Interdisciplinary Majors

Biomathematics Interdisciplinary Major

(curriculum code 122)

The field of mathematical biology is undergoing a major resurgence. The wealth of data afforded by new bioinformatics tools and modern molecular biology allow the formulation of precise models, which can then be subject to experimental validation. Opportunities abound for graduate studies, as well as research jobs in the pharmaceutical industry and government labs.

The Biomathematics Interdisciplinary Major at Rutgers was established in the mid-1970s, and underwent a major curricular revision in the year 2000.  This major is administered by the Department of Mathematics; for details consult the head mathematics advisor.

NEW! Facebook group Biomath @ Rutgers, and Sakai website:

  • click here to join the Facebook group Biomath @ Rutgers
  • ... or email biomathclub@gmail.com for questions about the Biomath Club
  • There is a Sakai website that is used to post announcements of upcoming events. If you are a declared Biomath major, you are automatically a member, but anyone, especially prospective majors, can ask to be added: just email biomathematics.rutgers@gmail.com asking to join (include your Rutgers ID if you are a student, please).

General Information about Biomathemetics Interdisciplinary Major:

For general questions regarding courses, degree requirements, and the like, please contact the Mathematics Department undergraduate advisor, in Hill Center Room 308, email: advisor@math.

The Director for the Biomath program is Professor of Mathematics Konstantin Mischaikow, and the Associate Director is Professor of Genetics David E. Axelrod.

Please address general inquiries to this email address: biomathematics.rutgers@gmail.com. Please do not use this email address for administrative questions (getting course credit, declaring major, and so on). Also, before emailing, please make sure to read carefully the information provided in *all* of the websites that are listed in the "links" website shown above. These websites will probably answer most of your questions!

Requirements

The requirements for the Biomathematics major (curriculum code 122) at Rutgers are listed below for your convenience. However, students should check Degree Navigator (DN) for official requirements.

Click here for printout of DN, Spring 2016 version.

This information is reproduced here only for the convenience of students, may not reflect current official Rutgers requirements, and is subject to change.

The major in biomathematics requires 63-67 credits distributed as follows: mathematics, 33 credits; biology and cognate fields 30-34 credits. Students must earn a minimum grade-point average of 2.0 in courses credited toward the major. This major is administered by the mathematics department. The course requirements for this major are the following.

Please follow this link for important updated information about courses

Core Biology and Chemistry required courses:

  • 01:119:115-116 General Biology I and II (4,4), or equivalent
  • 01:160:161-162 General Chemistry I and II (4,4), or equivalent
  • 01:160:171 Introduction to Experimentation (1)

Mathematics required courses:

  • 01:640:151, 152, 251 Calculus I, II, and III (4,4,4)
  • 01:640:250 Introductory Linear Algebra (3)
  • 01:640:252 Elementary Differential Equations (3)
  • 01:640:336 Dynamical Models in Biology (3)
  • 01:640:338 Discrete and Probabilistic Models in Biology (3)
  • 01:640:477 Mathematical Theory of Probability (3)
  • 01:640:481 Mathematical Theory of Statistics (3)

One of the following courses:

  • 01:640:350 Linear Algebra (3)
  • 01:640:373 Numerical Analysis (3)
  • 01:640:423 Elementary Partial Differential Equations (3)
  • 01:640:428 Graph Theory (3)
  • 01:640:454 Combinatorics (3)
  • 01:640:478 Probability II (3)

Required lab, one from the following list:

  • 01:119:117 General Biology Laboratory (2) it is very strongly recommended that you take this lab, which runs with the 115-116 sequence, as it is a prerequisite for many courses
  • 01:146:357 Systems Physiology Laboratory (1)
    [Fall, Spring, 1 credit, Prereq. 119:117. Pre or Corequisite: Systems Physiology 146:356]
  • 01:447:382 Genetics Laboratory (1)
    [Fall, Spring. Online course. Not wetlab.]
  • 14:125:315 BME Measurements and Analysis Laboratory (2)
    [Spring, Prerequisites: 14:125:210 and 211]
  • 01:146:475 Laboratory in Immunology (1)
    [Spring. Pre-requisite 01:119:117, Pre- or Corequsite Immunology 01:146:474]

Note: 01:447:390 is a 4-credit elective (see below) and includes a lab that satisfies the requirement above.

Electives:

Four courses from the following list. 01:447:380 is highly recommended. At most one course from 14:125 (Biomedical Engineering) can count as an elective.

  • 01:146:245 Fundamentals of Neurobiology (3)
  • 01:146:270 Fundamentals of Cell and Developmental Biology (3)
  • 01:146:302 or 447:302 Computers in Biology (3)
  • 01:146:356 Systems Physiology (3)
  • 01:146:445 Advanced Neurobiology (3)
  • 01:146:470 Advanced Cell Biology (3)
  • 01:146:474 Immunology (3)
  • 01:185:335 Neural Structure of Language (3)
  • 01:185:350 Fundamentals of Cognitive Neuroscience (3)
  • 01:160:305 (3) or 160:307 (4) or 160:315 (4) Organic Chemistry
  • 01:160:306 (3) or 160:308 (4) or 160:316 (4) Organic Chemistry
  • 01:447:380 Genetics (4)
  • 01:447:384 Genetic Analysis (4) [note: this course is only open to Genetics majors]
  • 01:447:390 General Microbiology (4)
  • 01:447:480 Topics Molecular Genetics (3)
  • 01:447:486 Evolutionary Genetics (3)
  • 11:216:351 Principles of Applied Ecology (3)
  • 11:216:431 Fundamentals of Ecological and Environmental Modeling (4)
  • 11:216:486 Principles of Evolution (3)
  • 16:215:513 Population Genetics (447:380) (3)
  • 11:776:495 Functional Genomics for Research (3)
  • No more than one of: 01:146:478 Molecular Biology (3), 01:694:301 Introductory Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (3), 01:694:407 Molecular Biology and Biochemistry I (3), 01:694:408 Molecular Biology and Biochemistry II (3)
  • No more than one of: 14:125:303 Biomedical Transport Phenomena (3), 14:125:403 Cardiovascular Engineering (3), 14:125:407 Fundamentals of Computer Tomography (3), 14:125:410 Sensory Process, Mechanisms, and Computational Models (3), 14:125:437 Computational Systems Biology (3).