workforce and the individuals who understand how data is created, how it's captured, how it's stored, and how different computational methods are necessary to analyze it, it causes a limitation that slows down what you can learn from the data that scientists are creating. Then it makes it more difficult to translate that data, which could be used for clinical trials and for medical advances.

The MS degree in CBB is a full-time 2-year program that provides students with broad training in information sciences, data science, clinical informatics, biological science, and consumer informatics. Students explore innovative ways to use data, information, and knowledge to improve the care and well-being of patients and populations, and biomedical science research. Graduates will be ready to tackle problems spanning medicine, computing, biology, data science, and more.

Applicants should typically have an undergraduate degree with a focus in health, computer science or mathematics/statistics. For the experienced clinician looking to gain a problem- solving edge or technical aficionado looking to understand clinical practice, the MS focuses on developing research skills through both coursework and structured research opportunities. Students will be expected to produce real-world solutions of publishable quality to problems in concert with faculty and practicing clinicians.

Read a feature article about this new program here.

A MS in computational biology and bioinformatics with a biomedical informatics track is expected to prepare a student for a career in biology at scientific research institutes, in clinical or health systems in data science roles, in STEM industry (beyond iust the biomedical sector), or further academic research in graduate school or beyond.

Explore the MS in Health Informatics at Yale School of Public Health

Contributed by Cynthia Brandt, MD, MPH

The Master’s in Health Informatics began in 2019 at the Yale School of Public Health within the Health Informatics Division in the Department of Biostatistics. The MS degree provides well-rounded training in Health Informatics, with a balance of core courses from such areas as information sciences, clinical informatics, clinical research informatics, consumer health and population health informatics, data science and more broadly health policy, social and behavioral science, biostatistics, and epidemiology. The program’s faculty cross-list courses and students take relevant courses in other schools and divisions at Yale. There are currently 15 ladder track faculty leading the program and the HI track in the executive MPH.

Graduates of this program will be equipped to develop, introduce, and evaluate new biomedically motivated methods in areas as diverse as data mining, natural language or text processing, cognitive science, human-computer interaction, decision support, databases, and algorithms for analyzing large amounts of data generated in public health, clinical research, and genomics/proteomics.

The length of study for the MS in HI is two academic years. First-year courses survey the field; the typical second-year courses are more technical and put greater emphasis on mastering the skills in health informatics. The degree also requires a year-long capstone project in the second year. There have been a total of 15 graduates from the program. There are currently 45 matriculated students. Applicants will typically have an undergraduate degree with a focus in health, computer science, and mathematics/statistics.

Physicians Wanted! For a Master of Health Science (MHS) with a Clinical Informatics & Data Science Focus

The Clinical Informatics and Data Science MHS is designed for graduates with clinical backgrounds who wish to gain competency in informatics and data science through core required courses and research activities. The science of informatics drives innovation that is defining future approaches to information and knowledge management in biomedical research and healthcare. Biomedical data science includes the design, implementation, and evaluation of statistical learning/machine learning models for pattern recognition, diagnosis, and prognosis, as well as other artificial intelligence (AI) models.

Required courses cover basics of clinical informatics and data science; other courses and topics cover clinical decision support, computer system architectures, networks, security, data management, human factors engineering, clinical data standards, analytical methods and data science, and medical AI.

Also, the curriculum includes other courses and electives including leadership models, processes and practices, effective interdisciplinary team management, effective communications, project management, strategic and financial planning for clinical information systems, and change management.

Executive MPH: Online and On-Campus at Yale

Directed by Hamada Hamid Altalib, DO, MPH, FAES | Associate Professor of Neurology and of Psychiatry; Track Director, Health Informatics, Executive MPH

The Executive Master of Public Health is an innovative, hybrid program that blends comprehensive online education with in-person management and leadership training on the Yale campus, creating a unique and powerful educational experience. Taught by top faculty from the Yale School of Public Health, the Yale School of Medicine, and additional experts in their fields and employing state-of-the-art tools and technology, the program aims to train professionals who seek to acquire a strong public health education, advanced training in their area of interest, and hands-on public health and leadership training.

Designed from the ground up for working health professionals, the hybrid online program provides extensive training in leadership and management, a broad foundation in public health, specialized knowledge in areas critical to health promotion and disease prevention, and a year-long integrative experience that enables students to apply what they have learned to a real-world public health problem.

The two-year, part-time program is open to students with:

• A bachelor’s degree and at least four years of relevant work experience (need not be in the health field), OR
• A master’s degree and at least two years of relevant work experience (need not be in the health field), OR
• A doctoral (or international equivalent) degree in a field related to public health (e.g., physicians, dentists, podiatrists, pharmacists, veterinarians, attorneys, and those with a doctorate in the biological, behavioral, or social sciences)

The Health Informatics track is hosted by Yale School of Medicine's Section of Biomedical Informatics, and the track director is Professor Altalib.

