Minor Program in the Biological Sciences
The minor in the biological sciences, which is offered by the Biological Sciences Collegiate Division, requires completion of five upper-level (above 20200) BIOS courses. Students may choose courses from a specific area of the biological sciences (e.g., molecular and cell biology, genetics, evolutionary biology, developmental biology, organismal biology, ecology, neurobiology, immunobiology, microbiology). Alternatively, students may choose courses from related areas to construct a program that gives a more inclusive account of how different disciplines of biology interact. These areas could comprise, for instance, immunology and microbiology, organismal biology and evolution, genetics and genomics, developmental biology and evolution, or ecology and evolution.
Other combinations are also possible. One of the courses must be either a research course or must have a lab or field study component. Only one course from the Fundamentals Sequence (BIOS 20181–20185 or 20191–20194) may be counted for one of the upper-level courses. Students must meet general education requirements for the biological sciences and the physical sciences before entering the program. Biological Sciences courses at the 10000-level, Natural Sciences (NTSC) courses, and MATH 11200-11300 or 13100-13200 are the minimal general education requirements for the minor. General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry are not specifically required. These courses would, however, allow for a greater variety of upper-level biological sciences courses, especially those in the areas of molecular and cellular biology; chemistry and/or biochemistry are usually prerequisites for those courses.
No course in the minor can be double counted with the student’s major(s) or with other minors; nor can they be counted toward general education requirements. More than half of the requirements for the minor must be met by registering for courses with University of Chicago course numbers. Students who elect the minor program must meet with the master of the Biological Sciences Collegiate Division by the end of Spring Quarter of their third year. Students must obtain formal approval from the master to complete the minor program on a form obtained from their College adviser and returned to the adviser by the deadline. To schedule an appointment with the master, students should contact Kirsten Cole (kcole@uchicago.edu).
Minor Program in Computational Neuroscience
The minor in computational neuroscience is offered by the Biological Sciences Collegiate Division. Computational neuroscience is a relatively new interdisciplinary area of inquiry that is concerned with how components of animal and human nervous systems interact to produce behaviors. It relies on quantitative and modeling approaches to understand the function of the nervous system and to design human-made devices that duplicate behaviors. Course work in computational neuroscience can prepare students for graduate studies in neurobiology or psychology, in the mathematical or engineering sciences, or in areas of medicine such as neurology or psychiatry. It can lead to either traditional academic careers or to opportunities in the corporate world. For more information, visit cns.bsd.uchicago.edu.
This minor is a good option for students who are majoring in biological sciences and are interested in mathematical approaches to biology; or for students who are majoring in computer science, mathematics, physics, psychology, or statistics and have an interest in neuroscience. Students electing this minor must have completed, or placed out of, the equivalent of a year of collegiate-level calculus and must have completed the general education requirement for the biological sciences. Students with an interest in computational neuroscience are encouraged, but not required, to take the Mathematical Methods for Biological Sciences sequence (BIOS 26210-26211-26212). The minor requires completion of the following two (three-course) sequences: BIOS 24221, 24222, 24223 (Computational Neuroscience I, II, and III) and BIOS 29405 and 29406 (Mathematical and Statistical Methods for Neuroscience I, and II).
Students who elect the minor program are required to meet with the Chair of the Committee on Computational Neuroscience (Nicholas Hatsopoulos) by the end of Spring Quarter of their third year. Students must obtain formal approval from the chair to complete the minor program on a form obtained from their College adviser and returned to the adviser by the deadline. No courses in the minor can be double counted with the student’s major(s) or with other minors; nor can they be counted toward general education requirements. More than half of the requirements for the minor must be met by registering for courses bearing University of Chicago course numbers. Students must earn a B- average or above in courses counted toward the minor.