
Master of Bioinformatics
Overview
Capitalise on the expanding demand for bioinformaticians with an interdisciplinary skill-set that will make you employable anywhere in the world.
The Master of Bioinformatics is designed for biological sciences, computing and mathematics graduates who wish to increase their technical and research skills in core areas of bioinformatics, update their knowledge of recent technologies and methodologies, and obtain practical laboratory and computational skills through immersion in a research laboratory.
For your 1.5 years of full-time studies, you'll select from over 20 courses, allowing you to tailor your studies to suit your interests and career goals.
You'll also have the opportunity to complete an independent research project on campus or in industry, which will increase your technical and research skills.
As industries are moving more deeply into genetic technologies, the demand for bioinformaticians is expanding. This program will prepare you for a highly rewarding career in a variety of organisations, including pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, research organisations and government.
Program highlights
- Gain advanced expertise in computational statistics, software engineering, data mining and genome informatics.
- Learn from academics who are leading researchers in their fields.
- Engage in laboratory research across disciplines such as neuroscience, medicine and agriculture.
- Take advantage of links to industry, government and academic institutions in Australia and overseas.
How you'll learn
Due to the way they are taught, certain programs and plans are not offered online in Semester 2, 2022.
Your learning experiences are designed to best suit the learning outcomes of the courses you choose.
- Lectures
- Tutorials
- Work placements
- Research experience
- Laboratory work
What you'll study
At UQ, degrees are called 'programs' and subjects are called 'courses'. Here's a sample of the courses you could study in this program:
- Concepts in Bioinformatics
- Applications of Computational Statistics
- Advanced Bioinformatics
- Advanced Genome Informatics
Career possibilities
Postgraduate study can take you anywhere. Here are some of the careers you could be on your way to:
- Bioinformatician
- Data scientist
- Data analyst
- Biostatistician
- Clinical data manager
- Geneticist
- Medical writer
- Technical writer
- Research scientist
- Software/database programmer
Graduate salary
Science and mathematics (postgraduate)
compared.edu.au
Events
See all events
9 June
Experience Zoology and Conservation Biology webinar
Stories
See all stories
Careers
What jobs can you do with a Bachelor of Science?
7-minute read

Careers
Bachelor of Health Science career pathways
9-minute read
Stories
See all stories
Careers
5 ways you can use data analytics to improve business
5-minute read
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
To be eligible for entry, you'll need:
Graduate Certificate in Bioinformatics.
UQ or equivalent GPA of 5 or above on a 7 point scale.
Graduate Certificate in Bioinformatics.
UQ or equivalent GPA of 5 or above on a 7 point scale.
Related programs
Depending on your previous qualifications and current goals, you might want to consider
one of these related programs:
English language requirements
IELTS overall 6.5; reading 6; writing 6; speaking 6; listening 6. For other English Language Proficiency Tests and Scores approved for UQ
TOEFL IBT - Overall 87, listening 19, reading 19, writing 21 and speaking 19.
TOEFL PB - Overall 570, listening 54, reading 54, writing 59/5.
Pearsons - Overall Score of 64 and 60 in all sub bands.
BE - A minimum overall grade of 4 plus a minimum grade of C in all macro skills.
CES - Overall 176 and 169 in all sub bands.
OET is not accepted.
There are other ways to meet the English language requirements. For some programs, additional conditions apply.
Student visas
International students who are accepted into full-time study in the Master of Bioinformatics are eligible to apply for an Australian student visa (subclass 500).
There are a number of requirements you must satisfy before a visa is granted, including the genuine temporary entrant (GTE) requirement.
Fees and Scholarships
Indicative annual fee
Approximate yearly cost of tuition (16 units). Your fees will vary according to your selected courses and study load. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.
$29,620
2022
Reduced fee (CSPs)
We offer a limited number of Commonwealth supported places (CSPs) for this program based on academic merit. We allocate CSPs based on academic merit after the closing date for applications and before Orientation.
$7,012
2022
Approximate yearly cost of full-time tuition (16 units). Your fees will vary according to your selected courses and study load. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.
AUD $41,936
2022
Government assistance
Financial aid
As an international student, you might be eligible for financial aid – either from your home country, or from the Australian Government.
HECS-HELP
Domestic places in the Master of Bioinformatics are Commonwealth Supported. This means the cost of your education is shared between you and the Australian Government.
Instead of tuition fees, Commonwealth Supported students pay what are called student contribution amounts.
HECS-HELP is an Australian Government loan scheme to assist eligible students with the cost of their student contribution amounts.
FEE-HELP
Domestic students who are accepted into the Master of Bioinformatics pay tuition fees.
FEE-HELP is an Australian Government loan scheme to assist eligible students with the cost of their tuition fees.
Centrelink support
The Australian Government has approved this master's program for income support payments to be made to eligible students.
Scholarships
Make your university experience more affordable with a scholarship. Opportunities include:
How to apply
Applying online
All international applications should be submitted to UQ. If you prefer, you can use an approved UQ agent in your country.
The program code for the Master of Bioinformatics is 5542.
Find out more about applying for postgraduate coursework study
Applying online
All domestic applications should be submitted to UQ.
The program code for the Master of Bioinformatics is 5542.
Find out more about applying for postgraduate coursework study
Important dates
The closing date for this program is:
- To commence study in semester 1 - November 30 of the previous year.
To learn more about UQ dates, including semester start dates, view the Academic Calendar.
Important dates
The closing date for this program is:
- To commence study in semester 1 - January 31 of the year of commencement.
To learn more about UQ dates, including semester start dates, view the Academic Calendar.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants
For support with applying - or if you have any questions about Uni - get in touch with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit.
Explore other programs
Express yourself. And your interest.
They say choosing a degree is hard, which is why we've made it easy. Register your interest and we'll send you everything you need to know about applying to UQ.
We will use your information to keep you informed about UQ programs, news, events and scholarships. By submitting this form, you consent to the terms of UQ's privacy notice.