1. The University of Iowa
Graduate College
Document updated February 2014
2014-2015
Student Handbook
Interdisciplinary Graduate
Program in Informatics (IGPI)
The University of Iowa prohibits discrimination in employment AND in its educational programs and activities
on the basis of race, national origin, color, creed, religion, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation,
gender identity, or associational preference. The University also affirms its commitment to providing equal
opportunities and equal access to University facilities. For additional information on nondiscrimination policies,
contact the Coordinator of Title IX, Section 504, and the ADA in the Office of Affirmative Action, (319) 335-
0705 (voice) or (319)335-0697 (text), 202 Jessup Hall, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242-1316.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa sponsored events. If you are a person
with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Carol
Ives in advance at (319)335-5790.
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2. Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................... 3
Administrative Organization............................................................................................... 3
Admission ........................................................................................................................... 5
Ph.D. and M.S................................................................................................................. 6
Graduate Certificate in Informatics ................................................................................ 7
Conditional Student Status.............................................................................................. 8
Financial Support................................................................................................................ 8
University of Iowa Policies Affecting Students.................................................................. 9
Program Requirements........................................................................................................ 9
Advising.......................................................................................................................... 9
Exam Structure.............................................................................................................. 11
Ph.D. Thesis Requirements............................................................................................... 11
Registration................................................................................................................... 11
Changing Registration -.............................................................................................. 11
Grading ......................................................................................................................... 12
Petitions for Waiver of Coursework ............................................................................. 12
Transfer Credits ............................................................................................................ 12
Petitions must include.................................................................................................... 13
Academic Progress.................................................................................................... 13
Core Course Requirements ............................................................................................... 13
General Information for Students ..................................................................................... 13
Writing Center .............................................................................................................. 13
Computer Lab ............................................................................................................... 13
Forms ............................................................................................................................ 13
E-mail accounts and Mailboxes.................................................................................... 14
Websites........................................................................................................................ 14
Job Announcements...................................................................................................... 14
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3. Introduction
This student handbook is a guide for students pursuing, or wishing to pursue, a graduate
degree or graduate certificate from the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Informatics
(IGPI) at the University of Iowa. The IGPI program currently offers Ph.D. or M.S. degrees
in Informatics with choices of specialization in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology,
Health Informatics or Information Science, as well as Graduate Certificates in Informatics
that can be adapted to meet the needs of students across a range of disciplines that contain
informatics content. Current Graduate Certificates in Informatics are awarded for
Bioinformatics, Geoinformatics, Health Informatics and Information Science.
All Informatics degrees are conferred through the Graduate College. Therefore, we adhere
to the Graduate College rules, regulations, and requirements that are outlined in the Manual
of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College. This IGPI student handbook should
be considered a supplement to the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate
College, the General Catalog of the University of Iowa and, as available, the separate
student handbook for each IGPI subtrack.
Students should familiarize themselves with the Graduate College regulations by accessing
the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College at the University of Iowa
website, www.grad.uiowa.edu/Publications/ManualOfRulesAndRegs.
Administrative Organization
The IGPI is an interdisciplinary program in the Graduate College.
The IGPI is administered by the IGPI Director, Dean John Keller of the Graduate College.
Keller is responsible for the educational, research, and professional service functions of the
program. The IGPI also includes a five-member Advisory Council and subtrack Advisory
Boards. Directors of the subtrack Boards are:
- Bioinformatics: and Computational Biology Professor Terry Braun
- Computer Science: Professor James Cremer
- Geoinformatics: Professor David Bennett
- Health Informatics: Professor Nick Street
- Information Science: Professor Nick Street
Contact Information:
John Keller, IGPI Director
201G GILH
319-335-2142
john-keller@uiowa.edu
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4. Carol Ives, IGPI Program Coordinator
3087 LIB
319-335-5710
carol-ives@uiowa.edu
David Bennett, Geoinformatics Subtrack Director
306 JH
319-335-0158
david-bennett@uiowa.edu
Terry Braun, Bioinformatics Subtrack Director
5318 SC
319-335-6285
terry-braun@uiowa.edu
James Cremer, Computer Science
101P MLH
319-321-1893
james-cremer@uiowa.edu
Nick Street, Information Science Subtrack Director
S232 PBB
319-335-1016
nick-street@uiowa.edu
Nick Street, Health Informatics Subtrack Director
S232 PBB
319-335-1016
nick-street@uiowa.edu
More information on the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Informatics, as well as a list
of affiliated faculty specific to each subtrack, can be found on the IGPI website at
informatics.grad.uiowa.edu.
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5. Admission
Students seeking admission to the Graduate Program in Informatics are subject to both the
minimum standards set by the Graduate College and specific program standards as outlined
below.
Applicants must have:
• A U.S. bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or an
equivalent degree from another country as determined by the Office of Admissions;
• A minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00, or foreign equivalent as determined
by the Office of Admissions;
• Your official GRE General Test scores from the Educational Testing Service (the
university’s institutional code is 6681);
• For international students, your official TOEFL* scores from the Educational
Testing Service.
• an updated curriculum vitae (CV);
• A statement of purpose including a description of the candidates research goals for
M.S. with thesis and Ph.D. applications; and
• Three letters of recommendation.
*If applicable, a minimum TOEFL score of 550 or higher on the paper-based (PBT)
or a score of 81 on the Internet-based test (IBT). Newly admitted graduate students
who present TOEFL scores below 600 on the PBT or below 100 on the IBT are
required to complete an English Proficiency Evaluation on campus before their first
registration for classes.
Note: Non U.S. citizens are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign
Language (TOEFL) unless they have a degree from an accredited college of
university in the U.S., the UK, Canada (except Quebec), Australia, or New Zealand.
For more information on the application process please see our website at:
http://informatics.grad.uiowa.edu/prospective-students/how-to-apply. We require all
applicants to submit their IGPI program specific documents through our applicant portal
found at https://tippie.uiowa.edu/igpi/applicants/logon.aspx.
All applicants and continuing students are required to have strong written and oral
communication skills. Students with deficiencies may be required to take remedial courses.
The faculty takes several factors into consideration when evaluating an application for
admission, including GRE scores, grades, letters of recommendation, intent and motivation
for graduate study, and research interests. A student with deficiencies in one area may be
admitted if all other parts of his or her application are very strong.
Applications must be complete before they will be considered for review.
Applications are accepted for both the spring and fall semesters.
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6. Application Deadlines:
Fall semester – July 15: April 15 for international applicants (December 1 priority date for
funding considerations).
Spring semester – December 1; October 1 for international applicants (September 1 priority
date for funding consideration)
Summer session – not offered
Ph.D. and M.S.
In applying for admission candidates should designate the specific Ph.D. or M.S. subtrack to
which they are applying.
Each candidate’s application, including the University of Iowa application form, official
transcripts, test scores, and letters of recommendation, will be evaluated by a committee of
subtrack faculty, who then make an admissions recommendation to the Graduate College. If
approved, the IGPI Director will notify the Office of Graduate Admissions of the admission
action.
Ph.D.
The Ph.D. degree requires completion of a minimum of 72 course semester hours beyond
the bachelor's degree, with at least 18 of the 72 hours satisfying the requirements of the
Certificate in Informatics
The primary goal of the Ph.D. program in Informatics is to prepare graduates for research,
teaching, and other scholarly endeavors in an academic or industrial setting including local,
state and federal agencies, as well as commercial enterprises.
For the Ph.D. degree:
1. The applicant must have demonstrated capacity for quantitative research,
originality and creativity, and the application of scientific methods.
2. While there is no specific minimum for GRE scores, successful candidates will typically
have very strong quantitative and analytical scores. Please see our website at
informatics.grad.uiowa.edu for score guidelines
M.S.
Depending on the subtrack, the M.S. degree requires completion of a minimum of 30 -32
course semester hours beyond the bachelor's degree. At least 18 of the 32 semester hours
must satisfy the requirements of the Informatics Certificate.
