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| Application Deadline: | January 31 | ||
| Annual Tuition Fee: | Free - | ||
| Location: | Helsinki / Finland / View location on map ▾ Hide location on map ▴ | ||
| Duration: | 24 months | Start Date: | August, September |
| Educational Form: |
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| Education Variants: |
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| Credits (ECTS): | 120 | ||
| Languages: | English | ||
Location of University of Helsinki
The International Master's Degree Programme in Bioinformatics(MBI) is a offered jointly by the University of Helsinki and Aalto University School of Science and Technology. The MBI programme educates bioinformatics professionals to research work and developmental tasks in biology and medicine. MBI offers a unique combination of bioinformatics, methodological sciences, biosciences and medicine. An MBI student will learn the full spectrum of bioinformatics process from planning experiments to the data analysis and verification of hypotheses.
As a student of the MBI programme, you have an excellent chance to become familiar with real-life bioinformatics as you intern in a bioinformatics company or in a research group. Besides giving useful work experience and connections, as a rule, the internship period leads to finding a suitable topic for your MSc thesis. The MBI programme actively participates in arranging internship positions for students with and organising financial support for the internship period.
MBI graduates will be able to obtain positions in industrial and academic facilities such as biomedical companies, universities and research institutions. A bioinformatician often operates in a multidisciplinary environment with graduates from methodological sciences, biosciences as well as medical sciences. It is therefore important for a bioinformatician to be able to possess the multidisciplinary skills the MBI programme provides.
Contents
In MBI programme, the content of your studies depends on your Bachelor's degree. For instance, if you have a Bachelor in computer science, you will study biological sciences and statistics in addition to bioinformatics to complement your previous degree. If you have a Bachelor in statistics or mathematics, you will study computer science and biological sciences. On the other hand, if you have studied biosciences in your Bachelor's, your Master's will contain more computer science, mathematics and statistics.
At the University of Helsinki, the MSc Bioinformatics degree consists of two modules: Major studies in bioinformatics (minimum of 110 credits), and other studies (min. 6 credits).
Major subject studies in bioinformatics (min. 110 credits)
Compulsory courses (13-16 credits)
- Elements of bioinformatics (4 credits)
- Introduction to machine learning (4 credits) or Machine Learning: Basic Principles (5 credits)
- High-throughput bioinformatics (5-7 credits)
Two of the following courses:
- Algorithms for bioinformatics (4 credits)
- Markovian modelling and Bayesian learning (5 credits)
- Genetic analysis and molecular evolution (4-6 credits)
- Laboratory courses in biosciences (see the teaching programme for options)
Optional courses in bioinformatics (min. 16 credits)
Seminars (6 credits)
Master's thesis (40 credits)
Master's thesis seminar
Maturity test
Optional courses in computer science, mathematics, statistics and biosciences
Other studies (min. 6 credits)
Personal study plan (FM-HOPS) (1 credit)
Advanced internship or vocational orientation studies (1-3 credits)
Academic Writing for Students in English-Medium Master's Degree Programmes 1 (2 credits)
Academic Writing for Students in English-Medium Master's Degree Programmes 2 (2 credits)
Optional courses
You are normally required to take an English Proficiency Test if you come from a non-English speaking country.
Most European Universities recognise the IELTS test.
More informationRequirements
To be eligible to apply You need to hold a Bachelor or equivalent degree in a suitable field, or have the degree completed before 31 July 2012. In addition, you must have completed a total of at least 60 ECTS compatible credits in mathematics, statistics, computer science or bioinformatics. Please note that 60 ECTS credits is equivalent of approximately one year of full-time studies.
Admission criteria
Admission will be based on the academic record, scope, and quality of previous studies in mathematics, statistics, computer science and bioinformatics, English proficiency, and a motivation letter (see below).
Studies in biology, medicine or a related field will be considered an asset, but they are not required.
Motivation letter
A letter of motivation should state why you want to study in the Master's Degree Programme in Bioinformatics. You need to provide a short curriculum vitae as a part of the letter of motivation.
Proficiency in English
You need to be proficient in English language when applying to the MBI programme. Your earlier degree can work as a certificate in some cases: If you have studied at a Finnish university and your degree includes compulsory studies in English ("vieraan kielen opinnot englannin kielessä"), you fulfill the language requirements. Also if your earlier degree is instructed in English in EU or EEA Countries, or in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the U.S.A., you may be exempted from the language test. Otherwise you need to submit a language test score.
Additional Requirements
| Minimal degree required: | Bachelor's degree |
| Minimal amount of work experience | Not specified |
Language Proficiency
| IELTS Band: | 6.5 |
| Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE): | Grade C (Score: 60) |
| TOEFL Paper-based: | 580 |
| TOEFL Internet-based: | 92 |
Accreditation
Finnish Universities are accredited by the law. Universities are responsible for the quality and continuous development of their education and other operations. Legislation also requires them to regularly perform external evaluations of their operations and quality systems and to publish the results of such evaluations. Finnish HEIs decide on their own quality systems, and the comprehensiveness, functioning and effectiveness of the systems are evaluated in the audits, which are valid for six years.
Funding details
This year, the University of Helsinki is giving over 50 start-up grants to qualified students who have been accepted to study in an International Master's Degree Programme (IMDP). The application for the grant was sent to all admitted IMDP students with the letter of acceptance. The amount of each grant being 1500 euro, they are not meant to cover all your living expenses, but we hope that the little extra money will help you to settle in Helsinki.
The Vice-Rector of the University of Helsinki announces the grantees in a ceremony in late September while the money will be transferred to the grantees in early November.
The International Student Grant is available for students who are admitted into the programmes below:
- Algorithms and Machine Learning
- Art Theory, Criticism and Management
- Atmosphere-Biosphere Studies
- Bayesian Statistics and Decision Analysis
- Bioinformatics
- Biotechnology
- Democracy and Global Transformations
- Economics
- Environment and Natural Resources
- Ethnic Relations, Cultural Diversity and Integration
- European Studies
- Food Sciences
- Forest Sciences and Business
- Forestry and Environmental Engineering
- Information and Communications Technology
- Intercultural Encounters
- Media and Global Communication
- Networking and Services
- Neuroscience
- International Business Law and Public International Law
- Plant Production Science
- Practical Philosophy
- Religious Roots of Europe
- Social Sciences
- Space Sciences
- Theological Work in Church and Society
- Translational Medicine
Criteria You are eligible as soon as you have accepted placement and registered for studies at the University of Helsinki. In addition, you have to make your personal study plan (HOPS)
Contact
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