Curriculum

48-Credit Program

This page is a reference for students admitted to the 48-credit MBI program for Fall 2023 or earlier. It does not reflect curriculum or program requirements for the MMSc-BMI program for Fall 2024 and later. Students in or interested in applying to MMSc-BMI program should consult the MMSc-BMI Curriculum Page. 

The 48-credit Master of Biomedical Informatics program will be superseded by the new Master of Medical Sciences in Biomedical Informatics beginning in Fall 2024. 

The 48-credit MBI program is a full-time program completed in three semesters for students interested in applying quantitative skills and computational methods to biomedical sciences.

Students in the 48-credit program must:

  • be enrolled in program requirements for 3 full-time academic terms. 
  • be enrolled in a minimum of 14 credits per semester. 
  • not exceed 20 credits in any single semester without special permission from the program. Students can take up to 22 credits in the Spring Year 1 or Fall Year 2 semesters with program approval.  

Curriculum Plans

  • Class of 2025 (Entering Fall 2023)
    Students are required to complete 48 credits of approved coursework as follows:

    Year 1

    Fall Semester - Required Classes

    BMI 701 - Foundations in Biomedical Informatics I (4 credits)
    BMI 713 - Computing Skills for Biomedical Informatics (2 credits)
    BMI 715 - Computational Statistics for Biomedical Sciences (2 credits)
    BMI 717 - Conduct and Communication and Science (2 credits)

    Fall Semester - Selective Course

    All students must select and complete one course from the following list based on their previous background and preparation (4 credits)

    CourseNote
    MCB 111 - Mathematics in BiologyRecommended for most entering students who have a balanced background in both biology and computational subjects. 
    COMPSCI 109A - Introduction to Data ScienceRecommended for students who are entering the program with limited Python and general programming experience. 
    MIT 6 .8701 - Computational Biology: Genomes, Networks, EvolutionAlternative option for students who are entering the program with more advanced computational biology and bioinformatics experience. Program approval is required to register for this option. 
    MCB 60 - Cellular Biology and Molecular MedicineAlternative option for students who are entering the program with significant computational experience but have not completed formal coursework in the life sciences. Program approval is required to register for this option. 
    There is a required lab section to this course. 
    MCB 63 - Biochemistry and Molecular MedicineAlternative option for students who are entering the program with significant computational experience but have not completed formal coursework in the life sciences. Program approval is required to register for this option. 
    Spring Semester - Required Classes

    BMI 702 - Foundations in Biomedical Informatics II (4 credits)

    BMI 718 - Reading, Writing, and Evaluating Scientific Literature (2 credits)
    BMI 751 - Capstone I (2 credits) 

    Spring Semester - BMI quarter course requirement

    Over the course of the first-year spring semester and the second-year fall semester, students must complete five 2-credit quarter courses offered by the Department. Students must complete at least two of these courses in the spring semester to remain on track. 

    The courses that can be used to meet this requirement that will be offered in the Spring 2024 semester are:

    BMI 704 - Data Science for Medical Decision Making (2 credits)
    BMI 706 - Data Visualization for Biomedical Applications (2 credits)
    BMI 707 - Deep Learning for Biomedical Data (2 credits) 
    BMI 710 - Single-cell analysis for functional genomics of disease (2 credits)

    Spring Semester - Selective Course

    All students must select and complete one course from the following list in the spring semester (4 credits)

    COMPSCI 109B: Advanced Topics in Data Science (Spring Year 1; FAS: 4 credits)

    BIOSTAT 281: Genomic Data Manipulation (Spring Year 1; HSPH: 4 credits)

    BST 282: Introduction to Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (Spring Year 1; HSPH: 4 credits)

    BMI 741: Health Information Technology – From Ideation to Implementation (Spring Year 1; HMS: 4 credits)

    MIT 6.3900: Introduction to Machine Learning (Spring Year 1; MIT: 4 credits)

    Program Elective and Data Science Selective requirements

    Students complete 4 credits of an approved program elective and 4 credits of an approved data science selective during their time in the program. Students in good academic standing after their first semester can complete one of these requirements beginning in the spring semester or choose to wait to complete these courses in the fall semester of their second year in the program. Currently approved electives and data science selectives are found on the MBI Program Electives page. Current students can also petition for courses not on this list to count toward these requirements. 

    Year 2

    Fall Semester - Required Classes

    BMI 752 - Capstone II (4 credits) 
    SELECTIVE - Students select 4 credits from a list of approved 'Data Science Selective' courses if they have not already completed a Data Science Selective in an earlier term.
    ELECTIVE - Students complete 4 credits of an approved elective either in Spring Year 1 or Fall Year 2.

    Fall Semester - BMI quarter course requirement

    Over the course of the first-year spring semester and the second-year fall semester, students must complete five 2-credit quarter courses offered by the Department. 

    The courses that can be used to meet this requirement that are scheduled to be offered in the Fall 2024 semester are:

    BMI 706 - Data Visualization for Biomedical Applications (2 credits)
    BMI 708 - Precision Medicine (2 credits)
    BMI 709 - Creating Biomedical Dashboards with R Shiny (2 credits)
    BMI 711 - Integrative Analyses for Rare Genetic Disease Diagnostics (2 credits)

Taking Additional Courses

In addition to the program requirements outlined above, students may take a limited number of additional courses during their time at Harvard to enhance their educational experience. Students who are enrolled in the 48-credit MBI Program may take a maximum of 8 credits of coursework in addition to their degree requirements under the following conditions:

  • Student does not exceed 20 total HMS credits in a single semester without special permission from the program. Students can take up to 22 credits in the Spring Year 1 or Fall Year 2 semesters with program approval.  
  • Student is making satisfactory academic progress as defined in the Master’s Student Handbook
  • Additional courses taken do not present a schedule conflict with required MBI courses