The Master’s in Bioinformatics Engineering at
Ghent University
is a
2
years
long
program for international students,
taught in English.
📖Introduction
Ghent University is a public university in Ghent, Belgium. It was founded in 1817 and is one of the largest universities in Belgium. The university has over 40,000 students and 6,000 staff members. It offers a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs in the fields of humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, medicine, and engineering. Ghent University is ranked #121-130 in the QS World University Rankings 2024. It is also a member of the League of European Research Universities and the Coimbra Group.
Recent technological advances have changed our view on life science research dramatically, and have turned biology into a data-driven science. It is in this context that bioinformatics, a booming interdisciplinary field, has evolved from a new research field into a basic discipline in only fifteen years. Bioinformatics aims at gaining a better and preferentially more quantitative molecular understanding of cellular processes by integrating and modelling high-throughput molecular data.
Are you fascinated with both engineering/mathematics and the biological aspects of science?
Do you like problem-solving through data analysis and data mining?
Are you intrigued by understanding and modelling complex biological processes,
Do you want to make biological discoveries by decoding big data?
Do you like to work in an interdisciplinary environment?
Do you want to study fundamental biological processes through integration of modern sequencing techniques and mathematical models?
Do you want to apply individual genome sequencing for personalized health care?
Do you want to contribute to facilitating the use of modern molecular technologies in the industry and the public sector?
If the answer to the questions above is a resounding ‘yes’, our Bioinformatics programme is the right choice for you!
As a bioinformatician you will become an interdisciplinary scientist or engineer who can develop or use state-of-the art statistical and computer science techniques to mine molecular data in order to answer fundamental or applied biological and biomedical questions. Ghent University offers an interfaculty Master of Science in Bioinformatics programme, which - depending on the chosen track - can result in an Engineering or Bioscience Engineering degree.
The programme
offers a track tuned to your specific interests and background, which prepares you for different job profiles in the field of bioinformatics (bioinformatics scientist and bioinformatics engineer, respectively);
offers both in-depth theoretical and data analytical/ problem-solving skills;
is embedded in a strong bioinformatics and biotechnology research environment, located at the Faculties of Sciences, Medicine and Health Sciences, Bioscience Engineering, and Engineering and Architecture. It is also affiliated with VIB and IMEC.
Master of Science in Bioinformatics: Engineering
A Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Computer Science is the perfect preparation for entering the Engineering track, and becoming a bioinformatics engineer.
Bioninformatics engineers are skilled in the development of new algorithms and complex software implementations with a primary focus on the field of bioinformatics, but equally applicable beyond. Students take a biology-oriented module of 9 credits, which will provide you with the basic knowledge to understand a data-driven biology problem. The rest of the curriculum largely focuses on advanced engineering and computer science techniques (36-credit Engineering module) that elaborate on the already advanced knowledge obtained in the Bachelor’s programme. The Applied Informatics module (33 credits) will familiarize you with the data specificities of bioinformatics (preprocessing techniques, noise and potential biases, assumptions, etc.), and will allow you to acquire the interdisciplinary skill set that is essential for success in modern science and engineering. The Master’s dissertation takes up 30 credits and focuses on a research topic. In your curriculum there is opportunity to do a work placement to familiarize yourself with the role and expectations of a bioinformatics scientist in the industry or at a government agency.
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Ghent University (UGent) is a public university in Ghent, Belgium. It was founded in 1817 and is one of the largest universities in Belgium. UGent has over 40,000 students and 10,000 staff members. It offers a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs in the fields of humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, medicine, and engineering. UGent is ranked #145 in the QS World University Rankings 2024.
🏠 Accommodation
You will need to book the accommodation after you have been accepted.
You can choose to live on campus or off campus in private accommodation.
How to book:
Make a booking online after you have been accepted (in this case please let
us
know your choice when you apply).
Register when you arrive - its not possible to reserve a room before
arriving. You
can arrive a few days before and
book it
You are not eligible to apply to this program because:
The minimum age is 18.
English fluency is required.
You need to be either:
- A native English speaker
- Studied in English at high school or a degree
- Have passed IELTS level 6.5 or TOEFL 95 or above.
Minimum education level: Bachelor's.
The program is competitive, you need to have a high grades of Average
A, 70%, or a
high GPA.
All students from all countries are eligible to apply to this program.
Please choose the programs here
,
"You
are advised to select 2-3 programs to increase your chances of
getting accepted.
Required Documents:
Passport
Graduation certificate
Passport size photo
Official transcript
Personal statement
English certificate (You can take the English test online)
Guarantor letter
2 Recommendation letters
Preparing documents:
You can start your application now and send the application
documents
during
your application. Some documents you can
send later if you don’t have them right away. Some more info
about
preparing
application documents is here
Applying Online is simple in just a few steps. More information
is
available
here.
The first steps are to choose the programs, pay the application
fee and
upload
the application documents.
Once submitted to Global Admissions, we will review your
application within
2-3
days and proceed to the university or ask
you for further clarification
After it has been processed to the university you will receive
your unique
application ID from each university.
The university may contact you directly for further questions.
We will then follow up each week with the university for updates.
As soon as
there is any update we will let you know.
If you have made other plans, decide to withdraw / change
address at any
time
please let us know.
After you have been accepted you will receive your admissions
letter
electronically and asked to pay the non-refundable
deposit to the university.
Once you have paid the deposit the university will issue you the
admissions
letter and visa form to your home country.
