Start here: plan your preparation

A manageable place to start

The pathway below is suggested preparation for MPhil and MRes students. It is not assessed work or an additional entry requirement. The times are estimates for a first pass, including a little practice; they are not official course workload figures. Take longer where it helps, and move quickly through material you already know.

You do not need to finish every link or master the course before it begins. Keep a short list of unfamiliar terms and questions. If you have received specific preparation instructions from the programme team, follow those alongside this guide.

Core suggested pathway: about 2–3 hours

1. Find your bearings — 10–15 minutes. Read your programme overview and scan the module guides. Notice which topics are familiar and which are new. Check the module name changes if a title differs from the one you expected.
2. Refresh the biological vocabulary — 45–60 minutes. Start with the genetics knowledgebase. Focus on DNA, RNA and genes; alleles and inheritance; chromosomes; reference genomes; and genetic variation. Try a few self-checks, using the explanations to fill gaps.
3. Follow the data — 35–45 minutes. Read the introduction to genomic data. Aim to describe how a biological sample becomes sequencing reads, an alignment and a set of candidate variants. Learn what FASTQ, BAM/CRAM and VCF files contain.
4. Refresh statistical reasoning — 35–45 minutes. Work through the examples in the statistics refresher. Concentrate on probability, effect sizes, uncertainty and the difference between association and causation. You can return to the more difficult examples later.

Recommended next steps: about 1½–2 hours

• Read one paper actively — 45–60 minutes. Use reading a scientific paper to identify a research question, inspect a figure and distinguish a result from the authors’ interpretation. Write down one strength and one limitation.
• Think about research — 35–50 minutes. Read preparing for research. Practise turning a broad interest into a question that a particular study could answer.
• Check the practicalities — 10–15 minutes. Read the pre-course FAQ, including what you can do before your University account is active and where to ask for support.

Adapt the route to your background

Your background is a starting point, not a label. Use whichever suggestions address your own gaps.

Clinical or healthcare experience

Prioritise the genomic data journey and statistical uncertainty. Practise separating the observation of a variant from the evidence needed to interpret it. Clinical familiarity can help you ask what a study’s outcome actually means.

Biological or laboratory experience

Scan the genetics foundations, then spend more time on data formats, quality and statistical comparisons. Ask how experimental design and sample handling could affect the result of an analysis.

Computing, mathematics or engineering experience

Begin with genes, inheritance and the biological meaning of variation. Then connect file structures and analysis steps to the biological questions they can answer. Technical precision is useful; understanding what was measured matters just as much.

MPhil: use the pathway to build breadth, then explore preparation linked to the modules on your programme. MRes: give early attention to reading papers, study design and reproducible research, alongside the shared foundations. Use the research exercise to practise framing questions, then follow programme guidance on project arrangements.

Optional exploration

If you have time and interest, try the genome-browser activities in the knowledgebase, follow a module’s further reading, or revisit a worked example using different numbers. These are opportunities to explore, not a completion checklist.

How will I know I have done enough?

A useful finish line is being able to explain a few key terms in your own words, sketch the route from sample to result, and ask a specific question about a paper or statistical example. You should also know where to find your programme information and who to contact if something is unclear.