Related Links

• State of Affairs: Spring Updates for Biomedical Informatics & Data Science
• Welcome to New BIDS Faculty, Fellows & Staff (BIDS Spring 2024 Newsletter)
• MD Students Explore the Big Data Issue (BIDS Spring 2024 Newsletter)
• Branching Out: Annie Hartley Envisions New D-tree Collaborations (BIDS Spring 2024 Newsletter)
• At the Intersection of AI and Medicine (BIDS Spring 2024 Newsletter)

1 Distance Learning PhD Degrees in Biomedical Research 2024

• Health Care
• Biomedical Studies
• Medical Research
• Distance Learning

Health Care (1)

• Medical Research (1)
• Back to main category
• United Kingdom (1)
• Australia (0)
• Bachelor (0)
• Certificate (0)
• Diploma (0)
• Associate of Applied Science (0)
• Associate Degree (0)
• Graduate Certificate (0)
• Associate of Arts (0)
• Summer Course (0)
• Advanced Diploma (0)
• Graduate Diploma (0)
• Postgraduate Diploma (0)
• Foundation Year (0)
• Postgraduate Certificate (0)
• A-level (0)
• Preparatory Program (0)
• Doctor of Education (0)
• Juris Doctor (0)
• Advanced Certificate (0)
• Undergraduate Pathway (0)
• Undergraduate Certificate (0)
• Graduate Pathway (0)
• 3 years (0)
• 2 years (0)
• Full time (1)
• Part time (1)
• English (1)
• Spanish (0)
• Portuguese (0)
• Italian (0)
• On-Campus (1)
• Distance Learning (1)
• Blended (0)

Postgraduate Research

Royal veterinary college.

• London, United Kingdom

Full time, Part time

Distance Learning, On-Campus

Doing a Ph.D. is an exciting, challenging and rewarding experience and forms the foundation for your subsequent scientific career. We develop scientists

Popular degree type

Popular study format

Popular education type

Popular locations

Distance Learning PhD Degrees in Biomedical Research

A biomedical research program may consist of obligatory taught and research elements. Taught aspects may include instruction on key research skills such as critical analysis, scientific writing, experimental techniques and presentation skills. Instructors may also encourage scholars to participate in or observe active research projects.

Requirements for the PhD program often involve the student having already obtained a Master’s degree. Additionally, a thesis or dissertation primarily consisting of original academic research must be submitted. In some countries, this work may even need to be defended in front of a panel.

Online learning refers to use of electronic media and information and communication technologies (ICT) in education. With online learning one has the flexibility to access their studies at any time and from anywhere they can log on.

Department of Biomedical Sciences

Medical School

• AHC Duluth Women's Mentoring Program
• Kina (Together)
• BMS Trainee Association
• Administrative Staff
• Graduate Students
• Adjunct Faculty
• Emeriti Faculty
• Brain Awareness
• AHC Duluth Research Seminar Series
• AHC Lab Bench Talks
• Core Equipment
• Educational Innovation
• Gateways to Medicine and Research MS Program
• Neuroscience North
• News & Events

Dr. Aubie Shaw publishes about an Independent Learning Time module related to the ethics of abortion

Congratulations to Aubie Shaw , PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, at the University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth Campus, for co-authoring an article published in the journal Reproductive Health . The Independent Learning Time (ILT) project is designed for Year-2 medical students, in the Hormonal and Reproductive Medicine block, to develop, implement, and evaluate the module about the ethics of abortion. Read the article here.

• See us on facebook
• See us on twitter
• See us on youtube
• See us on linkedin
• See us on instagram

AI’s future in medicine the focus of Stanford Med LIVE event

Leaders of Stanford Medicine discuss artificial intelligence in health and medicine; its usefulness in research, education and patient care; and how to responsibly integrate the technology.

March 20, 2024 - By Hanae Armitage

Nigam Shah, Natalie Pageler, David Magnus and Sylvia Plevritis , with panel moderator Michael Pfeffer, discussed ways that artificial intelligence can improve patient care and lighten providers' workload. Dorin Greenwood

Artificial intelligence-powered health care, generative models in medical research and the ethics of broad AI integration were key topics at the March 18 Stanford Med LIVE event featuring experts from across Stanford Medicine.

Panelists at the event explored what AI is; why it’s poised to change the future; and how it can support practices in research, education and patient care. It was a precursor to the first RAISE Health Symposium coming in May and sets the table for further exploration of how this current wave of excitement, fueled by advancements in generative AI technology and access to massive amounts of data, can be applied to health care and medicine.

