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:
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- Work in diverse teams using technical expertise, multidisciplinary skills, effective communication, and entrepreneurship to establish goals, plan tasks, and solve problems.
- Evaluate the ethical and cultural impacts of modern biology and data science on local communities, worldwide society, and the environment.
- 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
Christian Beren, Teaching Assistant Professor of Chemistry
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
Duncan Davis-Hall, Teaching Assistant Professor of Engineering, Design, & Society
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
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
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
Xiaoli Zhang, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering Degree Requirements:
Biology Core Requirements
CBEN110 | FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY I | 4.0 |
CBEN120 | FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY II | 4.0 |
BIOL300 | QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY I | 3.0 |
BIOL301 | QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY II | 3.0 |
CBEN320 | CELL BIOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY | 3.0 |
CBEN321 | GENETICS | 4.0 |
CHGN428 | BIOCHEMISTRY | 3.0 |
CHGN431 | INTRODUCTORY BIOCHEMISTRY LABORATORY | 2.0 |
CHGN462 | MICROBIOLOGY | 3.0 |
or CEEN460 | MOLECULAR MICROBIAL ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
BIOL412 | ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES | 3.0 |
or BIOL491 | QBE CAPSTONE DESIGN | |
BIOL415 | QUANTITATIVE BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING FIELD SESSION | 3.0 |
CSCI478 | INTRODUCTION TO BIOINFORMATICS | 3.0 |
Fundamental Science and General Requirements
MATH111 | CALCULUS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS I | 4.0 |
MATH112 | CALCULUS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS II | 4.0 |
MATH213 | CALCULUS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS III | 4.0 |
MATH225 | DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS | 3.0 |
MATH201 | INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS | 3.0 |
CHGN121 | PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY I | 4.0 |
CHGN122 | PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY II (SC1) | 4.0 |
CHGN221 | ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I | 3.0 |
CHGN223 | ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY | 1.0 |
CHGN222 | ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II | 3.0 |
EBGN321 | ENGINEERING ECONOMICS | 3.0 |
EDNS151 | CORNERSTONE - DESIGN I | 3.0 |
HASS100 | NATURE AND HUMAN VALUES | 4.0 |
HASS215 | FUTURES | 3.0 |
ELECTIVE | CULTURE AND SOCIETY (CAS) Mid-Level Restricted Elective Courses | |
ELECTIVE | CULTURE AND SOCIETY (CAS) 400-Level Restricted Elective Courses | |
PHGN100 | PHYSICS I - MECHANICS | 4.0 |
PHGN200 | PHYSICS II-ELECTROMAGNETISM AND OPTICS | 4.0 |
S&W | Success and Wellness (4 electives) | |
CSCI128 | COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR STEM | 3.0 |
CSM101 | FRESHMAN SUCCESS SEMINAR | 1.0 |
CSM202 | INTRODUCTION TO STUDENT WELL-BEING AT MINES | 1.0 |
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:
BIOL500 | CELL BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY | 4.0 |
BIOL501 | ADVANCED BIOCHEMISTRY | 3.0 |
BIOL520 | SYSTEMS BIOLOGY | 3.0 |
CBEN304 | ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY | 3.0 |
CBEN310 | INTRODUCTION TO BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING | 3.0 |
CBEN311 | NEUROSCIENCE | 3.0 |
CBEN322 | BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY | 3.0 |
CBEN324 | INTRODUCTION TO BREWING SCIENCE | 3.0 |
CBEN411 | NEUROSCIENCE, MEMORY, AND LEARNING | 3.0 |
CBEN412 | PHARMACOKINETICS | 3.0 |
CBEN413 | QUANTITATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY | 3.0 |
CBEN431 | IMMUNOLOGY FOR ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS | 3.0 |
CEEN461 | FUNDAMENTALS OF ECOLOGY | 3.0 |
CHGN311 | INTRODUCTION TO NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY | 3.0 |
CHGN409 | BIOLOGICAL INORGANIC CHEMISTRY | 3.0 |
