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Postgraduate Studentships - Search for funding opportunities.
Study Details: MSc 2.5 years online
Online MSc Bioinformatics
Drive discoveries for today’s data-driven health and life science industries and academic institutions by learning how to extract meaningful information from complex data sets at one of the top universities for biological and computer science.
The University of Birmingham’s Online MSc Bioinformatics is well-suited for professionals from biological and computer science or mathematics backgrounds, supporting careers in biostatistics, pharmaceutical science, and medical data analytics. This degree is also suitable for those who want to pursue Ph.D. studies or conduct research for pharmaceutical corporations, governmental agencies, and medical journals and publications.
Embrace data-driven bioscience
Led by active researchers in bioinformatics and linked to institutions such as University Hospitals Birmingham, the Online MSc Bioinformatics curriculum is grounded in the real world. This helps you develop the practical skills you need to further your career in this cutting-edge field.
To enter the field of bioinformatics, you’ll need to be able to process large-scale raw data and have the scientific curiosity, mindset, and motivation to work on problems relating to biology and medicine. With an internationally recognised degree credential from the University of Birmingham, you’ll build this knowledge to successfully transition into a variety of roles.
Top jobs in bioinformatics
• Bioinformatics analyst
• Bioinformatics scientist/technician
• Bioinformatician
• Pharmaceutical scientist
• Biostatistician
• Data scientist (medical)
• AI architect (medical)
Enhance your real-world experience
This programme is founded on real-world experience and is designed to help you build the practical skills you need to advance your career. The intrinsically multidisciplinary Centre for Computational Biology delivers the programme, which is well-suited to help biologists and healthcare professionals interested in data analysis, statisticians, and computer scientists apply their skills to health and biology.
The programme delivery is combined with hands-on coding exercises, to ensure you leave your studies with both the theory and the practical skills ready for your chosen career.
The centre is also integrated with the University Hospitals Birmingham, which was a major contributor to the 100,000 Genomes Project, giving your studies both a real-world and career-centred character.
• Top 100 world leading university (QS 2025, THE 2025)
• 4th in the UK for online learning (Uswitch 2022)
• Russell Group university member
• Universitas 21 university member
Curriculum
The programme’s internationally focused and expertly taught modules offer the flexibility and convenience of an 100% online format. Enjoy eight-week modules that will grow your programming, communication, and modelling skills.
It is a 180-credit full masters programme which takes approximately two and a half years to complete. There are twelve 10-credit taught modules and a 60-credit dissertation. You will take six 10-credit core modules in your first year, followed by six 10-credit core modules in your second year, with each module lasting approximately 8 weeks in total.
• Introduction to biology and programming (10 credits)
• Introduction to probabilities (10 credits)
• Essentials of statistical modelling (10 credits)
• Introduction to genomics and next-generation sequencing (10 credits)
• Applied genomics and next-generation sequencing (10 credits)
• Statistical machine learning (10 credits)
• Health data analytics (10 credits)
• Scientific Communication (10 credits)
• Concepts in metabolomics and advanced (omics) technologies (10 credits)
• Applied metabolomics and advanced (omics) technologies (10 credits)
• Essentials of complex systems (10 credits)
• Computational biology for complex systems (10 credits)
Rankings
• Top 100 world leading university (QS 2025, THE 2025)
• 4th in the UK for online learning (Uswitch 2022)
• Russell Group university member
• Universitas 21 university member
“Studying online with the University of Birmingham has been a transformative experience for me. Balancing work, motherhood, and education was a challenge, but the flexibility of online learning has allowed me to pursue my passion for bioinformatics. The curriculum is engaging, and the support from the Admissions team has been exceptional. I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow in a field that combines my love for biology and computer science.” – Elisa Samaniego, Student MSC Bio, University of Birmingham
To be eligible to apply for the Online MSc Bioinformatics, you will need to have obtained (or be predicted to obtain) at least an upper second-class degree or postgraduate diploma in life sciences, biomedical sciences, mathematics, computer science or another relevant quantitative subject from a UK university OR an equivalent qualification from a recognised institution.
If you are a UK student and do not meet the standard mathematics entry criteria for the programme, you will be asked to take a bootcamp course to demonstrate your skills. Alternatively, you will need one of the following:
• 2.2 in those subjects plus 3–5 years of relevant work experience
• Third class degree plus 5–7 years of relevant work experience
• 8 years or more of relevant work experience and an A level in mathematics
If English is not your first language, you will need to also supply an up-to-date English language certificate. We accept up-to-date Academic IELTS certificates with a score of 6.5, and no less than 6.0 in any of the elements.
There are three intakes a year, Students can join the programme in March, July, or October.
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Masters study opportunities at University of Birmingham Online Online postgraduate degrees Developed exclusively for online, with the same standards a...
