Bioinformatics

Description

Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary area of study which draws upon both computing and the life sciences. It is concerned with the development of technologies for storing, extracting, organising, analysing, interpreting & utilising biological information.

The major areas of bioinformatics include:
  • storage and retrieval of biological data such as nucleic acid and protein sequence and structure;
  • data analysis and mining in areas such as sequence alignment, structural analysis, phylogeny, metabolic pathways and signalling, gene expression;
  • graphical representation of complex biological data;
  • high performance computing techniques to support the areas above.
Bioinformatics graduates have strengths in computing techniques, life sciences, and biotechnology which equips them for a wide range of careers. Graduates may find employment with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies; companies in the information and communications technology sector; and public and private research organisations.

Studying Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Engineering at UNSW

The study of Bioinformatics at UNSW is primarily through the School of Computer Science and Engineering which offers both a Bioinformatics major for the Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Engineering (Bioinformatics Engineering). The focus of the BSc (Bioinformatics) is on the use of bioinformatics tools in order to achieve biological discovery. The BE (Bioinformatics Engineering) adds an emphasis on the design and construction of bioinformatics tools and software systems to process large amounts go biological data.

Both programs include the same strong scientific foundations across biology, mathematics and computer science. However the BSc (Bioinformatics) allows deeper coverage of the biology whereas the BE (Bioinformatics Engineering) includes several courses focusing on the engineering of bioinformatics software systems, including both advanced computer science courses (algorithms, databases) and practical bioinformatics engineering design workshops where students get hands-on experience in designing and implementing complex software systems.

The school also offers an Honours program in Computational Biology which allows graduates from the BSc (Bioinformatics) to deepen their study of computer science and computational methods and apply these to a bioinformatics research project.

It is also possible to study Bioinformatics within a combined degree program. The School also offers postgraduate programs.



Bioinformatics can be studied in the following Programs 

Program Code & Name Stream Type Stream
3154 Actuarial Studies / Science Major BINFB13154
3457 Music / Science Major BINFB13457
3458 Music/Advanced Science (Hons) Honours
Major
BABSBH3458
BINFB13458
3471 Music (Honours) / Science Major BINFB13471
3472 Music(Hons)/Adv Science(Hons) Honours
Major
BABSBH3472
BINFB13472
3529 Commerce/Science Major BINFB13529
3563 Economics / Science Major BINFB13563
3566 Economics/Adv Science (Hons) Honours
Major
BABSBH3566
BINFB13566
3593 Commerce/Adv Science (Hons) Honours
Major
BABSBH3593
BINFB13593
3762 AdvSci(Hons)/Engineering(Hons) Honours
Major
BABSBH3762
BINFB13762
3767 Engineering (Hons) / Science Major BINFB13767
3782 Adv Science (Hons) / Comp Sci Honours
Major
BABSBH3782
BINFB13782
3789 Science / Computer Science Major BINFB13789
3925 Science and Business Major BINFB13925
3926 Science / Fine Arts Major BINFB13926
3937 Science/Social Rsch & Policy Major BINFB13937
3938 AdvSci (Hons)/SocRschandPolicy Honours
Major
BABSBH3938
BINFB13938
3944 Adv Science (Hons)/Fine Arts Honours
Major
BABSBH3944
BINFB13944
3947 Science / Arts Major BINFB13947
3948 Adv Science (Honours) / Arts Honours
Major
BABSBH3948
BINFB13948
3962 Advanced Science (Honours) Honours
Major
BABSBH3962
BINFB13962
3970 Science Major BINFB13970
3983 Science/Computer Science Major BINFB13983
3987 Science (International) Major BINFB13987
3997 Advanced Science (Honours)/Law Honours
Major
BABSBH3997
BINFB13997
4500 Science (Honours) Honours BABSBH4500
4770 Science / Law Major BINFB14770
4772 Science and Business / Law Major BINFB14772
   

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Bioinformatics Engineering can be studied in the following Programs 

Program Code & Name Stream Type Stream
3707 Engineering (Honours) Major BINFAH3707
3761 Adv Math (Hons) / Eng (Hons) Major BINFAH3761
3762 AdvSci(Hons)/Engineering(Hons) Major BINFAH3762
3763 Engineering (Honours) / Arts Major BINFAH3763
3764 Engineering (Hons)/Commerce Major BINFAH3764
3765 Engineering (Honours) / Law Major BINFAH3765
3766 Music / Engineering (Honours) Major BINFAH3766
3767 Engineering (Hons) / Science Major BINFAH3767
3768 Eng (Hons) / MBiomedE Major BINFAH3768
3769 Music (Hons)/Engineering(Hons) Major BINFAH3769
3771 Music (Honours) / Engineering Major BINFAH3771
3961 Engineering (Honours) / Arts Major BINFAH3961
   

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Computational Biology can be studied in the following Programs 

Program Code & Name Stream Type Stream
4515 Comp Sci & Eng (Honours) Honours BINFBH4515
   

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