BS Bioinformatics
A Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics is an undergraduate degree program that aims to provide students with a multidisciplinary understanding of biology, computer science, and data analytics. This degree program is designed to prepare students for careers in an emerging field that has significant implications for biomedical research, drug development, and healthcare.
Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field that combines biology, computer science, and statistics to collect, link, and analyze biological information. This information can include genetic data, protein sequences, and other types of biological data. Bioinformatics tools and techniques can help researchers make sense of large amounts of data and discover new biological insights.
After completing the BS in Bioinformatics, graduates can pursue a variety of career paths in the field. Some of the most common job titles for graduates include Bioinformatics software developer, Scientific curator, Protein analyst, Computational biologist, Phylogenetic, Gene analyst, Research scientist, Database programmer, Structural analyst, Biostatistician, and Molecular modeler.
Objectives
- Provide students with a comprehensive understanding of biology, computer science, and statistics and their integration into bioinformatics.
- Develop students’ skills in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting biological data using computational tools and techniques.
- Equip students with the ability to design and execute experiments and analyses to answer biological questions and make discoveries.
- Introduce students to the current state of bioinformatics research and its applications in various fields such as drug discovery, genetics, and clinical research.
- Foster students’ critical thinking skills and the ability to evaluate and interpret scientific literature in the field of bioinformatics.
- Prepare students for a variety of careers in bioinformatics and related fields, including software development, scientific research, database management, and data analysis.
- Encourage ethical and responsible use of biological data and computational tools in the context of bioinformatics research and applications.
- Provide opportunities for hands-on research experiences and internships in industry, government, or academic settings to develop practical skills and gain real-world experience.
Eligibility
Intermediate with Pre-engineering / Pre-medical / Computer Sciences (equal to 12 years of education) with at least 45% marks.
- Candidates who have completed ‘A’ levels must provide an equivalence certificate from the Inter Board Committee of the Chairman in Islamabad
- Candidates with less than 45% marks are not eligible for the program.
- There are a limited number of merit-based seats available.
Students who have already completed 14 years of education and those wishing to transfer their credit hours from other universities are eligible for course exemption.
Degree Duration
This program is a four-year full-time course, divided into eight semesters, each semester has at least 18 weeks for teaching and examinations.
Study Scheme
Semester 1
| Course Code | Subject Title | Type | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BIO201
|
Cell Biology |
Required |
|
4 (Theory:3, Practical:1) |
|
|
BIO101
|
Basic I-Biology |
Elective |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
ENG101 |
English Comprehension |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
MTH100 |
General Mathematics |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
BIO102 |
Basic II-Chemistry |
Elective |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
ETH202 |
Ethics (for Non-Muslims) |
Elective |
|
2 (Theory:2), Practical:0) |
|
|
ISL202 |
Islamic Studies |
Elective |
|
2 (Theory:2), Practical:0) |
|
|
VU001 |
Introduction to e-Learning |
Required |
|
1 (Theory:1), Practical:0) |
|
|
CS101 |
Introduction to Computing |
Elective |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
Semester 2
| Course Code | Subject Title | Type | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BIO202
|
Biochemistry-I |
Required |
|
4 (Theory:3, Practical:1) |
|
|
BIO301
|
Essentials of Genetics |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
CS201 |
Introduction to Programming |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
ENG201 |
Business and Technical English Writing |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
MTH101 |
Calculus And Analytical Geometry |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
CS201P |
Introduction to Programming (Practical) |
Required |
|
1 (Theory:0, Practical:1) |
|
Semester 3
| Course Code | Subject Title | Type | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BIO302
|
Molecular Biology |
Required |
|
4 (Theory:3, Practical:1) |
|
|
BIF401
|
Bioinformatics I |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
CS301 |
Data Structures |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
ENG301 |
Business Communication |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
MTH303 |
Mathematical Methods |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
BIF401P |
Bioinformatics I (Practical) |
Required |
|
1 (Theory:0, Practical:1) |
|
|
CS301P |
Data Structures (Practical) |
Required |
|
1 (Theory:0, Practical:1) |
|
Semester 4
| Course Code | Subject Title | Type | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BIO303
|
Biochemistry II |
Required |
|
4 (Theory:3, Practical:1) |
|
|
BIF501
|
Bioinformatics II |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
CS304 |
Object Oriented Programming |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
MTH202 |
Discrete Mathematics |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
BIF498 |
Research Project |
