Bioinformatics, B.S.
Bioinformatics is the fastest growing field in Biology. In general terms, bioinformatics is the synthesis of computational methods and biological systems and comprises many sub-fields that approach different questions in biology. A Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics will prepare students to enter a variety of fields such as: medical informatics and interventions, new agricultural paradigms, pharmaceutical discovery, and molecular genealogy predictions, among others. This degree would provide students with the knowledge, skills, and experience to be competitive for both graduate school and employment opportunities.
Matriculation Requirements
BIOL 1610 College Biology I BB with C- or higher,
CS 1400 Fundamentals of Programming with a C+ or higher, and
Approval of Biology Department or Computer Science Department advisor.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
| General Education Requirements: | 39 Credits | |
| ENGL 1010 | Introduction to Academic Writing CC | 3 |
| or ENGH 1005 | Literacies and Composition Across Contexts CC | |
| ENGL 2010 | Intermediate Academic Writing CC | 3 |
| MATH 1050 | College Algebra QL | 4 |
| or MATH 1055 | College Algebra with Preliminaries QL | |
| Complete one of the following: | 3 | |
| US History to 1877 AS and US History since 1877 AS (6) | ||
| American Civilization AS (3) | ||
| US Economic History AS (3) | ||
| American Heritage AS (3) | ||
| American National Government AS (3) | ||
| Complete the following: | ||
| PHIL 2050 | Ethics and Values IH | 3 |
| or PHIL 205G | Ethics and Values IH GI | |
| HLTH 1100 | Personal Health and Wellness TE | 2 |
| or EXSC 1097 | Fitness for Life TE | |
| Distribution Courses: | ||
| BIOL 1610 | College Biology I BB | 4 |
| CHEM 1210 | Principles of Chemistry I PP | 4 |
| CHEM 1220 | Principles of Chemistry II PP | 4 |
| Humanities Distribution | 3 | |
| Fine Arts Distribution | 3 | |
| Social/Behavioral Science | 3 | |
| Discipline Core Requirements | 50 Credits | |
| BIOL 1011 | Introduction to Bioinformatics BB | 3 |
| BIOL 1615 | College Biology I Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOL 3500 | Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 3550 | Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 3100 | Introduction to Data Analysis for Biologists | 3 |
| BIOL 492R | Professional Development | 1 |
| BIOL 497R | Biology Colloquium (0.5 cr, two required)) | 1 |
| BIOL 4940 | Student Seminar WE | 2 |
| BIOL 4550 | Molecular Evolution and Bioinformatics WE | 3 |
| BIOL 4600 | Bioinformatics Capstone | 3 |
| STAT 2040 | Principles of Statistics QL | 4 |
| CHEM 1215 | Principles of Chemistry I Laboratory | 1 |
| CHEM 1225 | Principles of Chemistry II Laboratory | 1 |
| CS 1400 | Fundamentals of Programming | 3 |
| CS 1410 | Object Oriented Programming | 3 |
| CS 2300 | Discrete Mathematical Structures I | 3 |
| CS 2420 | Introduction to Algorithms and Data Structures | 3 |
| CS 305G | Global Social and Ethical Issues in Computing GI WE | 3 |
| INFO 2410 | Database Fundamentals | 3 |
| IT 1510 | Introduction to System Administration--Linux/UNIX | 3 |
| Elective Requirements | 31 Credits | |
| Choose 6 credits from any general electives. 1 | 6 | |
| Choose 25 credits from list below or approved by advisor | 25 | |
| Bioinformatics Data Skills (3) | ||
| General Ecology (3) | ||
| Bioinformatics and Genome Analysis (4) | ||
| Genomics (3) | ||
| Principles of Evolution WE (3) | ||
| Student Research (1-9) | ||
| Special Topics in Biology (1-4) | ||
| Senior Thesis (1-2) | ||
| Microbiology for Health Professions BB (3) | ||
| Emerging and Re Emerging Diseases and Zoonoses (3) | ||
| General Microbiology (3) | ||
| Python Software Development (3) | ||
| Numerical Software Development (3) | ||
| Database Theory (3) | ||
| Data Management For Data Sciences (3) | ||
| Design of Experiment (3) | ||
| Multivariate Analysis WE (3) | ||
| Mathematical Statistics-Probability and Statistics (3) | ||
| Mathematical Statistics-Statistical Inference (3) | ||
| Calculus I QL (4) | ||
or MATH 121H | Calculus I QL | |
| Calculus II (4) | ||
or MATH 122H | Calculus II | |
| Linear Algebra (3) | ||
| Calculus III (4) | ||
or MATH 221H | Calculus III | |
- 1
Upper division is suggested to meet upper division requirements
Graduation Requirements
- Complete the required minimum credit hours.
