Bioinformatics
Undergraduate Program

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All courses, faculty listings, and curricular and degree requirements described herein are subject to change or deletion without notice. Updates to curricular sections may be found on the Academic Senate website: http://senate.ucsd.edu/Curriculum/Updates.htm.

Advances in biotechnology allow us to probe thousands of molecules simultaneously. The wealth of information produced must be analyzed using computation, creating a demand for computational biologists, who are trained in biology, mathematics, chemistry, and computer sciences. Bioinformatics will have a tremendous impact upon our understanding of cellular functions, protein structure and design, evolutionary biology, regulatory networks, and the molecular basis of disease.

An interdisciplinary undergraduate major leading to BS degrees with a major or specialization in bioinformatics was created in fall 2001. This major is designed to provide career opportunities for BS graduates, as well as opportunities for future advanced training at the graduate level. Students graduating from this program have been in great demand in top graduate schools, in medical schools, and in industry.

Admissions

Students wishing to pursue a study in bioinformatics may select from majors offered by the Division of Biological Sciences, or the Departments of Bioengineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Computer Science and Engineering. A major in bioinformatics is available within each of the listed departments and divisions. All participating departments have a substantially common curriculum, but each has its own emphasis through its electives, and there are some differences in the core requirements.