The programme

Here you can find an overview of the degree programme, including information on its organisation and regulations, as well as a number of useful information. In addition, this section includes an overview of the University’s Quality Assurance system and the Student Orientation services available to prospective students, to help them choose the right course for them.

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Student orientation services

The new website of the Student Orientation Office, with new form and content, is the result of a long process aimed at providing a better and more comprehensive service to its many users. Users are mostly secondary school pupils approaching the University for the first time, and schools' University Orientation Services which organise activities to assist their pupils in post-school choices. Making a decision means choosing the best alternative to satisfy one's expectations, preferences and aspirations. 
 
More details: www.univr.it/orientamento (italian page)

sportello telefonico: dal lunedì al venerdì, dalle ore 9:00 alle 13:00.

Find out more

Course of study in brief

Head of the Course: Prof. Ferdinando Cicalese

The Degree in Bioinformatics integrates knowledge of programming, algorithms, systems and architectures, and computer science fundamentals, with basic knowledge of chemistry, biochemistry and biology, such as cell biology. This combination provides the necessary training to work in a new cutting edge field at the forefront of computer science and biology which, for example, has made human genome sequencing possible. The programme provides the skills needed to work in applied computer science for medicine and biology, sectors which are increasingly using information technology for tasks such as accessing genomic databases and analysing data from biotechnology laboratories. The degree programme lays the foundation to address specific topics in advanced bioinformatics that will have a growing impact on medicine and natural sciences in the years to come, for example: modelling and simulation of biological processes, drug development and innovative treatments, and understanding biomolecular phenomena.

For informations:
Please note that all notices relating to the teaching organization of the course can be consulted on the bulletin board of U.O. Didattica Studenti Scienze e Ingegneria.

Tutor: tutors are assigned on request. Students can ask the programme director for a tutor.  

 

  • Degree type Corsi di laurea
  • Duration 3  years
  • Part-time Study option available Yes
  • Admissions open access
  • S.T.E.M. course Yes
  • Class attendance arrangements Non obbligatoria
  • Degree class L-31
  • Location VERONA
  • Language Italian
Il corso di laurea in Bioinformatica si propone di integrare conoscenze fondamentali e applicate di biologia con strumenti analitici e quantitativi per descrivere formalmente e computazionalmente i fenomeni biologici e fornire modelli per analizzare e interpretare i dati sperimentali. Il corso ha l'obiettivo primario di fornire le competenze necessarie per applicare l'informatica alla biologia e alla medicina, ma nel contempo, pone le basi per affrontare temi specifici avanzati, destinati ad avere un crescente impatto nella comprensione di fenomeni biomolecolari.

Il corso prevede che gli insegnamenti si susseguano nel triennio in modo che l'apprendimento degli aspetti di base dei vari ambiti sia finalizzato alla costruzione delle competenze operative ed applicative. Esso si articola in corsi di insegnamento, attività a scelta dello studente, altre attività e prova finale. I corsi di insegnamento sono organizzati in forma di sola lezione frontale e di lezione frontale integrata da attività di laboratorio. I laboratori sono parte integrante del processo formativo e finalizzati allo sviluppo di specifiche competenze applicative di tipo informatico, biologico, e bioinformatico.

Dal punto di vista della progressione cronologica, il percorso formativo si sviluppa per i primi 3 semestri su due direttrici parallele costituite dalle aree di apprendimento 'Informatica e applicativa' e 'Chimico-biologica'. Nel primo anno si acquisiscono i fondamenti di architetture e programmazione (area INFO) e chimica e biologia (area BIO), oltre al necessario background matematico-fisico. Nel secondo anno si affrontano corsi più avanzati di informatica e biologia. Nel terzo anno sono conceNtrati gli insegnamenti di natura più propriamente bioinformatica in cui entrambe le aree di apprendimento (INFO e BIO) confluiscono.

Quando necessario, lo studente può avvalersi di specifici programmi di formazione in lingua straniera forniti dall'Ateneo. Il corso di laurea prevede che una parte dei CFU possano essere acquisiti attraverso il conseguimento e la fruizione di borse Erasmus condotte presso sedi universitarie estere.
La prova finale, con cui lo studente termina il corso di studi, serve a valutare globalmente le abilità acquisite dallo studente durante i tre anni di studio e implica il sostenimento dell'esame di laurea secondo i criteri stabiliti dal vigente Regolamento del corso di laurea.

PROFILO PROFESSIONALE

TECNICO BIOINFORMATICO

Funzione in un contesto di lavoro
Le laureate e i laureati in Bioinformatica sono le figure professionali in grado di assumersi ruoli di mediazione culturale e scientifica tra specialisti biotecnologi o medici e specialisti informatici o ingegneri, in aziende e progetti di grande portata innovativa e tecnologica.
Hanno le competenze lavorative necessarie per
- sviluppare programmi informatici, con una conoscenza specifica e dettagliata del problema biomedico da risolvere;
- analizzare grosse moli di dati, soprattutto se provenienti da laboratori biotecnologici, ospedali, o contesti pertinenti alle scienze della vita;
- gestire (anche la manutenzione di) basi di dati e "pipeline" di procedure tipiche della bioinformatica.
Le competenze acquisite permettono infine di affiancare e supportare progettisti e analisti di software nella gestione di progetti bioinformatici di grandi dimensioni.

