M.Sc. in Bioinformatics

Students entering the M.Sc. program will have completed an Honours Bachelor’s degree with a minimum admission average of B (75% and higher) in the last two years of full-time equivalent study in any of the following or related fields:

• Life sciences
• Physical sciences
• Statistics
• Mathematics
• Computational sciences

Students must apply for the M.Sc. in Bioinformatics program through the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at the University of Guelph. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply at least four months prior to the intended start date (six to eight months prior for international applicants).

All applicants should include a statement of research intent with their application.

Please note that once an application is submitted for a specific program, it cannot be switched to one of the other programs. The applicant will have to re-apply to the other program and, therefore, pay the application fee again. Thus, it is important to ensure that the correct program was selected.

M.Sc. applicants must indicate an agreed advisor at the time of application. Prospective students interested in the M.Sc. program should commence discussions with faculty well in advance of applying. Offers of admission will only be issued in cases where a member of Bioinformatics Graduate Faculty has agreed to be the advisor.

If your first language is not English, you will be required to submit the results of a standardized language test. For applicants who speak English as a second or additional language, you may request consideration for a waiver of the English language requirement once you have submitted your application if you have successfully completed a Bachelor's or Master's university degree in English from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and/or the United Kingdom. Please email bioinformatics@uoguelph.ca for more information. In all other situations, an English proficiency test score is required with your application.

A total of 2.0 credits are required, which must include:

• BINF*6110 [0.50] Genomic Methods for Bioinformatics
• BINF*6210 [0.50] Software Tools for Biological Data Analysis and Organization

View a full list of courses in the Academic Calendar.

The advisory committee and/or the graduate program committee may require additional courses.

When the course work is satisfactorily completed, the submission and successful defence of an appropriate thesis on an approved topic completes the requirements for the M.Sc. in Bioinformatics.

Having an established supervisor is required for admission into the M.Sc. Bioinformatics program. Visit Before You Apply for helpful advice on identifying and reaching out to faculty members. Before contacting members of our graduate faculty, please review some of our suggested tips below to optimize the success of your communication:

1. Be informed: Ensure you review the research areas of our graduate faculty before contacting them. Take some time to review their information, publications, and the specifics of the faculty member’s research by browsing their departmental webpage and research group website, if available.
2. Use concise, targeted communication: Graduate faculty supervisors receive numerous emails from prospective graduate students on a daily basis. Therefore, as most faculty members have very limited time, you must communicate your information as clearly and concisely as possible. Use short paragraphs, keep the length of your email to a minimum, use a descriptive email title and be professional.
3. Stand out from the crowd: Highlight specific and clear reasons why you would be a good candidate for working with the chosen faculty member. Include information that will set you apart from other candidates such as notable achievements/scholarships, publications, similar research interests and/or related experience.
4. Communicate early: Start contacting faculty members at least 9-12 months in advance of the application deadlines. This is especially important for international applicants to ensure you have sufficient time to apply for a study permit/visa. Finding a supervisor can sometimes take months to establish.
5. Be patient: Our graduate faculty members are very busy, especially during the start and end of the semester. Therefore, it may take some faculty members days or even weeks to respond to your email. Follow up if it has been a couple of weeks with no response.

M.Sc. position to study the relationship between host genetics and pig gut microbiome 

Dr. Brandon Lillie (Pathobiology), Dr. Khurram Nadeem (Mathematics and Statistics), Dr. Vahab Farzan (Pathobiology and Population Medicine) 

Project description: The microbial colonization of the neonatal and adult gut plays a key role in function of immunological and metabolic pathways that influence disease resistance, health, and performance of pigs. Indeed, the mechanism-of-action of many commercially available intervention strategies and products designed to promote health and performance in pigs and replace antibiotics, is associated with their demonstrated ability to modify the composition of the gut microbiome. The application of molecular and bioinformatics methods has demonstrated that the gut microbiome is abundant, complex, and highly dynamic, partly influenced by host genetics. The overall goal of this M.Sc. project is to investigate the relationship between host genetics and the swine gut microbiome. The project is specifically aiming to identify the single nucleotide variants with known roles in innate immunity and host resistance to microbes, as well as SNPs spaced across the entire genome, using a genome wide association study (GWAS) approach.   

Job description: The successful candidate will develop and utilize bioinformatics pipelines to model various outcomes related to microbiome (Ex. alpha and beta diversity, microbiome composition) against single nucleotide variants through statistical modeling and genome wide association study.  

