Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering

Degrees Offered:

BS in Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering

Program Requirements

Student admissions to the QBE major will have the same requirements as admissions to Colorado School of Mines. There will be no additional requirements.

Program Description

The undergraduate program in Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering (QBE) is designed to provide a rigorous interdisciplinary training at the interface between biology, mathematics, computer sciences, material sciences, and chemistry, establishing a new hallmark for Colorado School of Mines. The students in the major will complete a program that includes the general Mines core, plus a set of required courses in biological sciences and data sciences along with an approved selection of biology electives. Electives are designed to support students with an interest in particular areas of biology (e.g., medicine, ecology, geobiology, systems biology, or molecular biology) along with critical quantitative and computational skills. Hands-on lab skill development and research opportunities through course-based research, undergraduate research, and independent study credit will be offered in partnership with several Mines research labs and/or corporate internships and co-ops. The curriculum will also focus on the entrepreneurial applications of biological discovery as well as the ethical, societal, and environmental concerns presented by modern biological advances. 

QBE Program Level Learning Outcomes

At the end of the QBE curriculum, students should be able to:

  1. Explain and apply foundational biological concepts in the areas of 1) evolution, 2) structure-function relationships, 3) biological networks and systems, 4) information storage and transfer, and 5) transformations of energy and matter.
  2. Explain and apply core skills and concepts in mathematical, physical, and data sciences including basic programming, working with biological datasets, modeling biological processes, and visualizing data
  3. Conduct rigorous experimental biological research through hypothesis testing, experimental design, use of research equipment, data collection, data analysis, and written and oral communication of results to diverse audiences.
  4. Work in diverse teams using technical expertise, multidisciplinary skills, effective communication, and entrepreneurship to establish goals, plan tasks, and solve problems.
  5. Evaluate the ethical and cultural impacts of modern biology and data science on local communities, worldwide society, and the environment.
  6. Obtain a position in quantitative biosciences in industry, government, or graduate/professional school.

Admission Requirements

Student admissions to the QBE major will have the same requirements as admissions to Colorado School of Mines. There will be no additional requirements.

Program Faculty

Joel Bach, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Linda Battalora, Teaching Professor of Petroleum Engineering

Suzannah Beeler, Assistant Teaching Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Cecilia Diniz Behn, Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics & Statistics

Nanette Boyle, Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Kevin Cash, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Anuj Chauhan, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Kristine Csavina, Teaching Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Dylan Domaille, Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Alina Handorean, Teaching Professor of Engineering, Design & Society

Christopher Higgins, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Melissa Krebs, Co-Director, QBE Graduate Program and Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Ramya Kumar, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Karin Leiderman, Co-Director, QBE Graduate Program and Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics & Statistics

Terry Lowe, Research Professor of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering

David Marr, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Christine Morrison, Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Cynthia Norrgran, Teaching Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Alexander Pak, Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering

Steve Pankavich, Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics & Statistics

Anthony Petrella, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Andrew Petruska, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Matthew Posewitz, Professor of Chemistry

Josh Ramey, Director of the QBE Undergraduate Program and Teaching Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering

James Ranville, Professor of Chemistry

Susanta Sarkar, Assistant Professor of Physics

Justin Shaffer, Teaching Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Jonathan Sharp, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Anne Silverman, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

E. Dendy Sloan, Emeritus Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering

John Spear, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Jeff Squier, Professor of Physics

Amadeu Sum, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Brian Trewyn, Associate Professor of Chemistry

Shubham Vyas, Associate Professor of Chemistry

Hua Wang, Associate Professor of Computer Science

Kim Williams, Professor of Chemistry

Xiaoli Zhang, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering Degree Requirements:

Biology Core Requirements

CBEN110FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY I4.0
CBEN120FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY II4.0
BIOL300INTRODUCTION TO QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY I3.0
BIOL301INTRODUCTION TO QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY II 3.0
CBEN320CELL BIOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY3.0
CBEN321INTRO TO GENETICS4.0
CHGN428BIOCHEMISTRY3.0
CHGN431INTRODUCTORY BIOCHEMISTRY LABORATORY2.0
CHGN462MICROBIOLOGY3.0
or CEEN460 MOLECULAR MICROBIAL ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
BIOL410ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN BIOTECHNOLOGY SEMINAR1.0
BIOL415QUANTITATIVE BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING FIELD SESSION3.0
CSCI478INTRODUCTION TO BIOINFORMATICS3.0

Fundamental Science and General Requirements

MATH111CALCULUS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS I4.0
MATH112CALCULUS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS II4.0
MATH213CALCULUS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS III4.0
MATH225DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS3.0
MATH201INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS3.0
CHGN121PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY I4.0
CHGN122PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY II (SC1)4.0
CHGN221ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I3.0
CHGN223ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY1.0
CHGN222ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II3.0
EBGN201PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS3.0
EDNS151CORNERSTONE - DESIGN I3.0
HASS100NATURE AND HUMAN VALUES3.0
HASS200GLOBAL STUDIES3.0
ELECTIVE CULTURE AND SOCIETY (CAS) Mid-Level Restricted Elective Courses
ELECTIVE CULTURE AND SOCIETY (CAS) 400-Level Restricted Elective Courses
PHGN100PHYSICS I - MECHANICS4.0
PHGN200PHYSICS II-ELECTROMAGNETISM AND OPTICS4.0
S&WSuccess and Wellness (4 electives)
CSCI128COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR STEM3.0
CSM101FRESHMAN SUCCESS SEMINAR1.0
CSM202INTRODUCTION TO STUDENT WELL-BEING AT MINES1.0

Free electives

9 credits of free electives. These can be used to cover prerequisites if necessary.

