Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics

The Bioinformatics programme at HKUMed nurtures the next generation of global leaders in biomedical data science and digital healthcare technology, who are well equipped to excel in diverse career paths in the healthcare sector, public health services, innovative entrepreneurship, and research.

Bioinformatics cover a wide range of high-impact biomedical big data applications, including genomics, precision medicine, single-cell analysis, multi-omics systems biology, digital health technology, mobile health, artificial intelligence (AI) analysis of medical imaging data, electronic health record analysis, and global health & epidemiology.   

The design of this BSc(Bioinformatics) curriculum recognises the wide spectrum of personal interests and diversity in career aspirations of a modern bioinformatics practitioner. It is well suited for students with an interest in both biomedical/health sciences and quantitative disciplines such as mathematics and computing, opening up to careers ranging from biomedical scientists who are skilled at performing analysis with bioinformatics tools, to computational biologists who can perform large-scale data analyses to solve biological questions (bioinformatics scientists), to software developers who build innovative computational or statistical tools for biomedical applications (bioinformatics engineers).  

This programme is centred around a series of anchoring courses across the four-year curriculum. These anchoring courses enable vertical and horizontal integration of various courses from diverse disciplines across different year levels. The flexible design of the curriculum allows students to take a multitude of disciplinary elective courses in biomedical sciences, statistics, computer science, and biomedical engineering. The programme focuses on essential statistical data analysis skills, key algorithms for biomedical informatics, and fundamental concepts in modern genomic and health technology.  

Core Courses for Bioinformatics Major

Students are required to complete 240 credits of courses in the four-year curriculum, of which 96 credits are major courses, 36 credits are Common Core courses, and 18 credits are Language Enhancement courses. The remaining 90 credits are for minors and electives.

The core courses are divided into anchoring, foundation, project and disciplinary elective courses.

Anchoring Courses

Three anchoring courses are the centre-piece of the programme. It is expected that one anchoring course is taken in each of Year 1, 2 and 3/4 of the programme. These courses adopt a case-based problem-solving approach to support interdisciplinary integration of subject-specific content at each year level (horizontal integration), and provide a consistent backbone for the curriculum across different year levels (vertical integration). Students are required to complete the following anchoring courses:  

• Introduction to Biomedical Data Science  
• Artificial Intelligence in Medicine  
• Big Data Biomedical Informatics  

Foundation Courses

These courses, mostly to be taken in Year 1 and 2 of the programme, focus on concepts and practical skills in fundamental topics in bioinformatics, such as biochemistry, mathematics, statistics, and computer programming. Students are required to complete the following foundation courses:

• Perspectives in Biochemistry
• Computer Programming
• University Mathematics II
• Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra
• Probability and Statistics I
• Probability and Statistics II

Project: Capstone Experience

Each student is required to carry out an in-depth year-long research project in a specialised field of bioinformatics under the guidance of a supervisor who will provide continuous assessment of the student’s performance.  

Disciplinary ‘Data Science Lab’ Courses

Taking an experiential learning approach, two innovative ‘Data Science Laboratory’ courses are offered to allow students to acquire hands-on computer programming and data analysis skills, and reinforce the underlying principles of mathematical, statistical, and algorithmic concepts through tailored dry-lab practical classes in genomics and digital health.

Students are required to complete one or both of the following courses:

• Genome Sequencing and Analysis
• Digital Health

Disciplinary Elective Courses

A wide range of specialised courses in bioinformatics, biomedical sciences, statistics and computer science can be chosen to fulfil the disciplinary elective courses. Students are required to take 3 to 4 courses from over 20 courses. Some example bioinformatics courses include:

• Structural Bioinformatics
• Biomedical Software Systems
• Global Health Informatics
• Biomedical Image Informatics

Minor Options & Electives Courses
Students can plan their studies with the remaining 90 credits in various manners. They may opt to take a minor and/or electives offered within the BSc(Bioinformatics) curriculum or in other curricula. The minor options offered in the BSc(Bioinformatics) curriculum include:

Minor in Digital Health

Example courses:

• Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
• Digital Health
• Biomedical Signals Processing and Modelling in Biomedical Applications

Minor in Biomedical Data Science

Example courses:

• Sequence Bioinformatics
• Global Health Informatics
• Statistical Machine Learning

Read the Prospectus