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Biology: Modelling Biological Systems

Course Overview

Biology is a highly quantitative science, with an intimate link between theory, empirical observation, and statistical analysis. This course focuses on the theoretical and modelling aspects of such links.

Course Details

• Level: Master's
• Language: English
• Place of study: Lund
• Course code: BIOS13
• Credits: 7.5

Overview

This course is offered to MSc students at the Department of Biology. It provides hands-on experience with the theoretical foundations of model design, analysis, and interpretation. It encompasses modeling in ecology, evolutionary biology, and related disciplines. Beginning with the fundamentals of modeling philosophy and theory, the course progresses to dynamic ecological systems modeling, stochastic modeling, and techniques for model fitting and parameter estimation. Additional topics include genetic algorithms and artificial neural networks. Basic algebra and R programming is used throughout the course.

Teaching and Learning

The course spans seven weeks in the autumn (November/December), with 2-3 full-day sessions each week. Each day begins with a recap of the previous topic, followed by a lecture on new theories and methods. Students then engage in practical modeling exercises using basic mathematics and R programming. The course concludes with a take-home exam in January that emphasizes designing, analyzing, and interpreting models relevant to various biological systems. The course can be combined with BIOS15 Processing and Analysis of Biological Data, which is also given part-time.

Dates

Not available as a stand-alone course

This course is only available as part of a programme.

Requirements and Selection

Prerequisites

• A degree of at least 180 credits
• At least 15 credits advanced level courses in biology, molecular biology, or bioinformatics
• 7.5 credits in statistics or programming is required
• English 6 / English B

Selection Criteria

Seats are allocated according to: ECTS (HPAV): 100%.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for non-EU/EEA citizens

Citizens of countries outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland are required to pay tuition fees.

• Full programme/course tuition fee: SEK 23,125
• First payment: SEK 23,125

No tuition fees for citizens of the EU, EEA, and Switzerland

There are no tuition fees for citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland.