Master's Thesis

Year 1 - Thesis Preparation

During the first year in the program, students complete a three-part series of Research Foundations quarter courses.

These courses will directly aid students in planning and executing their thesis projects by developing relevant skills, such as: 

• Choosing a mentor and being an active mentee
• Identifying a gap in the field and proposing and planning a research project that addresses a gap in the field
• Considering ethics and equity at all stages of a research project
• Time management and organizational skills
• Finding, reading, and evaluating biomedical informatics literature
• Communicating research results in progress reports, presentations, and papers

Students select their thesis advisor during the first year in consultation with the Program.

Year 2 - Conducting Research

In the second year of the program, students conduct their thesis research in the lab of their Thesis Advisor full-time, enrolling in the 16-credit thesis courses during their third and fourth semesters (for a total of 32 credits). 

As part of the thesis courses, students will attend monthly meetings where they will discuss thesis progress and challenges with peers and participate in seminars about research-related skills.

Thesis Advising Structure

All students select a Thesis Advisor in consultation with the Program. Thesis Advisors must:

• Hold a faculty appointment at a Harvard University school at the rank of Assistant Professor or above. 
• Have a research program that uses computational methods in biomedical applications. 

Students may be co-advised by up to two advisors, with approval from the Program. The Thesis Advisor is expected to meet with students regularly to advise on the thesis project, provide any resources required for the project (e.g., computing, experimental), provide feedback on thesis deliverables, and support the student’s professional development.

Students will also receive guidance and feedback throughout their thesis research from a Thesis Advisory Committee. Students will select the members of this committee in consultation with the Program. The student will meet with the committee at defined times as they propose and conduct their research.

Thesis Milestones and Deliverables

Over the course of the thesis, students will submit written and oral research deliverables including a proposal, progress reports, a thesis, and a thesis defense to their committee.