The M.S. program is designed to prepare graduate-level students for professional career
opportunities in which specialized knowledge of informatics methods and analytic
techniques are useful. Placement possibilities include employment in general business, media,
government, finance, the arts, pharmaceutical, and many others including local, state, or
federal agencies.
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7. Graduate Certificate in Informatics
The Certificate in Informatics is open to both non-degree students as well as graduate
students who wish to complement their own disciplinary studies with foundational and
applied knowledge in informatics. The Certificate also provides a coordinated corpus of
informatics courses on which disciplinary programs can base their own informatics-related
curricular efforts.
Both non-degree students and graduate candidates for the Informatics Certificate apply for
admission by designating the specific subtrack to which they are applying. Candidates in an
existing graduate degree program must be in good academic standing in their program. For
more information see the specific subtrack guidelines at informatics.grad.uiowa.edu. Each
candidate’s application will be evaluated by a committee of subtrack faculty, who then make
an admissions recommendation to the Graduate College. If approved, the IGPI Director
will notify the Office of Graduate Admissions of the admission action.
Please note that your plan of study for the informatics certificate may not completely
substitute for coursework or examinations required within the requirements of the
disciplinary degree program. Of the total hours required for a certificate, a minimum of 9
certificate-specific semester hours must be completed for certificate award.
ACADEMIC REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS:
Master’s
Of the minimum of 30 semester hours required for the Master’s degree, at least 24 semester
hours must be completed under the auspices of The University of Iowa after admission to a
graduate department/program. Various forms of extramural registration may qualify toward
fulfillment of the 24 semester hours registration requirement (see Section II. G. Extramural
Registration) in addition to regular on‐campus registration.
Doctoral
All doctoral programs will contain a minimum of 72 semester hours of graduate work. Of
those 72 semester hours, at least 39 must be earned while registered in The University of
Iowa Graduate College. After completing 21 semester hours of graduate work under
Graduate College registration and in compliance with the Graduate College policy for time
limits on academic credit, i.e., courses ten years or older may not be counted toward the
degree, students must complete an additional 18 semester hours to be taken as follows: (1)
enrollment as a full‐time student (9 semester hours minimum) in each of two semesters, or
(2) enrollment for a minimum of 6 semester hours in each of three semesters.
A student must be registered in the semester in which s/he earns his/her degree.
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8. Conditional Student Status
Potentially successful students not meeting all criteria may be admitted on a conditional
basis. Specially tailored additional stated conditions (e.g. taking remedial courses or
maintaining a grade point average for a prescribed length of time) must be met by each
student to achieve regular student status. Regular admission must be reached within two
semesters. Failure to achieve this requirement will result in dismissal.
When changing to regular student status, a Request for Change of Graduate College Status
form must be completed. This form is available from the IGPI program coordinator.
Financial Support
Fellowships:
A limited number of fellowships for Ph.D. candidates are currently available within the
Graduate College, however there is no guaranteed funding provided for incoming students.
These fellowships are awarded competitively based on applications received.
Based on satisfactory performance, these fellowships will be available for the first two years
of a student’s Ph.D. studies; subsequent years will require an alternate funding source such as
a Teaching or Research Assistantship.
Opportunities do exist within the University for Graduate Assistantships including Teaching
(TA) and Research Assistantships (RA) as well as other types of funding. More information
can be found below as well as the Graduate College website.
Graduate Research (RA) Assistantships:
Students enrolled in our programs may be recruited by affiliated faculty members as graduate
research assistants when such positions become available. Typically these are offered by
individual faculty, are paid through research grant funding, and may not necessarily
correspond to the academic year. Assistantships are available to advanced students who
show exceptional research potential. To learn more about RA opportunities, students should
contact the individual departments and/or faculty member.
Graduate research assistantships offered to enrolled students by our faculty are generally for
25%-time at minimum. A graduate research assistantship at 25% or more qualifies the
student for Iowa resident tuition, a stipend, a partial tuition scholarship, and health insurance
benefits. Please see http://grad.uiowa.edu/graduate-assistant-job-postings for available
postings.
