UCLA Bioinformatics Degrees in Medical Informatics

The University of California, Los Angeles offers graduate study in medical informatics through its Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Program. Students may earn an MS or PhD in Bioinformatics while completing the Medical Informatics subfield, with training in clinical data, biomedical knowledge representation, computational methods, imaging informatics, and health research.

Quick Facts

• Location: Los Angeles, California

• Degrees: MS and PhD in Bioinformatics, Medical Informatics subfield

• MS requirements: 46 graduate units across 12 courses

• Format: Full-time, on-campus study

• MS length: Typically five quarters

• PhD length: Five years, or 15 quarters, is the normative time

• MS final requirement: Capstone research report or thesis

• Application cycle: Fall entry only

• Application deadline: December 1

• GRE: Not required

• Estimated tuition and fees: About $23,131 per year for California residents and $38,233 for nonresidents

Program Overview

UCLA’s Medical Informatics Home Area is part of the UCLA Graduate Programs in Bioscience and works closely with the Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Program. The curriculum connects computing, data analysis, biomedical science, and clinical knowledge. Students study methods for organizing, representing, analyzing, and applying health and biomedical data.

The official degree is in Bioinformatics, with Medical Informatics serving as the student’s subfield or home area. This distinction matters for applicants who are comparing UCLA with professional Master of Health Informatics programs. UCLA’s route is research-focused and quantitative rather than centered on health information management or healthcare administration.

The program may appeal to students interested in clinical informatics, imaging informatics, biomedical data science, computational health research, and the development of new informatics methods.

Master of Science Curriculum

The MS in Bioinformatics with the Medical Informatics subfield requires full-time enrollment and 46 units of graduate-level coursework. Students complete 12 courses in the 200 or 500 series.

The required plan includes nine core courses totaling 34 units, eight units of Bioinformatics 596 research, and four units of an approved 200-level seminar or journal club.

Required MS Coursework

• Bioengineering 220

• Bioengineering 223A, 223B, and 223C

• Bioengineering 224A and 224B

• Bioengineering M226

• Bioengineering M227

• Bioengineering M228

• Eight units of Bioinformatics 596

• Four units of an approved graduate seminar or journal club

The sequence provides broad preparation in biomedical informatics theory and methods. UCLA states that electives and research can support more focused work in areas such as clinical informatics and imaging informatics.

Capstone and Thesis Options

MS students select either a capstone plan or a thesis plan. The capstone is an individual research project that ends with a written report. A faculty member supervises the project and approves its topic, plan, and final report.

Students who select the thesis plan choose a permanent faculty adviser and submit a thesis proposal by the end of the third quarter. A three-person committee evaluates the thesis, and the student presents the work in a public seminar.

UCLA lists five quarters as the typical time to complete the MS. The full-time structure and required research make this a better match for students who can attend on campus and commit to an intensive academic schedule.

PhD in Medical Informatics

The PhD route also leads to a degree in Bioinformatics through the Medical Informatics Home Area. Doctoral students complete the medical informatics core, additional research and seminar units, and six approved electives. Elective options span biostatistics, computer science, information studies, linguistics, neuroscience, electrical and computer engineering, statistics, and related fields.

First-year students complete laboratory rotations and select a dissertation adviser by the end of the third quarter. The program also requires one quarter of teaching experience, a written qualifying examination, a university oral qualifying examination, original dissertation research, and a final oral defense.

The normative PhD timeline is five years. UCLA expects students to complete the written qualifying examination after the first year and the oral qualifying examination by the end of the fall quarter of the third year.

Admissions

UCLA accepts applications for fall entry through its Medical Informatics admissions process. The published deadline is December 1. Applicants need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, three recommendation letters, transcripts, a CV, a one-page statement of purpose, and a one-page personal statement. The GRE General Exam is not required.

Applicants should describe their medical informatics interests and research experience in the statement of purpose. MS applicants should identify that degree goal at the start of the personal statement. UCLA does not require a writing sample, although its application instructions say applicants may need to upload a blank document when the application system prompts for one.

The program commonly admits students from quantitative fields such as computer science, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, and data science. It also considers applicants from biomedical backgrounds, including physicians, who can show enough computer science or information-related preparation for graduate informatics study.

UCLA recommends prior study in calculus, linear algebra, chemistry, and physics. These courses serve as guidelines rather than absolute requirements. An admitted student may need remedial coursework if the program identifies gaps.

International applicants may need TOEFL or IELTS scores unless they qualify for an exemption under UCLA’s English-language rules.

Tuition and Financial Support

UCLA reports that tuition and student fees for most doctoral and master’s programs are about $23,131 per year for California residents and about $38,233 per year for non-California residents. These figures can change, and students should use the Registrar’s annual fee schedule for the current breakdown.

For 2026–2027, UCLA’s graduate cost-of-attendance budget estimates total expenses of $60,932 for California residents and $76,034 for nonresidents. These broader estimates include university fees, housing, food, books and supplies, transportation, personal expenses, and health insurance. Health insurance may be waived for students with qualifying coverage.

The Medical Informatics FAQ states that PhD students may receive support through Graduate Programs in Bioscience funding, fellowships, teaching apprenticeships, graduate student researcher positions, and training grants. The program does not make the same general funding statement for MS students, so MS applicants should ask the department what aid is available for their intended entry year.

Campus Format and Research Experience

The program requires full-time study and is based at UCLA in Los Angeles. UCLA does not present the MS or PhD as an online degree. Students work with faculty, research groups, guidance committees, and graduate seminars as part of the academic experience.

The MS includes supervised research through Bioinformatics 596 and either a capstone report or thesis. The PhD adds laboratory rotations, advanced electives, qualifying examinations, teaching experience, and independent dissertation research.

Career Preparation

The curriculum can prepare graduates for research and technical roles that use clinical, biomedical, imaging, and health data. Possible settings include universities, academic medical centers, health systems, biotechnology companies, health technology firms, research institutes, and public health organizations.

Potential roles may include biomedical informatics researcher, clinical data scientist, health data scientist, imaging informatics researcher, research software specialist, or computational health scientist. Job titles and eligibility depend on the degree level, research record, programming and quantitative skills, prior clinical knowledge, and employer requirements.

Who May Find UCLA a Good Fit?

UCLA may fit students who want a research-intensive medical informatics education within a bioinformatics degree. The MS offers a short but demanding route with a required research component, while the PhD supports long-term preparation for independent research.

Students who need a fully online program, part-time pacing, or a professional curriculum focused on electronic health record operations, health information governance, and healthcare management may find a traditional health informatics degree more suitable.

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