Elective |
|
3 (Theory:0, Practical:3) |
|
|
BT406 |
Research Methodology & Skill Enhancement |
Elective |
|
1 (Theory:0, Practical:1) |
|
|
BIF501P |
Bioinformatics II (Practical) |
Required |
|
1 (Theory:0, Practical:1) |
|
|
CS304P |
Object Oriented Programming (Practical) |
Required |
|
1 (Theory:0, Practical:1) |
|
Semester 5
| Course Code | Subject Title | Type | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BIO203
|
Methods in Molecular Biology |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:1, Practical:2) |
|
|
BIO401
|
Biostatistics |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
CS403 |
Database Management Systems |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
CS408 |
Human Computer Interaction |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
CS502 |
Fundamentals of Algorithms |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
CS403P |
Database Management Systems (Practical) |
Required |
|
1 (Theory:0, Practical:1) |
|
|
CS301P |
Data Structures (Practical) |
Required |
|
1 (Theory:0, Practical:1) |
|
Semester 6
| Course Code | Subject Title | Type | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BIF601
|
Bioinformatics Computing I |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
|
BIO502
|
Genomics |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
BT505 |
Biosensors |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
CS504 |
Software Engineering - I |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
BT511T |
Introduction to Biotechnology (Theory) |
Required |
|
2 (Theory:2, Practical:0) |
|
|
BIF601P |
Bioinformatics Computing I (Practical) |
Required |
|
1 (Theory:0, Practical:1) |
|
|
BT511P |
Introduction to Biotechnology (Practical) |
Required |
|
1 (Theory:0, Practical:1) |
|
Semester 7
| Course Code | Subject Title | Type | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BIF602
|
Bioinformatics Computing II |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
|
BIO601
|
Proteomics |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
CS602 |
Computer Graphics |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
CS620 |
Modelling and Simulation |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
BIF499A |
Final Year Project |
Elective |
|
3 (Theory:0, Practical:3) |
|
|
BIF605 |
Clinical Bioinformatics |
Elective |
|
1 (Theory:0, Practical:1) |
|
|
BT512T |
Microbial Biotechnology (Theory) |
Required |
|
2 (Theory:2, Practical:0) |
|
|
BT512P |
Microbial Biotechnology (Practical) |
Required |
|
1 (Theory:0, Practical:1) |
|
Semester 8
| Course Code | Subject Title | Type | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BIF604
|
Special Topics in Bioinformatics |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
|
CS607
|
Artificial Intelligence |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
CS614 |
Data Warehousing |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
BIF499B |
Final Year Project |
Elective |
|
3(Theory:0, Practical:3) |
|
|
BIF606 |
NGS Data Analysis |
Elective |
|
3 (Theory:0, Practical:3) |
|
|
CS607P |
Artificial Intelligence (Practical) |
Required |
|
1 (Theory:0, Practical:1) |
|
Assessment of Study Progress
The evaluation of students’ academic progress is based on continuous assessment throughout the semester, including assignments, online quizzes, Graded Discussion Boards (GDBs), and mid-term and final term exams. The mid and final-term exams are conducted at VU’s designated exam centers and typically account for 80-85% of the total marks for a course.
Practical
Participation in practical classes or courses will be required for a student to qualify for those courses. Each student will take practical classes in the VU-approved lab cities that were assigned to them at the time of admission, which is as under
Lab Cities ( Biological Sciences Programs) | |||
LAHORE | FAISALABAD | MULTAN | RAWALPINDI |
PESHAWAR | KARACHI | GUJRANWALA | ABBOTTABAD |
SAHIWAL | JALALPUR PIRWALA | BAHAWALNAGAR | BAHAWALPUR |
JHELUM | MUZAFFARGARH | NANKANA SAHIB | D.G. KHAN |
QUETTA | NAROWAL | HYDERABAD | PATTOKI |
GUJJAR KHAN | |||
Important Note:
The University follows a merit-based admission process for students applying to Biological Sciences programs, with seats allocated based on the available capacity of each laboratory city. Once a student is admitted to a particular lab city, they cannot change their allocated laboratory city post admission.
Project
To fulfill the requirements of the BS in Bioinformatics program, students must complete a 6-credit hour project during their 7th and 8th semesters, according to the prescribed scheme of studies. The topic of the project is chosen by the student, but they are required to consult with their student advisor. Upon completion, students must submit a detailed write-up of the project and may also be asked to give a presentation.
Degree Awarded
- The minimum requirement for eligibility is the completion of the BS in Bioinformatics, which must add up to at least 132 credit hours.
- A minimum CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) of 2.0 out of 4.0 is required to be considered eligible.
Fee structure within Pakistan
Fee Structure
| Degree Program | Admission Fee | Registration Fee | Security Fee | Admission Processing Fee | Semester Enrollment Fee | Per credit hour fee | Fee of Convocation | Fee payable at admission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BS |
3,000 |
2,500 |
2,000 |
500 |
1,000 |
850 |
2,000 |
11,650 |
Semester Fee within Pakistan
Semester fee Approximately Rs. 17000/-
Disclaimer
- The courses are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date with those taught at top universities, taking into account the needs of local industry and the job market.
- The University may change its fee structure from time to time.