<p>Hello,</p>
<p>1) I would like to know the names of some graduate schools in the US that offer Masters or Certificate Degrees in Biostatistics or(and) Bioinformatics.</p>
<p>2) How valid is a Certificate course when compared to a Masters degree course ?</p>
<p>The only online degree that I am aware of is Stanford’s:</p>
<p>[Distance</a> Education Masters degree Program - Description and application info - Biomedical Informatics - Stanford Medicine](<a href=“http://bmi.stanford.edu/prospective-students/graduate-degrees/masters-degree-distance-education-biomedical-informatics.html]Distance”>http://bmi.stanford.edu/prospective-students/graduate-degrees/masters-degree-distance-education-biomedical-informatics.html)</p>
<p>I don’t know a lot about certificate programs in general, but for the most part I doubt that they will be taken seriously unless you already have a deep technical background and you’re just looking to get yourself started in bioinformatics/biostats. I’m sure there are other online master’s/ certificate programs, but in general I don’t think online programs are taken as seriously, at least by US employers. The above program might be an exception, because, well, it’s Stanford.</p>
<ol>
<li>I will agree with the previous poster that an online biomedical informatics program will not be as good as a traditional program. I say this because a good program (certificate or master’s) will require you to complete a research project or thesis which would be very difficult (though not impossible) to do from a distance. I wouldn’t recommend this route unless it’s your only option. </li>
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<p>According to the previous post, it looks like Standford has an online program. </p>
<p>I also found the following (a google search may provide more options)…
University of Illinois - Chicago certificate program in bioinformatics
[UIC</a> Online Bioinformatics Program](<a href=“http://proteomics.bioengr.uic.edu/online/certificate.shtml]UIC”>http://proteomics.bioengr.uic.edu/online/certificate.shtml)</p>
<p>Drexel University has an online program in biostatistics and epidemiology
[Public</a> Health Degree and Certificate Program Online](<a href=“http://www.drexel.com/online-degrees/public-health-degrees/cert-epi-bio/index.aspx]Public”>Epidemiology & Biostatistics Certificate Program Online | Drexel Online)</p>
<p>University of California - San Diego has an online certificate program in biostatistics
[Biostatistics</a> Certificate - UC San Diego Extension](<a href=“http://extension.ucsd.edu/programs/index.cfm?vAction=certDetail&vCertificateID=161&vStudyAreaID=4]Biostatistics”>http://extension.ucsd.edu/programs/index.cfm?vAction=certDetail&vCertificateID=161&vStudyAreaID=4)</p>
<ol>
<li>Many biomedical informatics departments offer certificates for students seeking training in the field but not necessarily a degree. They’re designed for people with limited exposure to biomedical informatics who also have a background in a related discipline (ie medicine, nursing, computer science, biology, public health, mathematics, dentistry, veterinary medicine, ect…). Also, some students who are unsure if they would like to pursue a master’s or doctorate program in biomedical informatics may begin by completing a certificate program. Keep in mind that certificate programs are not funded unless your employer will fund you.</li>
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