Health informatics (HI) is the healthcare focused subfield of biomedical informatics, the interdisciplinary field that studies and pursues the effective uses of biomedical data, information, and knowledge for scientific inquiry, problem-solving and decision making, motivated by efforts to improve human health. (AMIA)

Bioinformatics is conceptualizing biology in terms of molecules (in the sense of Physical chemistry) and applying informatics techniques (derived from disciplines such as applied math, computer science and statistics) to understand and organize the information associated with these molecules, on a large scale. In short, bioinformatics is a management information system for molecular biology and has many practical applications. (Luscombe et al., Method Inform Med 2001; 40: 346 58)

Therefore, (Bio)medical Informatics is computer-based informations management in medicine and healthcare, while Bioinformatics is the same in (mostly molecular) biology. There is a distinction between Clinical, Health-, Imaging, Translational, and Bioinformatics and Computational Biology among others (see Shortliffe, Biomedical Informatics: Computer Applications in Health Care and Biomedicine (Health Informatics), 4th ed., ch. 1.). Bioinformatics and Computational Biology are frequently used synonymously for the study of biology using computational and quantitative methods.

2. What if I do not have a background in Computer Science?

If you do not have a background in Computer Science or are unfamiliar with a programming language, you should be prepared to take additional computer programming classes that are not listed within the MBI course work.

Registration of HI&BI Classes

1. When should I register for HI&BI classes?

Depending upon your class standing, you should register for MBI classes any time during the registration cycle starting in March through 5 p.m. of the Friday before the start of classes for any given semester. Classes might be canceled because of low enrollment, therefore it is better to register early, especially because you don't have to pay until the end of the period. More information at the Registrar's Office website Registrar's Office website.

2. What is the Drop/Add period?

The first week of classes (Monday-Friday) is the drop/add period. If you wait until this week to register for all of your classes, there will be an additional charge of $50 for registering late. If, however, you have registered for classes already and just want to add or drop a class during the first week of classes, there is no penalty or late fee.

3. What is the procedure to add a class after the Drop/Add period?

To add a class after the Drop/Add period, you must obtain your instructor's signature and the signature of the Director of the School of Computing and Information Systems, Dr. Paul Leidig (C-2-100 MAK), and the Dean's signature (Dr. Paul Plotkowski, 332 KEN) as approval to add a class late. Dean Plotkowski also requires that a memo be attached explaining why a student is adding a class after the Drop/Add Deadline. An additional charge of $25 for adding a class late will be charged.

Courses

1. Where can I find the course catalog?

Browse or search the catalog of Health Informatics and Bioinformatics course offerings here.

Dropping HI&BI Classes

1. When can you drop a class without a grade of "W?"

You can drop a class anytime during the first week of classes without a grade of "W" posted to your transcript.

2. When is the last day you can officially drop a class with a grade of "W?"

You can drop a class anytime within 53 days into the semester. In other words, you can drop a class anytime up to 5 p.m. on Friday of the eighth week of classes. Because of the shortened time frame, this rule does not pertain to the Spring/Summer semester.

3. What are the procedures to drop a class after the Withdrawal deadline?

To drop a class after the Withdrawal deadline, you must obtain your instructor's signature, the signature of the Director of the School of Computing and Information Systems, Dr. Paul Leidig (C-2-100 MAK), and the Advising Resource Center's (200 STU) signature as approval to drop. The Advising Resource Center requires that their form be attached explaining why a student is dropping a class after the Withdrawal Deadline.

Class Substitutions

1. Who should I contact about a class substitution?

Email the MBI Program Chair, Dr. Guenter Tusch, that and why you want to substitute one course for another in the Health Informatics and Bioinformatics Degree.

Grades

1. What is the procedure if I disagree about my posted grade?

Contact your instructor and talk to him/her why you disagree about the final outcome of your posted grade. If the instructor has erred, he/she will fill out an Authorization of Grade Change form to correct the error.

2. How long will that take for the error to be corrected?

The Authorization of Grade Change form is filled out and signed by the instructor. The form then is approved by the Director of the School of Computing & Information Systems and is then forwarded to the Dean's Office for Dr. Plotkowski's approval. From the Dean's office the form is sent to Records over in the Student Services building. Once received by them it is posted to your transcript. This process could take up to several weeks before the change will appear on a student's record.

3. What is an Incomplete Grade?

An Incomplete grade is a temporary grade given for work that is lacking in quantity to meet course objectives. It may be assigned when illness, necessary absence, or other reasons generally beyond the control of the student prevent completion of the course requirements by the end of the semester. This grade may not be given as a substitute for a failing grade or withdrawal. The student has one semester to submit the outstanding coursework.

4. What is a Credit/No Credit Grade?

Undergraduate students may elect certain undergraduate coursework on a credit/no credit basis. A maximum of 10 semester hours of major, minor, or cognate courses within the major may be taken on a credit/no credit basis only with the consent of the student's major department. A maximum of 25 percent of a student's hours of GVSU courses earned to fulfill graduation requirements may be taken on a credit/no credit basis. Consent is unnecessary if the course is an elective, a general education course, or a degree cognate. A Credit/No Credit form must be filled out and submitted to the Records Office in STU by Friday at 5 p.m. of the first week of classes.

Repeat a Course

1. If I need to repeat a course, what is the procedure?

Students who repeat a course will have only the last grade counted toward their GPA, whether or not the last grade is higher. Students must notify the Registrar of their intention by filing a Repeat Grade form during the semester in which they repeat the class. If repeating a course more then once, a Registration Repeat Limit approval form must be filled out, obtaining the correct signatures and drop off at the records windows (150 STU).

