Choosing an Undergraduate Program in Computational Biology

Cornell offers four programs for students who are interested in computational biology. All three provide training in both computation and biology, but differ in their focus: biological, computational, or statistical:

The Program of Study in Computational Biology in the Undergraduate Biology Major is open to students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences or the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. It provides core training in biology and the supporting sciences of physics and chemistry, and then goes on to bridge into computational science. It is designed for students who want to emphasize basic biological science.

The Concentration in Computational Molecular Biology in the Department of Computer Science is open to students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences. It provides core training in computer science and then goes on to bridge into biology. It is designed for students who want to emphasize computational science.

The Concentration in Statistical Genomics in the Department of Biological Statistics and Computational Biology is open to students enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. It provides training in statistics, biology, and computer science. It is designed for students who want to emphasize statistics and bioinformatics.

The Concentration in Mathematical Biology in the Department of Mathematics is open to students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences. It provides training in mathematics, biology, and computer science. It is designed for students who want to emphasize mathematics.

In addition, students can custom-tailor academic programs by adding courses from the three majors above to other majors.