Oct 31, 2025

2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog

Bioinformatics, Minor

About the Minor

Bioinformatics is a rapidly emerging field that requires training and instruction in mathematics, computer science, and biology. In order to address an increasing demand for trained professionals in this area, Arcadia University offers an interdisciplinary minor in Bioinformatics that is open to students from all majors, although it is expected that most students will draw from the Biology, Computer Science, or Mathematics majors. The Bioinformatics minor consists of a core set of courses as well as an elective.

Coordinators:

Dr. Sheryl Smith
Dr. Kathy Macropol
Dr. Carlos Ortiz

Requirements

The University policy specifies that a maximum of two courses may double count toward a major and a minor.

Core Courses

BI 101 General Biology I (4 Credits)
Two out of the following three courses:
CS 222 Introduction to Data Science with Python (with CS 222L Lab) (4 Credits)
CS 229 Introduction to Data Science with R (4 Credits)
CS 277 Introduction to Data Mining (4 Credits)
The course not selected among these 3 courses can be counted as an elective for the Minor
CS 338 Bioinformatics (4 Credits)
CS 341 Computer Ethics (4 Credits) OR
US 230 International Computer Ethics OR
US 275 Scientific Ethics
MA 141 Elementary Statistics (4 Credits) OR
MA 341 Probability (4 Credits)
Note that the third course of the set of three courses, not taken as a core course can now be taken as an elective for the minor.

One Elective Course

BI 318 Human Genome and Disease (4 Credits)
BI 340 Biochemistry (4 Credits)
CS 202 Problem-Solving with Algorithms and Programming II (with CS 202L Lab) (4 Credits)
CS 377 Advanced Data Mining (4 Credits)
CS 378 Artificial Intelligence (4 Credits)
MA 242 Intermediate Statistics (4 Credits)
MA 342 Mathematical Statistics I (4 Credits)