The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences offers graduate study in biomedical informatics through its College of Medicine in Little Rock. The Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics requires at least 36 credits and provides a thesis option for research-focused students and a professional capstone option for qualified applicants. UAMS describes the program as campus-based, but it also streams classes through Blackboard for synchronous and asynchronous access.
UAMS Biomedical Informatics Program Quick Facts
| Program fact | Details |
|---|---|
| School | University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences |
| Location | Little Rock, Arkansas |
| Degrees | MS and PhD in Biomedical Informatics |
| MS credits | At least 36 credits |
| Format | Campus-based with live and asynchronous Blackboard access |
| Estimated resident tuition | $17,568 before required fees |
| Estimated nonresident tuition | $35,136 before required fees |
| MS application deadline | February 1, 2027 for fall 2027 |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 |
| GRE or MCAT | Optional for domestic MS applicants |
Biomedical Informatics Master’s Program
The UAMS MS combines biomedical science, data and logic, and computational methods. Students complete background courses as needed, six credits of core biomedical informatics courses, four credits of project rotations, a seminar, research methods coursework, and electives.
The thesis path includes at least six credits of directed research and prepares students to manage and contribute to biomedical informatics research. The professional MS uses a three-credit capstone and targets applicants who already hold a terminal scientific degree or medical degree.
Students may test out of as many as nine background credits if they already have strong preparation in medicine or biology, data and logic, or computing. Testing out can reduce the number of background courses, but the degree still requires at least 36 credits.
Curriculum and Courses
Required core courses cover translational or biological information, clinical information, and population health information. Project rotations give students guided experience with research or applied biomedical informatics work.
- Information Modelling: From Data to Knowledge builds a foundation in representing biomedical information.
- Computational Methods for Informaticists develops the technical background needed for graduate informatics work.
- Foundations of Biomedical Informatics: Clinical Information examines clinical data and information systems.
- User Interface Design and Data Visualization covers the presentation and use of biomedical data.
- Database Systems and Data Warehousing addresses the storage and management of large datasets.
- Natural Language Processing in Biomedical Informatics applies language analysis methods to biomedical information.
- Clinical Decision Support studies tools that connect data with clinical decisions.
- Machine Learning introduces predictive methods used in biomedical research and health applications.
Elective choices also include genomics, biomedical ontologies, imaging informatics, clinical trial data management, and healthcare quality and patient safety. Students select electives with an advisor based on their background and research or career goals.
Thesis and Professional MS Options
The thesis option is the better fit for students who want direct research preparation or may later pursue a doctorate. It requires directed thesis research, a thesis advisory committee, a comprehensive examination, and a public defense.
The professional option replaces the thesis with a capstone. UAMS states that this option is intended for applicants who already hold a PhD in another scientific discipline or an MD.
Program Format and Schedule
UAMS identifies biomedical informatics as an on-campus program. Its FAQ states that all classes are also streamed through Blackboard in synchronous and asynchronous formats.
The fall 2026 schedule includes a mix of regularly scheduled classes, face-to-face research sections, and selected online thesis, capstone, and research sections. Prospective students should confirm whether they can complete their intended path remotely because UAMS does not list the degree as a designated 100% online program.
Tuition and Fees
UAMS lists 2026–2027 graduate tuition at $4,392 per semester for Arkansas residents and $8,784 per semester for nonresidents. Part-time tuition is $488 per credit for residents and $976 per credit for nonresidents.
Applying the per-credit rates to the 36-credit minimum produces an estimated tuition total of $17,568 for residents or $35,136 for nonresidents. These estimates exclude required institutional fees, the application fee, graduation costs, books, and possible extra credits.
Full-time students also pay semester-based health, transportation, technology, university services, and activity fees. UAMS publishes separate fee rules for officially designated online programs, but the biomedical informatics program is classified as campus-based.
Admission Requirements
Applicants need a bachelor’s degree from an institutionally accredited college or university and a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0. UAMS may consider a GPA exception through a program petition on a case-by-case basis.
- Graduate School application and $50 application fee
- Official transcript from every college or university attended
- Current résumé or CV
- Written statement connecting career goals with biomedical informatics
- Three academic or professional recommendation letters
- Optional GRE or MCAT scores for domestic applicants
The strongest applicants show prior coursework, employment, internships, projects, or research involving biomedicine, biomedical informatics, big data, or computation. International applicants have added English proficiency, testing, and financial documentation requirements.
For fall 2027 entry, the MS application deadline is February 1, 2027. UAMS lists December 1, 2026 for PhD applications and March 1, 2027 for graduate certificate applications.
Biomedical Informatics PhD
UAMS also offers a PhD in Biomedical Informatics for students preparing for independent research careers. The program requires at least 55 program credits, including core work, project rotations, seminars, research methods, candidacy preparation, and dissertation research.
Arkansas rules require doctoral students to complete at least 72 graduate credits beyond the bachelor’s degree. Students who enter without enough prior graduate credit may therefore need additional coursework beyond the 55-credit UAMS program minimum.
Who Should Consider UAMS?
UAMS fits students who want research-intensive biomedical informatics training inside Arkansas’s academic medical center. The curriculum reaches beyond healthcare information management into clinical data, genomics, imaging, natural language processing, machine learning, and biomedical research.
The streamed class access may help students who need scheduling flexibility, but applicants should not assume that every degree requirement can be completed from a distance. Students who need a formally online health informatics degree should compare UAMS with programs that clearly guarantee fully online completion.
Related Programs
Compare UAMS with other graduate health informatics programs in Arkansas and nearby states.
- Arkansas Tech University - Russellville
- University of Arkansas at Little Rock - Little Rock