CHGN429 | BIOCHEMISTRY II | 3.0 |
CHGN435 | PHYSICAL BIOCHEMISTRY | 3.0 |
CHGN441 | THE CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY OF PHARMACEUTICALS | 3.0 |
CHGN445 | CHEMICAL BIOLOGY | 3.0 |
CSCI220 | DATA STRUCTURES AND ALGORITHMS | 3.0 |
CSCI404 | ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | 3.0 |
CSCI470 | INTRODUCTION TO MACHINE LEARNING | 3.0 |
DSCI403 | INTRODUCTION TO DATA SCIENCE | 3.0 |
MATH332 | LINEAR ALGEBRA | 3.0 |
MATH334 | INTRODUCTION TO PROBABILITY | 3.0 |
MATH431 | MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY | 3.0 |
MATH472 | MATHEMATICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE | 3.0 |
BIOL499 | INDEPENDENT STUDIES (up to 6 credits) |
Free Technical Elective totals 28 credits
Degree Requirements: General Track
Freshman | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
CBEN110 | FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY I | 4.0 | ||
MATH111 | CALCULUS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS I | 4.0 | ||
CHGN121 | PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY I | 4.0 | ||
EDNS151 | CORNERSTONE - DESIGN I | 3.0 | ||
CSM101 | FRESHMAN SUCCESS SEMINAR | 1.0 | ||
16.0 | ||||
Spring | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
MATH112 | CALCULUS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS II | 4.0 | ||
CHGN122 | PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY II (SC1) | 4.0 | ||
HASS100 | NATURE AND HUMAN VALUES | 3.0 | ||
S&W | SUCCESS AND WELLNESS | 1.0 | ||
CBEN120 | FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY II | 4.0 | ||
16.0 | ||||
Sophomore | ||||
Fall | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
CHGN221 | ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I | 3.0 | 3.0 | |
CHGN223 | ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY | 3.0 | 1.0 | |
MATH213 | CALCULUS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS III | 4.0 | 4.0 | |
CSCI128 | COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR STEM | 3.0 | ||
PHGN100 | PHYSICS I - MECHANICS | 4.0 | ||
CSM202 | INTRODUCTION TO STUDENT WELL-BEING AT MINES | 1.0 | ||
16.0 | ||||
Spring | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
CHGN222 | ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II | 3.0 | 3.0 | |
MATH225 | DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS | 3.0 | 3.0 | |
BIOL300 | QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY I | 3.0 | ||
PHGN200 | PHYSICS II-ELECTROMAGNETISM AND OPTICS | 4.0 | ||
MATH201 | INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS | 3.0 | ||
16.0 | ||||
Junior | ||||
Fall | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
CHGN428 | BIOCHEMISTRY | 3.0 | ||
CHGN431 | INTRODUCTORY BIOCHEMISTRY LABORATORY | 2.0 | ||
HASS215 | FUTURES | 3.0 | ||
BIOL301 | QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY II | 3.0 | ||
CBEN320 | CELL BIOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY | 3.0 | ||
TECH | TECH ELECTIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY BIO TECHNICAL ELECTIVE I | 3.0 | ||
17.0 | ||||
Spring | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
ELECTIVE | CULTURE AND SOCIETY (CAS) RESTRICTED ELECTIVE I | 3.0 | 3.0 | |
CBEN321 | GENETICS | 4.0 | ||
TECH | TECH ELECTIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY BIO TECHNICAL ELECTIVE II | 3.0 | ||
TECH | TECH ELECTIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY BIO TECHNICAL ELECTIVE III | 3.0 | 3.0 | |
CHGN462 | MICROBIOLOGY or CEEN 460 | 3.0 | ||
16.0 | ||||
Summer | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
BIOL415 | QUANTITATIVE BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING FIELD SESSION | 3.0 | ||
3.0 | ||||
Senior | ||||
Fall | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
ELECTIVE | CULTURE AND SOCIETY (CAS) RESTRICTED ELECTIVE II | 3.0 | 3.0 | |
FREE | FREE ELECTIVE I | 3.0 | ||
EBGN321 | ENGINEERING 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 | ||
BIOL412 | ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES or 491 | 3.0 | ||
CSCI478 | INTRODUCTION TO BIOINFORMATICS | 3.0 | ||
15.0 | ||||
Spring | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
FREE | FREE ELECTIVE II | 3.0 | ||
FREE | FREE ELECTIVE III | 3.0 | ||
