Program Description

Application Requirements

Program-Specific Instructions

Explore 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 in-classroom 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.

Important Information:

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.

English Proficiency Requirements

All Mason students must have a full command of academic English to be successful in their studies. For this reason, Mason requires applicants to demonstrate English proficiency for admission consideration, regardless of citizenship. Click here to view the requirements.

International Transcript Requirements

All transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be translated into English, if applicable, and submitted for evaluation to the Mason Office of Admissions. Mason will provide evaluation service free of charge for all international transcripts, however, some programs may request an outside evaluation be completed. Because of volume, more time may be needed to process applications requiring a Mason evaluation. You should submit your application 6 weeks prior to the deadline if you plan to utilize Mason’s free evaluation service. For expedited service, students may submit their documents to any NACES member organization at their own expense. If you decide to use an external evaluation service or if your program requires an outside evaluation, GPA and Degree equivalences must be included with your course-by-course evaluation. Mason evaluations are used for internal purposes and are not released to applicants. For information on international transcript requirements, go here.