Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)
Bioinformatics
The bachelor’s program in Bioinformatics is offered by the Technical University of Munich in partnership with Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich (LMU). The program combines informatics with molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics.
TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology
Key Data
- Full Time
- 6 semesters (fulltime)
- Winter Semester (October)
Information on Degree Program
Bioinformatics is an up-and-coming academic subject and research area that combines modern information sciences (informatics, mathematics, and statistics) with the life sciences (biology, chemistry, pharmacy, medicine, biotechnology, and food technology). Bioinformatics deals with questions of informatics that arise with the application of new technologies and a rapidly growing quantity of data in the life sciences. The discipline is also of continuously increasing significance in medicine and drug discovery.
The exponential growth in biological data generated by national and international research projects provides a highly inviting field of application for modern bioinformatics. The application of informatics methods first made mathematical modeling possible in the biosciences, as well as the analysis of new kinds and large quantities of data. Yet the potential for applying informatics to the biosciences still exceeds its current application.
In industry, bioinformatics is perceived as a key technology. It is not least young biotechnology companies that are reliant on job applicants with specific, interdisciplinary competencies. Though the methods of bioinformatics have already been applied on an industrial scale, there are few graduates of this interdisciplinary science to date. Hence the demand in industry for well-educated bioinformaticians.
For a comprehensive description of the program, please refer to the degree program documentation:
The degree is oriented towards an interdisciplinary vocational education and training in biology / chemistry and informatics. In the first two years of study, students acquire foundational knowledge of the respective disciplines of mathematics, informatics, biology, and chemistry. You receive a comprehensive introduction to bioinformatics that brings together the individual disciplines. In the final year of the bachelor's degree there is a clear emphasis on bioinformatics, including with regard to the bachelor's thesis, along with specialized courses in informatics and molecular biology.
As a graduate, you possess a sound foundational knowledge of informatics, mathematics, and the natural sciences. By way of example, in terms of informatics, this covers programming, algorithms, and data structures, automated devices and formal languages; in terms of mathematics, it covers analysis and stochastic processes as well as combinatorics and algebra. As for the natural sciences, here the central focus is on biology, chemistry, and biochemistry.
You are familiar with the foundational approaches and methods of bioinformatics required for inter alia the sequencing of genomes or the prediction of protein structures and functions. The completion of your bachelor’s thesis provides you with your first experience of independently handling pertinent research tasks.
Should you decide to embark upon a professional career after successfully completing the bachelor’s program in Bioinformatics, multifaceted opportunities arise in various sectors. These include opportunities in the areas of pharma and medicine as well as in food technology, in addition to those in biotechnology companies. Further options arise in industrial research or in fundamental research in the natural sciences that is oriented toward IT.
Binding Regulations for Progression of Studies, Examinations and Application
Application and Admission
Admission requirements and the application procedure vary depending on the type of higher education entrance qualification you hold.
For more information on the application procedure, please visit the LMU homepage.
For more information on the application procedure, visit the course homepage.
For more information on the application procedure, please visit the LMU homepage.
What are my options after earning this degree?
After successful completion of a bachelor’s degree program, you are able to enter a profession. The team at Alumni & Career can assist you with questions regarding professional orientation, job search and job application.
After earning their bachelor’s degree, many students go on to pursue a master’s degree. These programs allow you to deepen your disciplinary knowledge or to expand it with a new field of study. The Student Academic Advising Office can assist you in selecting an appropriate master’s program.
Information
Questions about application and admission
Mail: studium@tum.de
Phone: +49 89 289 22245
In Person: Arcisstr. 21, Room 0144
Central Student Advising
Arcisstr. 21, Room 0144
80333 Munich
Mail: studium@tum.de
Departmental Student Advising
Prof. Dr. Volker Heun
LFE Bioinformatik, Institut für Informatik, Fakultät 16
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität
Amalienstr. 17, Room A 303
80333 München
Tel. +49 89 2180 4341
volker.heun@bio.ifi.lmu.de