ELECTIVE | CULTURE AND SOCIETY (CAS) RESTRICTED ELECTIVE III | 3.0 | ||
TECH | TECH ELECTIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY BIO TECHNICAL ELECTIVE IV | 3.0 | ||
TECH | TECH ELECTIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY BIO TECHNICAL ELECTIVE V | 3.0 | ||
15.0 | ||||
Total Semester Hrs: 130.0 |
Degree Requirements: Honors Track
Freshman | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
CBEN110 | FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY I | 4.0 | ||
MATH111 | CALCULUS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS I | 4.0 | ||
CHGN121 | PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY I | 4.0 | ||
EDNS151 | CORNERSTONE - DESIGN I | 3.0 | ||
CSM101 | FRESHMAN SUCCESS SEMINAR | 1.0 | ||
16.0 | ||||
Spring | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
MATH112 | CALCULUS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS II | 4.0 | ||
CHGN122 | PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY II (SC1) | 4.0 | ||
HASS100 | NATURE AND HUMAN VALUES | 3.0 | ||
S&W | SUCCESS AND WELLNESS | 1.0 | ||
CBEN120 | FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY II | 4.0 | ||
16.0 | ||||
Sophomore | ||||
Fall | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
CHGN221 | ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I | 3.0 | 3.0 | |
CHGN223 | ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY | 3.0 | 1.0 | |
MATH213 | CALCULUS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS III | 4.0 | 4.0 | |
CSCI128 | COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR STEM | 3.0 | ||
PHGN100 | PHYSICS I - MECHANICS | 4.0 | ||
CSM202 | INTRODUCTION TO STUDENT WELL-BEING AT MINES | 1.0 | ||
16.0 | ||||
Spring | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
CHGN222 | ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II | 3.0 | 3.0 | |
MATH225 | DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS | 3.0 | 3.0 | |
BIOL300 | QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY I | 3.0 | ||
PHGN200 | PHYSICS II-ELECTROMAGNETISM AND OPTICS | 4.0 | ||
MATH201 | INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS | 3.0 | ||
HNRS398 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN THE UNIVERSITY HONORS AND SCHOLARS PROGRAM (Research Methods) | 1.0 | ||
17.0 | ||||
Junior | ||||
Fall | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
CHGN428 | BIOCHEMISTRY | 3.0 | ||
CHGN431 | INTRODUCTORY BIOCHEMISTRY LABORATORY | 2.0 | ||
HASS215 | FUTURES | 3.0 | ||
BIOL301 | QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY II | 3.0 | ||
CBEN320 | CELL BIOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY | 3.0 | ||
BIOL499 | INDEPENDENT STUDY (Honors Research) | 3.0 | ||
17.0 | ||||
Spring | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
ELECTIVE | CULTURE AND SOCIETY (CAS) RESTRICTED ELECTIVE I | 3.0 | 3.0 | |
CBEN321 | GENETICS | 4.0 | ||
CHGN462 | MICROBIOLOGY or CEEN 460 | 3.0 | ||
BIOL499 | INDEPENDENT STUDY (Honors Research) | 3.0 | ||
BIOL490 | QUANTITATIVE BIOSCIENCES & ENGINEERING UNDERGRADUATE SEMINAR (QBE Seminar) | 1.0 | ||
14.0 | ||||
Summer | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
BIOL415 | QUANTITATIVE BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING FIELD SESSION | 3.0 | ||
3.0 | ||||
Senior | ||||
Fall | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
ELECTIVE | CULTURE AND SOCIETY (CAS) RESTRICTED ELECTIVE II | 3.0 | 3.0 | |
FREE | FREE ELECTIVE I | 3.0 | ||
EBGN321 | ENGINEERING 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 | ||
BIOL412 | ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES or 491 | 3.0 | ||
CSCI478 | INTRODUCTION TO BIOINFORMATICS | 3.0 | ||
HNRS498 | SPECIAL TOPICS (Research Communications) | 1.0 | ||
16.0 | ||||
Spring | lec | lab | sem.hrs | |
FREE | FREE ELECTIVE II | 3.0 | ||
FREE | FREE ELECTIVE III | 3.0 | ||
ELECTIVE | CULTURE AND SOCIETY (CAS) RESTRICTED ELECTIVE III | 3.0 | ||
TECH | TECH ELECTIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY BIO TECHNICAL ELECTIVE I | 3.0 | ||
TECH | TECH ELECTIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY BIO TECHNICAL ELECTIVE II | 3.0 | ||
15.0 | ||||
Total Semester Hrs: 130.0 |
- *
Signifies a new course needed for major degree offering.
