Bioinformatics Minor for Computer Science Majors

The purpose of this interdisciplinary minor is to prepare students to enter the computer-intensive fields of bioinformatics, computational biology, computational chemistry, and molecular modeling, including genomics and proteomics. With the ever-increasing number of fully sequenced genomes, including the human genome, biological databases have grown at such a rate that storing, organizing, indexing, and ultimately mining the data have become key to answering biological questions. The methodologies of genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics analyze genome structures, patterns of gene expression, and protein structure and function, respectively. Information obtained by computational biology and computational chemistry is used in the design of new drugs to treat a variety of diseases. Major drug and biotechnology companies are eager to hire people trained in the combination of biology and computer science skills that this minor provides.

Bioinformatics Minor for Computer Science Majors

Program Requirements

Courses with an asterisk can double count for ancillary/lab science requirements for the major)
BI-141Intro to Cellular and Molecular Biology (*)4
BI-203Genetics (*)4
BT-378Bioinformatics (*)4
Research/Internship in Bioinformatics2-3
Research Experience
Internship: Biology
Advanced Research Experience for Undergraduates
Internship: Computer Science
Independent Study: Computer Science
Internship: Chemistry
Electives - take 2 courses6-8
Genomics
Systematics and Evolution
Selected Topics: Biological Sciences (as approved by the Bioinformatics advisory board)
Linear Algebra
Probability and Statistics
Mathematical Modeling
Computing Ethics
Total Credits20-23
  1. Understand the intersectionality of biology, computer science, and mathematics in the context of the field
  2. Utilize existing tools to evaluate bioinformatics data, discover patterns, and draw conclusions
  3. Communicate bioinformatics information in both written and oral forms
  4. Develop laboratory skills that are used in the bioinformatics field