MS Computational Biomedicine & Biotechnology at University of Pittsburgh

Programme overview

The CoBB MS applies computational methods (AI/ML, genomics and precision medicine, bioinformatics, bioimage analysis, computational modeling, drug discovery and big data analytics) to biomedical and biotechnology problems. It admits students from biological sciences as well as engineering, chemistry, computer science and other quantitative fields, and can be taken full-time or part-time.

Faculty: School of Medicine | Department: Department of Computational and Systems Biology | Duration: 12-16 months full-time; about 2 years part-time (programme length 12 to 20 months) | Intake: Fall and Spring terms; admissions committee reviews files as they arrive until capacity | Location: Pittsburgh, PA, United States

What you will study

Minimum 30 graduate credits including at least 4 research credits of directed study with a Pitt faculty mentor, a summer internship or additional independent study (3 credits), a Professional Development course and a Faculty Seminar, and one course from each of six areas: Data Science/Programming/Probability/Statistics; AI, Machine Learning and Bioimage Analysis; Genomics and Precision Medicine; Molecular and Cell Systems Modeling; Drug Discovery and Quantitative Pharmacology; and Specialized courses. Sample courses include CoBB 2010 Foundations in Computational Biology, CoBB 2025 Programming in Python, CoBB 2060 Machine Learning for Biomedical Applications and CoBB 2021 Introduction to Genomics. One-year completion requires proficiency in programming, calculus and linear algebra.

Career pathways

Pharmaceutical R&D, biotechnology, digital health and health informatics roles such as computational biologist, data scientist, bioinformatics scientist and machine learning engineer; graduates have also entered PhD programs, including the joint CMU-Pitt Computational Biology PhD.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Suggested minimum GPA 3.0 for a competitive application (all applications receive full consideration). Required: transcripts from all institutions (unofficial at application, official after acceptance), personal statement of roughly 2 pages, 3 letters of recommendation. MCAT, GRE and DAT not required. English proficiency for citizens of non-English-speaking countries (and Quebec): TOEFL 600 paper/100 iBT, IELTS 7.0 or Duolingo 120, scores under two years old; exempt with a bachelor's or higher from a regionally accredited US institution. Application fee $50. Health insurance required for enrolled students.

Domestic applicants: USD 32,284 a year (2026-27). Pennsylvania-resident graduate tuition, School of Medicine, Graduate (PhD, MS, and Certificate); additional fees apply, full-time two terms (fall and spring). Tuition only; mandatory fees and other expenses excluded. Source

International applicants: USD 54,838 a year (2026-27). Out-of-state (non-PA resident) graduate tuition, School of Medicine, Graduate (PhD, MS, and Certificate); additional fees apply, full-time two terms (fall and spring). Tuition only; mandatory fees and other expenses excluded. Source

Entry terms (Fall, Spring, Summer) and deadlines are set by each school or department; the University's graduate catalog lists Fall, Spring and Summer terms for new graduate students.

Graduate and professional applications are made online to the school or department of intended study, with deadlines set by each school or department; official English-test results are required from applicants from countries where English is not the official language.

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