Program Overview

M.S. in Computational Biology

The M.S. in Computational Biology program is a joint program between the Computational Biology Department and the Department of Biological Sciences.

Program Description

The program seeks to train the world's best Computational Biologists at the Master's level. The curriculum provides both breadth and depth of training in Computational Biology and is built on a solid foundation of Biology, Computer Science, Statistics, and Machine Learning (Data Sciences). Interested students are also given opportunities to pursue research.

Program Objectives

The program's mission is to prepare graduates for rewarding jobs in industry or to pursue their doctoral degrees at top universities.

Curriculum

Coursework consists of Foundation Courses, Background Courses, and Breadth & Depth Courses in a wide array of disciplines such as:

• computer science
• machine learning
• math
• statistics
• biology
• chemistry
• biomedical engineering
• information management

Research Opportunities

Students have the option of conducting in-depth research in addition to coursework, and are also encouraged to seek external internships after their first year.

Program Duration

Students pursue this degree full-time and complete the program in 3-4 semesters.

Career Paths

Students who have completed the program have gone on to work in a wide range of industries in biotech and pharma as well as government and academic institutions. Recent graduates have been employed at companies and institutes such as:

• the J. Craig Venter Institute
• Thermo Fisher Scientific
• Philips Research
• Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Other graduates have gone on to pursue Ph.D. degrees at a number of top universities around the world.

Departments

The program is offered by the following departments:

• Biological Sciences
• Computational Biology

Program Structure

The integrated discipline of computational biology/bioinformatics represents the application of modern computer science, statistics, and mathematics to exploring biological and biomedical problems. The Department of Biological Sciences in the Mellon College of Science and the Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department in the School of Computer Science combine their world-class strengths in computer science and biology with the strong tradition of interdisciplinary research at Carnegie Mellon into a unique training program in this emerging field.

Student Profile

The M.S. in Computational Biology program enrolls students who desire a more immediate career in industry or who wish to explore computational biology without committing to a doctoral program. It also draws returning professionals who seek to enhance their skills and practices in this new interdisciplinary field.

Program Benefits

The program provides students with a sophisticated understanding of biological questions and powerful analytical tools to solve them. The curriculum is designed to provide both breadth and depth of training in Computational Biology, making sense of advances in biomedical science and the knowledge explosion in domains such as genetics, drug design, neuroscience, and environmental health.

Program Outcomes

The program prepares graduates for rewarding jobs in industry or to pursue their doctoral degrees at top universities. The curriculum is built on a solid foundation of Biology, Computer Science, Statistics, and Machine Learning (Data Sciences), providing students with a comprehensive understanding of computational biology and its applications.

Additional Information

The CMU Rales Fellow Program is dedicated to developing a diverse community of STEM leaders from under-resourced backgrounds by eliminating cost as a barrier to education.