BIOL300. INTRODUCTION TO QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY I. 3.0 Semester Hrs.
This 3-credit course is designed as an introductory course for Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering (QBE) majors, providing them with the foundational skills needed to be a biologist, bioengineer, or medical doctor in the 21st century. Since biological data and questions are becoming more quantitative and more precise in nature, so must our approaches to our analysis. Accordingly, this course will explore the basics of how to access and analyze existing various types biological data across a wide range of biological scales including sequencing data at the molecular scale, microscopy data at the cellular and organismal scale, and tabular data at the ecological scale. From this data, students will learn to conduct fundamental data analysis and produce appropriate visualizations to illustrate their interpretations of the key results. Prerequisite: CBEN120, CSCI101. Co-requisite: MATH201, MATH225.
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Access and organize existing biological data sets
- Produce plots and visualizations of biological data sets
- Develop, write, and implement code in Python to analyze data in a biological context
- Implement functions in Python to simulate and gain insight into biological processes
- Conduct null hypothesis significance testing with respect to biological problems
- Identify probability distributions as they appear in and apply to biological processes
- Conduct linear regression on biological data
BIOL301. INTRODUCTION TO QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY II. 3.0 Semester Hrs.
This course will extend the applications of quantitative biology, building from the foundation in biological data analysis established in BIOL300. Students will learn how to model biological systems both mathematically and computationally and ultimately compare model predictions to experimental data. Mathematical modeling will involve developing and solving differential equations to describe biological processes. Computational modeling will involve writing Python code to simulate various biological processes to gain insights into their behavior. Lastly, as a boarder type of modeling, students will explore biological sequences and genomes to develop both phylogenetic and metabolic models of organisms. Prerequisite: BIOL300.
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Develop differential equations to model biological systems at different scales (e.g. molecular, cellular, populations) Solve simple differential equations analytically for steady state, and explain the biological implications Solve complex differential equations computationally and plot dynamics to gain insight into biological processes Create code to stochastically and deterministically simulate biological processes Compare predictions from computational and mathematical models with results from experimental data Analyzing biological sequences to develop phylogenetic models of how organisms evolved Analyze genome sequences for metabolic properties and pathway development
BIOL415. QUANTITATIVE BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING FIELD SESSION. 3.0 Semester Hrs.
In this course students will apply all they have learned in QBE courses to date to tackle large projects that have important societal, environmental, energy, and health impacts. Projects will include hands-on collection and analysis of field samples and modern molecular biology and biochemistry laboratory work. Students will need to use their molecular biology, biochemistry, experimental, data analysis, and computational skills to succeed in this course, which will ultimately prepare students for the next steps in their QBE and professional careers. Prerequisite: BIOL301, CHGN431.
View Course Learning Outcomes
- 1. Explain and apply foundational biological concepts in the areas of molecular biology and biochemistry to solve novel problems related to genomic microbial exploration and recombinant protein production
- 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 statistical analysis
- 4. Communicate your progress and results through written reports and oral presentations to diverse audiences
- 5. Work in diverse teams using multidisciplinary skills and effective communication to establish goals, plan tasks, and solve problems
- 6. Evaluate the ethical and cultural impacts of genomic microbial exploration and recombinant protein production on local communities, worldwide society, and the environment