MSc Systems Biology - subject to validation
- Programme director
- Emma Laing
- Programme length
- Full-time: 12 months (also singular 3-week modules)
- Programme start date
- September 2013
The modular nature of this programme allows a flexible rate of attendance and is suitable for candidates with work commitments.
Programme overview
There is great demand for interdisciplinary scientists who are capable of generating, handling, analysing and interpreting the high-throughput data obtained from current biological research in academia and industry.
This programme provides a strong theoretical foundation in systems biology and hands-on experience of the experimental (‘wet’) technologies and computational (‘dry’) skills required for truly integrative systems-biology research. By generating and analysing your own data, you will gain first-hand experience of the skills and techniques needed to understand an organism at a systems level, from beginning to end, in an experimental setting.
This full-time programme is especially useful for:
- Graduates from the theoretical sciences wishing to apply their skills to biological research
- Graduates from the biological sciences wishing to enhance their mathematical/computational skills
The modular nature of the programme allows a flexible rate of attendance (one to four modules per year) and is suitable for candidates with additional work commitments wishing to learn new skills.
Entry requirements
At least a 2.2 degree in a relevant discipline (biology, mathematics, engineering, physics and/or computational science) from an approved university. Applications from persons not possessing the qualifications mentioned above may be considered, depending on the length and quality of their practical experience and recommendations from employers/ supervisors. Selection is based upon the candidate’s application and references. An informal interview may be required. Application to register for the Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or MSc can be made following the third module attended. Retrospective application is permitted, provided not more than four modules have been completed.
English language requirements
IELTS minimum overall: 7.0
IELTS minimum by component:
6.5
Fees and funding
All fees are subject to increase or review for subsequent academic years. Please note that not all visa routes permit part-time study and overseas students entering the UK on a Tier 4 visa will not be permitted to study on a part-time basis.
| Programme name | Study mode | Start date | UK/EU fees | Overseas fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSc Systems Biology | Full-time | Sept 2013 | £6,025 | £17,585 |
Programme content
Modules
- Equaliser Module
- Experimental Methods in Quantitative Biology 1 (Theory)
- Experimental Methods in Quantitative Biology 2 (Experimental)
- Biocomputing 1: Interpreted Languages (Python or Perl*)
- Biocomputing 2: Data Analysis Environments (Matlab or R*)
- Computational Systems Biology
- Mathematical Modelling
- Integrative Data Analysis in Quantitative Biology
- Research Project
* Your choice of language
Programme Structure
The programme consists of eight 2.5-week modules, totalling 120 credits, and a twelve-week research project worth 60 credits.
Module Overview
The taught programme consists of the following modules. Each module is worth 15 credits:
Equaliser Module
This module is a preparatory module designed to provide complementary knowledge to your own original discipline, enabling you to commence systems biology research. The equaliser module consists of two variants.
For biologists, this module provides an introduction to basic mathematics and programming techniques relevant to systems biology.
For engineering/mathematics/physical scientists, this module provides an introduction to biomedical science, including a one-week intensive course in basic laboratory skills relevant to the systems biology field.
Experimental Methods in Quantitative Biology 1 (Theory)
This module introduces the theoretical concepts of experimental techniques used to capture global measurements for the cell or organism. Techniques covered are phenomics, genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics.
Experimental Methods in Quantitative Biology 2 (Experimental)
This module provides hands-on experience of generating large-scale data following a systems biology experimental approach using high-throughput ‘-omics’ techniques.
Biocomputing 1: Interpreted Languages (Python or Perl)
This module is designed to give supported hands-on experience in programming in Python or Perl (your choice of language) for the field of systems biology.
Biocomputing 2: Data Analysis Environments (Matlab or R)
This module is designed to give supported hands-on experience in analysing data within Matlab or R (your choice of environment) for the field of systems biology.
Computational Systems Biology
This module introduces the main, current techniques used in computational systems biology: constraint-based modelling of genome-scale metabolic networks; computer simulation of ordinary differential equation models; exact stochastic simulation of molecular interaction networks; hybrid computer simulation of multiscale models; Petri Net representation of molecular interaction networks and model checking.
Mathematical Modelling
This module introduces mathematical modelling techniques to model and analyse molecular networks. Topics covered: timescale analysis in (systems of) deterministic ODEs (metabolic and gene expression case studies); introduction to dynamical systems theory (steady states, linear stability analysis, bifurcations); multistability and oscillations; stochasticity in molecular biology; intrinsic and extrinsic noise; Langevin equations and master equations; stochastic gene expression.
Integrative Data Analysis in Quantitative Biology
This module introduces bioinformatic approaches for analysing and interpreting high-throughput ‘-omics’ data.
Research Project
All students registered for the MSc qualification undertake a research project and submit a dissertation. You will do your project in one of the Faculty’s wet/dry research laboratories. The project carries 60 credits for the full-time MSc programme.
Awards
The MSc requires 180 credits, the Postgraduate Diploma requires 120 credits and the Postgraduate Certificate requires 60 credits.
Assessment
Each taught module will be assessed by examination and/or coursework. This may take the form of essays, data manipulation and analysis, practical reports or multiple-choice questions.
Length of study
The full-time Masters programme is designed to be completed within one academic year. You may register for the Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or MSc at any time, provided that no more than four modules have been completed and the required number of credits can be achieved within the current academic year.
Each of the 2.5-week modules can be taken as a stand-alone course and/or as part of professional development. Please enquire for details of the timing of each module.
Why study Systems Biology at the University of Surrey?
This programme aims to produce interdisciplinary scientists capable of working in the field of systems biology, such that they are able to design system-level experiments, acquire and interpret large-scale data, run system-level simulations and draw conclusions. Being able to effectively contribute and communicate within a skills-diverse research team will soon be considered an essential employee skill.
The Surrey MSc Systems Biology programme allows you to truly appreciate and gain experience of integrating diverse global data sets for understanding an organism at a systems level. This is achieved by the programme content itself and by the manner in which it is taught. You will analyse and integrate the experimental data that you have generated yourself and use it to develop in silico models for simulation.
Systems biology forms a large part of the inter- and cross-faculty research strategy at the University of Surrey. The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences has strong expertise in both the ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ aspects of systems biology. This means that students will be exposed to, and have the chance to work on, current and cutting-edge systems biology research within the Faculty, particularly through the research project.
Department links
Contact us
For general enquiries
0800 980 3200 or +44 (0)1483 681 681
For admissions enquiries
+44 (0)1483 686 400