graduate CERTIFICATE IN NGS and GEnomic Data Analysis

This 5-month fully online certificate program immerses learners in the fast-growing field of genomic data analysis. It covers foundational concepts in genome biology, bioinformatics pipelines, sequencing technologies, data cleaning, variant analysis, and clinical reporting. The program emphasizes both technical skills and interpretation strategies, using hands-on tools like Galaxy, Bioconductor, Python, and R. The final month includes a mentored capstone project where students process raw NGS data and generate an annotated, visual report.

Designed for aspiring genomic analysts, bioinformatics technicians, and lab researchers, this program introduces the core tools and workflows used in genomic analysis. Students will work with NGS data (FASTQ to VCF), align reads, call variants, and interpret genetic findings using real-world clinical or public datasets. The curriculum is especially suited to students in biotechnology, molecular diagnostics, and biomedical data science fields. A focus is placed on hands-on analysis using scripting tools and platforms like Galaxy, GATK, and Ensembl.

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Explain the structure and function of the human genome and its role in health and disease
• Perform quality control and alignment of sequencing data using Galaxy and command-line tools
• Execute variant calling and annotate using open-source tools like GATK, ANNOVAR, and VEP
• Conduct exploratory data analysis and create visualizations using Python and R
• Interpret variants using clinical guidelines (e.g., ACMG), and write basic diagnostic reports
• Manage datasets responsibly in compliance with ethical guidelines and data privacy standards