Applied Bioinformatics Certificate

The Applied Bioinformatics Certificate covers bioinformatics, an interdisciplinary field combining biology, computing science, and statistics to analyze large biological datasets. Students learn to work with genomic sequences, including methods to obtain, assemble, and annotate them, and to develop and use computational tools, algorithms, and databases for large-scale analysis, building an understanding of functional, structural, and evolutionary relationships among genes and species. The certificate totals 28 credits; 14 credits can be counted toward a Bachelor of Science degree, with the remaining credits usually completed in one additional semester, though some students take two. Admission requires enrolment in the Bachelor of Science program, completion of 45 credits, and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.33, along with the prerequisites for BIO 202. Graduates are prepared for roles in genomics research, pharmaceutical companies, government agencies, data analytics firms, and academic laboratories, and with experience can advance into positions such as biologist, biological technologist, health policy researcher, or database specialist. The certificate is eligible for financial aid.