Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

Computer-based approaches are becoming increasingly important in biological research. The study of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University of Bern gives you a good basic knowledge and prepares you for a career in a large amount of working fields.

The information necessary to build and control any living organism is written in its genome and stored in the language of the genetic code. It took 13 years and 3 billion dollars to decipher the human DNA blueprint. A single decade later, sequencing a whole genome takes but a few hours on a machine that fits on a tabletop and it costs just shy of 5000 dollars. Consequently, biological and medical sciences are now collecting enormous amounts of information. This tsunami of data generates new problems: it needs to be analysed properly to unearth and retrieve the exciting knowledge it contains. And, most importantly, it also has to be made available to the scientific community in a useful way.

Scientists with skills in biology and in computer technology are challenged to extract the relevant information out of this phenomenal sea of data. Information technologies are essential for a proper understanding of the regulatory modalities of cells, organisms and even entire ecosystems. Developing algorithms and sound statistical tools to grasp the folding of macromolecules are the first steps on our way to model the mechanisms behind the pure DNA sequence. Ultimately, we want to understand how organisms that are as complex as a human being work.

First semester

Second semester

Third semester

Individual academic requirements

The following academic qualifications are required for admission to the master's degree program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (mono):

Deadlines will be set for fulfilling the additional attainments. If you do not fulfill the admission requirements by the deadline, you will be excluded from the master's degree program.

The degree used for assessment purposes may not be more than ten years old.

• Curriculum vitae in table form with uninterrupted chronology of your education and academic studies up to the present incl. up-to-date passport photo (45 mm high by 35 mm wide)
• Motivation letter (incl. family name, given name, full address, e-mail address, date and signature and – if you have one – mobile phone number)
• If you are holding a bachelor degree's: Originally certified photocopies of your degree (e.g. diploma and diploma supplement). The correspondence of the photocopy to the original must be officially certified.
• Originals (stamped and signed) or originally certified photocopies of all official proofs of your achievements (transcripts) with grades/scores
• Grading system of the degree issuing university, if the grading system is different from ours. Our scale goes from 1 to 6, with 6 being excellent and grades below 4 being unsatisfactory.
• Brief description of the content/learning objectives of the different courses/lectures (annotated course catalog or module handbook)
• Originally certified translations of the original documents (e.g. diploma, diploma supplement, bachelor's or master's degree, transcripts of diploma records), if these are not written in German, English, French or Italian. These translations have to be inseparably connected with the originally certified photocopies of the original documents.
• Original or certified photocopy of a GMAT with a score of at least 575 points
• Photocopy of your valid passport or identity card
• Application fee: CHF 105
• TOEFL test result: Indicate Code 3169 University of Bern, Admissions Office when taking the test or - IELTS academic test result

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

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