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

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

Fundamental Science and General Requirements

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:

Free Technical Elective totals 28 credits

Degree Requirements: General Track

Degree Requirements: Honors Track 

*

Signifies a new course needed for major degree offering.