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M.Sc. Bioinformatics
Aarhus University
| Application deadline: | 15 March |
| Tuition fee: |
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| Start date: | February 2014 |
| Credits: | 120 ECTS |
| Duration full-time: | 24 months |
| Languages: |
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| Location: |
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| Disciplines: | |
| Delivery mode: | On Campus |
| Educational variant: | Full-time |
Description
Using IT to understand biology
Bioinformatics involves the development and application of IT-based solutions for analysing and handling biological and medical data, such as DNA sequences and protein structures. Today, bioinformatics plays an important role in the majority of biological and medical discoveries and workflows concerned with molecular data, such as large-scale genome-sequencing projects. A successful bioinformatics solution combines theoretical and practical knowledge from several areas of science, which is what the two-year MSc in Bioinformatics programme at Aarhus University offers.
IT and biology combined
The MSc in Bioinformatics programme is open to all students with a BSc degree in the natural, technical or health sciences with a significant content of biological and/or computational subjects, such as a BSc degree in bioinformatics, biology, molecular biology or computer science. Students on the programme will be exposed to the many topics in bioinformatics through lectures, projects and exercise sessions; they will specialise in a bioinformatics subject during their thesis work, while also acquiring general competencies in bioinformatics and IT.
Teaching, research and collaboration
Teaching in the programme is greatly influenced by bioinformatics research at Aarhus University, as all the lecturers are active researchers. Aarhus University has strong research groups within the following areas:
Evolutionary bioinformatics Deals with the development and application of methods for studying how and in what way genomes (hereditary material) in organisms develop over the course of time.
Structural bioinformatics Deals with the development and application of methods for comparing, simulating and predicting molecular structures.
Medical bioinformatics Deals with the development and application of methods for increasing the understanding of correlations between diseases and genetic factors.
Students benefit from the down-to-earth, informal relationship between faculty and students. In their thesis project students have every chance of becoming associated with a research group that will allow them to participate in the groups scientific discussions and projects. They thus have excellent opportunities for working on active research projects, or participating in collaborative projects with bioinformatics companies.
Career profile
The MSc in Bioinformatics programme is both practical and research-oriented. It
reflects the interests of the business community, research institutions and the public sector. Students obtain skills within the development of IT for analysing and handling data-intensive systems in general, and biological and medical systems in particular. Graduates are thus extremely well placed to find employment as bioinformatics specialists in the biotechnology industry. They are also highly sought after in the IT industry.
Contents
Bioinformatics Courses
Introduction to Bioinformatics
Introduction to basic problems in sequence analysis, structure analysis and expression analysis. The training emphasizes application of bioinformatics tools.
Programing in Bioinformatics
Introduction to Unix environment and scripting languages. Focus on introductory bioinformatics problems, development and test of smaller programs solving these problems.
Software Development in Bioinformatics
Focusses on the problems that arise when a software solution has to combine several components. Introduction to use of larger program libraries, linking of existing programs to own programs using scripting languages and databases for handling large amounts of data.
Stochastic Models in Bioinformatics
Introduction to Markov chains and hidden Markov models often used for modelling biological systems.
Algorithms in Bioinformatics
Introduction to efficient algorithms that solve specific biological problems, comprising comparison of two or more biological sequences, search for genes, reconstruction of evolutionary trees and structure prediction. The exercises emphasize implementation of methods and practical examination of their behaviour.
Genome Analysis
Methods for analysis of whole genomes, including gene finding, search for regulatory sequences, reconstruction of metabolic chains and functional classification of genes. Evolution of genomes, e.g. population variation and homology modelling at genome level. Analysis of genome and DNA chip data.
Molecular Evolution
Use of DNA sequences in studies of phylogenetic correlations between organisms. Models, methods and problems in the analysis of DNA sequences from different organisms.
Molecular Population Genetics
Methods for investigations of evolutionary processes in populations. Visualisation of models by means of computers.
Students with a biological background only
Introduction to Programming
Introduction to programming concepts and methods for systematic development and test of smaller programs.
Algorithms and Data Structures
Introduction to basic algorithms and data structures, including searching, merging, sorting, lists, queues, decks, trees. basic theory on correctness/accuracy and efficiency of algorithms and going through basic calculation paradigms.
Students with a computational background only
Introduction to Molecular Biology
Basic concepts in molecular genetics and molecular biology.
Genetics
Basic concepts in classical genetics.
Evolution and Diversity
Evolutionary science about life´s diversity.
Requirements
The following Bachelors degrees qualify students for admission to the Masters degree programme in Bioinformatics:
* A Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, Biology or Molecular Biology from a Danish university.
The following other degrees can provide admission to the Masters degree programme in Bioinformatics:
* A Bachelors degree amounting to at least 60 ECTS credits in Bioinformatics can qualify the student for admission, provided the combined academic demands regarding the Masters degree programme in Bioinformatics can be met.
Other qualifications can provide admission to the Masters degree programme, provided the university assesses that their level, extent and content correspond to the degrees mentioned above.
In connection with possible admission, further requirements can be stipulated regarding the composition of the degree programme.
It is a condition that the students language skills correspond to a B level in English.
English Language Requirements
| IELTS band: | 6.5 |
| TOEFL paper-based test score: | 560 |
| TOEFL internet-based test score: | 83 |
IELTS
You are normally required to take an English Proficiency Test.
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