Master's in Bioinformatics Engineering

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.