QBio Doctoral Minor

Technological innovations have revolutionized the scale and detail with which biological systems can be explored. With that revolution has come a demand for scientists who can develop and analyze quantitative and predictive models of biological systems. The QBio doctoral minor is designed to complement the depth of training in biological or quantitative sciences that a student achieves through UW-Madison’s graduate programs with the breadth that is needed to conduct research under this paradigm. In addition to coursework in biological, quantitative, and integrated courses, students in the program will take an inter-disciplinary research seminar to prepare them for research that crosses these boundaries. This training will prepare students for careers in academic and industrial settings, where the ability to cross disciplinary lines and work in teams with diverse expertise is critical.

Students who are candidates for the Ph.D. degree in any department or program may obtain an interdisciplinary minor in Quantitative Biology by earning a minimum of 10 credits from the courses listed below. The coursework is divided into one course from a quantitative science, one course from a biological science, one course from an integrated course, and a one-credit research seminar. Courses may be taken in any sequence, although it is strongly advised that the research seminar is taken during the first year of graduate school. At least three credits of the coursework to fulfill this minor must be beyond the required courses in the primary doctoral program. Courses that are selected to fulfill electives may be used to satisfy this requirement.

Consistent with the Graduate School’s GPA requirement, a GPA of 3.00 is required.

Students who have satisfied the requirements, complete this form and submit to the QBio committee for signature.

Questions can be directed to the minor’s faculty directors, Dr. Sushmita Roy and Dr. Tony Gitter

Research Seminar (Required)

BME 780 Methods in Quantitative Biology

Quantitative Courses (Choose One)

CBE 660 Intermediate Problems in Chemical Engineering
COMP SCI 524 Introduction to Optimization
COMP SCI 760 Machine Learning
MATH 443 Applied Linear Algebra
MATH / COMP SCI 513 Numerical Linear Algebra
MATH / COMP SCI 514 Numerical Analysis
MATH 519 Ordinary Differential Equations
MATH 531 Probability Theory
MATH 605 Stochastic Methods for Biology
MATH 619 Analysis of Partial Differential Equations
MATH / COMP SCI 714 Methods of Computational Mathematics
STAT / MATH 431 Introduction to the Theory of Probability
STAT / B M I 541 Introduction to Biostatistics
STAT / F&W ECOL / HORT 571 Statistical Methods for Bioscience I
STAT / F&W ECOL / HORT 572 Statistical Methods for Bioscience II
STAT 609 Mathematical Statistics 1
STAT 610 Introduction to Statistical Inference
STAT / ISYE / MATH / OTM 632 Introduction to Stochastic Processes
STAT / MATH 709 Mathematical Statistics
STAT / MATH 710 Mathematical Statistics

Integrated Courses (Choose One)

BIOCHEM 570 Computational Modeling of Biological Systems
BME 556 Systems Biology: Mammalian Signaling Networks
BME / CBE 782 Modeling Biological Systems
BME / CBE 783 Design of Biological Molecules
BMI / BIOCHEM / BMOLCHEM / MATH 609 Mathematical Methods for Systems Biology
BMI / COMP SCI 576 Introduction to Bioinformatics
BMI / COMP SCI 776 Advanced Bioinformatics
BMI / COMP SCI 775 Computational Network Biology
BMI 826 Statistics in Human Genetics
BMI / STAT 877 Statistical Methods for Molecular Biology
GENETICS 885 Advanced Genomic and Proteomic Analysis
MICROBIO 657 Bioinformatics for Microbiologists
BOT/PL PATH 563 Phylogenetic Analysis of Molecular Data
ONC 778 Bioinformatics for Biologists

Biological Courses (Choose One)

BIOCHEM 501 Introduction to Biochemistry
BIOCHEM 601 Protein and Enzyme Structure and Function
BIOCHEM / GENETICS / MICROBIO 612 Prokaryotic Molecular Biology
BIOCHEM / GENETICS / MD GENET 620 Eukaryotic Molecular Biology
BIOCHEM / BOTANY 621 Plant Biochemistry
BIOCHEM 625 Coenzymes and Cofactors in Enzymology
BIOCHEM / PHMCOL-M / ZOOLOGY 630 Cellular Signal Transduction
BIOCHEM / CHEM 704 Chemical Biology
BIOCHEM 719 From Atoms to Molecules
GENETICS 466 Principles of Genetics
GENETICS / MICROBIO 607 Advanced Microbial Genetics
GENETICS / BOTANY / MM & I / MICROBIO / PL PATH 655 Biology and Genetics of Fungi
GENETICS 701 Advanced Genetics
MICROBIO / BMOLCHEM 668 Microbiology at Atomic Resolution
MICROBIO 526 – Physiology of Microorganisms
ONC / MICROBIO / PL PATH 640 General Virology-Multiplication of Viruses
ONC 703 Carcinogenesis and Tumor Cell Biology
PATH 750 Cellular and Molecular Biology/Pathology
ZOOLOGY 570 Cell Biology