Georgetown Bioinformatics Program Is First in the U.S. to Be Endorsed by the International Society for Computational Biology
The Georgetown University Master of Science in Bioinformatics is the first degree program in America to be formally endorsed by the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB). The endorsement process completed in September 2026 has contributed to an expanded curriculum for Georgetown students and grants the recognition of a field-leading professional society.
The ISCB created its Degree-Granting Endorsement Program in 2021.
“Becoming the first U.S. program to receive ISCB endorsement recognizes the dedication of our faculty and the accomplishments of our students, and affirms the quality of the bioinformatics education we provide,” said Associate Professor Mark Danielsen, director of the Bioinformatics Program.
ISCB put the program through a standards-based review as part of the endorsement process, said Assistant Professor Markus Hoffmann: “They really went rigorously through our syllabus and our curriculum.”
Hoffmann led the program’s endorsement effort after learning about the opportunity at the 2025 Great Lakes Bioinformatics (GLBIO) conference, one of many conferences hosted by ISCB. Georgetown students have presented posters at past events, including in summer 2026, when the flagship Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology (ISMB) Conference came to Washington, D.C.
ISCB feedback led the Georgetown program to augment its course material on policy and ethics, giving students a wide range of perspectives to use in their careers.
“It doesn’t matter what kind of field you were in before – we have options for you to get up to speed and then you specialize in the field you’re interested in,” Hoffmann said.
Georgetown M.S. in Bioinformatics students will receive an ISCB certificate upon graduation.
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