Competenze associate alla funzione
I laureati in Bioinformatica possiedono:
- conoscenze e competenze nei vari settori delle scienze della vita e tecnologie dell'informazione mirate al loro utilizzo nella progettazione, sviluppo, e gestione di sistemi bioinformatici;
- capacità di affrontare analizzare e modellare problemi reali, con un'appropriata conoscenza degli strumenti matematici di supporto alle competenze informatiche;
- approfondite conoscenze delle metodologie di indagine, con capacità di applicarle in situazioni concrete, e di sviluppare sistemi informatici per la soluzione di problemi specifici;
- buona conoscenza della lingua inglese nell'ambito specifico di competenza e per lo scambio di informazioni generali;
- spiccata capacità di lavorare in gruppi interdisciplinari, operando in autonomia ed inserendosi prontamente in ambienti di lavoro variegati.

Sbocchi occupazionali
Gli sbocchi occupazionali del corso di laurea sono previsti nell'ambito di aziende di produzione e sviluppo di software, in particolare bioinformatico, e laboratori o aziende nei settori biotecnologico, medico, farmaceutico, chimico, e agroalimentare.



Quality Assurance

The quality of a degree programme is the extent to which it achieves its educational objectives and meets the quality requirements of the educational activities offered, which are determined in line with the needs and expectations of students and representatives of the world of work.

This programme has adopted a teaching Quality Assurance system in line with the University’s quality assurance guidelines and based on the e ANVUR national quality assurance guidelines, by carrying out the following activities:
  • periodic consultations with representatives of the world of work to assess the adequacy of the cultural and professional profiles offered in their courses;
  • design of educational contents and planning of resources;
  • organisation of educational activities and teaching services;
  • monitoring the effectiveness of teaching and planning measures to improve teaching and services;
  • provision of complete and up-to-date information on its website, relating to the programme (professional roles, expected learning outcomes, learning activities).
The above activities are scheduled and interrelated, based on the PDCA principles (Plan, Do, Check, Act).
schema_qualita

In a Quality Assurance system, students play a fundamental role: each student can play their part by participating in the Quality Assurance groups of their degree programme and in the Faculty-Student Joint Committees or, more simply, by taking part in the Student Survey on teaching, or questionnaires. It’s in this context that specific workshops for student representatives (‘Laboratori di rappresentanza attiva’) are periodically made available to students by the University and the University’s Quality Assurance Board. To find out more, please see the relevant section.

Il sistema di valutazione universitario e il ruolo dello studente

by Prof. Graziano Pravadelli: a lecture recorded on the occasion of the January 2021 workshop for student representatives.

QA bodies

The Group – which deals with the annual monitoring and review of the Bachelor’s degree in Languages and Cultures for tourism and international commerce – is made up of the Degree Programme Director, and the programme’s lecturers and students.

Faculty-Student Joint Committee (CPDS)

  • carries out monitoring activities in relation to teaching activities, provides opinions on the establishment and cancellation of degree programmes;
  • provides opinions on the consistency between the educational activities offered and the university credits (CFU) awarded;
  • annually draws up a report on the results of its monitoring activities.

QA in degree programmes

QA activities

Student Survey – gathering students’ views

Through Student Surveys and questionnaires, students can express their views on the modules offered as part of this programme.

Degree programme annual fact sheet

As part of the Quality Assurance system, complete, updated and easily available information on objectives, study plan, resources used and results achieved for each degree programme is made available through the SUA-CdS - Scheda Unica Annuale del Corso di Studio (Degree programme annual fact sheet). This includes an Overview and three public sections (Learning Objectives, Student Experience, Learning Outcomes) which together provide a wide range of information about each degree programme.

Module descriptions

For each module or educational activity, a web module description must be in place, in order to provide students with all the information they need: learning objectives, syllabus, examination methods, learning tools. This description must be made available to students at the beginning of the academic year, and all the information contained therein must be up-to-date and consistent with the content of the module.

Programme monitoring and review

The quality of the degree programme is constantly monitored based on the guidelines issued by the Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of the University and Research Systems (ANVUR): annually through the Annual Monitoring fact sheet and periodically through an overall review.

Degree Programme description and regulations

symbol pdf-document

Not yet available

The Degree programme teaching regulations, published on june/july set out the organisational aspects of the degree programme, in line with the University’s teaching regulations. It includes general information about the programme, links to the relevant module web pages and specifies the administrative aspects.

