Required and Gap-Filling Courses

 

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For a complete list of courses, times, and locations, please visit the CU Boulder Course Catalog.

  CU Course Catalog 

Below are courses currently required for all IQ Biology students to complete during their first year at CU.

Required Core Courses

Courses are finalized for each student with the IQ Biology Academic Advising Committee.

One of the following Fall courses (year dependent):

  • Quantitative Optical Imaging — 3 credits
  • Bioinformatics and Genomics — 3 credits

One of the following Spring courses (year dependent):

  • Biologically Inspired Multi-Agent Systems — 3 credits
  • Biological Data Science — 3 credits
  • Network Analysis & Modeling — 3 credits
  • Signals & Codes in Living & Engineered Systems — 3 credits
  • Data Science for Bio Research — 3 credits
  • Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos — 3 credits
  • Causal Inference — 3 credits
  • Biophysics — 3 credits
  • Modeling in Mathematical Biology — 3 credits
  • Info Theory and Stat Inference — 3 credits

Bioinformatics and Genomics: Computational and experimental methods in bioinformatics and genomics, and how these methods provide insights into protein structure and function, molecular evolution, biological diversity, cell biology and human disease. Topics include database searching, multiple sequence alignment, molecular phylogeny, microarrays, proteomics and pharmacogenomics.

Quantitative Optical Imaging: Explores the fundamentals of optical imaging in biology. Covered topics include an introduction to optics and microscopes, fluorescence microscopy and image analysis. MATLAB will be taught throughout the course and used for image processing.

Prepares biological and biomedical students to integrate predictive models into their research. Covers the underlying technologies needed to understand how predictions are made, along with a framework for confronting the ethical questions they pose (including data sourcing, representation, and costs). Focuses on quantifying when and to what extent we can trust a model's output and how that trust defines its role in scientific discovery, without eroding rigor.

Training in handling issues such as conflicts of interest, mentor/mentee relationships, peer review, research misconduct and authorship and publication. Reviewing policies regarding human and animal subjects, safe laboratory practices. Instruction on conducting quality research including collaborative research, the scientist as a responsible member of society, ethical issues, rigor and reproducibility which will include effective design, execution, analysis, interpretation and communication.

Gap Filling Courses

In your first year, you will also take up to two courses from already existing course offerings to balance your background with your desired research activities. These “gap‐filling” courses give you an opportunity to broaden your capabilities and explore areas of quantitative biology that are new to you. Courses from any of our participating departments can be chosen, depending on your background and future research interests. The selection of these courses will be approved or assigned by members of the Academic Advising Committee who will take into consideration the IQ Biology Core Competencies and Key Foundational Areas as well as your individual research interests. Undergraduate coursework may be taken for one of the two courses; however, these credits are unlikely to count towards a doctoral degree. 

To find courses you might like to take, please explore the course listings of our participating departments. 

Gap filling-classes students have taken in the past include: 

  • APPM 2360 - Introduction to Differential Equations with Linear Algebra 
  • BCHM 4611/5611 - Principles of Biochemistry 
  • CSCI 2270 - Computer Science II: Data Structures 
  • CSCI 2897 - Calculating Biological Quantities 
  • CSCI 6118 - Software Engineering for Scientists 
  • EBIO 5460 - Special Topics: Process Modeling with Data for Ecology & Evolution 
  • EBIO 5460 - Special Topics: Data Science for Bio Research 
  • IPHY 4060/5060 - Cell Physiology 
  • MCDB 3135 - Molecular Cell Biology I 
  • MCDB 3160 - Infectious Disease 

  • STATS 5000- