Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Certificate

Program Description

Through collecting, storing, analyzing, interpreting, and presenting complex biological data, scientists in the field of bioinformatics and computational biology make critical contributions to disease detection, drug design, forensics, agriculture, and environmental sciences through the combination of biological analysis and high-performance computing. This program addresses the growing national and regional demand for trained computational biologists, combining a solid foundation in biotechnology with computational skills relevant to bioinformatics. Ideal candidates have a background in biological and computer sciences.

What it costs

The total cost for this program is $793.25 per credit hour for VA state residents or $1,681.25 per credit hour for Non-VA residents. See the Cost tab below for a breakdown of tuition and fees. All of Mason’s tuition rates and fees can be found on our Student Accounts site.

Application Deadline

For application information and deadlines, see the Admissions site.

Request Info

DETAILS COURSES COST CAREERS CONTACT READY TO APPLY?

Who should apply?

Ideal candidates for this certificate have a background in biological and computer sciences, and are either currently working in or planning to enter the fields of biotechnology or bioinformatics. Completion of this certificate will enhance the careers of individuals already working in the field and is designed for those who may not have adequate time to undertake an entire graduate degree program.

Why choose George Mason?

This program addresses the growing national and regional demand for trained computational biologists by combining a solid foundation in biotechnology with computational skills relevant to bioinformatics.
In this program, you will receive the most up-to-date, advanced bioinformatics education available in the region.
Courses in this program are taught by acclaimed professors and experts in the field, including Patrick Gillevet, Saleet Jafri, Dmitri Kilmov, Donald Seto, Jeffrey Solka, and Iosif Vaisman, as well as faculty from other departments.
Online coursework allows you to participate in class without traveling to campus.
This certificate is a useful intermediate step toward future enrollment in the Bioinformatics MS program.

Program requirements are subject to change; please refer to the Mason Course Catalog for the most up-to-date requirements.

Requirements: 15 credits total

9 credits core courses
6 credits electives

Sufficient courses are offered for you to complete the entire program online. Only the courses available online are listed below. Most online courses are delivered synchronously and offerings vary by semester.

Core Courses

BINF 630 Bioinformatics Methods | 3 credits
BINF 631 Molecular Cell Biology for Bioinformatics | 3 credits
BINF 634 Bioinformatics Programming | 3 credits

Electives (Choose Two)

BINF 633 Molecular Biotechnology | 3 credits
BINF 641 Biomolecular Modeling | 3 credits
BINF 650 Intro to Bioinformatics Database Design | 3 credits
BINF 731 Protein Structure Analysis | 3 credits
BINF 732 Genomics | 3 credits
BINF 733 Gene Expression Analysis | 3 credits
BINF 734 Advanced Bioinformatics Programming | 3 credits

Tuition (2021-2022)

TUITION CLASSIFICATION	COST PER CREDIT HOUR
Virginia Resident	$643.00
Non-Virginia Resident	$1,531.00
Mandatory Student Fee	$150.25
Total Cost per Credit for Virginia Residents	$793.25
Total Cost per Credit for Non-Virginia Residents	$1,681.25
Graduate New Student Fee	$60 (non-refundable, one-time fee)

Please Note: In addition to the tuition and fees described above, various course and lab fees may be assessed depending on the course(s) in which the student is enrolled. Please refer to the Students Accounts Office website for more information on tuition and fees.

Financial Aid

For information on loans and scholarships, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid. For information regarding grants, tuition waivers and other merit aid, please inquire with your graduate department.

Career Descriptions

Graduates from this program have been offered positions and research opportunities at world-class institutions including NIH, NCI, The John Hopkins University, FDA, USDA, J. Craig Venter Institute, the FBI, University of Georgia, and Baylor University. Many graduates have also found positions overseas in India, China, and Mexico.

Check out the International Society for Computational Biology website for current job postings in the field of bioinformatics. Graduates of this program are prepared for the following positions:

Biological Software Engineer
Biostatistician
Computational Biologist
Data Analyst
Data Manager
Pharmaceutical Scientist
Research Scientist
Scientific Programmer

As a Mason student, you may also contact Mason Career Services for more career information and counseling.

USEFUL RESOURCES
Department Contact	School of Systems Biology Email: ssb@gmu.edu
College Contact	College of Science (COS) Graduate Admissions Phone: (703) 993-9532 Email: cosgrad@gmu.edu
Program Website	http://ssb.gmu.edu/
College Website	http://cos.gmu.edu/
"Like" Systems Biology on Facebook	http://www.facebook.com/systembiogmu
Follow COS on Twitter	@GMU_COS

All applicants should review School of Systems Biology Application Information. For international applicants, see guidelines for International Graduate Requirements.

Prerequisites

Hold a bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to biological and/or computer science from a US institution that is accredited by one of the organizations found here
Achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 in undergraduate courses
Demonstrate completion of courses in molecular biology, computer science, calculus, and/or statistics
Possess a working knowledge of a computer programming language

Application Materials

Graduate application
Application fee
In-state tuition form (if applicable)
Two official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
Goals statement
Resume

If you have any questions during the application process, please contact COS Graduate Admissions at cosgrad@gmu.edu or (703) 993-3430.

Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (Graduate Certificate)