Programmes Offered

NCB is offering BS (4 years), M.Phil (2 years) and Ph.D. programmes in the area of Bioinformatics.

BS (4 Years)

Undergraduate programme in Bioinformatics.

M.Phil (2 Years)

Graduate programme with coursework and research.

Ph.D.

Doctoral research programme as per University/HEC rules.

CGPA Required for Completion of Degree

For completion of the degree, the minimum qualifying CGPAs for BS and MS/MPhil students are 2.00 and 2.50, respectively.

In case a student secures less than 2.00 CGPA at the end of the final semester, s/he may be allowed re-admission in one or more courses in which the grade is below C, along with the forthcoming semester, provided that s/he is not debarred under the CGPA Improvement Regulation and within the time duration specified for the programme.

English Language Proficiency

All programmes at Quaid-i-Azam University are taught and assessed in the medium of English.

HEC Policy / Guidelines

For further details and policy guidelines, please refer to the official HEC document:

View HEC Guidelines (PDF)

MPhil & Ph.D. Course Details

Core Courses

Code No.	Title	Credit Hours
Binf-751	Genomics	3
Binf-752	Computer Fundamentals	3
Binf-753	Essential Mathematics and Statistics	3
Binf-754	Introduction to Data Structure	3
Binf-755	Biological Sequence Analysis and Structural Bioinformatics	3
Binf-756	Object-Oriented Programming	3
Binf-757	Proteomics	3
Binf-758	Algorithms	3
Binf-759	Computational Immunology	3
Binf-760	Advance Database Systems	3
Binf-761	Statistical Methods for Computational Biology	3
Binf-762	Molecular Dynamics	3
Binf-763	Advances in Molecular Dynamics	3
Binf-764	Advance Statistical Methods	3

Optional Courses

Code No.	Title	Credit Hours
Binf-523	Transgenic Research	3
Binf-707	Cell and Molecular Biology	3
Binf-506	Biophysics	3
Binf-774	Computational Gene Expression Analysis	3
Binf-715	Gene Cloning and DNA Analysis	3
Binf-710	Molecular Biology Techniques	3
Binf-501	Advances in Molecular Biology	3
Binf-502	Advances in Molecular Genetics	3
Binf-513	Gene Expression and Regulation	3
Binf-500	Seminar	3

BS Bioinformatics (4-Year) — Curriculum

National Centre for Bioinformatics (NCB), Faculty of Biological Sciences — Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad

135

Total Credit Hours

Semesters

4 Years

Programme Duration

Programme Layout Overview

Duration: 4 years (8 semesters)
Semester Duration: 15–18 weeks
Course Load: 15–18 credit hours per semester
Courses per Semester: 5–6

Programme Components:

Compulsory Courses (No Choice) • General Courses (Other Departments) • Discipline Specific Foundation Courses • Major Courses (including Research Project/Internship) • Electives within the Major

Structure & Credit Hours Distribution 135 CH

Sr.	Category	No. of Courses	Credit Hours
1	Compulsory Requirement (No Choice)	09	25
2	General Courses (Other Departments)	07	23
3	Discipline Specific Foundation Courses	09	32
4	Major Courses (incl. Research Project/Internship)	13	43
5	Electives within the Major	04	12
Total		42	135

Scheme of Studies (Semester-wise) Sem 1–8

Year 1 — Semester 1 (Total: 17 CH)

Category	Code	Course Title	Credit Hours
Compulsory	ENG-101	English I	3(3+0)
Compulsory	PST-101	Pakistan Studies	2(2+0)
Compulsory	MTH-101	Mathematics I	3(3+0)
Compulsory	CS-201	Computer Fundamentals	3(2+1)
Compulsory	CHE-201	Physical Chemistry	3(2+1)
Foundation	BIF-201	Basic Cell Biology	3(2+1)

Year 1 — Semester 2 (Total: 16 CH)

