Brandeis Online

Turn big data into historic discoveries

Bioinformatics is rapidly changing the course of human health and history. Scientists and researchers use data like never before to save countless lives each day. Bioinformatics fuels new discoveries for treating cancer and other diseases, identifying underlying genetic causes and accelerating vaccinations. The field provides the foundation for personalized medicine and therapeutic breakthroughs that dramatically improve health outcomes.

The Brandeis Online master's degree in Bioinformatics will prepare you to thrive in rewarding biotechnology and pharmaceutical careers or deepen your programming knowledge in this fascinating field. Small classes — typically 10 or fewer students — mean you get personalized attention from instructors who are practicing scientists and researchers.

Benefit from their experience and expertise as you learn to:

• Collect, analyze and translate massive amounts of data essential for understanding diseases and improving pharmacological treatments.
• Decipher and process information around genetic sequencing.
• Manipulate data sets and extract insights using Python and R programming.
• Use cutting-edge mathematical, statistical and computational methods and the latest bioinformatics tools.
• Present findings to audiences with various levels of scientific acumen.

This program has received official STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) designations.

Courses and Requirements

Part-time | Fully online | Financially accessible

Many bioinformatics programs pull together disparate courses originally intended for other departments. At Brandeis Online, all courses in our Bioinformatics program are specifically designed for this program. Combined with small class sizes, this ensures a more focused and efficient education. Through required and elective courses, you'll collect, manage and analyze real-world data and have opportunities to conduct your own research.

Fast-track: Earn your MS in Bioinformatics in just 15 months

With our new fast-track degree pathway, you can continue to work full time without stalling your career and complete your degree in 15 months. The next fast-track cohort starts in January 2025. Apply by December 10 to be considered.

The Bioinformatics Industry

Driving Innovation

Whether you currently work in health or IT, or you're just starting out, your MS in Bioinformatics prepares you to excel in a field that's revolutionizing the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The continuing emergence of COVID-19 variants and the need for more and better vaccines are driving up demand for specialists able to use genetic data to solve complex problems. You'll find diverse opportunities to apply your knowledge in biomedical and pharmaceutical firms, hospitals and research institutions, to name a few options.

Master's Certificate Pathways

Not sure if you want to pursue a full master's degree? Consider one of the following master's certificates with a pathway to the MS in Bioinformatics:

• Cheminformatics (12 credits)
• Drug Discovery Informatics (12 credits)
• Genomics (12 credits)
• Healthcare Analytics (12 credits)