Bioinformatics

About the Program
Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary science that combines Biology, Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, and Chemistry. Bioinformatics is the management of large amounts of biological information generated from research using advanced computational methods and programs. The program includes various courses in genetics and molecular biology, which will contextualize genomic data and explain how it is isolated, sequenced and analyzed. Our computer science courses will give you the foundation to write the computer programs required to analyze large amounts of data.
After completing your first year, you'll be asked to confirm what program(s) you wish to study – your Programs of Study. They can be integrated in unique ways to obtain your U of T degree, but must be one of the following three combinations: one Specialist; or two Majors; or one Major and two Minors. You don't need to worry about that now, but if you'd like to learn more about this process, watch our handy video (7 min).
Admission Requirements
You apply to an admission category, which is a collection of similar programs. Once you've accepted an offer of admission to our campus, we go into greater detail about specific program and course selection options.
At the end of your first year, you will choose your program(s), which means that your first year is an excellent opportunity to explore the full breadth of offerings.
Regardless of what you study, remember that you will receive a prestigious University of Toronto degree when you graduate that tells everyone that you are ranked among the best in the world!
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The admission average is calculated with English (ENG4U) plus the next best five Grade 12 U or M courses. Meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee you admission to the University. Admission is subject to space availability and competition.
Entry to the Computer Science, Mathematics & Statistics admission category is gained directly from high school. Applicants who have completed any postsecondary studies (including studies at other divisions at the University of Toronto) are not eligible for admission.
The content in this section is based on requirements in the Ontario curriculum.
Find requirements to other common curricula:
- International Baccalaureate
- U.S.-Patterned Education
- British-Patterned Education
- French Baccalaureate
- Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE)
Please visit the Admissions section of our site for full requirements.
Discover Your Potential

"Uber of deliveries": Innovative U of T startup is purchased by its biggest customer
A University of Toronto startup that uses crowdsourcing to deliver goods to small businesses has been acquired by its biggest customer. Blip Delivery, founded in 2018 by U of T Mississauga students affiliated with ICUBE’s accelerator program, is the Uber of deliveries, says co-founder and CEO Srikanth Srinivas, who is in his final year of studying computer science.

Creativity, passion and a genuine sense of leadership': Four U of T faculty honoured with Early Career Teaching Awards
Daniel Zingaro wants to click with his students – literally. Zingaro, an assistant professor, teaching stream, in the Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences at U of T Mississauga, is considered an international leader in the use of peer instruction, or PI – an active-learning approach that uses clickers to engage students on material.

New UTM club connects women in STEM
A new student club at U of T Mississauga is connecting women in science and computing studies with networking and career development opportunities. Since its soft launch in December, the Women in Science and Computing club (or WiSC) has hosted three events, including an exam study session, a film screening and a career panel with a San Francisco-based leader in web development.
Student Experience
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STA256H5 • Probability and Statistics I
This course covers probability including its role in statistical modeling. Topics include probability distributions, expectation, continuous and discrete random variables and vectors, distribution functions.
Student Groups & Societies
Planning Ahead
Whether you want to land your dream job, conduct groundbreaking research, or start your own business, we can get you there. Here are resources to help you explore your career options.
Career Options
Created by our Career Centre, the Careers by Major database identifies some potential career fields, how to gain related skills and experience, and useful resources and job samples. But always remember, your program of study doesn't have to determine your career!
Program Plans
Program Plans are quick and accessible overviews of the many academic and co-curricular opportunities available to help you get the most out of your UTM experience.
Tip Sheets
The Career Centre offers dozens of tip sheets with helpful information about topics related to searching for work, planning your career, and pursuing further education.
View to the U: An eye on UTM research
View to the U is a podcast that features U of T Mississauga faculty members from a range of disciplines who will illuminate some of the inner-workings of the science labs and enlighten the social sciences and humanities hubs at UTM.
Jessica Burgner-Kahrs: Plugged into robotics research
Jessica Burgner-Kahrs is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Mathematical and Computational Sciences at U of T Mississauga and in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at UofT, and the Director of the Continuum Robotics Laboratory at UTM, a newly established lab. Over the course of this interview Jessica talks about being at the forefront of continuum robotics, what inspires and influences her work in the lab, her global collaborations, and how she got into this field.