Technical Electives available

Technical electives with emphasis on biology-related courses, chosen from the following:

BIOL500CELL BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY4.0
BIOL501ADVANCED BIOCHEMISTRY3.0
BIOL520SYSTEMS BIOLOGY3.0
CBEN304ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY3.0
CBEN305ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LAB1.0
CBEN310INTRODUCTION TO BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING3.0
CBEN311INTRODUCTION TO NEUROSCIENCE3.0
CBEN322BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY3.0
CBEN324INTRODUCTION TO BREWING SCIENCE3.0
CBEN411NEUROSCIENCE, MEMORY, AND LEARNING3.0
CBEN412INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACOLOGY3.0
CBEN413QUANTITATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY3.0
CBEN431IMMUNOLOGY FOR ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS3.0
CBEN4XX CAPSTONE
CEEN461FUNDAMENTALS OF ECOLOGY3.0
CHGN311INTRODUCTION TO NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY3.0
CHGN409BIOLOGICAL INORGANIC CHEMISTRY3.0
CHGN429BIOCHEMISTRY II3.0
CHGN441THE CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY OF PHARMACEUTICALS3.0
CHGN445CHEMICAL BIOLOGY3.0
CSCI220DATA STRUCTURES AND ALGORITHMS3.0
CSCI303INTRODUCTION TO DATA SCIENCE3.0
CSCI470INTRODUCTION TO MACHINE LEARNING 3.0
MATH332LINEAR ALGEBRA3.0
MATH431MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY3.0
MATH472MATHEMATICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE3.0
PHGN433BIOPHYSICS3.0
BIOL499 INDEPENDENT STUDIES (up to 6 credits)
INNO444INNOV8X CREATE3.0
INNO544INNOV8X CREATE DSCI1.0

Free Technical Elective totals 28 credits

Freshman
Fallleclabsem.hrs
CBEN110FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY I  4.0
MATH111CALCULUS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS I  4.0
CHGN121PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY I  4.0
EDNS151CORNERSTONE - DESIGN I  3.0
CSM101FRESHMAN SUCCESS SEMINAR  1.0
16.0
Springleclabsem.hrs
MATH112CALCULUS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS II  4.0
CHGN122PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY II (SC1)  4.0
HASS100NATURE AND HUMAN VALUES  3.0
S&WSUCCESS AND WELLNESS  1.0
CBEN120FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY II  4.0
16.0
Sophomore
Fallleclabsem.hrs
CHGN221ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I3.0 3.0
CHGN223ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY 3.01.0
MATH213CALCULUS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS III4.0 4.0
CSCI128COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR STEM  3.0
PHGN100PHYSICS I - MECHANICS  4.0
CSM202INTRODUCTION TO STUDENT WELL-BEING AT MINES  1.0
16.0
Springleclabsem.hrs
CHGN222ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II3.0 3.0
MATH225DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS3.0 3.0
BIOL300INTRODUCTION TO QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY I  3.0
PHGN200PHYSICS II-ELECTROMAGNETISM AND OPTICS  4.0
MATH201INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS  3.0
16.0
Junior
Fallleclabsem.hrs
CHGN428BIOCHEMISTRY  3.0
CHGN431INTRODUCTORY BIOCHEMISTRY LABORATORY  2.0
HASS200GLOBAL STUDIES  3.0
BIOL301INTRODUCTION TO QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY II   3.0
CBEN320CELL BIOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY  3.0
TECHTECH ELECTIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY BIO TECHNICAL ELECTIVE I  3.0
17.0
Springleclabsem.hrs
ELECTIVE CULTURE AND SOCIETY (CAS) RESTRICTED ELECTIVE I3.0 3.0
CBEN321INTRO TO GENETICS  4.0
TECHTECH ELECTIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY BIO TECHNICAL ELECTIVE II  3.0
TECHTECH ELECTIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY BIO TECHNICAL ELECTIVE III3.0 3.0
CHGN462MICROBIOLOGY or CEEN 460  3.0
16.0
Summerleclabsem.hrs
BIOL415QUANTITATIVE BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING FIELD SESSION  3.0
3.0
Senior
Fallleclabsem.hrs
ELECTIVE CULTURE AND SOCIETY (CAS) RESTRICTED ELECTIVE II3.0 3.0
FREE FREE ELECTIVE I  3.0
TECH TECH ELECTIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY BIO TECHNICAL ELECTIVE IV  3.0
EBGN321ENGINEERING ECONOMICS*For the 2023 Catalog EBGN321 replaced EBGN201 as a Core requirement. EBGN321 was added to the core, but has a prerequisite of 60 credit hours. Students whose programs that required EBGN201 the sophomore year may need to wait to take EBGN321 until their junior year. For complete details, please visit: https://www.mines.edu/registrar/core-curriculum/  3.0
BIOL410ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN BIOTECHNOLOGY SEMINAR  1.0
CSCI478INTRODUCTION TO BIOINFORMATICS  3.0
16.0
Springleclabsem.hrs
FREEFREE ELECTIVE II  3.0
FREEFREE ELECTIVE III  3.0
ELECTIVE CULTURE AND SOCIETY (CAS) RESTRICTED ELECTIVE III  3.0
TECH TECH ELECTIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY BIO TECHNICAL ELECTIVE V  3.0
TECH TECH ELECTIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY BIO TECHNICAL ELECTIVE VI  3.0
15.0
Total Semester Hrs: 131.0
*

Signifies a new course needed for major degree offering.