The University of Toledo

 CHOOSE OHIO FIRST SCHOLARSHIPS
       

   

CHOOSE OHIO FIRST SCHOLARSHIPS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO 1. COF Scholarship in Bioinformatics 2. COF Scholarship in Dual-Degree Program: BS in Biology AND MS in Bioinformatics in ~5.5 years

The Choose Ohio First Scholarship Program provides scholarships and educational opportunities for students interested in pursuing a career in bioinformatics or related fields, and will support studies towards a masters degree in Bioinformatics & Proteomics/Genomics at the University of Toledo.

The COF Program was established through a competitive grant awarded to the Ohio Bioinformatics Consortium by the State of Ohio.

At the University of Toledo, up to eight Choose Ohio First Scholars will be added to the two-year program each year, with full tuition scholarships provided.  The curriculum is described here:  http://www.utoledo.edu/med/depts/bioinfo/Masters_Prog_in_BPG.html

Who Should Apply

We encourage applications from students who have interests in computers and/or biology or chemistry, and especially those who have some background in both. Bioinformatics is very useful in a wide range of fields. The masters degree provides an excellent background for careers in biology, medicine, chemistry, computer science, applied mathematics, and many others. Law students have taken our courses in preparation for careers in intellectual property.  If you would like to talk about how the masters in bioinformatics could help your career, please contact us.

Eligibility

ALL CHOOSE OHIO FIRST SCHOLARS MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENTS OF OHIO (i.e. “in-state”)

In addition, applicants to the masters degree program must have:

• a bachelors degree in biology, chemistry, computer science, or related fields.
• Students with a GPA under 3.0, but at or above 2.5, may apply for provisional acceptance that would change to Regular (non-probationary) status, if their first term graduate coursework has a GPA of 3.0 or above (on a 4-point scale).
• GRE score of 300 for verbal and quantitative, and 3.5 or higher for analytical writing.
• recommendation letters that indicate commitment to studies, ability to work well in teams, and personal integrity.

Applicants to the dual-degree pipeline programs (see below) must have:

• good standing in an appropriate bachelors degree program
• GPA of 3.0 or better (on a 4-point scale), with 3.3 or better in their major
• recommendation letters that indicate commitment to studies, ability to work well in teams, and personal integrity.

To ensure access for all Ohioans, special consideration will be given to underrepresented minorities, students from Appalachia and those who are first generation or low-income.

HOW TO APPLY

1.  COF Scholarship in Bioinformatics 
Students with bachelors degrees (or who expect to earn such degrees this year) should apply directly to the masters program in Bioinformatics & Proteomics/Genomics at the following URL:  https://apply.utoledo.edu/    (select “Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences”, and “Bioinformatics” as the concentration).

2.  COF Scholarship in Dual-Degree "Pipeline" Program 
The University of Toledo has recently won a second COF award for a new "pipeline" program. This program offers students a BS in biological sciences AND an MS in bioinformatics in approximately 5.5 years. For complete details in HTML format, click here.   This “pipeline” program integrates the masters and bachelors curricula so that accepted students can earn both degrees in a total of 5-5½ years. Talk to your academic advisor about how to apply, usually during the junior year. Academic advisors can contact the program director  (Robert.Blumenthal@utoledo.edu), if they do not yet participate in the pipeline program but would like to. Pipeline students who become Choose Ohio First Scholars receive tuition scholarships that cover all credits counting towards the masters degree.

If you wish to be considered for a Choose Ohio First Scholarship, please send an e-mail to the Program Secretary: Joanne.Gray@utoledo.edu, AFTER submitting the online application. This e-mail should include a single-paragraph statement of your long-term career objectives, and how training in bioinformatics will help you achieve those objectives. In a separate paragraph, please note any special considerations relevant to your application.

LINK TO MORE DETAILS ON THE CHOOSE OHIO FIRST SCHOLARSHIP (PDF fully-formatted version)