Timothy P. Coffin
- Program Director of Health Informatics
About this Program
The bioinformatics certificate program meets the growing demand for life science professionals who are fluent in this cross-cutting discipline.
Program Overview
Tuition & Fees
Funding Opportunities
Download Bioinformatics Brochure
Increasingly, bioinformatics is the engine by which researchers process, analyze and interpret the vast quantities of data generated every day across labs in Maryland, nationally and globally. The program equips students to:
- Manage and configure bioinformatics data sets
- Manipulate and format bioinformatics for downstream analysis
- Select and apply appropriate tools related to genomics, structural biology and proteomics
- Conduct statistical analyses for bioinformatics problems
- Demonstrate skills for effective communication in the field
Students benefit from the qualifications of Hood’s excellent faculty and the experience of adjunct professors from the region’s top R&D and biotech firms and federal and private laboratories. Classes are small, encouraging individual attention and collaboration. Courses are taught in the evening to accommodate the working professional.
Research Engine
Increasingly, bioinformatics is the engine by which researchers process, analyze and interpret the vast quantities of data generated every day in labs in the region, across the nation and around the globe. Hood’s program equips students to manage and configure bioinformatics data sets; manipulate and format bioinformatics for downstream analysis; and select and apply tools related to genomics, structural biology and proteomics. Students learn to conduct statistical analyses for bioinformatics problems and demonstrate skills for effective communication in the field.
Expert Faculty
Students in the 15-credit program benefit from the qualifications of Hood’s excellent faculty and the experience of adjunct professors from the region’s top R&D and biotech firms and federal and private laboratories.
Small Evening Classes
Classes are small, encouraging individual attention and collaboration. Courses are taught in the evening to accommodate the working professional.
* Please note that graduate certificate programs are now eligible for loans.
**Active duty Fort Detrick soldiers are eligible for a full tuition waiver for this program or any other graduate certificate and masters program at Hood College per our special Hood/Fort Detrick MOU.
Degrees Offered
- Certificate
Related Graduate Programs
Are you ready to go further?
For students applying to the bioinformatics certificate program, please submit the following to the Graduate School:
- An online graduate application
- A statement of intent of at most 250 words that describes background experience and future goals
- An official e-transcript from the institution where your highest was earned sent to gofurther@hood.edu
Entrance requirements
A bachelor's degree is required for admission, preferably in a STEM field such as computer science or biology. However, students without prior coursework in these areas are also encouraged to apply and will complete foundation courses to complement their academic background.
Grade point average
A minimum 2.75 undergraduate GPA is required for admission to the graduate school.
Transfer credit policy for admitted students
Students may transfer a maximum of 6 graduate credits from an external, accredited institution, or another Hood graduate program prior to the first semester of study in the current program. Please review the full graduate transfer credit policy in the College catalog.
Students can complete the Bioinformatics Certificate program coursework in approximately two to three years depending on the pace of coursework that they choose. By following these two steps, students can plan on completing the program requirements at a pace that meets their professional needs.
Step One
Look up the Bioinformatics program requirements, course descriptions and Graduate School policies and procedures in the College Catalog.
Step Two
Students should consult their adviser and the course schedule each semester to determine how they will fulfill the program requirements; the program director contact information is located at the bottom of the Bioinformatics homepage and students' academic advisers are indicated on their letters of admission. These faculty members can assist in planning a program of study that is based on a student's professional and career goals. All students must consult with their adviser before signing up for any final research project.
At the Graduate School at Hood College, students have the opportunity to work closely with faculty who can assist in the pursuit of academic and professional goals. Students are encouraged to get to know their faculty advisers and course professors to make the most of their graduate school experience.
Required Courses
| BIFX 550 | Nucleic Acid Sequence Analysis/Protein Modeling | 3 |
| BIFX 551 | Programming for Bioinformatics | 3 |
| BIFX 552 | Bioinformatics Applications I | 3 |
| BIFX 553 | Bioinformatics Applications II | 3 |
| BIFX 572 | Computational Genomics and Proteomics | 3 |
| Total Credits | 15 |
Program Contact
Program Director
Phone
240-566-2819
Email
Assistant Director of Graduate Admission
Phone
Office: 301-696-3604 Cell/WhatsApp: 240-615-4015
Email
Miranda Darby
- Assistant Professor of Bioinformatics
Aijuan Dong
- Department Chair of Computer Science & Information Technology
- Professor of Computer Science
Graduate Alumni Spotlight | Daniel Vogel, M.S.'23
Daniel Vogel M.S.'23 Alumni
Graduate School
Graduate Student
"The faculty at Hood are top notch. They are engaging, take a personal interest in all the students and have current, real-world experience."
- Academics
- Math & Computer Sciences
- Alumni Relations
Graduate Alumna Focus | Alexandra Faulkner
Alexandra Faulkner Alumni
Graduate School
Graduate Student
Alexandra Faulkner earned a M.S. in Bioinformatics at Hood College in 2020. She recently started a position at Leidos as a Compliance Analyst in the Contracts and Acquisitions Directorate.
- Academics
- Natural Sciences
- Math & Computer Sciences
Graduate Alumna Focus | Destinee Morrow
Destinee Morrow, Bioinformatics, M.S.'20 Alumni
Graduate School
Graduate Student
Hood graduate student, Destinee Morrow, received a Master's in Bioinformatics in May 2020. She recently worked on a collaborative research project between the Berkeley National Lab and the Veterans Affairs.
- Academics
- Natural Sciences
- Math & Computer Sciences