General description

Through millions of years of evolution, Nature has evolved very sophisticated stategies and highly efficient biological machinery, such as a nervous system, to enable us to see, hear, and otherwise perceive our environment. The physical and operational sophistication of a nervous system allows its owners to make intelligent decisions, plan and execute actions, and learn and adapt very efficiently. The Neuroinformatics tries to discover the general principles that allow our own brains and the brains of other animals to function so fast and efficiently. If we can discover the fundamental principles of how brains function, we could understand how the astonishing perceptual capabilities and actions arise. This knowledge can then be applied to other domains, such as intelligent systems built from silicon. In the Neuroinformatics program, students learn how the central nervous system is built and operates to address specific challenges and solves complex problems. They learn about the computations performed by brain structures to achieve a particular goal, such as object recognition, planned actions, learning and memory. Students can also learn how biologically inspired strategies can be implemented in artificial devices. Neuroinformaticians work with real biological systems, with computational models, artificial neural networks, and robots. If you want to learn about the brain, or to build machines that can see, hear, maybe even think, then Neuroinformatics is for you!

Admission requirements

The following academic degrees exempt the holder from having to pass any further examinations for admission to the a Master’s degree course: -A Bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Science of the University of Zurich, whereby the Faculty determines which types of the Bachelor's degree are required for admission to the respective Master's degree courses. - Corresponding degrees of Swiss and foreign universities which are generally recognized by the Faculty, or recognized by subject. In terms of paragraph 1, such degrees are reviewed according to the stipulations of § 3 of the Bologna guideline of the Swiss University Conference. Further possibilities for admission to a Master’s degree course: the Faculty assesses all other qualifications, in particular those from universities of applied sciences, according to its own criteria, whereby. The principle of equal treatment applies to assessing the equivalence of Bachelor's degrees The Faculty can require the fulfillment of additional conditions in form of evidence of academic achievement. The Faculty decides about the acceptance of academic achievements and credit points which were obtained elsewhere.

Educational goals

Graduates from the minor study program in Neuroinformatics (30 ECTS credits) are able to

• write computer programs of moderate complexity in a higher programming language, and use these programs to analyze neurobiological data.
  
• implement a neurobiological question in such a program and answer it by analyzing neurological data.
  
• explain fundamental terms in Neuroinformatics and understand important algorithms for data analysis in Neuroinformatics.
  
• collect relevant information from the literature on a topic in Neuroinformatics and communicate it - in writing as well as orally - using the proper vernacular.
  
• acquire and integrate various data sets from internet-based databanks.
  
• understand and apply the concepts and terms of “Neuromorphic Engineerings”
  

ECTS credits

30 ECTS Credits

Program structure

A Master’s minor study program in Neuroinformatics (30 ECTS credits) offers students an in-depth introduction into the research fields of Neuroinformatics and Systems Neuroscience. The students have the possibility to choose among several courses taught by the Institute of Neuroinformatics and other relevant institutes, and to perform research projects in the fields of neurobiology or neuromorphic engineering.

Examination and assessment regulations

The student's achievement is assessed at the end of each module.
Achievements are graded on a scale from 1 to 6, whereby 6 denotes the highest grade of achievement and 1 the lowest. A grade below 4 is insufficient.
Achievements can also be graded with 'passed' or 'failed'.

Language of instruction

German, English