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Bioinformatics
Administrative Committee: A. Kusalik (Computer Science), Y. Luo (Biochemistry), G. Cheston (Computer Science), P. Covello (External), C. Todd (Biology), S. Ritchie (Industry), C. Soteros (Mathematics & Statistics), E. Quinlan (Dean's Representative). For more information, contact Program Director Dr. Anthony Kusalik
Program Description
There has been an exponential growth in molecular biological knowledge in recent years, thanks to genome sequencing projects and technologies for determining gene expression and protein structures. The tremendous volume and complexity of data has necessitated the development of specialized computational techniques for storing, visualizing, and analyzing them. Certain techniques also require computational techniques in the derivation of data. Such techniques all fall into the realm of Bioinformatics. Bioinformatics is the interdisciplinary meeting point for computer science and molecular biology. It requires understanding of the knowledge domains of biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and probability and statistics.
One major, ultimate goal of bioinformatics is to obtain information about an organism from its genome. This will require the characterization of very complex systems, at levels ranging from the atomic to the cellular and the organismic.
Major Average
The major average in Bioinformatics programs includes the grades earned in:
- CMPT 111.3, CMPT 115.3, CHEM 112.3, BIOL 120.3, BIOL 121.3, MATH 110.3; MATH 112.3 or MATH 116.3
- All courses listed in the Major Requirement C6.
Residency Requirements in the Major
To receive a degree in Bioinformatics, students must complete at least two-thirds of the following coursework (to the nearest highest multiple of 3 credit units) from the University of Saskatchewan.
- BIOL 120.3, BIOL 121.3, CHEM 112.3, CHEM 115.3, CMPT 111.3, CMPT 115.3, MATH 110.3, and one of MATH 112.3 or MATH 116.3
- Minimum requirements in Major Requirement C6.
See Residency for additional details.
Bachelor of Science Four-year (B.Sc. Four-year) - Bioinformatics
C1 Science Requirement (minimum 15 credit units)
BIOL 120.3BIOL 121.3CHEM 112.3CMPT 111.3CMPT 115.3 C2 Humanities Writing Requirement (6 credit units)
C3 Social Science Requirement (6 credit units)
- Any senior-level social science course provided that the
prerequisite is met and not more than 6 credit units in one subject are
used for the Social Science Requirement
- Statistics courses in social sciences are not accepted for credit toward the Social Science Requirement (eg. ECON 204.6, PSY 233.3, PSY 234.3, SOC 225.3 and SOC 325.3).
- Certain WGST courses may be considered a Humanities and/or Social Science. Refer to the course descriptions.
- NRTH 101.3 may not be used to fulfill the Social Science Requirement.
C4 Mathematics and Statistics Requirement (6 credit units)
MATH 110.3
Choose 3 credit units from the following:
MATH 116.3 is recommended
C5 General Requirement (6 credit units)
No more than 6 credit units in C1 - C5 from any one subject. For example, if you have received credit for ENG 110.6 in C2, you may not take further ENG courses to fulfill this requirement
Choose 6 credit units from the areas of Humanities, Social Sciences, Languages and/or Fine Arts.
PHIL 236.3 is required for the program and may be used to meet C5 or C7
Humanities
-
Certain WGST courses may be considered a Humanities and/or Social Science. Refer to the course descriptions.
-
CLAS 103.3, CLAS 104.3, CLAS 105.3, and CLAS 106.3 may not be used to fulfill the General Requirement.