- If an AA or AS degree has been earned, a maximum of 64 of these credits may apply toward the BS.
- At least 30 credit hours in residence at UVU or satellite sites are required, with 10 hours earned during the last 45 hours.
- A minimum of 40 credits must be upper-division (numbered 3000 or above).
- A minimum of 40 credits must be in the major, 30 of which must be upper-division. A minimum of nine Department credits must be taken at UVU.
- Except for 490R Special Topics courses, a maximum cumulative total of 9 credits in any combination of upper division Departmental courses with an "R" designation may count toward graduation.
- Complete Biology Department core courses with a grade of "C-" or higher in each course.
- Achieve a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 with a minimum GPA of 2.25 in biology department courses.
- Complete the appropriate application for graduation form.
- Successful completion of at least one Global/Intercultural course.
- Successful completion of at least two Writing Enriched (WE) courses.
Graduation Plan
This graduation plan is a sample plan and is intended to be a guide. Your specific plan may differ based on your Math and English placement and/or transfer credits applied. You are encouraged to meet with an advisor and set up an individualized graduation plan in Wolverine Track.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Credit Hours | |
| ENGL 1010 | Introduction to Academic Writing CC | 3 |
| MATH 1050 or MATH 1055 | College Algebra QL or College Algebra with Preliminaries QL | 4 |
| CHEM 1210 | Principles of Chemistry I PP | 4 |
| CHEM 1215 | Principles of Chemistry I Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOL 1011 | Introduction to Bioinformatics BB | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| ENGL 2010 | Intermediate Academic Writing CC | 3 |
| BIOL 1610 | College Biology I BB | 4 |
| BIOL 1615 | College Biology I Laboratory | 1 |
| CS 1400 | Fundamentals of Programming | 3 |
| CHEM 1220 | Principles of Chemistry II PP | 4 |
| CHEM 1225 | Principles of Chemistry II Laboratory | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Semester 3 | ||
| American Institutions | 3 | |
| Fine Arts Distribution | 3 | |
| CS 1410 | Object Oriented Programming | 3 |
| IT 1510 | Introduction to System Administration--Linux/UNIX | 3 |
| BIOL 3500 | Genetics | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
| HLTH 1100 or EXSC 1097 | Personal Health and Wellness TE or Fitness for Life TE | 2 |
| CS 2300 | Discrete Mathematical Structures I | 3 |
| BIOL 3550 | Molecular Biology | 3 |
| Humanities Distribution | 3 | |
| INFO 2410 | Database Fundamentals | 3 |
| BIOL 497R | Biology Colloquium | 0.5 |
| Credit Hours | 14.5 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Semester 5 | ||
| PHIL 2050 | Ethics and Values IH | 3 |
| CS 2420 | Introduction to Algorithms and Data Structures | 3 |
| STAT 2040 | Principles of Statistics QL | 4 |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Division Elective | 2 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 6 | ||
| Social/Behavioral Science Distribution | 3 | |
| BIOL 3100 | Introduction to Data Analysis for Biologists | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Division Elective | 6 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Semester 7 | ||
| BIOL 497R | Biology Colloquium | 0.5 |
| BIOL 4940 | Student Seminar WE | 2 |
| BIOL 4550 | Molecular Evolution and Bioinformatics WE | 3 |
| Upper Division Elective | 9 | |
| Credit Hours | 14.5 | |
| Semester 8 | ||
| BIOL 4600 | Bioinformatics Capstone | 3 |
| CS 305G | Global Social and Ethical Issues in Computing GI WE | 3 |
| BIOL 492R | Professional Development | 1 |
| Upper Division Elective | 8 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Program Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate mastery of the core concepts of bioinformatics as derived from the associated fields of biology, computer science, mathematics, informatics, and chemistry.
- Utilize existing software to extract, compile, and analyze information from large databases.
- Create data science pipelines and/or computer programs that facilitate biological data analysis.
- Analyze a novel biological dataset as part of a project using bioinformatic approaches.
- Present a bioinformatics project either orally or as a written paper.