About PhD in Bioinformatics Admission

PhD in Bioinformatics is a semester-based doctorate course in Bioinformatics. The course may have a duration of 3 to 5 years. This course offers research opportunities to students in the field of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics.

At the end of the course, the students will have to submit their research papers on various topics related to Bioinformatics. Check the full list of Bioinformatics colleges in India.

To be eligible for the Ph.D. in Bioinformatics course, you need to have a postgraduate degree in Biotechnology/Bioinformatics. Some colleges also consider candidates with a bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology or Bioinformatics who have enormous research experience.

Most of the reputed colleges demand for a minimum 50% marks in the bachelor's/Master's level to be eligible for this course.

To secure admission to the course, the candidates will have to appear for an entrance test followed by a personal interview. The candidates who perform well in the interview will be able to be admitted to the college. Some of the most popular Ph.D. entrance exams in India are UGC-NET, UGC-CSIR-NET, etc.

PhD in Bioinformatics Course Highlights

Some of the major highlights of the PhD in Bioinformatics course has been provided in the table given below.

Course Level

Doctorate

Full-form

Doctorate of Philosophy in Bioinformatics

Duration

3-5 years

Eligibility

Postgraduate degree in Maths, Science, Biotechnology or Bioinformatics

Admission Process

Direct Admission or on the basis of Entrance test.

PhD in Bioinformatics Eligibility Criteria

There are a few eligibility criteria that the students must fulfill if they wish to be a part of this course. Here, we have listed some of the most important eligibility criteria:

The candidate must complete his master's in Science, Mathematics, Biotechnology or Bioinformatics from a recognized university.

The candidates must have at least 50% marks in their post-graduation and graduation. The SC/ ST/ OBC/ PwD candidates may get certain relaxation.

If the college conducts an admission test, the candidates must also clear the entrance test and perform well in the personal interview.

PhD in Bioinformatics What is it About?

Bioinformatics is a very popular discipline in the field of science and technology. Let us know what the course is about.

Bioinformatics deals with the proper storage of biological data so that the data can be retrieved as and when required. Such data include nucleic acids, protein sequences, genetic information, etc.

Bioinformatics is basically a field of science that includes mathematics, computer science, statistics, and engineering for a proper understanding of biological information. The subject plays a crucial role in biomedical research.

The course will help students to know about different biological data and ways to organize it systematically. The students will also get to develop their own bioinformatics tools for carrying out various operations.

In order to pursue a PhD in Bioinformatics, the candidates need to have excellent knowledge of computers and technology. They must also possess good analytical and communication skills.

Why Study a PhD in Bioinformatics?

A PhD in Bioinformatics course provides numerous options to students to build their career and become successful in life. Here we have brought before you a few reasons regarding why you should pursue a PhD in Bioinformatics course:

After completing the course, the candidates will be able to pursue research in various fields. The course gives the students a strong understanding of the functions of various other departments like Marketing and Business Development.

The PhD in Bioinformatics students will be exposed to various career opportunities. They may work at various government and private sector health organizations, educational institutes, cancer research centers, etc.

The students may work as research scientists at various research labs. They may discover new techniques for managing and retrieving data.

The students, after successfully completing their PhD in Bioinformatics may earn a salary of 3 LPA -15 LPA. Your salary depends on your expertise and also your job position. Your salary will increase gradually.

PhD in Bioinformatics Entrance Exams

There are a number of top institutes in India that conduct an entrance test followed by an interview for admission to the various PhD courses.

The dates of the entrance test are released after the candidates have submitted their application forms.

The exam dates for the present year have, however, been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The latest updates regarding the dates of the entrance tests are yet to be released.

CSIR UGC NET

UGC NET

ICAR AICE JRF/SRF

IIT JAM

VITMEE

NIPER PhD Entrance Exam

How to Prepare for the PhD in Bioinformatics entrance exam?

In order to secure a really good score in your PhD in Bioinformatics entrance test, you need to be really well-prepared. So, here are a few preparation tips for you which will help you to ace your examination:

Get to know everything you can about the format of the examination and the question paper. If it is a subjective test, then you need to read through the chapters properly. However, if the exam is MCQ-based, concentrate on the minute details.

Study the syllabus properly. Make sure that you do not leave out any important chapters. Try to complete the entire syllabus at least one month before the date of the examination.