- CHIN 111.6
- CHIN 130.6
- CLAS 110.3
- CLAS 111.3
- CMRS 110.3
- CMRS 111.3
- CREE 101.6
- CREE 120.6
- ENG 110.6
- ENG 111.3
- ENG 112.3
- ENG 113.3
- ENG 114.3
- FREN 103.3
- FREN 106.3
- FREN 122.3
- FREN 125.3
- FREN 128.3
- FREN 218.3
- GERM 114.3
- GERM 117.3
- GRK 112.3
- GRK 113.3
- HEB 111.6
- HIST 110.3
- HIST 111.3
- HIST 114.6
- HIST 120.6
- HIST 121.3
- HIST 122.3
- HIST 151.3
- HIST 152.3
- HIST 170.6
- INTS 101.12
- LATN 112.3
- LATN 113.3
- LING 110.3
- LIT 100.6
- PHIL 110.6
- PHIL 120.3
- PHIL 133.3
- PHIL 140.3
- RLST 110.6
- RUSS 114.3
- RUSS 117.3
- SNSK 101.6
- SPAN 114.3
- SPAN 117.3
- UKR 114.3
- UKR 117.3
- WGST 112.3
Social Sciences
- ANTH 111.3
- ARCH 112.3
- ARCH 116.3
- ECON 111.3
- ECON 114.3
- GEOG 130.3
- LING 111.3
- LING 112.3
- NS 107.3
- POLS 111.3
- POLS 112.3
- PSY 100.3
- PSY 120.3 and PSY 121.3 (formerly PSY 110)
- SOC 111.3
- WGST 112.3
Fine Arts
- Any senior-level fine arts course provided that the prerequisite is met.
- ART 111.6
- ART 112.6
- ART 113.6
- ART 136.3
- ART 141.3
- ART 161.3
- DRAM 101.3
- DRAM 104.6
- DRAM 110.3
- DRAM 113.3
- DRAM 118.3 (formerly DRAM 116)
- DRAM 119.3 (formerly DRAM 117)
- MUS 101.3
- MUS 105.3
- MUS 111.3
- MUS 120.2
- MUS 121.2
- MUS 133.3
- MUS 134.3
- MUS 150.3
- MUS 151.3
- MUS 184.3
Courses with No Program Type
- NRTH 101.3
C6 Major Requirement (63 credit units)
- BIOC 310.3
- BIOC 311.3 or MCIM 391.3 or BIOL 420.3
- BIOL 226.3 or MCIM 326.3
- BINF 200.3
- BINF 300.3
- BMSC 200.3
- BMSC 240.3
- CHEM 250.3
- CMPT 260.3
- CMPT 270.3
- CMPT 280.3
- CMPT 360.3
- CMPT 355.3
- STAT 242.3 or STAT 245.3 or STAT 246.3 (STAT 242 recommended)
Choose 21 credit units from the following lists, such that a minimum of 3 credit units are completed from each list.
List 1
- ACB 331.3
- ANBI 470.3
- ANSC 313.3
- BIOC 412.3
- BIOC 420.3
- BIOC 436.3
- BIOC 437.3
- BIOL 226.3
- BIOL 316.3
- BIOL 420.3
- BIOL 421.3
- BMSC 210.3
- BMSC 220.3
- BMSC 230.3
- BMST 305.3
- BMST 406.3
- BMST 408.3
- CHEM 255.3
- MCIM 326.3
- MCIM 417.3
- MCIM 421.3
- MCIM 487.3
- PLSC 240.3
- PLSC 411.3
- PLSC 416.3
List 2
- CMPT 214.3
- CMPT 215.3
- CMPT 317.3
- CMPT 370.3
- CMPT 385.3
- CMPT 393.3
- CMPT 394.3
- CMPT 417.3
- CMPT 463.3
List 3
- MATH 264.3 or MATH 266.3
- MATH 328.3
- STAT 241.3
- STAT 341.3
- STAT 342.3
- STAT 344.3
- STAT 345.3
- STAT 346.3
- STAT 349.3
List 4
- BIOL 222.3
- BIOL 224.3/BMSC 224.3
- BIOL 302.3
- BIOL 323.3
- BIOL 331.3
- BIOL 342.3
- BIOL 345.3
- BIOL 361.3
- BIOL 436.3
C7 Electives Requirement (18 credit units)
Cognate Courses (3 credit units)
PHIL 236.3 (may be used to meet C5)
Open Electives (15 credit units)
PHIL 234.3 and PHIL 238.3 are recommended (may be used to meet C5).
- Arts and Science courses, or those from other Colleges that have been
approved for Arts and Science credit, to complete the requirements for
the 120 credit unit Four-year program, of which 66 must be at the
200-level or higher.
