School of Life Sciences · Life science foundations
Genetics & Genomics Fundamentals
Genomics has transformed biology, medicine and agriculture. This course gives you the genetic and genomic concepts needed to understand sequencing studies and to move on to analysis courses.
Course overview
Genetics & Genomics Fundamentals moves from Mendelian inheritance and linkage to population genetics and quantitative traits, then to genome organisation, the types of genetic variation and how they are measured.
The second half explains sequencing technologies, reference genomes and the main kinds of genomic study, so that you can read genomics papers critically and choose the right Vedicgen analysis course next.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course you will be able to:
- Solve problems in Mendelian and population genetics
- Describe genome organisation and types of variation
- Explain how short-read and long-read sequencing work
- Describe the main study designs in genomics
- Read a genomics paper and identify its key claims and limits
Skills you will practise
Eligibility and prerequisites
Who can apply
- Undergraduate and postgraduate students in any life-science, health-science, agriculture or pharmacy programme
- Graduates preparing for research positions, higher studies or a move into biotechnology
- Professionals from adjacent fields (engineering, computing, chemistry) who need a working command of biology
Prerequisites
- School-level biology
Best suited to
- Life-science and agriculture students
- Clinicians and allied-health students curious about genomics
- Learners preparing for NGS or GWAS courses
Module-wise syllabus
4 modules. Each pairs instructor-led sessions with a hands-on lab on public data.
Topics
- Mendelian genetics and pedigrees
- Linkage and recombination
- Quantitative traits
Topics
- Allele frequencies and Hardy–Weinberg
- SNVs, indels and structural variants
- Genetic diversity
Topics
- Genome organisation
- Sequencing technologies
- Reference genomes and annotation
Topics
- GWAS, exomes and transcriptomes
- Clinical and agricultural genomics
- Ethics of genomic data
Practical sessions and projects
Capstone project
Final assessment
A critical review of a published genomics study, explaining its design, findings and limitations.
Assessed on the correctness of the analysis, the quality of the code and the reasoning in the write-up. A pass is required for the certificate.
- Inheritance
Problem set: pedigrees, linkage and heritability.
- Populations and variation
Explore variant frequencies across populations in a public browser.
- Genomes and sequencing
Navigate a gene in the Ensembl and UCSC genome browsers.
- Genomics in practice
Critically read a genomics paper and summarise its design and limitations.
Software, tools and datasets
Software and tools
All software is free and open source or free for academic use. Recommended computer: 8 GB RAM, 30 GB free disk, Linux, macOS or Windows with WSL2.
Core reading
- Griffiths AJF et al. Introduction to Genetic Analysis. Macmillan Learning.
- Strachan T, Read A. Human Molecular Genetics, 5th edition. CRC Press, 2018.
Duration, format and fees
- Next cohort
- Dates are sent with your admission offer
- Timetable
- Three evening or weekend sessions a week (IST), plus a lab clinic; intensive and weekend-only schedules on request
- Payment
- Secure online payment link with your admission offer (UPI, cards, net banking). Instalments on request for fees above ₹15,000.
- Refunds
- See the refund and cancellation policy.
Instructor
The instructor for each cohort is named in your admission offer and on this page when the cohort is announced. Vedicgen instructors are selected for hands-on research or industry experience in the subject they teach, and every course is reviewed by a second subject expert.
Questions about who teaches a cohort? [email protected]
Certificate
Learners who complete the course and pass its capstone receive a Vedicgen certificate of completion for Genetics & Genomics Fundamentals, issued by Vivofold, stating the guided hours and skills assessed. Each certificate has a unique ID and QR code that anyone can check.
Apply for Genetics & Genomics Fundamentals
Apply
Send the form below. It takes about five minutes.
Review
An adviser confirms your fit and format within two working days.
Offer
You receive dates, timetable and a secure payment link.
Onboard
Set-up guide, pre-reading and joining links.
Frequently asked questions
Online. The live cohort meets for instructor-led sessions with problem-solving in small groups; the self-paced format offers the same lessons with quizzes and a mentor-reviewed final assignment.
Yes. Learners who complete the course and pass its assessment receive a Vedicgen certificate of completion, issued by Vivofold. Every certificate carries a unique ID and a QR code that anyone, including an employer or admissions office, can check on the certificate verification page.
Apply with the form on this page. Live and in-person cohorts run through the year; the dates, timetable and joining details of the next cohort are sent with your admission offer and listed on this page once announced. Self-paced enrolment opens as soon as your application is accepted.
Yes. No course runs longer than four weeks, and the length is customisable: choose the standard schedule, an intensive one- to two-week schedule, weekends only, or a custom timetable. Pick your preference on the application form; colleges and teams can book their own dates.
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