Department of Health Informatics

Applicant for admission to the Ph.D. Program in Biomedical Informatics must hold a Masters degree from an accredited institution in the US or its equivalent with a major in any field of health sciences (including medicine, dentistry, allied health, nursing, public health, pharmacy), or biological sciences, computer science, engineering or an equivalent field of study. The applicant must also satisfy all entrance requirements of UMDNJ-SHRP.
These requirements include:

• Completed applications form with the SHRP’s application fee.
• Three (3) letters of recommendation. Professors and/or individuals directly responsible for supervising the applicant, attesting to the candidate’s potential success in the program, should write these letters.
• Official transcripts(s) of previous collegiate work or last earned degrees.
• Personal statement describing interest and commitment to the program.

Note: No GRE is Required to enrol in the PhD program.

International Students and TOEFL: In addition to the requirements stated above international students are required to provide evidence of English language proficiency by submitting Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination scores. Acceptable scores for TOEFL are as follows: 550 and above for paper based test and 79-80 for the internet based (iBT) examination.

Advisement: Each entering student is assigned a faculty advisor who assists the student in initial course selection appropriate to the career goals of the student, selection of a project advisor and an advisory committee for the directed thesis or dissertation project.

Academic Requirements: The academic requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Informatics are as follows:

1. A total of 61 Credits made up of 24 credits of courses (i.e. 8 courses) and 36 credits of Dissertation Research and 1 credit of the Graduate Colloquium (seminar).
2. The 24 credits of courses consist of 4 Core Courses (out of a choice of Six Core courses) all at 5000 level and 2 Track/Specialization Courses (should be at the 7000 level) and 2 more Elective Courses (should be at 7000 level).    The list of courses providing the choices for the core, the track and the electives can be viewed in the PhD Program Requirements for Graduation;
3. Qualifying Examination: Students must pass a doctoral qualifying examination, which is designed to test the fundamental knowledge of students in the area of biomedical informatics theory and systems, health care systems, and selected Biomedical Informatics courses related to the area of specialization. Admission to the doctoral program does not imply candidacy for a degree. Registration for dissertation research will be permitted to those who have passed the qualifying examination.
4. 36 credits of dissertation research culminating in submission of the final draft of the dissertation. In addition to the dissertation, submission of at least one research paper for publication in a peer reviewed journal.
5. Registering for the BINF7910 Biomedical Informatics Colloquium / Seminar once during the sojourn of the PhD program constitutes the remaining 1 credit making up the total number of credits to be 61 credits. Besides registering once for BINF7910 the student is also required to attend the colloquium each semester during the length of his/her PhD program.
6. Oral Examination: The dissertation must be defended in an oral examination.

Program retention: Retention in the graduate programs is based on the
following criteria:

• maintenance of GPA at 3.0 or better;
• obtain no more than one course failure for the duration of the program;
• retake a failed course only once and attain a C or better grade; and
• adherence to the policies of the UMDNJ, the SHRP and affiliating institutions and health care agencies.

Non Degree Status
Students with baccalaureate degrees who do not plan to seek admission in the Master of Science, Ph.D. or Health Care Informatics Certificate programs may request permission to enroll as non-matriculated status students. These students can take up to 12 credits in the program. Permission to take courses is contingent upon fulfillment of the specific course prerequisites, availability of spaces, and approval of the Program Director. Non-matriculated status students may apply for matriculated status in the Program after demonstrating capability to obtaining the MS degree or the Certificate.