The Advanced Bachelor of Bioinformatics at Howest University of Applied Sciences prepares you to operate at the intersection of life sciences and IT, one of today’s fastest-growing and most impactful fields. Whether you come from a molecular biology background or from the world of ICT, this English-taught programme equips you with the analytical, computational and professional skills needed to work with complex biological data and modern bioinformatics tools.

With flexible full-time and remote learning options, a strong focus on hands-on experience, and close interaction with industry and research partners, this programme opens the door to exciting career opportunities in biotechnology, healthcare, pharma, and data-driven research environments.

Overview - Key features

The Advanced Bachelor of Bioinformatics offers a flexible and practice-oriented learning experience that allows you to choose the path that best fits your background and ambitions. You can follow the intensive one-year full-time programme on campus in Bruges, or opt for the four-semester @home track, available both for learners with a life sciences background and for IT professionals who wish to expand into the bioinformatics domain. The @home track is fully remote, enabling you to complete all lectures, coaching moments and examinations online, with recordings available for flexible study.

Throughout the programme you gain hands-on experience with widely used tools, programming languages and open-source technologies in both Windows and Linux environments. You will learn to work confidently with Python, R, PHP and scripting techniques, and develop the skills needed to analyse complex biological datasets, including next-generation sequencing data and machine-learning-based workflows. The curriculum emphasises practical application and real-world problem solving, ensuring that you can translate bioinformatics methods into professional practice.

In addition, an eight-week internship allows you to further develop your professional competencies and apply your skills in a real research or industry setting. Combined with affordable tuition fees for EEA students and an English-taught programme with global relevance, this degree offers an accessible and future-oriented route into one of the world’s most rapidly evolving fields.

Programme Structure

The Advanced Bachelor of Bioinformatics provides a comprehensive and practice-oriented curriculum that develops you into a versatile bioinformatics professional. Throughout the programme you take on three main roles: programmer, informatics specialist, and bioinformatics scientist. In the internship phase, you grow into a (young) professional ready to work in multidisciplinary teams.

Bioinformatics Scientist

• Build a solid understanding of molecular biology and the biological questions behind data-driven research
• For students in the IT Professionals @home track, an introductory molecular biology module ensures you can successfully transition into the bioinformatics domain
• Work with major biological databases and scientific data formats
• Analyse high-throughput datasets such as genomics, transcriptomics and NGS data
• Apply techniques in comparative genomics and machine learning

Informatics Specialist

• Develop strong command-line skills in Linux and workflow automation
• Work with open-source tools widely used in research and industry
• Apply data management strategies for large and complex biological datasets
• Build and operate high-throughput analysis pipelines

Programmer

• Learn key programming languages, including Python, R and PHP
• Use scripting techniques and software development principles to solve bioinformatics problems
• Build, automate and customise tools and workflows
• Understand how web technologies support bioinformatics databases and applications

Professional Skills

• Strengthen teamwork, communication and scientific reporting skills
• Work on projects that simulate real professional challenges
• Complete an eight-week internship in academia, industry, healthcare or an international setting
• Grow into a confident (young) professional ready for multidisciplinary environments

Admission Requirements

We offer two entry routes depending on your educational background:

1. For Life Sciences graduates (@home or full-time programme)

Applicants must hold a higher education diploma (at least bachelor level) with proven knowledge of molecular biology.

Required documents:

• Transcript demonstrating sufficient background in molecular biology
• English language certificate (B2 level or equivalent)
• Motivation letter

2. For IT Professionals (@home track only)

Applicants with a higher education diploma in IT or computer science are welcome to join the “For IT Professionals” @home track, which includes an introductory module in molecular biology.

Required documents:

• Higher education diploma proving strong IT/computing background
• English language certificate (B2 level or equivalent)
• Motivation letter

General

After checking academic prerequisites, the Howest admissions office verifies English proficiency and application completeness. All applications are assessed individually.