Master Bioinformatics and Biocomplexity, Course schedule

Bioinformatics and BioComplexity (BiBC), course schedule

We have opted to offer most of our advanced bioinformatics courses in the first two periods of the academic year. This way you can learn all the theory you need to start an internship efficiently. In 2020 we expect that most courses will be taught mostly online due to all Corona measures that will even affect this academic year. When possible we will startup face to face and classroom lectures!

A little bit of how to read the list of courses below:

In your masters you will have a Theoretical component of 15 EC, with the obligatory courses. This is the essentials course and either Biological Modelling or Bioinformatics and Genomics. Together this amounts up to 9.5 EC.  This means you have 5.5 EC left, which you have to fill up with the courses from the list on the bottom of the page. These are the official BiBC courses.  In Period 1 the two main theoretical courses are given.

Below you will see a schedule, this schedule is made to help you plan, not as an exact … this is the way it has to be.. list. Because if you add up all the EC’s of the courses listed you will go well beyond 15EC..  Luckily you also have an ELECTIVE component which is 12 EC in total. You may fill those 12 EC with our bioinformatics courses, but you are also allowed to look elsewhere at what is offered at the University!  We however have decided to offer all our Bioinformatics courses in Period 1 and Period 2, and where possible back to back without much overlap. Again you can also choose other courses (for the electives), that is fine, but you have to schedule them yourselves. They may overlap, or even been given in a different period. This is not a problem, but it is up to you to make it work in your schedule.

Why do we offer so many courses in P2? Well the idea is that you start a Major Research Project in jan/feb, that would be most efficient. Perhaps you have seen a great group and topic? And maybe that topic requires you to learn a little bit more about a certain bioinformatics or biocomplexity item which is possibly given in one of our courses. You can now follow this course before you start with your research project!! This makes you even more efficient and proficient!

(FC = Free choice course that can be taken as part of the theoretical phase or Electives)

Period 1: Theoretical (obligatory) courses (Osiris numbers can be found in the table at the end)

• Aug 31 to sept 4: Introduction GSLS
• Sept 31 to Oct 16: (timeslot B/C) Biological Modelling or Bioinformatics and Genomics (depending on your pre-knowledge and after consultation with the coordinator)
• Sept 7 to Oct 16: (timeslot A/D) Essentials course (BiBC obligatory)
• Oct 19 to 30: Advanced R (full time, FC, 3EC)
• Nov 1 to 6: Advanced Bioinformatics (full time, FC, 1.5EC)

Period 2

• Nov 9 to Feb 5: (Timeslot B/C) Computational Biology (FC, 7.5 EC)
• Nov 16 to 20: Advanced ~omics (full time, FC, 1,5EC)
• Nov 23 to dec 4: Bioinformatics and Evol. Genomics (full time, FC, 3 EC)
• Dec 7 to 18: Microbial Genomics (full time, FC, 3 EC)
• Jan 11 to 22 (2021): Cancer Genomics (full time, FC, 3EC)
• Jan 25 to feb 5: Structural Bioinformatics (full time, FC, 3EC)
• Feb 8 to feb 19: Analytics and Algorithms (full time, FC, 3EC) Officially this is in period 3

Period 3: and further, start of Major Research Project, Minor, Writing assignment and so on.

An overview of all UBC/BiBC courses offered + Osiris code

For those interested in a bit more Modelling/BioComplexity/Mathematics:

The list below is a number of recommended courses. The first 4 are bachelor courses, which means you can follow them but won’t get full credits (EC).
The last 3 courses are really nice master level courses. Be aware that we cannot guarantee enrolment in these courses, as they are officially offered in an other masters programme. But if you are interested, let the BiBC coordinator know and we can try to get you enrolled.

• Numerical Mathematics (WISB251). <- Bachelor 2 (P2)
• Introduction Scientific Computing (WISB356) <- Bachelor 3 (P3)
• Game Theory (WISB272) <- Bachelor 2 (P2)
• Toy Models (SK-BTOYM) <- Bachelor 3 (P4)
• Introduction Numerical Bifurcation Analysis (WISL606) <- Master, (8EC) SEM2
• Introduction to Complex Systems (WISM484) <- Master (7.5 EC), SEM1
• Seminar mathematical epidemiology (WISM436) <- Master, (7.5 EC), SEM1