Bioinformatics Master's Level Apprenticeships

1. The Bioinformatics L7 ApprenticeshipOverview

Cranfield’s Bioinformatics L7 Apprenticeship aims to equip employees with the applied computational skills and awareness needed to process, analyse and interpret the vast amounts of biological data now becoming available. Because Cranfield is a solely postgraduate university it means that every single taught module is uniquely tailored to be master's level. The Bioinformatics Apprenticeship includes a series of taught modules covering in great depth a plethora of programming languages commonly used in bioinformatics, such as Python, Java, R and SQL, and modern web technologies. The Bioinformatics Apprenticeship also includes a number of specialised modules focusing on established protocols for proteomic, next-generation and 3rd generation sequencing.

Course duration

The total length for the Bioinformatics L7 Apprenticeship is 30 months, which includes a total of 24 months to pursue an MSc degree in Applied Bioinformatics. This master’s degree includes an independent research project carried out in the workplace. The minimum attendance requirement for the taught component is an average of six hours per week throughout the 30 months period. This accounts for an average minimum of 40 days, across the first 24 months in 5-day blocks. A total of 10 days of attendance is expected for the Group Project component (the actual length may vary according to the topic chosen). Finally, a total of 50 study days should be allocated towards assignments preparation and self-study.

2. Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Research L7 Apprenticeship

This is a more research-focused training programme provided for employees with previous experience in bioinformatics, and who do not necessarily need to pursue a large taught component as part of their training. The apprenticeship includes a Bioinformatics by Research MSc component pursued during the first 24 months of the total 30-month period of this apprenticeship. This will include a single research component done in a form of a thesis (the thesis report is substantially larger than a taught MSc thesis but smaller than a PhD thesis) conducted at the employer workplace. Additionally, candidates can gain up to 20 additional credits of transferable bioinformatics training skills by attending up to four bioinformatics taught modules from a total of eight modules of the Applied Bioinformatics MSc course. The programme is flexible in nature and the choice of the additional accredited taught credits is done in consultation with their supervisor dependent on the candidate qualification and experience.

Course description

Cranfield’s Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Research L7 Apprenticeship aims to equip employees with the computational skills and awareness needed to process, analyse and interpret the vast amounts of biological data through pursuing a bioinformatics research conducted at their employer’s workplace. Both apprenticeship training programmes are flexible in nature and allow candidates to gain up to 20 additional credits of transferable bioinformatics training skills by attending up to four bioinformatics taught modules chosen in consultation with their supervisor depending on their qualification, experience and the research topic. Because Cranfield is a solely postgraduate university it means that every training component is uniquely tailored to be master's level. Furthermore, Cranfield University is recognised for its state-of-the-art facilities and close partnership and collaboration with some of the world-renowned bioinformatics industry. This allows apprentices to apply the latest advances in the field to provide innovative bioinformatics solutions to facilitate and advance research at their employer workplace. 

Course duration

The total length for the Bioinformatics Scientists Degree L7 Apprenticeship is 30 months, which includes a total 24 months to pursue an MSc by Research degree in Bioinformatics. This includes a large research project component carried out at their employer workplace. The programme is flexible in nature and total attendance requirement is dependent on the number of additional credited training modules the candidate wishes to attend according to their experience and research project needs. The maximum attendance required is 40 days spread over a period of 24 months in 5-day blocks. Additionally, a maximum of 25 study days should be allocated towards assignments preparation and self-study for the additional training credits required.