Teaching Assistantships:
Teaching assistantships (TA) are the most common form of financial aid. These
assistantships serve two purposes: assistance in the instructional program of the University
and the preparation of future college teachers.
In order to qualify for employment as a teaching assistant, students whose native language is
not English are required to pass two exams offered by the University: the SPEAK test, a
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9. general test of spoken English, and the English Language Performance Test (ELPT), a
practice lecture test given to students who pass the SPEAK test. The department offering
the TA will register students for these exams. More information on these exams can be
found at www.uiowa.edu/~iiepesl/TAPE/TAPEindex.html.
Federal Loans:
Federal loans are arranged in the University of Iowa’s Office of Student Financial Aid. All
financial assistance to UI students from general University sources is administered by the
Office of Student Financial Aid. For detailed information about loans, grants, scholarships,
or part-time student employment, contact the Department of Student Financial Aid, The
University of Iowa, 208 Calvin Hall, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1315; telephone 319/335-1450.
Travel:
Money for travel to present at a state or national meeting is occasionally available through
the Graduate College or the Graduate Student Senate as well as through the IGPI program.
Requests should be made prior to the participating in the event; funding after you have
participated is not guaranteed.
Informatics students requesting travel funds from the Informatics department must
complete and submit the Research-Related Travel Form found at:
http://informatics.grad.uiowa.edu/resources
For more information see:
gss.grad.uiowa.edu/funding/gss-travel-funds-application
http://gss.grad.uiowa.edu/funding/additional-funding-sources/graduate-college
University of Iowa Policies Affecting Students
Copies of University of Iowa Policies Affecting Students are distributed on campus each fall and are
available on the University of Iowa website. Topics addressed include the student bill of
rights, standards of academic conduct, treatment of student educational records, policies on
sexual harassment, disability policy, religious diversity, and grievance procedures.
Program Requirements
IGPI requirements are supplemental to the Graduate College regulations that can be found
in the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College.
Advising
Every M.S. and Ph.D. student must have a faculty advisor from the affiliated faculty of
his/her designated subtrack. Upon admission, each student is assigned an academic advisor.
An up-to-date list of affiliated faculty members is located on the IGPI website
at:informatics.grad.uiowa.edu/people.
9

10. During their first one to two years in the program, it is expected that Ph.D. students will
choose a faculty member whose research interests align with their own to serve as academic
and research advisor, and chair of the student’s thesis committee.
The advisor/advisee relationship requires the consent of both parties and can be terminated
by either. If a student wishes to change advisers, the student initiates the change by
determining which faculty adviser would be preferred and discussing the possibility with the
preferred faculty adviser. *Upon approval by the new faculty adviser, the student must then
notify the prior adviser and the graduate program coordinator by submitting the Change of
Advisor Form found at: http:informatics.grad.uiowaedu/resources. It should be emphasized that
there is no requirement that a student remain with the same adviser throughout that student’s academic career
and that the reason for change may be personal or because of the student’s interests.
A Departmental Plan of Study must be filed in the first semester of the student’s entry into
the IGPI program. Once an advisor has been selected, each student, in consultation with the
advisor, will prepare their plan of study. The purpose of the plan is to ensure that any
requested course waivers or transfer credits are approved, and that the student will have
completed the appropriate coursework to receive the degree.
Changes in the Plan of Study must be made within five days of the semester of change.
It is required that each student will complete a Departmental Plan of Study form in
consultation with his/her advisor every semester, and submit the completed form to the
IGPI department. Please note that electives not currently approved on the Plan of Study for
each specific subtrack must be approved by the advisor and subtrack Director before
registration. Failure to gain approval may mean the course will not count towards the credit
required to complete your degree objective. It is each student’s responsibility to work closely
with their advisor to confirm that their plan of study meets the minimum program
requirements for graduation. To request approval for a substitute course/elective download
and submit a Substitute Course Credit Request from
http://informatics.grad.uiowa.edu/resources
The Plan of Study form can also be downloaded from our website at:
http://informatics.grad.uiowa.edu/health-informatics/curriculum.
