Course overview
- Description
The recent explosion of data and technology is rapidly changing the study and application of biology and medicine. This applies to advances in genetics and genomics as well as the huge diversity of phenotypic data being generated, related to everything from crop performance, the environment through to understanding and finding cures for human disease. There is a huge demand for individuals who have the skills to manage and interpret this flood of information. The field of bioinformatics has grown and evolved to meet this demand. Bioinformatics is a broad field, working across technologies with applied biological outcomes. Here the course provides the foundation in these broad areas of biology, with options to focus on the specific interests of the student, whether this be biomedical, environmental or agricultural. Because of this broad base, the course will be taught across schools, faculties and institutes, including hospitals and industry partners, to ensure access to the best expertise, providing students with training from researchers in their field of interest. While there are a growing list of bioinformatics training resources, this course aims to differentiate itself by offering applied skills and training. The development of computational skills alone is insufficient to become a bioinformatics professional, but rather a deep understanding of the biology, combined with practical skills in handling large biological datasets is essential. Students will have access to a variety of data types to develop and hone their applied data analysis skills. The course is supported the Pawsey supercomputing centre, and students will have the opportunity to undertake projects in their area of interest with leading researchers and professionals in WA and beyond.
- Course title
- Master of Bioinformatics (coursework or coursework and dissertation)
- Award abbreviation
- MBioInfo
- Course code
- 70550
- Course type
- Master's degree by coursework or by coursework and dissertation
- Status
- Current / 2025
- Administered by
- Biological Sciences
- CRICOS code
- 103500A
Course details
- Intake periods
- Beginning of year and mid-year
- Attendance type
- Full- or part-time (Student visa holders should read Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 for more information.)
- Credit points required
- 96
A standard full-time load is 24 points per semester. - Standard course duration
- 1.5 years minimum volume of learning full-time (or equivalent part-time) comprising 72 points of taught units and 24 points of admission credit, as recognised and granted by the School
- Maximum course duration
- 2 years maximum volume of learning full-time (or equivalent part-time) comprising up to 96 points of taught study (see Rule 5 for further information)
- Time limit
- 5 years
- Delivery mode
- Internal
- Locations offered
- UWA (Perth)
- Domestic fee type
- Commonwealth supported and/or HECS-HELP
- Available to international students
- Yes. For information on international student fees see 'Student Procedures: Fees'. (Enquiries: https://www.uwa.edu.au/askuwa)
- Course Coordinator(s)
- Professor David Edwards
- Fees
- Visit the fees calculator.
Prospective students should see the Future Students website for details on admission requirements, intake periods, fees, availability to international students, careers information etc.
Example Study Plans
- Master of Bioinformatics (72 Credit Points 1.5 Years) [xlsx]
- Master of Bioinformatics (96 Credit Points 2 Years) [xlsx]
See study plans for more information.
Specialisations
Course structure
Key to availability of units:
- S1
- Semester 1
- S2
- Semester 2
All units have a value of six points unless otherwise stated.
Students who have not completed tertiary units that are deemed equivalent to the conversion units must complete relevant conversion units up to the value of 24 points from this group, as advised by the School(s):
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1, S2 | GENE4002 | Integrated Topics in Genetics I | 6 x 2 hr workshops over the course of a semester. | |
| S1, S2 | GENE4003 | Integrated Topics in Genetics II | 6 x 2 hr workshops over the course of a semester. | |
| S1, S2 | SCIE4401 | Data Use in Science |
| 24 hours. The total workload for this unit is 150 hours. |
| S1, S2 | SCIE4403 | Ethical Conduct and Communication in Science | Weekly face-to-face OR online workshops. This unit runs in Semester 1 and Semester 2, and can be taken in either semester. |
Take all units (36 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | GENE4001 | Advanced Studies in Genetics and Genomics |
| workshops: 12 hours; presentation sessions: approx. 6 hours (depending on number of students); consultation with academic staff during presentation planning approx. 0.5 hours |
| S1 | GENE5001 | Advanced Genomics Techniques |
| lectures and tutorials: 24 hours per teaching period |
| S1, S2 | SCIE4001 | Collecting, Analysing and Interpreting Big Data in Biology |
| Lectures and Seminars: 27 hours |
| S2 | SCIE4002 | Bioinformatics and Data Analysis for Genomics |
| lectures and tutorials: 24 hours per semester; presentation sessions: approx. 6 (depending on student enrolment) |
| S1, S2 | SCIE4402 | Data Management and Analysis in the Natural Sciences |
| 5 days (1 day per fortnight). The total workload for the unit is 150 hours. |
| S1 | SCIE5003 | Advanced Bioinformatics and Data Analysis for Genomics |
|
Take 12 points:
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | BIOL5301 | Big Data, Modelling and Meta-analysis in Biology, Conservation and the Environment |
| (possibly) 10 half days of contact |
| S1, S2 | SCIE5002 | Human Evolutionary Biology |
| 1 hour lecture; 2 hour laboratory (analysis) from week 1-12. |
| S2 | SCIE5507 | Food Fibre and Fuel Security |
| lectures, tutorials and/or workshops: 6 hours per week |
| S2 | SCIE5508 | Synthetic Biology: Solving Global Challenges |
| lectures, tutorials / workshops; 5 hours per week |
| S1, S2 | SCIE5515 | Global Challenges in Biomedical Science |
| lectures: 2 hours per week; tutorials: 2 hours per week |
| S1 | STAT4064 | Applied Predictive Modelling |
| Lectures: 2-hours per week; Computer Labs: 2-hours per week |
Students in the course by course work and dissertation take 24 points:
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1, S2 | SCIE5571 | Dissertation Part 1 |
| as required by supervisor |
| S1, S2 | SCIE5572 | Dissertation Part 2 |
| as required by supervisor |
| S1, S2 | SCIE5573 | Dissertation Part 3 |