Give more importance to the sections from where questions are frequently asked in the examination. Revise those sections properly before the day of the examination.

Prepare a definite strategy and abide by it. Planning and scheduling are extremely important for securing a good rank in the examination.

Practice different types of questions from sample papers and previous years’ question papers. Here are a few links to the previous year’s question papers and the sample papers that might help you out in your preparations.

Always take notes while you study. This will ensure that you do not forget any important points. You can just go through your notes before your examination and you will feel confident about yourself.

Also, always try to maintain a positive attitude. Be enthusiastic and don’t overstress yourself. This will increase your confidence and will also boost up your concentration level.

PhD in Bioinformatics Syllabus

The syllabus for PhD in Bioinformatics is mostly the same for most universities. Given below are few of the important topics and subtopics covered in the course duration.

Basic Concepts of Computer

• Concept of Computer Hardware, Software, and Computer Languages

Biostatistics

• Probability distribution, Measure of Central Tendency and Dispersion, Binomial Distribution, Poisson Distribution, and Normal Distribution.

Quantitative Techniques

• Regression and Correlation, Level of Significance, Use of Computers in Quantitative analysis

Scientific Writing

• Definition and Kind of scientific documents, submission of manuscripts, oral and poster presentation of a research paper, ordering reprints

Techniques in Molecular Biology

• Identification of DNA, RNA, and Plasmids

Research Techniques

• Cell extraction techniques, Ultrafiltration, Paper Chromatography, etc

Genomics

• Genes, Human Genome Project, Polymerase, Enzymes, Nuclease, etc.

Admission Process of PhD in Bioinformatics

The admission is done either based on the marks acquired by the candidates in the entrance exam or on their performance in their master's degree course.

In some cases, a personal interview may also take place.

Some of the most common entrance tests for the PhD in Bioinformatics students are GATE, BINC (Bioinformatics National Certification Examination) and NET UGC.

The application forms for entrance to the PhD courses are released in the month of May or June.

The shortlisted candidates are either called for admission or they have to sit for the entrance test.

All details related to the admission process can be found on the official website of the respective universities.

Merit-Based Admission

• Step 1: Fill the application form: Once you have finalized the colleges, you will have to fill up the application form. The application forms will have to be submitted before the deadline.
• Step 2: Admission to the college: The candidates will be shortlisted based on their performance in their master's degree course. The marks requirement may vary from college to college.

Entrance-Based Admission

• Step 1: Fill the application form: The first step of the admission process is filling up the application form. Once you have successfully submitted the application form, you may proceed with the further steps of the admission process.
• Step 2: Appear for the entrance test: Most of universities accept students based on the marks scored by them in the entrance test. The cut-off for the entrance test is determined by the college authorities.
• Step 3: Appear for an interview (optional): Some colleges also conduct a personal interview. The candidates will be shortlisted based on their performance in the interview.
• Step 4: Admission to the college: The final stage of the admission process is getting admitted to the college. For that, they need to submit all the required documents and pay the admission charges.

PhD in Bioinformatics Future Scope

The PhD in Bioinformatics students have a very prosperous future. The students have a lot of career options to choose from.

PhD in Bioinformatics students may teach in private or government schools and colleges. They may also become a part of the government and private hospitals.

The candidates pursue research in various fields related to bioinformatics. They may work at research labs in India or abroad.

Some of the most common job profiles for PhD in Bioinformatics students are research scientists, professors, Bioinformatics Trainees, Clinical Bioinformaticians, Medical Coders, etc.

If the candidates wish to go for further study, then they can go for a DSc degree in relevant disciplines. But, to be eligible for DSc, the candidates will have to do further research even after completing their PhD.

PhD in Bioinformatics Job Prospects and Career Options

The career prospects for the PhD in Bioinformatics course has gradually been increasing because of the latest use of technology in the management of biological data.

The candidates may work in various sectors like educational institutes, hospitals, biomedical organizations, research institutions, etc.

They may also conduct research activities in Bioinformatics.

The candidates can work in both government as well as private hospitals.

They can also teach at government and private schools.

1. Bioinformatics Software Developers
2. Associate Research Scientists
3. Professors
4. Medical Coders
5. Bioinformatics Trainees
6. Clinical Bioinformaticians