B.S. in Bioinformatics
The bioinformatics major at Loyola provides students with the training and opportunities to become leaders in this ground-breaking discipline, with career advancement and post-graduate possibilities for years to come. Graduates in bioinformatics will:
- Acquire technical skills at the interface of biology, computer science, chemistry and mathematics
- Learn biological and chemical laboratory techniques
- Develop computer programming capabilities
- Use mathematical and statistical techniques to analyze results from laboratory experiments and computer outputs
- Understand key problems, proposed solutions and future challenges of the bioinformatics field
- Demonstrate effective and ethical decision-making abilities in facing issues relating to human health and animal treatment
Degree Requirements
Students pursuing the B.S. in bioinformatics must complete 28 courses in biology, chemistry, computer science, and mathematics and statistics, totalling 76 credit hours. The following courses are required:
Biology
- BIOL 101 General Biology I (3 credits)
- BIOL 282 Genetics (3 credits)
- BIOL 283 Genetics Lab (2 credits)
- BIOL 387 Genomics (3 credits)
- BIOL 388 Bioinformatics (3 hours)
- BIOL 390 Molecular Biology Laboratory (4 credits)
- BIOL 394 Ethical Issues in Bioinformatics (3 credits)
Chemistry
- CHEM 101 General Chemistry (3 credits)
- CHEM 111 General Chemistry Lab (1 credit)
- CHEM 102 General Chemistry (3 credits)
- CHEM 112 General Chemistry Lab (1 credit)
- CHEM 223 Organic Chemistry (3 credits)
- CHEM 225 Organic Chemistry Lab (1 credit)
- CHEM 224 Organic Chemistry (3 credits)
- CHEM 226 Organic Chemistry Lab (1 credit)
- CHEM 361 Biochemistry (3 credits)
- CHEM 365 Proteomics (3 credits)
Computer Science
- COMP 163 Discrete Structures (3 credits)
- COMP 170 Introduction to Programming (3 credits)
- COMP 171 Scripting Languages: Lab Practicum (1 credit)
- COMP 271 Data Structures (3 credits)
- COMP 353 Database Programming (3 credits)
- COMP 363 Design and Analysis of Algorithms (3 credits)
- COMP 383 Computational Bioinformatics (3 credits)
Mathematics and Statistics
- MATH 131 or MATH 161 Calculus I (3 credits)
- MATH 132 or MATH 162 Calculus II (3 credits)
- STAT 335 Introduction to Biostatistics (4 credits)
- STAT 337 Quantitative Methods in Bioinformatics (4 credits)
Required courses within the major also satisfy the following university Core Curriculum requirements: scientific literacy (6 credits), philosophical knowledge (3 credits) and quantitative analysis (3 credits).
Sample Course Schedules
These course schedules display how students may complete the bioinformatics major in addition to their university Core requirements in four years of study:
- Non-Pre-Health Majors (PDF)
- Pre-Health Majors (PDF)