“Now, with an explosion in new AI capabilities, we are beginning to see the full promise of this technology — as a tool with the potential to transform patient outcomes, advance biomedical education and accelerate research,” said Lloyd Minor , MD, dean of the Stanford School of Medicine and vice president of medical affairs at Stanford University.

Minor also addressed the obligation institutions like Stanford Medicine face to deploy AI tools responsibly. In partnership with the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, Stanford Medicine launched the Responsible AI for Safe and Equitable Health Initiative — RAISE Health — in June 2023 to ensure AI is developed, used and evaluated in medicine following best practices and the highest ethical standards.

In recent years, Stanford Medicine has begun tapping into AI’s potential applications. “At Stanford Health Care, we already have more than 30 different technology applications that leverage AI, and we will see many more of these tools coming online in the not-too-distant future,” said David Entwistle , president and CEO at Stanford Health Care. “We’re entering an exciting era of AI innovation in health and medicine, and Stanford Medicine is uniquely poised to lead.”

But, as Stanford Medicine’s other key leader pointed out, it will be critical that AI models represent all populations fairly, equitably and without bias. “To date, AI systems in medicine have been primarily trained on data from adults, as there are special privacy considerations for the use and availability of pediatric patient data,” said Paul King , president and CEO of Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. “We are actively solving this challenge at Stanford Medicine so that even our youngest patients can benefit from the same technology advances, while maintaining the necessary robust protections.”

The panel discussion, moderated by Michael Pfeffer , MD, chief information officer for Stanford Health Care and the School of Medicine, featured four speakers from Stanford Medicine:

• David Magnus , PhD, professor of medicine, biomedical ethics and pediatrics and the Thomas A. Raffin Professor in Medicine and Biomedical Ethics
• Natalie Pageler , MD, chief medical information officer at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health and clinical professor of pediatrics and medicine
• Sylvia Plevritis , PhD, chair of biomedical data science and professor of radiology
• Nigam Shah , PhD, chief data scientist at Stanford Health Care, professor of medicine and associate dean for research

AI is having a moment

Simply put, Shah told the audience, AI is the application of data by an algorithm that performs a task on behalf of, or in assistance to, a human being. The use of AI has exploded as generative AI models, such as ChatGPT — which can assimilate existing data and information and apply it in a human-like fashion — have grabbed the world’s attention.

The panelists discussed how to harness that promise, honing the broader hullabaloo into something mission-driven, impact-focused and ethical. At Stanford Medicine, that implementation is surfacing in a variety of ways, from helping kids manage Type 1 diabetes, to solving challenges in data scarcity, to creating new drugs and therapeutics with higher efficiency and lower toxicity. Outside of research, Pfeffer also pointed to two uses that are poised to enhance clerical practices for clinicians: ambient listening tools that generate clinical notes for doctors and large language models that draft responses to patient messages.

As panelists shared sentiments of anticipation and excitement, all emphasized human-centric, responsible integration of AI. “There’s so much more to providing care than just what AI can provide,” Pageler said. “It’s important that we all learn to use it, but not to be worried about being replaced.”

Deploying AI in health care

The panelists acknowledged that AI’s success in health and medicine will largely depend on the thoughtfulness and fairness with which algorithms are folded into practice.

Algorithms are not inherently neutral, Magnus said. If the data is biased, the algorithm will be too. “AI is often just a mirror. Data reflects social determinants of health; it can reflect biases in physician behavior,” he said. “That can be a problem because the models that learn from that data can either reify those biases, or we can turn them around to combat the problems that already exist.”

The AI experts say it’s crucial to look at the downstream effects of adopting AI into something as complex as a health care system. That means seeking guidance from like-minded entities such as the Coalition for Health AI and tools such as the FURM (fair, useful, reliable model) assessment, a system spearheaded by Shah and others who seek to determine whether AI tools provide fair, useful and reliable model guided care. “The point is to look at the ripple effects of using a model,” Shah said, “to think beyond the model and look at the workflow impact on real people, like workforce, patients, IT staff or nursing staff.”

These are big challenges for those aiming to get AI right. Nonetheless, the Stanford Medicine panelists shared an optimism for the future they are helping craft — largely because of where they get to do it. “Not only do we have a fantastic medical center, but we have an entire university that’s within walking distance, and we connect every day with our colleagues from medicine, engineering, humanities and other specialties,” Plevritis said. “I feel like we’re on the precipice of new knowledge, and we’re truly on the best campus to see it through.”

For more news about responsible AI in health and medicine, sign up for the RAISE Health newsletter.

Register for the RAISE Health Symposium on May 14.

About Stanford Medicine

Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu .

Artificial intelligence

Exploring ways AI is applied to health care