Admission requirements and assessment of previously acquired knowledge/competences
To profitably attend a second-level degree course in Bioinformatics it is necessary to have acquired basic knowledge in:
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Computer Science
- Chemistry
- Biological/Biotechnological/Biomedical oriented knowledge
Moreover, the following entry requirements are required to be admitted to a second-level degree course:
a degree in one of the following classes, or a certificate of study obtained abroad and recognised as being suitable:
- ex-D.M. 270: Any undergraduate level degree
- ex-D.M. 509/99: Any undergraduate level degree
- previous four-year University system degree: Any undergraduate level degree
Admission to the second-level degree course is subject to the possession of predefined curricular requirements and to the assessment of suitable personal preparation ascertained through one's University career. This may be followed by an interwiew according to modalities, criteria and procedures decided upon by the Degree Course Council and duly published on the University website.
If the basic knowledge cannot be certified, the admission to a second-level Degree Course is subject to a preliminary assessment by a Commission that ascertains, by means of interview, the skills and competencies required.
The Commission, appointed by the council of the second-level degree course, will arrange a schedule, from September to December, for the interviews, which will be published on the University's website.
If the Commission considers the level of the student's knowledge and competences to be satisfactory, the student is allowed to enrol in a second-level Degree Course in Bioinformatics.
The assessment of a suitable personal preparation is considered to be satisfied by the possession of the curricular requirements, however ascertained.
Programme profile
The second cycle degree programme in Bioinformatics aims to provide a suitable training and experience for work within the areas of Biology, Biotechnology and Medicine that in both research and application require biomedical information stored in database and existing or new methods for sequence analysis. Nowadays, in order to advance biomedical and biological research both require professionals with a multi-disciplinary background who can gather information from existing data bases, but also contribute to improving and creating new ones so as to safeguard and hand down a unique heritage of molecular information on both our own species and others. The applications of Bioinformatics vary greatly and include various areas as can be seen from the different laboratories that assist in training staff in the different subjects. The second cycle degree programme in Bioinformatics, therefore, provides the basic knowledge necessary to use computer technology and bioinformatic tools as required for research or the preparation of a thesis in one of the laboratories among those operating at Bologna University, where Bioinformatics is essential in order to perform research.
Expected learning outcomes
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING ABILITY:
Graduates have:
- knowledge of functional genomics and modern biology in this area;
- sound knowledge of genetic engineering at a protein and cellular level;
- sound knowledge of computer technology especially as regards neutral networks, artificial intelligence and soft computing, user-computer interaction and multi-media systems;
- a good foundation in basic biology and its applications, especially as regards the study of molecules, dealing with biomolecules in normal and altered conditions, their interactions within cells, tissues and organisms, and the control of gene expression and the effects of the environment;
- sound knowledge of the main mathematical, statistical, computer, chemical and physical tools.
ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND TO UNDERSTAND:
Graduates:
- are able to use and/or develop all the computer tools necessary for resolving problems;
- are able to perform genomic, proteomic, regulomic and interatomic analysis;
- are have problem-solving skills;
- are able to apply scientific method to draft technical-scientific reports on work completed, both in Italian and English;
- possess programming skills;
- possess skills in experimental computer methods;
- possess skills for the implementation and management of biological databases;
- are able to implement the methods for analysis of biosequences, protein modelling and drug design.
JUDGEMENT SKILLS:
Graduates:
-are able to pass independent judgement on scientific and ethical issues;
- possess analysis and summarizing skills (in a general sense);
- have leadership skills.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
Graduates:
- have relational and communication skills (for communicating ideas, problems and solutions) that enable them to work within an international environment;
- know another of the main European languages in addition to Italian;
- have team skills.
LEARNING SKILLS:
Graduates:
- develop a high level of learning skills that enable them to be completely independent should they undertake a PhD programme;
- are able to keep constantly abreast of new developments;
- are able to work independently.