Overview

Programme overview

  • Develop and apply computational methods to analyse complex biological data, including genomics, proteomics, and systems biology, to address questions in health and disease.
  • Join research groups within the Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Sciences , driving innovation in data analysis and biomedical research.

Visit our Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health postgraduate research page to start your journey.

Open days

Visit our Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health postgraduate research events page to find out about upcoming open days and events.

Contact details

School/Faculty
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
Contact name
Doctoral Academy Admissions Team
Telephone
+44 (0)161 275 5608
Email
Website
https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/research/
School/Faculty overview
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Programmes in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

We require applicants to hold, or be about to obtain, an Upper Second class Honours degree, or the equivalent qualification gained outside the UK, in a related subject area for entry to a PhD programme. A Lower Second class Honours degree may be considered if applicants also hold a Master's degree with a Merit classification.

English language

For applicants whose first language is not English, or if you have not studied recently in the UK, you must provide evidence of how you meet the English Language requirement.

We mainly accept IELTS or TOEFL tests. Please note IELTS and TOEFL are only valid for two years.

We require a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 overall or TOEFL (iBT) 90. Each component of the English test should meet the minimum requirement of IELTS 5.5 in all components, TOEFL (iBT 22). For the  writing component , we expect you to have achieved a minimum of 6.0 (IELTS).

If your IELTS or TOEFL expires before the start of your programme, you will need to take another official English test before we can issue you with a CAS for your visa application. This is a requirement of UKVI.

For more information about English language tests see  English language requirements .

Please contact us at FBMH.doctoralacademy.admissions@manchester.ac.uk for further information.

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Other international entry requirements

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. For these and general requirements, including English language, see  entry requirements from your country .

Fees and funding

Fees

Fees for entry in 2026 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2025 were as follows:

  • PhD (full-time)
    UK students (per annum): Standard £5,006, Low £11,500, Medium £17,500, High £23,500
    International, including EU, students (per annum): Standard £27,000, Low £29,500, Medium £35,000, High £41,500
  • PhD (part-time)
    UK students (per annum): Standard £2,503, Low £5,750, Medium £8,625, High £11,750
    International, including EU, students (per annum): Standard £13,500, Low £14,750, Medium £17,500, High £20,755

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Scholarships/sponsorships

In the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health we offer a wide range of fully funded studentships and scholarships covering postgraduate research tuition fees, research costs and an annual stipend for living costs.

Discover more about postgraduate research fees and funding

Application and selection

How to apply

Visit our Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health postgraduate research page to find out more.

Advice to applicants

Before you start your application, you should:

If you already have your own funding:

Supporting documents

You'll also need to make sure you have the following documents before you start your application:

  • Personal statement
  • Certificates and transcripts
  • CV
  • Confirmation of funding (if you are self-funded)
  • English language ability
  • Names and details of two referees to support your application

Visit our ‘How to apply’ page to find out more about the information required for each of these supporting documents.

Any missing information may delay the processing of your application.

Application deadlines

The deadline for applying for postgraduate research in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health depends on when you intend to start your research and how your project is funded.

If you are applying for one of our funded programmes, please refer to the deadlines detailed on the relevant page .

If you’re applying for a project that isn’t part of one of these programmes, our final application deadlines are:

  • January 2026 entry: Wednesday, 15 October 2025
  • April 2026 entry: Thursday, 15 January 2026
  • September 2026 entry: Tuesday, 15 June 2026

Programme details

Programme description

Our PhD/MPhil Bioinformatics programme enables you to undertake a research project that offers training in state-of-the-art computational approaches to study an aspect of biological and/or biomedical science.

Manchester is a leading centre for bioinformatics and computational biology, with one of the largest concentrations of academic groups in any UK higher education institute.

Biology is increasingly becoming a more digital science that generates large volumes of complex data, requiring allied informatics skills to process, analyse and store the information generated, leading to better interpretation of biological function, and potentially novel predictions. This can be used in both biology and clinical settings, for prediction of gene function in biological processes as well as in diagnostics and prognostics linked to disease.

This growth in the area has, in the main, been driven by the expansion of genomic and post-genomic technologies (e.g. next generation sequencing and allied 'omics) that generate high volumes of sequence and gene expression information, for example for the human 100,000 genomes project.

Incresingly, this can also involve spatial and temporal information such as imaging data, as well as recent developments in protein structure prediction. By integrating such data sources including evolutionary, environmental, text-mining and more, new understanding and discoveries can be made which place bioinformatics at the core of modern bioscience research.

We cover the full range of skills and expertise across an exciting portfolio of research topics, ranging from sequence analysis of nucleotides and proteins, through to integrated systems biology and mathematical modelling and machine learning.

We analyse data and generate tools linked to topics such as noncoding gene function, transcriptional networks, systems biology of cancer, antimicrobial resistance, protein folding and aggregation, quantitative proteomics and metabolomics in organisms ranging from viruses, microbes and model organisms to man. This often involves informatics approaches to help close the genotype-phenotype gap - i.e. why does varying at the genetic level lead to a particular change in phenotype, such as genetic disease. 

Bioinformatics postgraduate research students also often form part of highly collaborative and multidisciplinary teams tackling major problems in biomedical science, offering opportunities to work closely with experimental colleagues in a mutually supportive environment.

Special features

Training and development

All of our postgraduate researchers attend the Doctoral Academy Training Programme delivered by the Researcher Development team . The programme provides key transferable skills and equips our postgraduate researchers with the tools to progress beyond their research degree into influential positions within academia, industry and consultancy. The emphasis is on enhancing skills critical to developing early-stage researchers and professionals, whether they relate to effective communication, disseminating research findings and project management skills.

What our students say

Visit our PhD life page to discover life as a postgraduate researcher at Manchester or read our postgraduate research student blog .

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

Careers

Career opportunities

Your postgraduate research degree will open up a range of career opportunities after you graduate. Find out more on the  Careers  page.

Regulated by the Office for Students

The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website.

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.