Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Graduate Certificate

This graduate certificate addresses the growing national and regional demand for trained computational biologists by combining a solid foundation in biotechnology with computational skills relevant to bioinformatics. With online and onsite courses, the flexibility of this certificate's structure permits students to custom design their curriculum under an advisor's guidance, making the graduate certificate especially relevant for students employed in today's diverse Northern Virginia high-technology workplace. Ideal candidates for this certificate are those who have a background in biological and computer sciences, and are currently working in or planning to enter the fields of biotechnology or bioinformatics. The certificate is also highly relevant for students who are interested in advancing their career goals but may not have adequate time available to undertake a graduate degree program.

All courses are also offered online, allowing students to participate in class without having to travel to campus. Further information can be found with Mason Online.

The certificate may be pursued on a part-time or full-time basis.

Admissions

University-wide admissions policies can be found in the Graduate Admissions Policies section of this catalog.

To apply for this program, please complete the George Mason University Admissions Application.

Applicants should hold a bachelor's degree in biology, computer science, or a related field with a minimum GPA of 3.25 in the last earned degree from an institution of higher education accredited by a Mason-recognized U.S. institutional accrediting agency or international equivalent.

In general, prior to admission, applicants are expected to have completed courses in biology, biochemistry, calculus, computer programming, and probability and statistics. Students admitted with course deficiencies in these areas may be required to take additional courses, some of which may not be applicable to the certificate's credit total.

To apply, prospective students should complete a George Mason University Admissions Application, supply official transcripts from each college and graduate institution attended, and provide a current résumé. For applicants whose native language is not English, Mason's English Language Proficiency Requirements must be met.

Policies

For policies governing all graduate certificate programs, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.

Premium Tuition

The certificate is a professional certification program that charges students at a differential (premium) tuition rate, with an additional $100 per credit added to the standard George Mason University graduate tuition rate for students who enroll in this certificate program, regardless of in-state or out-of-state status. The differential tuition is used to fund continuing improvements in the College of Science's (COS) educational facilities used to support the certificate program.

Students may not pursue this certificate concurrently with any other graduate degree program or certificate program offered by COS. In addition, students may not apply previous credit hours from another certificate, degree, or non-degree studies to this certificate program because of the differential (premium) tuition rate.

Banner Code: SC-CERG-BCB

Certificate Requirements

Total credits: 15

This certificate may be pursued on a full-or part-time basis.

Required Courses

Concentration in Systems Biology and Biotechnology (SBBT)

This concentration was largely created to build a "bridge" option for students who had not yet decided if they would like to pursue a wet lab career or enter into the field of computational biology. Once completed, these certificate graduates will be well prepared to enter into the Biology, MS, the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, MS, or to pursue a career in biotechnology.

Electives