Computational Biology Minor

Computational Biology is an interdisciplinary field that develops and applies computational methods to understand and predict biological systems, and to address societal challenges. The Computational Biology (CBIO) Minor at CU teaches undergraduates to combine computational thinking and algorithms to study biological problems and systems. The program prepares students to understand complex biological phenomena and topics including epidemiology, biotechnology, precision medicine and human health, genetics and genomics, environmental systems, data science, and scientific research.

What will I learn in the minor?

  • Computational biology core concepts andÌýexperimental techniques
  • Representing and understanding biological data and patterns
  • Biologically relevant skills in applied math, data science & statistics, and computing
  • Modeling and predicting biological processes and dynamics
  • Biological phenomena under uncertainty with probabilistic and statistical analyses

Can I join?

The CBIO Minor is a cross-college minor that welcomes students from a diversity of majors. Students come together from disciplines in biology, math, computer science, and engineering in interdisciplinary learning settings. Students must have a minimum CU cumulative GPA of 2.500 to enroll. A prerequisite course of Calculus I or equivalent, with a grade of C- or better, is required to enroll. If you are interested in enrolling, fill out the CBIO Minor .


Complete one of the following before enrolling in the CBIO Minor:
Ìý
Course #Title
MATH 1300Calculus I
MATH 1310Calculus for Life Sciences
APPM 1345Calculus I w/ Algebra, Part B
APPM 1350Calculus I for Engineers
ÌýCalculus I AP credit

Ìý

Course Requirements

  • Requirements are met by completing courses in three areas: Skills, BioElectives, and Data & Structure + Bioprocesses.
  • The two main pathways through the minor requirements are: a biology background, which fulfills BioElective coursework, or computing or math background, which fulfills most Skills coursework.
  • The CBIO Minor is intentionally designed to provide overlap with your respective computational and biological expertise while challenging you to integrate core concepts and skills.
  • A GPA of at least 2.000 (prior to December 2021 this threshold was 2.250) is required forÌýthe courses that are used to satisfy the requirements for this minor.
  • Relevant coursework can be petitioned.

Skills

Prepare you in mathematical biology, data science & statistics, and computing principles.

Ìý

  • Mathematical Biology (one course)
  • Data Science & StatisticsÌý(one course)
  • Computing (two-course track)

Mathematical Biology.ÌýChoose one course from the table below:

Course #TitleSemester
CSCI 2897Calculating Biological QuantitiesÌý(recommended)FA
APPM 2360Intro to Diff. Eq. with Linear AlgebraFA, SP, SU
MATH 3430Ordinary Differential EquationsFA, SP, SU

Data Science & Statistics.ÌýChoose one course from the table below:

Course #TitleÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Semester
MCDB 3450Biological Data Science (recommended for non-Computer Science majors)SP
CSCI 3022Intro to Data Science with Probability & Stats (recommended for Computer Science majors)FA, SP, SU
CHEN 3010Applied Data AnalysisFA
EBIO 4410Biological StatisticsFA
IPHY 2800/3280Intro to Data Science & BiostatisticsFA, SP, SU
MATH 3510Intro to Probability & StatisticsFA, SP, SU
PSYC 2111Psychological Science I: StatisticsFA, SP, SU
STAT 2600Intro to Data ScienceFA, SP
STAT 4000Statistical Methods and Application IFA, SP

Computing.ÌýChoose a two-course track from the table below:

Course #Title Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌýÌý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌý Semester
APPM 1650Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý
APPM 3650		Python for Math and Data Science Applications
Algorithms and Data Structures in PythonÌý		FA
SP
CSCI 1300
CSCI 2270		CS 1: Starting Computing
CS 2: Data Structures		FA, SP, SU
FA, SP, SU
ASEN 1320
CSCI 2270		CS 1: Aerospace Computing and Engineering Applications
CS 2: Data Structures		FA, SP
FA, SP, SU
CSCI 1200
INFO 2201		Introduction to Computational Thinking
Programming for Information Science 2		FA
FA, SP
INFO 1201*Ìý
INFO 2201		Computational Reasoning*ÌýONLY IF TAKEN PRIOR TO FALL 2022
Programming for Information Science 2		FA, SP
FA, SP
INFO 1701
INFO 2201		Programming for Information Science 1 -ÌýREQUIRED for 2-course INFO sequence FALL 2022 forwardÌý
Programming for Information Science 2		FA, SP
FA, SP

BioElectives

Emphasize knowledge and theory in one biological area.