In addition to the formal examination process, students in the Ph.D. program are evaluated
on a yearly basis to ensure that they are making satisfactory academic progress. By
September 15th
each advisor is required to submit an evaluation assessment of the student’s
progress outlining past year accomplishments and plans for the current year including Ph.D.
milestones. The Advisory Board reviews these summaries and sends the student a letter
summarizing their status in the program. Students who are failing to make satisfactory
progress are expected to correct any deficiencies and move to the next milestone within one
year. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the program.
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11. Exam Structure
Exam structures are specific both to the subtrack and to the program (Ph.D., M.S. or
certificate). See individual subtracks for further details.
Ph.D. Thesis Requirements
The student is required to comply with Graduate College guidelines with regard to
preparation of the thesis and meeting Graduate College thesis deadlines for graduation. The
student should consult the Graduate College or the program coordinator regarding
deadlines. The Graduate College Thesis Manual, which provides formatting requirements, is
available at Gilmore Hall and on the Graduate College website. Any thesis requirements
specific to an individual subtrack will be listed with that subtrack information.
Thesis costs are the responsibility of the student, including associated costs such as copying.
Registration
Nine or more semester hours constitutes full-time enrollment during fall and spring
semester. An M.S. or Ph.D. student may register for no more than 15 semester hours per
semester during fall and spring semester, 8 semester hours during the 8-week summer
session, 6 semester hours during the 6-week summer session, or 3 semester hours during the
3-week summer session.
For half-time status a student must be enrolled in at least 5 semester hours spring or fall and
3 semester hours during the summer session.
NOTE: International students are subject to registration requirements in addition to those listed above.
They are generally required to be registered full-time (at least 9 semester hours) in fall and spring semester,
and there are restrictions on the number of courses they are allowed to register for via distance learning, e.g.
web classes. International students should contact the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) if
they have questions about registration requirements in specific situations.
To register, students must first meet with their advisor to discuss and plan their coursework.
Once this discussion has taken place each student should contact the program coordinator
to authorize their registration. Registration number (for electronic registration) or
registration forms (for paper registration) are no longer assigned.
Changing Registration - The University Schedule of Courses available on-line at ISIS
registration has a link to a site listing significant deadlines for each semester, including
deadlines for changes or withdrawal of registration.
Changes in registration must be initiated by the student. Students may change registration via
computer until midnight the day prior to the start of classes. Beginning the first day of
classes, computer registration is no longer possible and any change must be done with a
drop/add slip signed by the course instructor and the student’s adviser. Students should be
aware that failure to drop classes by the established deadline will result in a successively
increasing percentage of tuition fee assessment.
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12. Grading
Because the IGPI is an interdisciplinary program, grading options vary by department.
Students may check with each course instructor at the beginning of the semester to
determine if the plus/minus option will be used.
The grade of I is to be used only when a student's work during a session cannot be
completed because of illness, accident, or other circumstances beyond the student's control.
In registrations for thesis, research, or independent study, the S/U grades may be applied.
An Incomplete will automatically be converted to an F at the end of the next full semester
(summer and winter sessions excluded), even if the student does not enroll after the session
the I was posted. The specific deadline for the faculty's report on I grades to the registrar will
be set by the Office of the Registrar for each session and printed in the academic calendar.
Courses may not be repeated to remove incompletes; removal of an I is accomplished only
through the completion of the specific work for which the mark is given.
In registrations for thesis/dissertation, research, preceptorship, or independent study,
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grading may be applied. Neither the S nor the U is used in
computing grade-point average. Grades of S and U may also be used for courses taken
outside the major Program, provided that the course instructor and the student’s adviser
approve the registration. Arrangements for S/U grading in these courses are accomplished
by filing a form with appropriate signatures in the Registrar’s Office at the time of
registration or no later than the last day of the second week of a semester.
Petitions for Waiver of Coursework
Students who wish to waive a requirement on the basis of prior coursework may petition the
IGPI Advisory Board specific to their subtrack. A waiver means that the student is not
required to enroll in the course, and the student does not receive credit for the course.
