Master of Science in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Richardson, USA
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
USD 18,276 / per semester
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* late application deadline: day prior to classes begin
Scholarships
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Introduction
The Master of Science in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology is an interdisciplinary program offered jointly by the Departments of Mathematical Sciences and Biological Sciences, with the former serving as the administrative unit. By combining coursework from the disciplines of Biology, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Statistics, it caters to the growing demand for a new breed of scientists who have expertise in all these disciplines. In addition to coursework, the program also provides opportunities to gain practical experience by getting involved in research with faculty members.
The program offers a choice between two tracks. One is designed for students with a general background in science/engineering, whereas the other is designed for students with a background in biological sciences. To build further expertise, both tracks offer a choice of three elective groups, namely, computer science-oriented, statistics-oriented, and biology-oriented elective groups. Both also offer opportunities for research. Students are expected to choose a track and an elective group based on their backgrounds and interests in consultation with the graduate advisor for the program.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Curriculum
Degree Requirements
The MS program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology requires completion of at least 36 semester credit hours. The program offers a choice between two tracks. Track 1 is designed for students with a general background in science/engineering, whereas Track 2 is designed for students with a strong background in biology. To build further expertise, both tracks offer a choice of three elective groups, namely, Computer Science oriented, Statistics oriented, and Biology oriented elective groups. Both also offer opportunities for research. Students are expected to choose a track and an elective group based on their backgrounds and interests in consultation with the Graduate Advisor for the program.
Track 1 (MS)
I. Core: 15 semester credit hours
- BMEN 6374 Genes, Proteins and Cell Biology for Engineers
- BIOL 6V00 Topics in Biological Sciences (Computational Molecular Evolution)
- CS 5303 Computer Science I
- MATH 5303 Advanced Calculus and Linear Algebra
- STAT 5351 Probability and Statistics I (for Elective Group 2)
- or STAT 5353 Probability and Statistics for Data Science and Bioinformatics (for Elective Groups 1 and 3)
II. Elective Groups (Choose one elective group)
Elective Group 1 (Computer Science Oriented): 15 semester credit hours
- CS 5343 Algorithm Analysis and Data Structures1
- MATH 6312 Combinatorics and Graph Theory
- MATH 6341 Bioinformatics
- or BIOL 5376 Applied Bioinformatics
- MATH 6346 Medical Image Analysis
- AND one of the following:
- CS 6307 Introduction to Big Data Management and Analytics for non-CS-Majors
- CS 6314 Web Programming Languages
- CS 6360 Database Design
- CS 6375 Machine Learning
Elective Group 2 (Statistics Oriented): 18 semester credit hours
- STAT 5352 Probability and Statistics II
- STAT 6337 Advanced Statistical Methods I
- STAT 6338 Advanced Statistical Methods II
- STAT 6340 Statistical and Machine Learning
- MATH 6341 Bioinformatics
- or BIOL 5376 Applied Bioinformatics
- MATH 6346 Medical Image Analysis
Elective Group 3 (Biology oriented): 15 semester credit hours
- MATH 6341 Bioinformatics
- or BIOL 5376 Applied Bioinformatics
- MATH 6345 Mathematical Methods in Medicine and Biology
- MATH 6346 Medical Image Analysis
- AND two of the following:
- BIOL 5375 Genes to Genomes
- BIOL 5381 Genomics
- BIOL 6315 Epigenetics
- BIOL 6373 Proteomics
- BIOL 6385 Computational Biology
- or BMEN 6389 Computational Biology
- or MATH 6343 Computational Biology
III. Research or Elective(s) or a Combination Thereof
- Elective Group 1: 6 semester credit hours
- Elective Group 2: 3 semester credit hours
- Elective Group 3: 6 semester credit hours
Track 2 (MS)
I. Core: 14 semester credit hours
- BIOL 5410 Biochemistry
- BIOL 5420 Molecular Biology
- STAT 5351 Probability and Statistics I (for Elective Group 2)
- or STAT 5353 Probability and Statistics for Data Science and Bioinformatics (for Elective Groups 1 and 3)
- MATH 5303 Advanced Calculus and Linear Algebra
II. Elective Groups (Choose one elective group)
Elective Group 1 (Computer Science oriented): 18 semester credit hours
- CS 5303 Computer Science I
- CS 5343 Algorithm Analysis and Data Structures*
- MATH 6312 Combinatorics and Graph Theory
- MATH 6341 Bioinformatics
- or BIOL 5376 Applied Bioinformatics
- MATH 6346 Medical Image Analysis
- AND one of the following:
- CS 6307 Introduction to Big Data Management and Analytics for non-CS-Majors
- CS 6314 Web Programming Languages
- CS 6360 Database Design
- CS 6375 Machine Learning
Elective Group 2 (Statistics oriented): 18 semester credit hours
- STAT 5352 Probability and Statistics II
- STAT 6337 Advanced Statistical Methods I
- STAT 6338 Advanced Statistical Methods II
- STAT 6340 Statistical and Machine Learning
- MATH 6341 Bioinformatics
- or BIOL 5376 Applied Bioinformatics
- MATH 6346 Medical Image Analysis
Elective Group 3 (Biology oriented): At least 18 semester credit hours
- MATH 6341 Bioinformatics
- or BIOL 5376 Applied Bioinformatics
- MATH 6346 Medical Image Analysis
- MATH 6345 Mathematical Methods in Medicine and Biology
- AND two of the following:
- BIOL 5375 Genes to Genomes
- BIOL 5381 Genomics
- BIOL 6315 Epigenetics
- BIOL 6373 Proteomics
- BIOL 6385 Computational Biology
- or BMEN 6389 Computational Biology
- or MATH 6343 Computational Biology
- BIOL 6V00 Topics in Biological Sciences (Computational Molecular Evolution)
- BIOL 6V00 Topics in Biological Sciences (Introduction to Programming for Biological Sciences)
III. Research or Elective(s) or a Combination Thereof
- All Elective Groups: 4 semester credit hours
Other Requirements
- For a Ph.D. bound student in the Department of Biological Sciences, BIOL 5440 Cell Biology and BIOL 5460 Quantitative Biology (or an equivalent) are required. This requirement can be fulfilled by taking these courses as 'electives' in the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology program.
- Electives must be approved by the Graduate Advisor of the program.
- Substitutions for required courses may be made if approved by the Graduate Advisor of the program and the Head of the Mathematical Sciences Department.
- A student may choose to write an MS thesis under the supervision of a faculty member. The thesis project can count for 3 to 6 semester credit hours of electives towards the required 36 hours, in accordance with University policies. The thesis must be approved by the Head of the Mathematical Sciences Department. Once the thesis project is completed, the student must successfully defend it before his/her thesis committee.
*Students who have not taken the CS 5333 Discrete Structures prerequisite for CS 5343 Algorithm Analysis and Data Structures should consult with their Graduate Advisor from the Mathematical
Career Opportunities
As mentioned in a recent article in Science.
“Today, job prospects within computational biology — also known as bioinformatics — seem strong and appear to be growing, buoyed by pharmaceutical and biotech industries looking to take advantage of reams of genomics data and usher in a new era of drug discovery.”
Moreover, NIH’s current director, Francis Collins, said
“If I were a senior or first-year graduate student interested in biology, I would migrate as fast as I could into the field of computational biology...There are vast quantities of high-quality data accessible to anybody who has the skills to find the nuggets of truth that are hiding in that information.”
The Graduates of the program are expected to either pursue a doctoral program in a related field or seek employment in biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, research labs, hospitals, and software companies.
Sciences Department to determine eligibility.
English Language Requirements
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