Bachelor of Science Honours (B.Sc. Honours) - Bioinformatics
Students interested in entering an Honours program should consult advisors in the department concerned before registering for their second year. Of the 120 credit units required for the B.Sc. degree, at least 66 credit units must be at the senior level. Application for admission to Honours is not considered until successful completion of at least 60 credit units with a Cumulative Weighted Average of at least 70% overall and at least 70% in the subject of Honours. For further details, please see the
Academic Information and Policies section.
C1 Science Requirement (minimum 15 credit units)
- CMPT 111.3
- CMPT 115.3
- CHEM 112.3
- BIOL 120.3
- BIOL 121.3
C2 Humanities Writing Requirement (6 credit units)
C3 Social Science Requirement (6 credit units)
- Any senior-level social science course provided that the
prerequisite is met and not more than 6 credit units in one subject are
used for the Social Science Requirement
- Statistics courses in social sciences are not accepted for credit toward the Social Science Requirement (eg. ECON 204.6, PSY 233.3, PSY 234.3, SOC 225.3 and SOC 325.3).
- Certain WGST courses may be considered a Humanities and/or Social Science. Refer to the course descriptions.
- NRTH 101.3 may not be used to fulfill the Social Science Requirement.
C4 Mathematics and Statistics Requirement (6 credit units)
MATH 110.3
Choose 3 credit units from the following:
MATH 116.3 is recommended
C5 General Requirement (6 credit units)
No more than 6 credit units in C1 - C5 from any one subject. For example, if you have received credit for ENG 110.6 in C2, you may not take further ENG courses to fulfill this requirement
Choose 6 credit units from the areas of Humanities, Social Sciences, Languages and/or Fine Arts.
PHIL 236.3 is required for the program and may be used to meet C5 or C7
Humanities
-
Certain WGST courses may be considered a Humanities and/or Social Science. Refer to the course descriptions.
-
CLAS 103.3, CLAS 104.3, CLAS 105.3, and CLAS 106.3 may not be used to fulfill the General Requirement.
- CHIN 111.6
- CHIN 130.6
- CLAS 110.3
- CLAS 111.3
- CMRS 110.3
- CMRS 111.3
- CREE 101.6
- CREE 120.6
- ENG 110.6
- ENG 111.3
- ENG 112.3
- ENG 113.3
- ENG 114.3
- FREN 103.3
- FREN 106.3
- FREN 122.3
- FREN 125.3
- FREN 128.3
- FREN 218.3
- GERM 114.3
- GERM 117.3
- GRK 112.3
- GRK 113.3
- HEB 111.6
- HIST 110.3
- HIST 111.3
- HIST 114.6
- HIST 120.6
- HIST 121.3
- HIST 122.3
- HIST 151.3
- HIST 152.3
- HIST 170.6
- INTS 101.12
- LATN 112.3
- LATN 113.3
- LING 110.3
- LIT 100.6
- PHIL 110.6
- PHIL 120.3
- PHIL 133.3
- PHIL 140.3
- RLST 110.6
- RUSS 114.3
- RUSS 117.3
- SNSK 101.6
- SPAN 114.3
- SPAN 117.3
- UKR 114.3
- UKR 117.3
- WGST 112.3
Social Sciences
- ANTH 111.3
- ARCH 112.3
- ARCH 116.3
- ECON 111.3
- ECON 114.3
- GEOG 130.3
- LING 111.3
- LING 112.3
- NS 107.3
- POLS 111.3
- POLS 112.3
- PSY 100.3
- PSY 120.3 and PSY 121.3 (formerly PSY 110)
- SOC 111.3
- WGST 112.3
Fine Arts
- Any senior-level fine arts course provided that the prerequisite is met.