Examples of use where a waiver might be requested and granted are if the course were taken
more than ten years prior to anticipated graduation or if the course were taken as an
undergraduate student – in both of these instances these courses would not typically be
accepted but through the waiver process may be deemed eligible for credit. Equivalent prior
coursework may result in specific course waivers, but does not reduce the total number of
informatics course credit hours required for the specific program. Such petitions will be
handled on a case-by-case basis.
Please use the Substitute Course Credit Request form located at
http://informatics.grad.uiowa.edu/resources to request coursework waivers.
Transfer Credits
Students with prior graduate coursework can request the transfer of some of these credits to
reduce the total semester hours required for their graduate degree. Cases are considered on
an individual basis. Transfer credits cannot violate Graduate College residency requirements.
Students wishing to transfer credits should submit a petition to the IGPI program assistant.
12

13. Petitions must include information about the course (institution, course title, number of
credit hours and grade) and a course description sufficient to determine which of our
courses the transfer replaces. Transfer requests are then evaluated by the appropriate faculty
and the Program’s plan of study review committee. Transfer credits from other colleges and
universities are also evaluated by the Graduate Admissions Office. The Program cannot
approve transfer hours from other institutions unless Graduate Admissions awards graduate
credit hours.
Academic Progress
While pursuing a degree, students are expected to maintain a 3.00 or better grade-point
average. A student with less than a 2.75 G.P.A. after 8 or more semester hours of graduate
work will be placed on probation by the Graduate College. Refer to Sec. IV. of the Manual of
Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College for details on probation and dismissal standards,
procedures, and appeals.
Any Informatics M.S. or Ph.D. student who receives more than six semester hours of C+ or
lower on core and required courses, including any transfer hours, will be dismissed from the
program. Any student who does receive more than six semester hours of C+ or lower may
appeal the dismissal in writing to the head of the Program. Student appeals must be voted on
by the Program faculty within two semesters, including summer session, from the end of the
semester in which the last C+ or lower grade was received.
Core Course Requirements
Core course requirements vary for the different subtracks. For subtrack-specific
requirements refer to the curriculum section of the individual subtrack of interest. This
information can be found on the Informatics website at informatics.grad.uiowa.edu
General Information for Students
Writing Center
It is strongly recommended that students use the resources of the University’s Writing
Center. The Center offers a variety of free services, including regularly scheduled sessions
with a writing tutor, one-time sessions with a tutor, and an e-mail tutoring service for three-
day feedback on a student’s work. The Writing Center is located at 110 English-Philosophy
Building (EPB), 335-0188.
Computer Lab
University computer labs (ITCs) are available throughout campus. A complete list of
available ITCs can be obtained through the university’s Information Technology Services
Office.
Forms
Most of the forms IGPI students will use are available electronically on the Graduate College
website. Program-specific forms are located at http//informatics.grad.uiowa.edu/resources
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14. E-mail accounts and Mailboxes
Every student should apply for a university e-mail account upon enrollment. The student
will then be connected to the IGPI LISTSERVas part of the Informatics Student Group e-
mail list. This e-mail list is the most efficient way students receive information such as
seminar announcements, job announcements, program information, etc. E-mail messages
should be checked regularly.
Office space and mailboxes are not automatically assigned to students. As an
interdisciplinary program location of student mailboxes and offices mail boxes may vary, and
if office space is required students should first attempt to locate space on their own. A
limited number of general use mailboxes are available outside of the IGPI office at 3087
LIB. If you would like a mailbox contact the IGPI program coordinator.
Websites
An electronic version of this manual, forms commonly used by students, and significant
dates for students are available on the IGPI Program website. The Program and college
website also contain general information of interest to students, including an event calendar
which includes seminars and other program events.
The University of Iowa website (www.uiowa.edu) offers many other resources for the
student. Particularly useful are the ISIS registration system site, the Graduate College
Handbook site which offers valuable information and advice about the Iowa City area and
University of Iowa resources, and the website for the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the
Graduate College.
Job Announcements
Announcements of job and internship opportunities are communicated to students via the
IGPI Listserv and are also posted in the IGPI website.
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