KU seeks master’s in computational biology to formalize stop‑out credential

The Board Academic and Student Committee (BASC) approved a request from the University of Kansas to add a master’s degree in computational biology, proponents said, to provide a formal credential for students in the existing Ph.D. program who complete coursework but do not finish doctoral research.

Proponents say the degree recognizes work students already complete. “In most science PhD programs, both at KU and countrywide, 10 to 15% of the students somewhere along the line…do a bunch of coursework. They don’t necessarily finish their whole thesis, but they’ve done something that is worth a real degree,” said Joanna Slusky, a core faculty member in KU’s computational biology program.

The nut of the proposal is that KU’s Computational Biology Ph.D. — which trains students in areas such as protein structure prediction, molecular simulation, genomics and drug discovery — currently has no corresponding master’s pathway to award a stop‑out credential. Provost Bickelmeyer said the master’s would allow students who complete significant coursework to receive “credentials that acknowledge what they’ve already accomplished.”

KU faculty described computational biology as an interdisciplinary field that increasingly uses artificial intelligence to predict and design biological molecules. “Computational biology is a highly interdisciplinary field. It uses computers to approximate physical features of large biological systems, and that allows us to design new proteins and small molecules for pharmaceuticals and agriculture,” Slusky said.

BASC members asked about projected enrollment and cost. Regent Mendoza read the enrollment table aloud and noted year‑one headcount was listed as one full‑time student. Slusky and Bickelmeyer explained KU currently admits roughly one to two students into the doctoral program per year and that the master’s pathway would convert existing coursework into a credential for those who choose not to complete a dissertation. Regarding costs, Bickelmeyer told the committee, “There’s no new courses. There’s no new resources. There’s no anything,” and that the degree would be implemented using existing faculty and curriculum.

A motion to approve the program passed on a voice vote. The committee did not detail a timeline for implementation during the discussion.

The committee’s approval forwards the proposal to the next governance steps required by the system. BASC members did not raise objections to the academic content; their questions focused on enrollment projections and whether the proposed credential would require additional resources.

Looking ahead, KU staff and BASC did not identify new courses or budget requests tied to the master’s at the meeting. The university plans to use the existing Ph.D. curriculum to grant the master’s when appropriate, creating a formal stop‑out option for students who have completed coursework but stop before earning a doctorate.