Category	Code	Course Title	Credit Hours
Compulsory	ENG-102	English II	3(3+0)
Compulsory	ISM-101	Islamic Studies/Ethics	2(2+0)
Compulsory	MTH-102	Mathematics II	3(3+0)
Foundation	BCH-101	Introductory Biochemistry	4(3+1)
General	BIF-202	Programming Fundamentals	4(3+1)

Year 2 — Semester 3 (Total: 17 CH)

Category	Code	Course Title	Credit Hours
Compulsory	ENG-201	English III (Writing & Communication)	3(3+0)
Foundation	BIF-204	Essentials of Genetics	4(3+1)
General	CS-202	Object Oriented Programming	3(2+1)
Foundation	BCH-334	Molecular Biology	4(3+1)
Foundation	MTH-201	Linear Algebra & Differential Equations	3(3+0)

Year 2 — Semester 4 (Total: 17 CH)

Category	Code	Course Title	Credit Hours
General	SOC-101	Sociology	3(3+0)
General	BIF-208	Database Management Systems	3(2+1)
Foundation	BIF-206	Biochemistry	3(3+0)
Foundation	BIF-205	Bioinformatics I	4(3+1)
Foundation	BIF-219	Recombinant DNA Technology	4(3+1)

Year 3 — Semester 5 (Total: 17 CH)

Category	Code	Course Title	Credit Hours
General	BIF-209	Ethical & Legal Issues in Bioinformatics	3(3+0)
Major	BIF-200	Probability and Biostatistics	3(2+1)
Major	BIF-212	Bioinformatics Computing I	4(3+1)
General	CS-203	Data Structure and Algorithms	4(3+1)
Major	BIF-211	Genomics	3(3+0)

Year 3 — Semester 6 (Total: 17 CH)

Category	Code	Course Title	Credit Hours
Foundation	BIF-210	Bioinformatics II	3(3+0)
Major	BIF-214	Proteomics	3(3+0)
Major	BIF-213	Modeling & Simulation	4(3+1)
Major	BIF-215	Systems Biology	4(3+1)
General	BIF-207	Discrete Structures	3(3+0)

Year 4 — Semester 7 (Total: 18 CH)

Category	Code	Course Title	Credit Hours
Major	BIF-216	Bioinformatics Software Engineering	3(2+1)
Major	CS-401	Artificial Intelligence	3(3+0)
Major	BIF-218	Bioinformatics Computing II	3(2+1)
Elective	BIF-	Elective I	3(3+0)
Elective	BIF-	Elective II	3(3+0)
Major	BIF-222	Research Project (Part I)	3(0+3)

Year 4 — Semester 8 (Total: 16 CH)

Category	Code	Course Title	Credit Hours
Major	BIF-217	Special Topics in Bioinformatics	3(3+0)
Major	CS-304	Graphics and Visualization	4(3+1)
Elective	BIF-	Elective III	3(3+0)
Elective	BIF-	Elective IV	3(3+0)
Major	BIF-222	Research Project (Part II)	3(0+3)

Credit Hours per Semester: 17 • 16 • 17 • 17 • 17 • 17 • 18 • 16 = 135

List of Electives Options

Enzyme Kinetics
Functional Genomics
Human Computer Interaction
Nanotechnology
Environmental Biotechnology
Special Topics in Biochemistry
Immuno-Informatics
Microbial Genomics and Proteomics
Network Biology
Biophysics
Modern Programming Languages
Methods in Protein Modeling
Pharmacoinformatics
Statistical Methods in Bioinformatics
Design and Analysis of Algorithms
Epigenetics and Gene Regulation
Protein Chemistry
Microbial Genetics
Molecular Oncology
Immunology

Note: In addition to the above, the University may offer any elective subject to the availability of resources.