Selection of the successful candidate is based on a combination of academic criteria, relevant experience, and referees’ evaluations. Previous experience in programming (e.g., R or Python) and knowledge of statistical methods such as regression analysis will be considered an asset. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. The interested candidates should send a CV, a copy of undergraduate transcripts, a code example, a writing sample, names of three references, and a cover letter stating interest in the above-mentioned research topic to Dr. Vahab Farzan at afarzan@uoguelph.ca.   

The University of Guelph is committed to an Employment Equity Program that includes special measures to achieve diversity among its faculty and staff. We therefore particularly encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups.  

A funding package is offered to thesis-based graduate students with their offer letter, which may vary by home department (i.e., the department of the primary supervisor). The package may consist of Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA) and Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA). You are required to contact prospective advisors to discuss the availability of projects prior to applying to thesis-based programs, and we suggest you also discuss the availability of GRA funding or prospects for applying for suitable scholarships. Please note that offers of admission will only be issued in cases where a member of the Bioinformatics Graduate Faculty has agreed to be the supervisor.

Scholarships and bursaries are available from the University, which can be searched for here. For some scholarships and bursaries, you are automatically considered and do not need to apply. Other scholarships and bursaries require a separate application. Please read over the description for each one you are interested in.

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) is provided by the Government of Ontario, and the Government of Canada's Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) offers a number of scholarships. These scholarships require a separate application, typically due in the fall for the following academic year. You are encouraged to speak to potential supervisors regarding these government-sponsored scholarships.

Master of Science in Bioinformatics collaborative specialization in AI M.Sc.BINF+AI

In addition to funding available to M.Sc. in Bioinformatics graduate students described above, domestic and international applicants applying for the Master of Science in Bioinformatics Collaborative Specialization in Artificial Intelligence (CSAI) program, M.Sc.BINF+AI can apply to the Vector Institute's Vector Scholarship In Artificial Intelligence. This scholarship requires a separate application, typically due in the winter for the following academic year. You are encouraged to speak to potential supervisors regarding this scholarship during the application process.

For information about tuition and fees for the M.Sc. in Bioinformatics program, please see the Cost of Tuition/Living webpage.

A detailed breakdown of semester fees can be found on the Student Financial Services website.

Is there an application deadline for the M.Sc. program?

There is no application deadline for the program; however, applicants are required to have secured a faculty advisor prior to submitting an application to the University. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply at least four months prior to the intended start date (6-8 months prior for international applicants).

What documents do I need to submit for my M.Sc. application?

The program requires your OUAC application, unofficial transcripts* and any relevant supporting documents, CV, statement of research intent, and two referee assessment forms with your application.

*Please do not upload Exam Marksheets; transcripts are required.

When can I start the M.Sc. program?

Students can begin the program January 1, May 1, and September 1 each year. Please note that offers of admission will only be issued in cases where a member of Bioinformatics Graduate Faculty has agreed to be the advisor.

Will I be funded during my M.Sc. degree?

Yes, students can expect to receive a stipend when enrolled in either the M.Sc. or PhD degree. The funding scheme for the student will depend on the department/college to which your faculty advisor belongs. For example, if the student’s faculty advisor is in the College of Biological Sciences, then the student’s funding scheme will abide by the rules of this college. 

Will I have the opportunity to apply for graduate teaching assistantships (GTA) during my M.Sc. degree?

Similar to the funding scheme, GTAs are handled according to the rules and regulations established in the department and college of your faculty advisor. Therefore, your ability to apply for GTAs will depend on the department and college to which your faculty advisor belongs.

Am I eligible for scholarships and awards?

There are a number of graduate awards available at the University of Guelph. For a complete list of these awards, please go to: Graduate Award Search. Please note that the application process will depend on the department and college to which your faculty advisor belongs. All students can apply for external scholarships managed by provincial and federal funding agencies (e.g., NSERC, CIHR, OGS, etc).

Do I have to take courses during my M.Sc. program?

Yes, you will be required to take courses.

For the M.Sc. program, students are required to take a minimum of 2.0 course credits, which must include BINF*6110 and BINF*6210. The student’s advisory committee may require additional courses be taken.

Can I fast track from the M.Sc. program to the PhD program?

Yes, students can switch to the PhD program during their M.Sc. program. This can only happen if the student, the faculty advisor, and members of the graduate advisory committee are all in agreement. If everyone is in agreement, then this switch must happen during the student’s 4th semester of the M.Sc. program.