Master's Programme in Bioinformatics, 120 Credits

Entry Requirements

A Bachelor's degree or equivalent first-cycle qualification comprising of at least 180 ECTS or a corresponding qualification from an internationally recognised university. Specific entry requirements are at least 90 ECTS in the fields of biology, biomedicine, molecular biology, molecular ecology, molecular evolution, genetics or other related subjects. Of these, at least 15 ECTS must be in molecular biology, molecular ecology or molecular evolution, 7.5 ECTS in biochemistry, chemistry, mathematics or statistics and 7.5 ECTS in genetics. English B/6.

Degree

After a completed programme of 120 credits, the student can apply for and obtain a Degree of Master of Science (120 credits) in accordance with local qualification descriptor established by the Vice-Chancellor (see on Umeå University's website).
In Swedish, Degree of Master of Science (120 credits) are called Naturvetenskaplig masterexamen. The degree is awarded in the main field of study (Bioinformatics).

Description of the education for current education cycle

The education is at an advanced level (second cycle). The aims for second-cycle courses and study programmes are set out in the Higher Education Act, Chapter 1 Section 9.

National goals for current degree

The national aims for qualification are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance's Annex 2.

Examination format

Each syllabus sets out the examination formats used in each individual course.

Grades

Each syllabus sets out the grades used in the course.

Transfer of Credits

A student who believes to have gained knowledge from previous relevant studies or professional experience that may be equivalent to a course or part of a course in the programme can apply for transfer of credits. Granting a transfer of credits means that the student will not have to study the parts of the programme included in the decision. Information on transfer of credits is available on Umeå University's website.

General

Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field at the intersection of biology, biochemistry, computer science, computational biology, medicine, population ecology, evolutionary biology and statistics. In bioinformatics, methods are developed to process and analyse large amounts of biological data and information. Bioinformatics has applications in biology, molecular biology, biomedicine, clinical genomics and genetics, biodiversity and ecology, evolution, population genetics, plant science, and computational biology. The master's program comprises two years of full-time study, equivalent to 120 credits, including a thesis in the main field of bioinformatics. The programme includes mandatory courses that provide knowledge in bioinformatics, statistics, computer science, and genomics. Finally, an independent project (thesis) of 30 credits at the advanced level in the main field of bioinformatics is included.

The teaching consists of lectures, lessons, group work, and supervision in connection with laboratory work, computer exercises, group work, or project work. Computer exercises and laboratory are usually mandatory. All course literature is in English, and all teaching at the advanced level is conducted in English. Detailed information about the course structure and examination forms is described in the individual course syllabi. The programme provides the opportunity to obtain a one year master's degree in bioinformatics (60 ECTS).

Mandatory courses

Mandatory courses are those that all students in the program must take. A student admitted to the educational programme is guaranteed a place in all mandatory courses, provided that the eligibility requirements for the current course are met. Eligibility requirements are stated in the respective course syllabus. Courses marked with A are at the advanced level, G are at the basic level. To obtain a degree, a maximum of 30 credits of the included courses may be at the basic level.

Mandatory courses
Advanced Bioinformatics 7.5 (A)
Computation for Data-Driven Biology 7.5 credits (G)
Statistics and Data Science for Biology  7.5 credits (G)
Epigenetics and the Non-Coding Genome 7.5 credits (A)
Thesis in Bioinformatics 30 credits (A)
Thesis in Bioinformatics 15 credits (A) (Only for one year Master's degree, 60 ECTS)
Functional Genomics Theory 7.5 credits (A)
Comparative Genomics 7.5 credits (A)
Clinical Omics and Bioinformatics 7.5 credits (A)
Quantitative Biology and Integrative Omics 7.5 credits (A)
Microbial Bioinformatics 7.5 credits (A)
Programming in Python for Bioinformatics 7.5 credits (G)
Statisticals and Machine Learning in Bioinformatics 7.5 credits (G)
Applied Functional Genomics 7.5 credits (A)

All courses at the advanced level have bioinformatics as the main field, except for the course in functional genomics theory, which has molecular biology as the main field. Four courses are offered at the basic level. These basic level courses will provide key skills needed in computer science and statistics. The basic level courses are required for subsequent advanced level courses.

Program Overview
Block diagram for the Master of Science degree in Bioinformatics.


Thesis/Independent Project
The thesis concludes the education and can be started when the prerequisites in the course syllabus for the thesis are met. The thesis comprises 30 credits, where the student, under supervision, applies the knowledge acquired during the study period. The thesis must be presented at a seminar and in a written report. The work should include some form of subject-specific depth within the field. The final thesis can be carried out at the university, but it can also be conducted at a company or an authority. The report must be written in English. The seminar is conducted in English.

There is an opportunity for students who choose to leave the program to obtain a one year master's degree in bioinformatics (60 ECTS credits). A master's degree in bioinformatics requires a thesis of 15 credits at the advanced level in the main field of bioinformatics. This 15-credit thesis course is only intended for students who wish to complete the master's program early (after one year).

Deferment of studies

Information on deferment of studies is available on Umeå University's website.

Approved leave from studies

Information on approved leave from studies is available on Umeå University's website.

Discontinuation

Information on discontinuation is available on Umeå University's website.

Other

For further information, see the collection of regulations for undergraduate and Master's level education at Umeå University https://www.umu.se/en/legal-framework/