MSc Bioinformatics and Systems Biology

The University holds regular open days, where you will have the opportunity to tour the campus and find out more about our facilities and courses. On this day, you will find out more about the course and meet academic and admissions staff who will be able to answer any questions you have. For more information, see Open days .

Please apply via our online application form.

We reserve the right to close applications at any stage if the course is full, so we recommend that you apply as early as possible.

We require the following documents before we can consider your application:

• Transcript of your studies to date.
• Degree certificate (if you have already graduated).
• Personal statement or statement of purpose.
• Curriculum vitae (CV).
• Evidence of English language ability.
• Academic references. You will be required to provide the name and contact details of two referees during completion of the application form.

Your referees will be contacted directly and asked to provide a letter of reference. When providing referee details, you must ensure the email addresses are accurate and official, typically ending with an institutional domain. We do not accept references provided from a personal email address, for example, Hotmail or Gmail.

If any of the supporting documents are not in English, you must also provide us with official or certified English translations.

If English is not your first language, we require proof of your English language ability. If you have already taken an English language qualification, please include your certificate with your application. If you do not provide this when you apply, your application may remain on hold until evidence is received.

Our MSc Bioinformatics and Systems Biology course looks at two concepts that complement each other and reflect the skills currently sought by employers in academia and industry.

Bioinformatics is changing as high-throughput biological data collection becomes more systems-oriented, with employers seeking people who can work across both disciplines.

Enormous success has been achieved in bioinformatics, such as in defining homologous families of sequences at the DNA, RNA and protein levels. However, our appreciation of function is changing rapidly as experimental analysis scales up to cellular and organismal viewpoints.

At these levels, we are interested in the properties of a network of interacting components as a system, as well as the components themselves.

Our MSc reflects these exciting developments, providing an integrated programme taught by researchers at the forefront of fields spanning bioinformatics, genomics and systems biology.

You will gain theoretical and practical knowledge of methods to analyse and interpret the data generated by modern biology. This involves an appreciation of biochemistry and molecular biology, together with IT and computer science techniques that will prepare you for multidisciplinary careers in research.

PhD with integrated master's

If you're planning to undertake a PhD after your master's, our Integrated PhD programme will enable you to combine your postgraduate taught course with a related PhD project in biology, medicine or health.

This course aims to:

• provide a biological background to the data types of genomics, proteomics and metabolomics;
• develop the computational and analytical understanding and skills necessary for processing biological data;
• demonstrate applications and worked examples in the fields of bioinformatics and systems biology, integrating with student involvement through project work.

Research experience

Develop your research skills in preparation for a career in the biosciences industry or academic research.

We use a range of teaching and learning methods, including lectures, computer practicals, group discussions and e-learning.

We provide experience of carrying out two substantive research projects, including the planning, execution and communication of original scientific research.

Find out more by visiting the postgraduate teaching and learning page.

"The most useful part was the feedback from my supervisor during the whole project. They provided me with prompt and precise insights to develop the experiment and the dissertation, as well. In technical terms, programming skills in Python and mathematical models were the most useful topics I used.

"In the project, ample time was given to specialise in a single topic. It was also great to be able to choose from a wide variety of topics when selecting a project.

"I enjoyed the flexibility and, in parts, the ability to make my own goals."

(Anonymous student feedback)

Read more from our students on the Biology, Medicine and Health blog.

Our graduates acquire a wide range of subject-specific and transferable skills and extensive research experience.

The combination of systems biology and bioinformatics addressed in this course reflects the current skills sought in academic and industrial (such as pharmaceutical) settings.

Around half of each class find PhD positions straight after the MSc, while others work in the biosciences, health data and IT industries, or build upon their training to enter careers in biology and IT.