The goal of our doctoral program is to train the next generation of researchers to advance the science of Biomedical and Health Informatics. Our emphasis is on the science of Biomedical and Health Informatics, rather than on computer implementations or technology transfer of known methods to biomedical domains. The study of biomedical information leads to a set of core research questions about biomedical data and knowledge representation, knowledge and information retrieval, and information and technology use. As our trainees strive to answer research questions in these arenas, they will acquire both a breadth of knowledge across informatics aspects of biomedicine and health care, as well as a depth in their particular area of specialization within biomedical and heath informatics. The cross-cutting themes listed on our vision page provide a general vision for our graduate programs (MS and PhD) and the broad themes and goals we value in biomedical & health informatics education.
Our doctoral students are key partners in on-going research efforts at UW BHI. As they progress through our program, we will teach them the skills needed to contribute significantly to our field, and will guide them in their transition from apprentices to valued colleagues.
The core PhD curriculum is built around nine courses, but students are expected to build on these from the wide range of related courses available from BHI-affiliated programs, as well as the UW catalog as a whole. Optionally, students may also pursue a Data Science Specialization with their BHI PhD.