Computer Labs

1. Are there specialized computer labs for the MBI program?

No, the MBI lab is "in the cloud", which means that you can access the software from virtually everywhere by logging on to the Windows Terminal Server (winserv). Some more general programs maybe only available in the general computer labs. you'll find more information here.

2. What Computer Labs are under the jurisdiction of the School of CIS?

A-1-171 MAK - EOS Lab (Exploratory Operating Systems Lab)
A-1-167 MAK - DATACOM Lab (Data Communications Lab)
A-1-101 MAK - ARCH Lab (Architecture Lab)
358 KEN - CS/CE Lab

EOS Account

1. What is an EOS Account?

An EOS Account gives you access to the LINUX Operating System Lab environment used exclusively by CIS students.

2. When do I obtain an EOS Account?

When students take a 300-level CIS course or higher class, they are automatically assigned their own personal EOS Account the first week of classes. You should be notified by the EOS System Administrator Mr. Ira Woodring via email with a temporary password. Please change the password at your earliest convenience.

3. I forgot my EOS password!

Contact Mr. Ira Woodring the EOS System Administrator, who will reset your password to a randomly generated password, which is emailed to your student email address.

4. How long do I keep my EOS Account?

EOS Accounts are removed mid-fall semester for those students who are not currently enrolled. Users will be notified via their GVSU student email address one week prior to account deletion. All accounts are archived before deletion.

Internship Program

1. Do I have to do an internship?

All new MBI students are required to do a qualified internship as part of their degree. This is one of the distinctive features of the PSM program.

2. Where can I pick up the Internship Contract?

The School of CIS' office, C-2-100 MAK, and Career Services, 206 STU, have a supply of Internship Contracts.

3. Where can I obtain information about the PSM Internship Program?

To learn more about the PSM Internship Program, contact Anirudh Chowdhary or go to: https://www.gvsu.edu/psm/internship-opportunities-34.htm

MSDN Academic Alliance

1. What is the MSDN Academic Alliance (MSDNAA)?

The MSDN Academic Alliance is an annual membership program for technical departments in the area of Computer Science, Engineering and Information Systems. The school's faculty and students may purchase (at very low cost) or download various Microsoft software programs for use on their personal computers.

2. How do I qualify for the MSDN Academic Alliance Program?

In order to qualify for the MSDN Academic Alliance Program, you need to fall in one of the following categories:

Faculty/staff of College of Engineering and Computing.
Currently taking a CS, IS, CIS, HBI or EGR class during the semester.

If you are in one of these groups, you will receive your username and password for the current semester through your GVSU email. You do not need to contact the GVSU MSDN Academic Alliance Administrator.

3. How long will my account last?

If you are taking a College of Engineering and Computing class, your account will be automatically activated during the second week of classes and will remain active until the end of the semester. There may be a period of overlap between semesters in which your account will stay active (though this may not always be the case). The administration also reserves the right to deny any student access at anytime. If it has been determined the student is using his/her account for non-educational purposes or is distributing software to persons not enrolled in the University, their account will be terminated.

4. Where can I find more information about the MSDN AA Program?

To learn more about the MSDN AA Program, go to: https://www.cis.gvsu.edu/microsoft-imagine/

Graduate School

1. What do I need to do to be successful in grad school?

Graduate students typically are educated to assume leadership positions. To learn leadership skills early on, learning in graduate school is very different from undergraduate. Graduate school requires much more self-motivation and initiative than being an undergraduate student. You have much greater control over your own education and what you gain from it. But it is your responsibility to take advantage of that opportunity. See your advisor frequently, participate in as many extracurricular events in your field as possible, and plan ahead. Graduate school is much more challenging but much more enjoyable than being an undergraduate student. You need to learn how to multi-task, plan and coordinate complex work and anticipate problems. You need to work very hard and manage your time. You need to absorb lots of information, analyze data, and interpret and synthesize findings to provide new and useful knowledge. Then you need to learn how to communicate that knowledge to others in written and oral formats. Throughout all of this, people skills and networking will be required. Take advantage of the many people that can help you be successful, including undergrads, fellow grad students, professors, and other experts in the field. Take advantage of all the resources in the university including computer labs, software programs, the library etc. If you have questions on what it means to be a grad student, see your advisor.

Graduation

1. What do I need to do now that I am getting close to graduating?

The semester before you are ready to graduate you must contact the Records Office in Student Services to fill out a "Diploma Card:"
- Graduate Degree: The Diploma Card is goldenrod yellow.

The Diploma Card triggers a graduation audit. When the Record's Office receives this card, the Graduation Auditor sends an audit to the declared major's department; if a minor is declared, one is also sent to the minor's department. Once the outstanding criteria have been satisfied, a diploma is then mailed to the student.

Complaint About a Faculty Member

1. What should I do if I have a complaint about a faculty member?

If you have a complaint, protocol calls for trying to resolve the problem with the faculty member first. Having done this, if you still feel that there is an outstanding problem, the next step is to contact Dr. Paul Leidig, who is the Director of the School of Computing & Information Systems, C-2-118 MAK. After that, if you still feel the issue has not been resolved, you go up the chain of command. The next step would be to make an appointment with the Dean, Dr. Paul Plotkowski (332 KEN).

Page last modified April 21, 2022

Report a problem with this page

Master of Science in Health Informatics and Bioinformatics

FAQ for Health Informatics and Bioinformatics, M.S.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Pages

Degree