- ART 111.6
- ART 112.6
- ART 113.6
- ART 136.3
- ART 141.3
- ART 161.3
- DRAM 101.3
- DRAM 104.6
- DRAM 110.3
- DRAM 113.3
- DRAM 118.3 (formerly DRAM 116)
- DRAM 119.3 (formerly DRAM 117)
- MUS 101.3
- MUS 105.3
- MUS 111.3
- MUS 120.2
- MUS 121.2
- MUS 133.3
- MUS 134.3
- MUS 150.3
- MUS 151.3
- MUS 184.3
Courses with No Program Type
- NRTH 101.3
C6 Major Requirement (66 credit units)
- BIOC 310.3
- BIOC 311.3 or MCIM 391.3 or BIOL 420.3
- BIOL 226.3 or MCIM 326.3
- BINF 200.3
- BINF 300.3
- BMSC 200.3
- BMSC 240.3
- CHEM 250.3
- CMPT 260.3
- CMPT 270.3
- CMPT 280.3
- CMPT 360.3
- CMPT 355.3
- STAT 242.3 or STAT 245.3 or STAT 246.3 (STAT 242 recommended)
- BINF 400.3*
* Requires completion of a research project (undergraduate thesis) on a bioinformatics topic. Students also have to attend the research seminars as determined by their project supervisor. With permission of the Academic Coordinator, project courses from other relevant departments may be used to fulfill this requirement, providing a bioinformatics project is pursued.
Choose 21 credit units from the following lists, such that a minimum of 3 credit units are completed from each list. At least 6 of the 21 credit units must be at the 300-level or higher.
List 1
- ACB 331.3
- ANBI 470.3
- ANSC 313.3
- BIOC 230.3
- BIOC 412.3
- BIOC 420.3
- BIOC 436.3
- BIOC 437.3
- BIOL 226.3
- BIOL 316.3
- BIOL 420.3
- BIOL 421.3
- BMSC 210.3
- BMSC 220.3
- BMSC 230.3
- BMST 305.3
- BMST 406.3
- BMST 408.3
- CHEM 255.3
- MCIM 326.3
- MCIM 417.3
- MCIM 421.3
- MCIM 487.3
- PLSC 240.3
- PLSC 411.3
- PLSC 416.3
List 2
- CMPT 214.3
- CMPT 215.3
- CMPT 317.3
- CMPT 370.3
- CMPT 385.3
- CMPT 393.3
- CMPT 394.3
- CMPT 417.3
- CMPT 463.3
List 3
- MATH 264.3 or MATH 266.3
- MATH 328.3
- STAT 241.3
- STAT 341.3
- STAT 342.3
- STAT 344.3
- STAT 345.3
- STAT 346.3
- STAT 349.3
List 4
- BIOL 222.3
- BIOL 224.3/BMSC 224.3
- BIOL 302.3
- BIOL 323.3
- BIOL 331.3
- BIOL 342.3
- BIOL 345.3
- BIOL 361.3
- BIOL 436.3
C7 Electives Requirement (15 credit units)
Cognate Courses (3 credit units)
PHIL 236.3 (may be used to meet C5)
Open Electives (12 credit units)
PHIL 234.3 and PHIL 238.3 are recommended (may be used to meet C5).
- Arts and Science courses, or those from other Colleges that have been
approved for Arts and Science credit, to complete the requirements for
the 120 credit unit Honours program, of which 66 must be at the
200-level or higher.
If you require further assistance, please contact the Arts & Science Undergraduate Student Office.
Suggested Sequence of Courses
Year 1
- BIOL 120.3 and BIOL 121.3 (formerly BIOL 110)
- CHEM 112.3
- CMPT 111.3
- CMPT 115.3
- MATH 110.3
- MATH 112.3 or MATH 116.3
- 6 credit units to meet Program Type C requirements
- 3 credit units open electives
Year 2
- BMSC 200.3
- BMSC 240.3
- CHEM 250.3
- BIOL 226.3 or MCIM 326.3
- BINF 200.3
- CMPT 260.3
- CMPT 270.3
- CMPT 280.3
- STAT 242.3 or STAT 245.3
- 3 credit units to meet Program Type C requirements.
Year 3
- BIOC 310.3
- BINF 300.3
- BIOC 311.3 or MCIM 391.3
- CMPT 355.3
- CMPT 360.3
- 6 credit units program requirements
- 6 credit units to meet Program Type C requirements
Year 4
- 18 credit units program requirements
- 3 credit units Honours Project or Open Elective
- 6 credit units to meet Program Type C requirements
- 3 credit units open electives
