Program Overview

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Computational Biology (MSCB) program at Carnegie Mellon University is a joint program between the Department of Biological Sciences in the Mellon College of Sciences and the Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department in the School of Computer Science.

Program Description

The MSCB program offers broader training in advanced biological and computer science concepts, encompassing genomics, biological modeling and simulation, and machine learning. The program is designed to train Computational Biologists, and students interested in other fields should apply directly to those programs.

Career Opportunities

The median starting salary for MSCB graduates is over $80,000/year. The program's job board hosts opportunities both within the Computational Biology Department and in organizations that have full-time positions and internships available in computational biology.

Related Programs

The Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department also offers an MS in Automated Science degree program (MSAS), which shares some training faculty and required courses with MSCB. The MSAS curriculum is tailored to automation of experimental design and data acquisition through the hands-on use of automated instruments.

Academic Home

The academic home of the MSCB program is Mellon College of Science, and students are affiliated with both the Mellon College of Science and the School of Computer Science.

Research Opportunities

Qualified students may be able to find work as research assistants (RAs) or teaching assistants (TAs). Students may not work as TAs or RAs in the first semester, and most are not able to find paid positions as RAs until the summer or as TAs until the second year.

Placement Statistics

MSCB graduates have high placement rates in a wide range of positions in academia and industry. Roughly 25% go onto Ph.D. or M.D. programs, and the remainder primarily work in industry.

Application Process

Applications are managed by the School of Computer Science, and details about application deadlines and fees are available. The application fee varies by date and number of programs to which you apply.

Admissions Requirements

• International applicants should submit their transcripts in English, but do not need to hire a credential evaluation service as long as the degree is equivalent to a US degree and the transcript has been translated to English.
• The GRE is not required, but applicants may submit scores if they choose to do so.
• TOEFL scores are required for international students, with a minimum overall score of 91 and individual score minimums of 23 for Listening, Reading, and Speaking, and 22 for Writing.
• A minimum of 90% of students admitted to the program have a TOEFL speaking score of 23 or higher and an overall TOEFL score of 96 or higher.

Background Requirements

• An undergraduate degree in any life science or quantitative field is desirable.
• The specific knowledge areas that are most valuable to the program are:
  • Cell & Molecular Biology
  • Computer programming
  • Linear algebra
  • Probability theory
• A typical student will demonstrate strength in 2-3 of these areas.

Financial Information

• Tuition rates are set by the Mellon College of Science.
• A complete list of graduate tuition and cost of attendance information is available.
• Financial support for graduate students is limited, and students are advised to review Carnegie Mellon's Enrollment Services Web site for external sources of financial aid.

Student Life

• Part-time employment is allowed, with a maximum of 20 hours per week.
• Research employment on campus is possible, but usually only available after 1 semester or 1 summer of unpaid research for course credit.
• International students may work on campus 20 hours or fewer per week while school is in session and full-time during vacation terms or official school breaks.