The Computational Biology Track

The Computational Biology Track is intended for students who wish to develop working knowledge of computational techniques and their applications to biomedical research. Recent advances in high-throughput technologies, e.g., for DNA sequencing and for measuring RNA expression via DNA microarrays, are changing the nature of biomedical research. They empower fundamental new understandings of biological mechanisms with far reaching applications to biological and medical sciences. To fulfill this promise, new computational techniques are needed to analyze genome sequences, protein structures, metabolic and regulatory pathways, evolutionary patterns and the genetic basis of disease. The computational-biology track seeks to provide state of the art understanding of this concomitant growth of high-throughput experimental techniques, computational techniques to analyze their data, the resulting new understandings of biological mechanisms and their applications to pharmacological and medical practice (from diagnosis to drug design).

1. Overall Requirements

Students must complete a total of 30 credits:

1. Fulfill the 12-credit core requirement.
2. 2 required courses (6 credits): COMS-W4761 (Computational Genomics) and a second course selected among COMS-W4771, and SIEO 4150.
3. 6 elective credits at the 6000-level, at least 3 of these 6000-level credits must be selected from the list of section 4.
4. 6 credits of general elective graduate courses, at 4000 level or above; at least 3 of these credits must be CS graduate courses.
5. At least 3 elective credits must be selected from courses in biological departments.
6. Students using previous courses to fulfill core or track requirements may complete the 30 graduate credits by expanding their electives selected from (a) the list of required track courses; (b) the list of elective track courses; or (c) other graduate courses. At most 3 credits overall may be from non-technical graduate courses.

For the 12-credit core requirement, students take four courses from the following six:

COMS W4115 Programming Languages & Translators

COMS W4118 Operating Systems 1

COMS W4156 Advanced Software Engineering

COMS W4231 Analysis of Algorithms 1

COMS W4701 Artificial Intelligence

CSEE  W4824 Computer Architecture

2. Pre-requisites

None.

3. Required Track Courses

Candidates are required to complete the following course:

Candidates are required to complete one (1) of the following courses*:

Course ID	Title	Fall 2008**	Spring 2008
COMS-W4761	Computational Genomics

Candidates are required to complete one (1) of the following courses*:

Course ID	Title	Fall 2008**	Spring 2008
COMS-W4771	Machine Learning		Offered
SIEO-4150	Probability and Statistics	Offered	Offered

Students who have completed equivalent courses with grades of at least 3.0 may apply those courses to satisfy these requirements and devote more credits to pursue elective courses.

4. Elective Track Courses

Students are required to take two courses from the following list, at least one of which must be a 6000-level course. Other courses on this list may be used as general electives or to replace core or required track courses when the student has received a waiver.

Course ID	Title	Fall 2008**	Spring 2008
COMS-W4111	Database Systems	Offered	Offered
COMS-W4252	Introduction to Computational Learning Theory	Offered
COMS-W4772 (E6772)	Advanced Machine Learning	Offered
COMS-E6111	Advanced Database Systems		Offered
COMS-E6901	Projects in Computer Science	Offered	Offered
COMS-E6998	Computational Human Genetics
COMS-E6998	Seminar on Biological Networks
COMS-E6998	Seminar in Evolutionary and Comparative Genomics
COMS-E6998	Biological Networks
COMS-E6998	Research Seminar in Computational Genomics
BIOC-W4512	Molecular Biology		Offered
BIOL-W4031	Genetics I	Offered	Offered
BIOL-W4032	Genetics II	Offered
BIOL-W4034	Biotechnology	Offered
BIOL-W4037	Bioinformatics of Gene Expression
BIOL-W4041	Cell Biology	Offered
BIOL-W4070	The Biology and Physics of Single Molecules	Offered
BIOL-W4300	Drugs and Disease	Offered
BIOL-W4073	Cellular and Molecular Immunology		Offered
BIOL-W4510	Molecular Systems Biology I	Offered
BIOL-W4511	Molecular Systems Biology II		Offered
BCHM-G4026	Biochemistry of Nucleic   and Protein Synthesis		Offered
BCHM-G6300	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Eukaryotes I	Offered
BCHM-G6301	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Eukaryotes II		Offered
BMEN-E6480	Computational Neural Modeling and Neuroengineering
Genetics& Development	Advanced Eukaryotic         Molecular Genetics	Offered
BCHM-G4250	Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
STAT-6101	Statistical Modeling and Data Analysis	Offered
APMA-E4400	Introduction to Biophysical Modeling		offered
BINF-G4014	Computational BiologyI:   Functional and Integrative Genomics	Offered
BINF-G4015	Computational BiologyII: Proteins, Networks, Function		Offered

5. General Electives

Candidates are required to complete at least 6 additional graduate credits at, or above, the 4000 level; at least 3 of these credits must be CS, the other 3 credits may be a technical or non-technical elective approved by the track advisor. At most 3 credits overall of the 30 graduate credits required for the MS degree may be non-technical.

6. Contact

Please direct all questions concerning the Computational Biology Track to Prof. Itsik Pe'er. and Prof. YechiamYemini.

7. Graduation

Candidates preparing for graduation should submit a completed application for degree to the Registrar's Office and submit a track graduation form to C.S. Student Services (an example of a completed form is available here).

*Note: The list of electives may be updated to reflect changes in the schedule of course offerings.

**Please note that Fall 2008 course offerings are listed on a provisional basis only and may change from what is listed here.

The Elective Track description updated on 11/02/2006.

Last updated 3/25/2008.