New Course Proposal Draft

Immunological Bioinformatics

Introduction to bioinformatics and immunology, immunoinformatics, the immune system, cellular immunity, antibody mediated immunity, virus infection,
vaccine design, modeling the immune system in the genome era, databases and web resources, systems biology, peptide–MHC binding, prediction of T-cell epitopes,
selection of epitopes using bioinformatics, prediction of proteasome processing and TAP binding, DNA vaccines, disease gene discovery using DNA array data,
structural epitope modeling, vaccination against allergy, and practical exercises in alignment, database search and prediction.

Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of either immunology or bioinformatics (equivalent to DTU courses 27611/27321). The course is a combination of lectures and exercises and will be conducted in English.

BS Bioinformatics – Course Outline

Semester I

ENG-101 – English I (3 Credit Hours)

Course Outline

Parts of speech
Sentence structure
Active and passive voice
Punctuation
Translation Urdu to English

Recommended Books

Practical English Grammar – Thomson & Martinet
Writing Intermediate – Oxford

PST-101 – Pakistan Studies (2 Credit Hours)

Course Outline

Ideological background of Pakistan
Political development
Foreign policy
Society and culture

CS-201 – Computer Fundamentals

Course Outline

History of computers
Number systems
Operating systems
Office automation

Lab Outline

Boolean functions
Flow charts
Office tools

Semester II

ENG-102 – English II

Course Outline

Paragraph writing
Essay writing
CV writing
Presentation skills

MTH-102 – Mathematics II

Course Outline

Functions
Limits
Derivatives
Integral calculus

BCH-102 – Introductory Biochemistry

Course Outline

Biomolecules
Proteins
Carbohydrates
Enzymes

Programmes Offered

BS (4 Years)

M.Phil (2 Years)

Ph.D.

CGPA Required for Completion of Degree

English Language Proficiency

HEC Policy / Guidelines

Core Courses

Optional Courses

BS Bioinformatics (4-Year) — Curriculum

Year 1 — Semester 1 (Total: 17 CH)

Year 1 — Semester 2 (Total: 16 CH)

Year 2 — Semester 3 (Total: 17 CH)

Year 2 — Semester 4 (Total: 17 CH)

Year 3 — Semester 5 (Total: 17 CH)

Year 3 — Semester 6 (Total: 17 CH)

Year 4 — Semester 7 (Total: 18 CH)

Year 4 — Semester 8 (Total: 16 CH)

Immunological Bioinformatics

BS Bioinformatics – Course Outline

Semester I

ENG-101 – English I (3 Credit Hours)

PST-101 – Pakistan Studies (2 Credit Hours)

CS-201 – Computer Fundamentals

Semester II

ENG-102 – English II

MTH-102 – Mathematics II

BCH-102 – Introductory Biochemistry

Semester III

ENG-201 – English III

BIF-204 – Essentials of Genetics

CS-202 – Object Oriented Programming

BCH-334 – Molecular Biology

MTH-201 – Linear Algebra & Differential Equations

Semester IV

SOC-101 – Sociology

BIF-208 – Database Management Systems

BIF-206 – Biochemistry

BIF-205 – Bioinformatics I

BIF-219 – Recombinant DNA Technology

Semester V

BIF-209 – Ethical & Legal Issues in Bioinformatics

BIF-200 – Probability and Biostatistics

BIF-212 – Bioinformatics Computing I

CS-203 – Data Structures and Algorithms

BIF-211 – Genomics

Semester VI

BIF-210 – Bioinformatics II

BIF-214 – Proteomics

BIF-213 – Modeling & Simulation

BIF-215 – Systems Biology

BIF-207 – Discrete Structures

Semester VII

BIF-216 – Bioinformatics Software Engineering

CS-401 – Artificial Intelligence

BIF-218 – Bioinformatics Computing II

Elective I

Elective II

BIF-222 – Research Project (Part I)

Semester VIII

BIF-217 – Special Topics in Bioinformatics

CS-304 – Graphics & Visualization

Elective III

Elective IV

BIF-222 – Research Project (Part II)