Establishing a master's degree programme in bioinformatics: challenges and opportunities

Area of Science:

• Bioinformatics
• Higher Education Administration
• Interdisciplinary Studies

Background:

• The University of Illinois sought to create a new interdisciplinary degree program.
• Existing interdisciplinary programs lacked formal departmental recognition or degree-granting authority.
• Previous university practices did not support such a complex, multi-departmental initiative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and structure of the new Bioinformatics MS program.
• To outline the challenges and opportunities encountered during program creation.
• To highlight the program's innovative operational model.

Main Methods:

• Program development involved collaboration across four colleges and numerous departments.
• The program was established under the Graduate College, not a single department.
• A franchise-like operational model was adopted with departmental concentrations.

Main Results:

• The program is the first interdisciplinary degree program at the university to formally recognize departmental specializations.
• The operational structure involves significant logistical complexity due to broad campus involvement.
• The program fosters substantial cross-campus interaction and collaboration.

Conclusions:

• The Bioinformatics MS program represents a significant departure from traditional university program structures.
• The innovative model facilitates interdisciplinary education and research across diverse academic units.
• The program's success hinges on managing complex logistics and fostering interdepartmental cooperation.