Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Bioinformatics (Co-op)

at Carleton University Canada

If you are also interested in Computer Science, consider our BMath Combined Honours program in Computer Science and Mathematics. This limited enrolment program, similar to the Bachelor of Computer Science program, places equal emphasis on Mathematics and Computer Science. 

As a student interested in chemistry, you can enrol in programs and courses in all the main areas of chemistry, including analytical, inorganic, organic, physical, theoretical and environmental chemistry. Concentrations in Nanotechnology and Chemical Toxicology are available. Extensive lab experience is offered, helping you to round out your studies with practical experience.

Improving the sustainability, quality and safety of food systems is essential to fight climate change and feed a growing population. Food scientists develop products with added nutritional value; they investigate food-borne illness and fraud, design environmentally friendly and smart packaging, and provide expert advice when unsafe foods end up in consumers’ hands. Built on a strong natural sciences foundation and important transferrable skills, Food Science prepares students for the challenges of their generation.

Neuroscience is a new, exciting, and rapidly expanding scientific discipline that aims to understand how physical processes in our brains underlie complex functions such as movement, sensation, memory, emotion, consciousness and thought. Faculty and students in Neuroscience and Biology are particularly interested in how diseases that affect the brain lead to mental health problems, with the focus of our research including depression, Parkinson’s disease, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease and concussion. Our research, like our academic programs, integrates information from many disciplines including medicine, molecular biology, psychology, immunology, genetics, chemistry and epidemiology.

The influence of public policy is pervasive in our society. It affects the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink. It affects prosperity and the extent of poverty, as well as our access to education and medical care. It shapes the impact and pace of technological change. It determines the duties and powers of our officials at home and overseas. It influences the pace of technological change, the reach and practical meaning of our rights, and the extent of poverty. As a student in the Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management program (BPAPM), you will examine a wide variety of issues facing society today, as well as institutional challenges, and develop the necessary skills and knowledge to address them.

The BPAPM does this through a curriculum that combines interdisciplinary study of civic institutions and processes with rigorous study of public policy. A selection of courses in political science, economics, law, communications, and history is combined with exclusive courses in public policy. Together, these courses will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of what government, civil and business organizations do, why they do it, and how they might do it better.

The BPAPM program is located in the Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs, which provides an academic home for our students who come from across Canada and abroad. The university college is ancient in conception, characteristic of universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, and following this model our students belong to a select scholarly community. They have exclusive and direct access to academic advising, dedicated student meeting space and an electronic resource centre.

Carleton’s Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) is a wide-ranging and career-focused program that will provide you with the skills required to succeed in the rapidly changing worlds of medicine, biomedical research and healthcare research. You will gain a strong foundation in the scientific knowledge and methods involved in the study of human health, along with the capacity to engage in broader multidisciplinary, multi-sector, and multicultural approaches to finding solutions to some of the most crucial health issues of our time.

Environment and Health
his concentration explores the influence of our environment on our health, from toxins we are exposed to in our daily lives to the effect of climate change on global patterns of infectious disease. You will learn about the chemistry of environmental toxins, their effect on our cells and DNA, and our immune responses to them, including how multiple factors can make individuals either more vulnerable or more resilient to illness. You will also study issues related to the prevention and treatment of environmentally linked illnesses such as cancer, asthma, and neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

The world of information technology is always evolving. What is now commonplace was once a breakthrough. As a student in one of the Bachelor of Information Technology programs, you will acquire the theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed to address the IT issues of today and the possibilities of tomorrow.

Network Technology
The Bachelor of Information Technology (BIT) offers four distinct programs: Information Resource Management (IRM), Interactive Multimedia and Design (IMD), Network Technology (NET) and Optical Systems and Sensors (OSS). These programs are offered jointly by Carleton’s School of Information Technology and Algonquin College’s schools of Health and Community Studies (for IRM), Media and Design (for IMD), and Advanced Technology (for NET and OSS). You will graduate with a Bachelor of Information Technology degree from Carleton University and one of: a Library and Information Technician diploma (for IRM students), an Advanced Diploma of Applied Arts (for IMD students), an Advanced Diploma in Technology (for NET students) or an Advanced Diploma in Photonics and Laser Technology (for OSS students) from Algonquin College.

The four-year NET program focuses on the design, management, operation and installation of future complex information networks such as those that make up the Internet and cell phone networks. The program is multidisciplinary in nature, combining courses in computer and network technology with courses in physics, mathematics, business, communications, arts and social sciences. In this program, you will not only explore theories and concepts but also learn about their practical application. You will learn to design, manage, secure, operate, install and configure advanced IT networks. State-of-the-art networking labs offer hands-on training with real-world equipment. The NET program has a partnership with the Cisco Networking Academy, whereby students are trained to successfully write the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and Professional (CCNP) certification exams to earn industry-recognized certification, which is in high demand in the job market.

Biology 
Biology in the 21st century is among the most diverse and exciting of the sciences. Many of the challenges we face as a society, from climate change to the development of novel health therapies, involve biological solutions. As a Carleton Biology student, you will gain broad experience through core science courses and options that suit your individual interests and needs.

Earth Sciences
The Earth Sciences program at Carleton offers you the opportunity to study the Earth’s systems, incorporating knowledge from other sciences including physics, biology and chemistry. You will learn about processes (such as evolution, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, plate tectonics and mountain building, formation of hydrocarbon reservoirs and mineral deposits) influential in the Earth’s geologic past that establish our present and future global development. The program offers the opportunity to participate in hands-on field courses that can take you to sites throughout Ontario, across Canada and around the world.

Linguistics is the scientific study of one of the most fundamental aspects of being human: using language to communicate. Linguists explore a range of fascinating ideas, including what it means to know a language, how we process and produce language, language structure, how children acquire language, variation and diversity in languages across the globe, language disorders and delays, and how languages change over time.

At Carleton, students learn to study linguistics from a dedicated faculty with a diverse set of research interests, including theoretical and experimental approaches and methods.

Students in the BA Honours can choose from two concentrations to tailor their Linguistics degree to their interests: Linguistic Theory or Psycholinguistics and Communication Disorders. Qualified students in the Psycholinguistics and Communication Disorders concentration have the opportunity to take a practicum course that provides clinical experience in speech-language pathology.

Biochemistry
The science of biochemistry seeks to understand how organisms function by investigating enzyme reactions, mechanisms of gene regulation, chemical signaling pathways, and cellular structure at the molecular level. Biochemists study how animals, plants and bacteria make use of energy to grow, compete with other organisms and reproduce. Many of the biochemist’s findings are of direct relevance to humanity—they help us understand and treat disease, improve food production and find new techniques to produce valuable products such as vitamins and antibiotics.

Biotechnology
Biotechnology applies the principles of biochemistry and biology to the study and manipulation of living organisms for industrial, medical, agricultural and environmental applications. Some areas of biotechnology include genetic engineering, metabolic engineering, personalized medicine, drug development, applied microbiology and fermentation techniques, and biological control of insect pests. In the Ottawa area, local companies and government agencies are involved in projects such as biofuel production from agricultural waste, the development of medical diagnostic screening devices, and the development of new anti-cancer and antimicrobial therapies—in other words, biotechnological solutions to real world everyday problems.