Minor in Bioinformatics (CSE)

  • Total Units Required: 23-24 units

Mindful of the emerging opportunities at the interface of biology and computer science, the Department of Biology and the Department of Computer Science & Engineering have fashioned the minor in bioinformatics.

Core Courses

ESE 3260 Probability and Statistics for Engineering3
BIOL 2960 Principles of Biology I4
BIOL 2970 Principles of Biology II4
CSE 1301 Introduction to Computer Science3
CSE 2407 Data Structures and Algorithms3
or SDS 2020
Elementary Probability and Statistics
or SDS 3020
Elementary to Intermediate Statistics and Data Analysis
or MATH 3211
Statistics for Data Science
or DAT 1200
Managerial Statistics I and DAT 1201: Managerial Statistics II
Total Units17

Advanced Biology Elective

Choose one of the following:

BIOL 3492 Laboratory Experiments with Eukaryotic Microbes*3
BIOL 3493 Bacterial Bioprospecting and Biotechnology3
BIOL 4181 Population Genetics3
BIOL 4220 Practical Bioinformatics4
BIOL 4342 Research Explorations in Genomics4
BIOL 4343 Research Explorations in Genomics*4
BIOL 4370 DNA Manipulations Lab3
BIOL 4525 Structural Bioinformatics of Proteins*4

* These courses also satisfy the Arts & Sciences writing-intensive requirement.

Computer Science & Engineering Elective

Choose one of the following:

CSE 5104 Data Mining3
CSE 5804 Algorithms for Biosequence Comparison3
CSE 5807 Algorithms for Computational Biology3

Additional Information

It is anticipated that, for certain students, some portion of the introductory sequence will overlap with the courses required for the major and that these courses will be applicable to both the major and the minor. Upper-level courses used to fulfill the minor requirements may not be used to fulfill the requirements of another major or minor in Arts & Sciences.

Arts & Sciences students should declare the minor within Arts & Sciences. They will be assigned an advisor in Biology. Per Arts & Sciences policy, students with a major in the Department of Biology are not eligible to declare this minor. Per Arts & Sciences policy, Arts & Sciences students must complete 9 units of upper-level course work toward the minor. 

McKelvey, Olin, and Sam Fox students should declare the minor within the McKelvey School of Engineering. They will be assigned an advisor in Computer Science & Engineering.  

A minimum grade of C- is required for all courses to count toward the minor. Students may apply no more than one course taken outside of Washington University toward the minor requirements. Courses earned through Washington University–approved study abroad programs are considered to be resident units and may count toward this minor where applicable with no limit. 

Contact Info