Other Regulations

To view other regulations of interest refer to the section: Statute and regulations

The Italian University system

schema_qualita

First-cycle degrees: Bachelor’s degree programme

First-cycle degrees are aimed at enabling students to achieve a command of general scientific methods and content, and to acquire specific professional knowledge.
Admission requirements: secondary school diploma after completing 13 years of study in total and passing the relevant State examination, or equivalent foreign qualification; admission may be subject to further assessment.
Duration: three years.
Graduation: in order to obtain the degree, it is necessary to gain at least 180 CFU; doing an internship and preparing a dissertation/thesis may also be required. Upon completion of a Bachelor’s degree, graduates may continue their studies by enrolling in a Master’s degree or other second-cycle degree programmes and courses.
Academic title: upon completion of a Bachelor’s degree (Laurea), graduates are awarded the title of “Dottore”.

Second-cycle degrees: Master’s degree

Second-cycle degrees aim to provide students with an advanced training and knowledge to take on highly-skilled roles.
Admission requirements: applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree, or a foreign equivalent qualification; curricular admission requirements for each course may vary depending on each University.
Duration: two years.
Graduation: in order to obtain the degree, it is necessary to gain at least 120 CFU, as well as preparing and presenting a dissertation/thesis.
Academic title: upon completion of a Master’s degree (Laurea Magistrale), graduates are awarded the title of “Dottore magistrale”. Single cycle/Combined Bachelor+Master’s degrees
Some courses (Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics, Pharmacy and Industrial Pharmacy, Architecture and Building Engineering-Architecture, Law, Primary Education) are offered as Single cycle/Combined Bachelor+Master’s degrees (Corsi di Laurea Magistrale a Ciclo Unico).
Admission requirements: applicants must hold a secondary school diploma or equivalent foreign qualification; admission is subject to passing an admission test.
Duration: five years (six years and 360 CFU for Medicine and Surgery, and Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics).
Graduation: in order to obtain the degree, it is necessary to gain at least 300 CFU, as well as preparing and presenting a dissertation/thesis. Upon completion of a Single-cycle degree, graduates may continue their studies by applying for a PhD programme (Dottorato di Ricerca) or other third-cycle courses.
Academic title: upon completion of a Master’s degree (Laurea Magistrale), graduates are awarded the title of “Dottore magistrale”.

Third-cycle degrees

PhD programmes: these courses enable students to gain reliable methodologies for advanced scientific research through innovative methodologies and new technologies, and generally include internships abroad and lab activities at research laboratories. Graduates wishing to apply for a PhD programme must have a Master’s degree (or a foreign equivalent qualification) and pass an open competition; PhD programmes have a minimum duration of three years. In order to complete the programme, students must produce a research thesis/dissertation and present it at a final examination.
Academic title: upon completion of a PhD programme, students are awarded the title of “Dottore di ricerca”, or “PhD”.
Postgraduate specialisation courses: these are third-cycle courses aimed at enabling students to develop advanced knowledge and highly-specialised skills, such as in the medical, clinical and surgical fields. To be admitted to these courses, applicants must have a Master’s degree (or a foreign equivalent qualification) and pass an open competition. Postgraduate specialisation courses may last from two (120 CFU) to 6 years (360 CFU) depending on the type. Academic title: upon completion of this programme, graduates are awarded a “Diploma di Specializzazione”.

Professional Master’s programme

1st-level Professional Master’s programmes: these courses enable students to further enhance their scientific knowledge and professional skills. In order to apply, applicants must have a Bachelor’s degree, or foreign equivalent qualification. The minimum duration is one year (60 CFU). Please note that completing this course will not provide you with direct access to a PhD programme (Dottorato di Ricerca), or other third-cycle courses, as these courses are run and managed by each University at the local level. Upon completion of this programme, students are awarded a “Master universitario di primo livello”.
2nd-level Professional Master’s programmes: these courses enable students to further enhance their scientific knowledge and professional skills. In order to apply, applicants must have a Master’s degree, or foreign equivalent qualification. The minimum duration is one year (60 CFU). Please note that completing this course will not provide you with direct access to a PhD programme (Dottorato di Ricerca), or other third-cycle courses, as these courses are run and managed by each University at the local level. Upon completion of this programme, students are awarded a “Master universitario di secondo livello”.

Other useful things

Crediti Formativi Universitari (CFU/ECTS credits): Italian university courses are based on the CFU system. 1 CFU is equal to 25 hours of study. The average annual academic workload for a full-time student is generally assumed to be 60 CFU. CFU and ECTS credits serve the same purpose and generally have the same value.
Degree class: Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes that have the same learning objectives and activities are grouped into “degree classes". The educational content of each programme is set autonomously by each university; however, universities are required to include certain educational activities (and the corresponding number of CFU credits) set at the national level. These requirements are established in relation to each degree class. Degrees in the same class have the same legal value.
Double/Joint degrees: the Italian universities may establish degree programmes in partnership with other Italian or foreign universities. Upon completion of these courses, graduates are awarded a joint or double/multiple degree, one from each Partner University.

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