HackMD
The Comp Bio Major
This document provides guidance for Computational Biology majors and their advisors. Information on the major in Biology is available separately.
From the college catalog:
The major in computational biology allows students to develop a coherent plan for the integration of computer science with biology. Students completing this major will be well prepared to obtain employment or pursue research in fields such as computational biology and bioinformatics.
Major requirements
Students will design an integrative course of study in collaboration with academic advisors from the Biology and Computer Science departments.
It is each student's responsibility to make sure they meet major requirements. Faculty act as advisors only.
Required core courses
These eleven courses provided foundational skills and introduce concepts that are central to computational biology. Foundational courses (100-level) may be satisfied by AP or other placement exams.
| course number | course name | language |
|---|---|---|
| BI163 | The Cellular Basis of Life | R |
| BI164 a | Evolution and Diversity | R |
| CS151, CS152, CS154 b | Computational Thinking | python |
| MA119 and MA120; or MA125 or MA130 or MA135 | Single variable Calculus | |
| MA160 | Multivariable Calculus | |
| BI278 | Genomics | Unix, R |
| BI279 | Genetics | R |
| CS231 | Data Structures and Algorithms | java |
| CS251 or CS252 | Data Analysis and Visualization | python |
| MA253 or MA262 c | Linear Algebra or Vector Calculus | |
| SC212 | Intro to Statistics | R |
Elective courses at the 300-level or above, two each in Biology and Computer Science
These courses demonstrate areas of application for computational biology represented at Colby. Below are recommended courses, and other courses may be approved in advance in consultation with the student's major advisor. Be aware that 300-level courses can have prerequisites that are not part of the Comp Bio core curriculum.
| course number | course name | language |
|---|---|---|
| BI320 | Evolutionary Analysis | |
| BI323 | Plant Genetic Engineering | |
| BI345 | Advanced Genomics (not offered every year) | Unix, R |
| BI351 | Applied and Environmental Microbiology | |
| BI371J | Applied Biomedical Genomics | |
| BI376 or BI377 | Development, Genes, and Evolution or Morphometry (not offered every year) | |
| BI/BC378 | Molecular Biology | |
| BI382 | Ecological Modeling | R |
| CS341 | Systems Biology I | MatLab |
| CS441 | Systems Biology II | MatLab |
| CS343 | Neural Networks | python, MatLab |
| CS443 | Computational Neuroscience | python, MatLab |
| CS346 | Computational Modeling and Simulation I | python, MatLab |
| CS446 | Computational Modeling and Simulation II | python, MatLab |
Notes
a These courses fulfill the intro Bio requirement and will form your foundation for college-level scientific experimentation and writing.
b These courses that fulfill the intro CS requirement differ primarily in their project theme. Students are free to choose which ever they prefer, but CS152 may be most generally useful. The project in CS151 deals with graphics; CS152 focuses on science. These two courses teach python. CS154 is not offered as often.
c Depending on their area of interest, Comp Bio majors should choose one or the other. MA253 is recommended for most students, and especially those with an interest in Genomics. MA262 may be preferable for students with an interest in modeling physical biological systems or interactions. If students find that they are interested in additional Statistics courses, we recommend SC321 (Statistical Modelling) or SC397 (Statistical Learning).
Miscellanous
- Internship credits will not count toward major requirements.
- Off-campus study (OCS): Courses taken off-campus must be approved by the OCS office for transfer of credits to Colby. There is a limit of 8 credit hours that can be tranferred to Colby from most OCS programs. For an OCS course to count towards a major requirement it must be approved by the department chair or OCS liaison in the appropriate department. (Biology courses are approved by the Biology department; Chemistry courses by the Chem Dept; etc.) However, grades for OCS courses do not contribute to Colby GPA.
- There are exceptions to these OCS rules. For example, the Bigelow Semester Program provides 16 credits in Chemistry, ES and Biology.
- Double majors or minors: You cannot do a double major or minor with Comp Bio and Data Science. No "Computational XXX" majors are allowed to do this. You are allowed to double major or minor in Bio (only major), CS, or Stats.
