Bioinformatics

Introduction

Objectives and content

Objectives

After studying this programme, a candidate with a Master's degree in informatics specializing in bioinformatics, will have substantial knowledge and advanced skills in bioinformatics, systems biology, analysis of molecular biology data as well as substantial skills in related programming. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of bioinformatics, the students are also given an introductory overview of specialized areas such as biology and medicine. In their Master's programme, the students are given a thorough introduction to scientific working principles, e.g., taking state-of-the-art research into account and presenting their own work.

Content

Visualization is a field of increasing relevance in molecular life science and its applications for example within medicine and environmental science. Advanced algorithms and methods from machine learning and data analysis are used to process and analyze large complex data sets. Data may come from measurements such as sequencing of DNA or RNA or measurements of protein abundance and activity. Molecular biology data are typically analyzed together with more high-level information for example about disease, response to treatment, or other parameters. Within bioinformatics we develop and apply methods for processing analyzing and presenting molecular biology data. Examples of applications are within personalized medicine prediction of response to treatment, within ecology analysis of molecular data reflecting species abundance in an environmental sample.

Programme profile

Bioinformatics is a field where one develops and use programs and databases to represent, store and and analyze molecular biology data. This entails development of algorithms and use of techniques from for example machine learning, pattern recognition, statistics and visualization. Within bioinformatics one develops methods, tools and databases that can be used in molecular biology and biomedical projects. Using bioinformatics one can also address biological and medical research questions and to an increasing extent projects within life science are driven by computational approaches such as bioinformatics and systems biology.

The bioinformatics group at the University of Bergen was the first of its kind established in Norway, and also one of the first internationally. Today the group is organized as a centre - Computational Biology Unit (CBU) - that also includes staff from other departments. The group is engaged in extensive national and international collaboration concerning development and use of bioinformatics methods. CBU offers education within bioinformatics at the bachelor, master and doctoral level. Courses within bioinformatics have codes starting with BINF.

What you Learn

Learning Outcomes

A candidate who has completed his or her qualification should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The candidate

• Can explain the theoretical foundation for the basic bioinformatic methods and discuss and justify the use of particular methods for solving relevant problems.
• Can explain and discuss theory and/or scientific articles in selected, advanced subjects in bioinformatics and closely related fields of study.
• Can show that he/she has an advanced knowledge of informatics in general, and specialized knowledge about a limited area in bioinformatics, related to the Master¿s thesis.
• Can demonstrate sufficient knowledge about a biological field of study (e.g. molecular biology) such he/she is able to work in interdisciplinary teams

Skills

The candidate

• Can develop programs to execute bioinformatic analyses.
• Can use key data bases, tools and programming libraries for bioinformatics.
• Can plan and perform analyses of real or simulated molecular biological data and consider the results in light of the hypotheses that are being tested.
• Can perform an independent, limited research project under supervision, but with a great degree of independence and his/her own initiative in accordance with research ethics and norms.
• Can collect, analyze and apply state-of-the-art knowledge in the field.
• Can analyze and critically examine scientific sources of information and use them to structure and formulate a line of reasoning and new ideas in bioinformatics.
• Can analyze, interpret and discuss his/her own results in a professional and critical way, and in light of methods and theories in the field.

General competence

The candidate

• Can generally analyze scientific problems and participate in discussions with different approaches and solutions.
• Can make good written and oral presentations of scientific topics and research results.
• Can communicate about professional problems, analyses and conclusions in bioinformatics, with both specialists and the general public.
• Can reflect upon key, ethical and scientific problems in his/her own work and in that of others.
• Can demonstrate an understanding of and respect for scientific values about openness, precision, reliability and the importance of differentiating between knowledge and opinions.

Study Period Abroad

Study period abroad

You can plan study periods abroad in consultation with your supervisor as a part of the master agreement.

How to Apply

Admission Requirements

This programme is avalible for citizens from within the European Union/EEA/EFTA.

Follow these links to find the general entry requirements and guidelines on how to apply:

• Citizens from within the European Union/EEA/EFTA (1 March)
• Nordic citizens and applicants residing in Norway (15 April)

Semester

Autumn

Admission Requirements

The master's programme builds on a bachelor's degree from the Department of Informatics, or a bachelor's degree and at least 80 ECTS of Mathematics and Informatics/Computer science.

Bachelor's degrees from UiB that qualify:

• Bachelor's degree from Department of Informatics, UiB (BAMN-BINF, BAMN-DSIK, BAMN-DTEK, BAMN-DVIT, BATF-IMØ, BAMN-INF)
• Bachelor's degree in Information and Communication Technology (IKT) with at least 15 ECTS (at least two courses for at least 7,5 ECTS each) of elective Mathematics
• Bachelor's degree in Cognitive Science (BASV-KOGNI) with specialization in Informatics
• Bachelor's degree in Artificial Intelligence (BASV-AIKI) qualifies, if you have at least 80 ECTS of Mathematics and Informatics/Computer Science. Out of these 80 ECTS, at least 40 ECTS must be in Informatics/Computer science, and at least 15 ECTS must be in Mathematics. One course in Statistics can count towards Mathematics (except STAT100). MNF130 and equivalent counts as Informatics. INF-courses and INFO-courses with credit reduction towards INF-courses count as informatics.

Bachelor's degrees that qualify

• Bachelor's degree in Computing from HVL (Western Norway University of Applied Sciences)
• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology from HVL
• Bachelor's degree in Communication Systems from HVL

Other bachelor's degrees might qualify if you have at least 80 ECTS of Mathematics and Informatics/Computer Science. Out of these 80 ECTS, at least 40 ECTS must be in Informatics/Computer science, and at least 15 ECTS (at least two courses with 7,5 ECTS each) must be in Mathematics. If both INF100 and INF109 are part of the Bachelor's degree, the applicant will only get credits for INF100. One course in Statistics can count towards Mathematics (except STAT100). MNF130 (and equivalent) counts as Informatics.

For international self-financing applicants:

The Master's programme is not available for international applicants residing outside of the Nordic countries, the European Union/EEA and Switzerland.

You also need to document:

• Average grade of minimum C (equivalent to Norwegian grade C)
• Proficiency in English