Ìý

Choose one course from any biological area from the tables below. Courses have required or recommended prerequisite lectures or labs prior to enrollment, and we list the approximate number of them for you. Consult the online University Course Catalog or contact CBIOminor@colorado.edu for more information*:

Biochemistry

Course #TitleÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ìý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ìý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Approx. # of
Pre-req Lec, Labs
BCHM 4611Principles of Biochemistry2, 1
BCHM 4720Metabolic Pathways & Human Disease3, 1
BCHM 4740Biochemistry of Gene Transmission, Expression,
& Regulation		3, 1

Biomedical Engineering

Course #TitleÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ìý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ìý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Approx. # of
Pre-req Lec, Labs
BMEN 4117Anatomy and Physiology for Biomedical Engineering3, 0

Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Course #Title Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌý ÌýÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Approx. # of
Pre-req Lec, Labs
EBIO 2040Principles of Ecology (accepted if minor declared prior to Fall 2021)2, 2
EBIO 2070Genetics: Molecules to PopulationsÌý(accepted if minor declared prior to Fall 2021)2, 2
EBIO 3040Conservation Biology3, 1
EBIO 3080Evolutionary Biology2, 0
EBIO 3400Microbiology2, 2
EBIO xxxxPetition any upper-division EBIO course focused in biological knowledge and theory*--

Environmental Studies

Course #TitleÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌýÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌý Approx. # of
Pre-req Lec, Labs
ENVS 3040Conservation Biology3, 2
ENVS 4185Geomicrobiology1, 1

Integrative Physiology

Course #Title Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌý Ìý ÌýÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Approx. # of
Pre-req Lec, Labs
IPHY 3410Human Anatomy2, 0
IPHY 3430Human Physiology3, 1

Molecular and Cellular Biology

Course #TitleÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Approx. # of
Pre-req Lec, Labs
MCDB 3135Molecular Biology3, 0
MCDB 3145Cell Biology3, 0
MCDB 3150Biology of the Cancer Cell2, 0
MCDB 3160Infectious Disease2, 0
MCDB 3501Structural Methods for Biological Macromolecules2, 0
MCDB 3650The Brain - From Molecules to Behavior2, 0

*If your biological area of interest is not yet represented above, please contact CBIOminor@colorado.edu to petition BioElectives for your major.

Data & Structure + Bioprocesses

Explore biological data and design models of biological processes and problems.

Ìý

Choose three courses, with at least one course from each table below:

Data & Structure

Course #Title Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌýÌý Ìý Ìý Semester
CSCI 3352Biological NetworksFA (FA24 forward)
MCDB 4520Bioinformatics & GenomicsFA

Bioprocesses

Course #TitleSemester
CSCI 4118Software Engineering for ScientistsFA
CSCI 4314Dynamic Models in BiologySP
APPM 4370Computational NeuroscienceFA
APPM 4390Modeling in Mathematical BiologySP
BCHM 4631

Genome Sequencing Analyses (lab course)

Formerly Statistical & Computational Analysis of the Human Genome

SP
EBIO 4290Phylogenetics and Comparative BiologySP
EBIO 4420Computational Biologycurrently unavailable
EBIO 4700

Quantitative Genetics

FormerlyÌýCritical Thinking in Biology: Quantitative Genetic Methods (EBIO 4800 special topics)

SP
BCHM/MCDB 4312Quantitative Optical ImagingFA
PHYS 4560Introduction to BiophysicsSP odd years

Ìý

Ready to enroll?

Interest Form: Interested in enrolling in the CBIO Minor or finding out more? !

Questions?

Reach out to us at CBIOminor@colorado.edu.
You can visit the .

Advising

Reach out to Eva Lacy at eva.lacy@colorado.edu or the CBIO Minor Email -ÌýCBIOminor@colorado.edu.
Declared students: Use View All Calendars in Buff Portal Advising and select Other Helpful Meetings to find appointments with Eva


Aaron Clauset, CBIO Minor Faculty Director, BioFrontiers and Dept. of Computer Science
Kristin Powell, CBIO Minor Associate Director, BioFrontiers
Eva Lacy, CBIO Minor Academic Advisor, Dept. of Computer Science
Ed Chuong, BioFrontiers and Dept. of Molecular Cellular & Developmental Biology
Robin Dowell, BioFrontiers and Dept. of Molecular Cellular & Developmental Biology
Rhonda Hoenigman, CEAS Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education
Dan Larremore, BioFrontiers and Dept. of Computer Science
Ryan Layer, BioFrontiers and Dept. of Computer Science
Manuel Lladser, Dept. of Applied Mathematics
Brett Melbourne, Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Orit Peleg, BioFrontiers and Dept. of Computer Science
John Rinn, BioFrontiers and Dept. of Biochemistry

Ìý

The CBIO Minor is brought to you by a partnership between the BioFrontiers Institute and the Dept. of Computer Science.

Interest Form: Ready to enroll in the CBIO Minor? (or want to find out more)