| as required by supervisor |
| S1, S2 | SCIE5574 | Dissertation Part 4 |
| as required by supervisor |
Students in the course by coursework take 12 points:
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1, S2 | SCIE5004 | Professional Skills in Science |
| |
| S1, S2 | SCIE5005 | Science in Practice |
| 1x 2hr session per week contact by consultation as required |
Students in the course by coursework only take 12 points:
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | BIOL5301 | Big Data, Modelling and Meta-analysis in Biology, Conservation and the Environment |
| (possibly) 10 half days of contact |
| S1, S2 | SCIE5002 | Human Evolutionary Biology |
| 1 hour lecture; 2 hour laboratory (analysis) from week 1-12. |
| S2 | SCIE5507 | Food Fibre and Fuel Security |
| lectures, tutorials and/or workshops: 6 hours per week |
| S2 | SCIE5508 | Synthetic Biology: Solving Global Challenges |
| lectures, tutorials / workshops; 5 hours per week |
| S1, S2 | SCIE5515 | Global Challenges in Biomedical Science |
| lectures: 2 hours per week; tutorials: 2 hours per week |
| S1 | STAT4064 | Applied Predictive Modelling |
| Lectures: 2-hours per week; Computer Labs: 2-hours per week |
See also the rules for the course and the Student Rules.
Rules
Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures
1.(1) The Student Rules apply to students in this course.
(2) The policy, policy statements and guidance documents and student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.
Academic Conduct Essentials and Communication and Research Skills modules
2.(1) A student who enrols in this course for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct Essentials module (the ACE module) and the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module).
(2) A student must successfully complete the ACE module within the first teaching period of their enrolment. Failure to complete the module within this timeframe will result in the student's unit results from this teaching period being withheld. These results will continue to be withheld until students avail themselves of a subsequent opportunity to achieve a passing grade in the ACE module. In the event that students complete units in subsequent teaching periods without completing the ACE module, these results will similarly be withheld. Students will not be permitted to submit late review or appeal applications regarding results which have been withheld for this reason and which they were unable to access in the normally permitted review period.
English Language competency requirements
3. To be considered eligible for consideration for admission to this course an applicant must satisfy the University's English language competence requirement as set out in the University Policy on Admission: Coursework.
Admission requirements
4. To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have—
(a) a Bachelor's degree, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA;
and
(b) the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 50 per cent;
and
(c) successfully completed prior tertiary study in—biological, medical, biomedical, or biomolecular sciences; or in a related cognate discipline as recognised by UWA.
Admission ranking and selection
5. Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on the relevant requirements.
Articulations and exit awards
6. This course does not form part of an articulated sequence.
Course structure
7.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 96 points (maximum value) which include conversion units to a value of 24 points.
(2) Units must be selected in accordance with the course structure, as set out in these rules.
(3) Students who have completed tertiary units that are deemed equivalent to the conversion units are granted credit for conversion units up to a value of 24 points.
Satisfactory progress
8. To make satisfactory progress a student must pass units to a point value greater than half the total value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.
9. A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module) when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress even if they have met the other requirements for satisfactory progress in Rule 8.
Progress status
10.(1) A student who makes satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 8 is assigned the status of 'Good Standing'.
(2) Unless the relevant board determines otherwise because of exceptional circumstances—
(a) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the first time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'On Probation';
(b) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the second time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Suspended';
(c) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the third time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Excluded'.
11. A student who does not make satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 9 is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation', unless they have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to meet other satisfactory progress requirements in Rule 8.
Award with distinction
12. To be awarded the degree with distinction a student must achieve a course weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 80 per cent which is calculated based on— (a) all units above Level 3 attempted as part of the course that are awarded a final percentage mark;
(b) all relevant units above Level 3 undertaken in articulating courses of this University that are awarded a final percentage mark;
and
(c) all units above Level 3 completed at this University that are credited to the master's degree course.
Deferrals
13. Applicants awarded admission to the course are entitled to a deferral of up to 12 months, as per the University Policy on: Admissions (Coursework).
Additional rules
Research project or dissertation
14. Students who request approval to undertake a research project or dissertation in this course must:
(i) have a weighted average mark of at least 65 per cent in at least 24 points of Level 3 units in their UWA undergraduate major. These units must be relevant to the master's specialisation; or
(ii) have a weighted average mark of at least 65 per cent in at least 24 points of Level 3, 4 and 5 units completed within the course; or equivalent as recognised by the School; and
(iii) must have a supervisor, approved by the School, who has confirmed their willingness and availability to supervise the research project.