Bioinformatics, BS

Program Description

The BS in Bioinformatics Degree is designed for students interested in the interdisciplinary fields of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Computer Science. Students will have the opportunity to develop methods and software tools for understanding and analyzing biological data and to apply it to medical research.


Program Curriculum

120 credits

Utah Tech General Education Requirements

All Utah Tech General Education requirements must be fulfilled. A previously earned degree may fulfill those requirements, but courses must be equivalent to Utah Tech's minimum General Education standards in American Institutions, English, and Mathematics.

General Education Core Requirements
English3-7
Mathematics3-5
American Institutions3-6
Life Sciences3-10
Physical Sciences3-5
Fine Arts3
Literature/Humanities3
Social & Behavioral Sciences3
Exploration 3-5

Bioinformatics Core Requirements

Complete the following 68 credits of Program Core Requirements

BIOL 1610
BIOL 1615
Principles of Biology I (LS)
and Principles of Biology I Lab (LAB)
5
BIOL 1620
BIOL 1625
Principles of Biology II
and Principles of Biology II Lab
5
BIOL 3010Evolution3
BIOL 3300Introduction to Bioinformatics3
BIOL 3030Principles of Genetics3
BIOL 4010Molecular Evolution3
BIOL 4300
BIOL 4305
Molecular Biology
and Molecular Biology Laboratory
4
BIOL 4310Advanced Bioinformatics3
BIOL 4320Scripting for Biologists3
BIOL 4810RIndependent Research1
BIOL 4910Senior Seminar1
CHEM 1210
CHEM 1215
Principles of Chemistry I (PS)
and Principles of Chemistry I Lab (LAB)
5
CHEM 1220
CHEM 1225
Principles of Chemistry II
and Principles of Chemistry II Lab
5
CS 1400Fundamentals of Programming3
CS 1410Object Oriented Programming3
CS 2420Introduction to Algorithms and Data Structures3
CS 2450Software Engineering3
CS 3310Discrete Mathematics3
IT 1100Introduction to Unix/Linux3
IT 2300Database Design & Management3
MATH 1210Calculus I (MA) 14
MATH 3060Statistics for Scientists3
Pick one (1) of the following Technical Laboratory Course
BTEC 2010DNA Methods and Analysis2
BTEC 2020Protein Purification and Analysis2
BTEC 2030Cell Culture Techniques 2
BTEC 2050Zebrafish Maintenance & Methodology2
BIOL 2300Fundamentals of Bioinformatics2

Bioinformatics Program elective courses

Complete a total of 15 credits from the following list of approved Program Elective courses

BIOL 3040General Ecology3
BIOL 3100Bioethics3
BIOL 3250Cancer Biology3
BIOL 3450
BIOL 3455
General Microbiology
and General Microbiology Lab
4
BIOL 3460Biology of Infectious Disease3
BIOL 3470Introduction to Immunology3
BIOL 3550
BIOL 3555
Eukaryotic Cell Biology
and Eukaryotic Cell Biology Lab
4
BIOL 4810RIndependent Research1-6
BIOL 4890RLife Science Internship1-8
BIOL 4930RSenior Thesis1-4
CHEM 2310
CHEM 2315
Organic Chemistry I
and Organic Chemistry I Lab
5
CHEM 2320
CHEM 2325
Organic Chemistry II
and Organic Chemistry II Lab
5
CHEM 3510
CHEM 3515
Biochemistry I
and Biochemistry I Lab
4
CHEM 3520
CHEM 3525
Biochemistry II
and Biochemistry II Lab
4
CS 2450Software Engineering3
CS 3005Programming in C++3
CS 3510Algorithms3
CS 4300Artificial Intelligence3
CS 4307Database Systems3
CS 4320Machine Learning3
SE 3100Software Practices3
SE 3150Software Quality3
MATH 1220Calculus II (MA)4
MATH 2270Linear Algebra3
MATH 2280Ordinary Differential Equations3
MATH 3400Probability & Statistics3
MATH 3500Numerical Analysis3
Any BTEC 3000+
A maximum of one of the following courses/course sets:
BIOL 4200
BIOL 4205
Plant Taxonomy (ALPP)
and Plant Taxonomy Lab (ALPP)
4
BIOL 4260
BIOL 4265
Herpetology
and Herpetology Lab
3
BIOL 4270
BIOL 4275
Ichthyology
and Ichthyology Lab
3
BIOL 4280Marine Biology3
BIOL 4350
BIOL 4355
Animal Behavior
and Animal Behavior Lab
4
BIOL 4380
BIOL 4385
Ornithology
and Ornithology Lab
3
BIOL 4411
BIOL 4415
Mammalogy
and Mammalogy Lab
4
BIOL 4440
BIOL 4445
General Entomology
and General Entomology Lab
4

BIOINFORMATICS PROGRAM ELECTIVE COURSES

Complete a total of 16 credits of general elective courses.

It is highly recommended that students complete one of the following certificates: Functional Genomics, Genetic Sequencing, Protein Characterization, Biological mathematical Modeling, Cell Culture.


Graduation Requirements

  1. Complete a minimum of 120 college-level credits (1000 and above).
  2. Complete at least 40 upper-division credits (3000 and above).
  3. Complete at least 30 upper-division credits at Utah Tech for institutional residency, with at least 15 credits earned in the last 45 credits
  4. Cumulative GPA 2.0 or higher.
  5. Grade C- or higher required in each of the Bioinformatics Core courses and Program Elective courses
  6. Maximum 6 total credits of BIOL 4810R, and/or BIOL 4890R, and/or BIOL 4930R may be used toward Biology requirements.