Accelerated Bioinformatics (BSI) / Artificial Intelligence+ (MS)
Admission Requirements
Undergraduate students in the BSI in Bioinformatics program can apply for the MS in Artificial Intelligence+ accelerated program at the end of their junior year. Applicants must be BSI in Bioinformatics majors and have a GPA of 3.5 or higher in the major prior to applying for the program. The applicants must obtain approval of the graduate program director to participate in the accelerated program. Applicants will be subject to the same admissions requirements as applicants for the full-time residential MS in Artificial Intelligence+ program in the School of Engineering and Computer Science and meet all requirements for entry into the Baylor Graduate School and MS in Artificial Intelligence+ program. The BSI degree will be awarded once all degree requirements for the BSI degree are met.
Undergraduate vs. Graduate Student Designations
Students in this accelerated degree program are categorized in the Baylor system as undergraduate students during their senior year (year 4) regardless of any combination of UG- and GR-level courses completed that year. These students are designated as graduate students in year 5 (final year of program) after being accepted into the graduate school for that final year.
These distinctions (undergraduate student versus graduate student) will be linked to financial aid and scholarship eligibility for each level. In year 4, these accelerated degree students are eligible for any financial aid or scholarships for which they qualify as undergraduate students. When these students become graduate students in year 5, though they lose their eligibility for undergraduate-level support, they are eligible to apply for graduate-level scholarships and financial aid.
Requirements for the Accelerated Bioinformatics (BSI) >> Artificial Intelligence+ (MS) Program
To earn the BSI in Bioinformatics and MS in Artificial Intelligence+ via this accelerated pathway, a student must complete all basic requirements for the BSI in Bioinformatics as well as the MS in Artificial Intelligence+.
A maximum of 6 credits of graduate coursework will count toward both degrees. Students can choose from the courses listed below.
Students should also be enrolled in CSI 5010 Graduate Seminar (0 hr.) for two semesters in their senior year. This course will count on the graduate degree only; however, it is important for Accelerated students to take twice senior year to ensure timely completion of the MS.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Seminar Course | ||
| Counts towards the MS only but must be taken senior year. | ||
| CSI 5010 | Graduate Seminar (taken two semesters) | 0 |
| Shared UG/GR Course Options | ||
| CSI 5325 | Introduction to Machine Learning | 3 |
| CSI 5328 | Artificial Intelligence | 3 |