Admissions

Medical Informatics is a Home Area within the UCLA Graduate Programs in Bioscience (GPB) and is closely aligned with the Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Program. We accept applications each fall for Ph.D. admission beginning the following fall.

Application Deadline: December 1

How to Apply

  1. Create an application. Start a new application for the upcoming fall term through the UCLA Graduate Division website.
  2. Select your program. On the “Plans for Graduate Study” page, select “Biosciences PHD – Medical Informatics”as your major.
  3. Submit the required materials listed below.

 

Required Materials

  • Statement of Purpose (1 page). Please address:
    • Which areas of biomedical informatics interest you most?
    • What research experience do you have? Include any publications.

    The admissions committee uses your Statement of Purpose to match your research interests with our faculty, so focus on details that will help us evaluate your fit.

  • Personal Statement (1 page).
  • CV. Highlight skills and experience relevant to biomedical informatics, including links to research or software projects you have contributed to.
  • Three letters of recommendation from professors, supervisors, or others who can evaluate your accomplishments and research potential.
  • Unofficial transcripts from every institution you have attended, uploaded to your online application.

Not required: The GRE General Test and a writing sample are not required. When the application asks for a writing sample, please upload a blank document.

Official Transcripts

Official transcripts are required only if you are invited to interview. At that point, please have each institution you attended send one official transcript, in the original language, directly to the Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Program. If the original language is not English, also include an authorized, complete, and exact English translation, along with any other official documents required by the Graduate Division. For country-specific requirements, see the Graduate Division pages on International Applicants and Required Academic Records.

Mail official transcripts to:

UCLA Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Program
Attn: Medical Informatics Home Area
172 Boyer Hall, Box 951570
611 Charles E. Young Dr. East
Los Angeles, CA 90095-7246

International Applicants

Applicants whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. Please review the Graduate Division’s English language requirements.

  • UCLA institution code (TOEFL): 4837
  • TOEFL department code: 30 (Other Biological Sciences)

You are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement and the ESLPE if you hold a bachelor’s or higher degree from, or completed at least two years of full-time study at, a university in the United States or in another country where English is both the primary spoken language and the language of instruction. Please note this in your application.

Undergraduate Preparation

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. We typically admit students from two backgrounds:

  1. Quantitative or engineering: degrees in computer science, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, data science, statistics/biostatistics, applied mathematics, information science, bioinformatics, or a related field.
  2. Biomedical: including physicians, with demonstrated expertise in computer science or another information-related discipline sufficient for graduate-level informatics work.

All applicants should have completed one year each of calculus and linear algebra, chemistry, and physics. These are guidelines rather than strict requirements. Strong applicants who are missing some coursework may still be admitted and will complete it during their first year.

Applicants with a Master’s Degree

Applicants who have completed, or are completing, an M.S. or M.A. should have substantial research experience, including publications, in areas closely related to biomedical informatics. Applicants with a master’s degree but no publications are unlikely to be admitted to the Ph.D. program.

Questions?

We encourage prospective applicants to reach out with any questions about admissions requirements, preparation, or the curriculum.