Admission
Admission for studies starting in Autumn 2010
Applications to the MBI programme 2010 are invited. Students admitted to the Master's Degree Programme in Bioinformatics (MBI) pursue a Master of Science degree at the University of Helsinki (HY) or a Master of Science in Technology degree at Aalto University School of Science and Technology (TKK).
Application period begins: 16 November 2009
Application deadline: 1 February 2010 (16:15/4:15 p.m. GMT +2).
Online applicant registration form
Admission quotas
You may apply to the Master's Degree Programme in Bioinformatics to study either at the University of Helsinki or Aalto University School of Science and Technology. The admission quota for the studies starting in September 2010 is 15 students for the University of Helsinki and 20 for the Aalto University School of Science and Technology.
You need to indicate the priority of the two universities on the online registration form. The order is binding and cannot be changed after the application deadline. You may be chosen to one of the universities only.
To decide which university to prioritise, the following information on the specialization areas may be useful:
- University of Helsinki: sequence analysis, algorithmic data analysis in systems biology, statistical genetics, modeling of molecular evolution
- Aalto University School of Science and Technology: machine learning in bioinformatics, computational modeling and data analysis in systems biology
Admission criteria
The admission criteria for both institutions are the same.
You need to hold a Bachelor or equivalent degree in a suitable field, or have the degree completed before 3 August 2010. In addition, you must have completed a total of at least 60 ECTS compatible credits in mathematics, statistics, computer science or bioinformatics. Please note that 60 ECTS credits is equivalent to at least one third of the studies aiming at a 3-4 year university degree.
Admission will be based on the academic record of the previous degree and on the scope and academic record of previous studies in mathematics, statistics, computer science and bioinformatics.
Studies in biology, medicine or a related field will be considered an asset, but they are not required.
In addition, a letter of motivation is considered where you need to state why you want to study in the Master's Degree Programme in Bioinformatics. You need to provide a short curriculum vitae as a part of the letter of motivation.
Proficiency in English
You must display proficiency in English with a language certificate. Read more about language requirements.
Entry examination
There will be no entry examination.
Submitting an application
You may apply to the Master's Degree Programme in Bioinformatics by submitting an online registration form to the university which is your first priority. If you want to apply to both institutions, you must indicate this clearly in the application form. In addition, you need to submit an application form with the required enclosures by mail.
You need to submit the following official documents when applying to the programme. All documents must be in Finnish, Swedish or English. Translations of the documents must be done by official translators.
- Bachelor's degree certificate
- Transcript of university studies
- The test score of the language test you have taken.
- Passport photo
- Online applicant registration form including the letter of motivation and curriculum vitae.
Online applicant registration form
Please read the admission guidelines carefully before submitting online application forms.
- Apply online at University of Helsinki
- Apply online at Aalto University School of Science and Technology
Scholarships
MBI scholarship and grant opportunities will be announced here.
- University of Helsinki offers limited international student grants for both first and second year master's degree students. More information is available on grants to second year international students who are enrolled at the university and have done outstanding progress in their studies.
- University of Helsinki sponsors the Fulbright Student Grant for American students.
Contact us
Please contact us if you have any questions: