BIOINFORMATICS MAJOR

Translating Data into Scientific Breakthroughs

Bioinformatics sits at the vital intersection between mathematics, life sciences, and data science. This cutting-edge field applies intensive computational methods to analyze and understand complex biological information related to health, biotechnology, genomics, and more. 

The University of Utah's new bioinformatics bachelor's degree provides rigorous interdisciplinary training to thrive in this rapidly growing area. Through a comprehensive curriculum, you'll gain expertise in areas like biostatistical modeling, machine learning for genetics, biological data mining, computer programming and computational techniques for biomedical research.

BIOINFORMATICS CORE:
Math 1210	Calculus I	4
Math 1220	Calculus II	4
Math 2270/2271	Linear Algebra or Enhanced Linear Algebra	4
Math 3070	Applied Statistics I	4
Math 3080	Applied Statistics II	3
Math 4100	Introduction to Data Science	3
Biology 1610	Fundamental Principles of Biology I	4
Biology 2020	Principles of Cell Biology	3
Biology 2030	Genetics	3
Biology 3150	Genomics and Bioinformatics I	3

 

SCIENCE ALLIED
Chemistry 1210	General Chemistry I	4
Chemistry 1220	General Chemistry II	4
Chemistry 2310	Organic Chemistry I	4
Chemistry 3510	Biological Chemistry I	3

 

 

MATHEMATICS MAJOR

MATHEMATICS MAJOR WITH STATISTICS EMPHASIS

APPLIED MATHEMATICS MAJOR

MATHEMATICS TEACHING MAJOR

HONORS DEGREE IN MATHEMATICS

In order to pursue an Honors Degree in Mathematics, students must first be admitted to the Honors College.  Students must complete the coursework required by the Honors College as well as the mathematics coursework. For more information please see the Department of Mathematics Undergraduate Advisors.

Honors Thesis Guidelines

DEPARTMENT REQUIREMENT In addition to the requirements for the mathematics degree you have selected, the following requirements apply to those students seeking an Honors Degree:
B or better in all courses required for major
Math GPA of at least 3.5
Overall GPA of at least 3.5

 

DEPARTMENT REQUIREMENT(CONTINUED)
Ideas that Matter: HONOR 1010 and 1020 or HONOR 1030	3
2 Intellectual Traditions Courses	6
1 Honors Seminar	3
Honors Electives	9
Honors Thesis (MATH 4999)	3

 

OPTIONAL HONORS SCIENCE / ELECTIVE MATH COURSES Courses offered by the Department of Mathematics that fill Honors elective requirements:
MATH 1311	Accelerated Engineering Calculus I	4
MATH 1321	Accelerated Engineering Calculus II	4
MATH 2271	Enhanced Linear Algebra	4
MATH 2281	Enhanced Differential Equations	4
MATH 4200	Intro to Complex Variables	3
MATH 4800	Intro to Research	3
MATH 5210	Intro to Real Analysis	4

 

Students in the Honors College are encouraged to visit with their Honors Advisor, Department of Mathematics Faculty Honors Advisor, and Department of Mathematics Undergraduate Advisor to check their progress.

MATHEMATICS MINOR & MATHEMATICS TEACHING MINOR

Mathematics minors must receive a "C" or better in all math courses.

REQUIRED COURSES
MATH 1210	Calculus I	4
MATH 1220	Calculus II	4
MATH 2210	Calculus III	3
MATH 3210	Foundations of Analysis I	4
MATH 3220 OR MATH 4200 or higher*	Foundations of Analysis II OR Selection from approved upper division courses	4

NOTE: To fulfill requirement, student must take MATH 3220 or any Math course numbered 4200 or higher, EXCEPT do not take the following courses: MATH 4910, MATH 4950, MATH 4999, MATH 5000, MATH 5140, MATH 5150, MATH 5155, MATH 5160, MATH 5165, MATH 5270, MATH 5280, MATH 5700.

ELECTIVE COURSES Select three Department of Mathematics courses with a prerequisite of at least Calculus II. Please have your course choices approved by the Undergraduate Advisors. NOTE: One elective MUST be MATH 2200 (recommended), MATH 2270, or MATH 2250 in order to satisfy prerequisites for Foundations of Analysis.
1
2
3

 

                                                            Mathematics teaching minors must receive a "C" or better in all math courses.

REQUIRED COURSES
MATH 1210	Calculus I	4
MATH 1220	Calculus II	4
MATH 2210	Calculus III	3
MATH 2270 or 2271	Linear Algebra or Enhanced Linear Algebra	4
MATH 3070	Applied Statistics I	4
MATH 3100	Foundations of Geometry	3
MATH 3430 OR MATH 4030	Algebra for Secondary Mathematics Teachers or  Foundations of Algebra	3
		3
EDU 5460	Secondary Math Methods	3

NOTE: Although MATH 2200 is not on this list, it is a prerequisite for some courses on this list.

Warning: The Mathematics Teaching Minor is available ONLY to students completing a teaching major in another subject.

COMBINED BS/MS PROGRAM

Undergraduate math majors who would like to be admitted to the combined BS/MS program must apply during their junior year. To be eligible for the program a student must have maintained a 3.5 GPA overall and in their major (which must be mathematics), and indications must be that the student will successfully satisfy the requirements for both the Bachelor's and Master's degrees within two years after beginning the program. Interested students must apply to the department's graduate program and submit a detailed program of study that has been prepared with the help of the student's advisor(s). Students must also submit a graduate application to the admissions office. When applying for the BS/MS program students must meet the regular graduate application deadlines:

March 15th for Fall Semester
November 1st for Spring Semester
March 15th for Summer Semester

Please note that beginning the program in the summer semester is not encouraged due to the lack of graduate program classes available in the summer.

Students wishing to participate in this program are strongly encouraged to participate in research early in their program of study. Transfer students may be considered for the program only after completing 24 hours of coursework at the University of Utah.

The main advantage of the combined BS/MS program is that it can help students who take more than the 122 credits required for the undergraduate degree.  By applying to the combined BS/MS program the extra credits may be fully counted toward to the Masters degree.

Here is an example.  Suppose that, as an undergraduate, a student takes 135 credits, then graduates and wants to join the Masters of Mathematics program.  The university will allow for only 6 of the extra 13 credits to be applied towards the Masters degree.  The student is now required to take 24 further credits to obtain the Masters.  If, instead, the student had applied to the combined BS/MS program before graduation, then the 13 extra credits could all be applied toward the Masters (assuming the credits satisfy the requirements of the Masters of Mathematics program).  For this to work the student must be admitted to the combined BS/MS program before completing their undergraduate degree.

Based on these considerations, the combined BS/MS is most useful when an undergraduate math major:

• Already plans to obtain 152 credits of coursework, 30 of which satisfy the requirements of the Masters in Mathematics programs, and 
• Intends the Masters degree to be a terminal degree in mathematics, i.e. the student does not intend to apply to PhD programs in mathematics.

The latter point relates to a potential downside of the combined BS/MS program.  The main downsides to be aware of are:

• If you are an international student your visa status could potentially change.  Before applying to the combined BS/MS program you should consult the Office of International Student & Scholar Services to determine if there could be complications with your visa status.
• In some cases, scholarships that apply towards your undergraduate degree may no longer apply once you enroll in the combined BS/MS program.  If this happens you would be responsible for tuition.  Contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid to determine if this may apply to your situation.
• If you intend to apply to Mathematics PhD programs after graduation, your application may be negatively impacted by holding a Masters degree.  Some universities offer a smaller amount of tuition waiver to applicants that have Masters degrees.  And typically, having a Masters degree does not increase your chances of being admitted to a PhD program, as admissions committees usually give more weight to the coursework on transcripts rather than degrees held.

For more information please contact our Directors of Graduate Studies, who can be found on the department's Contact Us page.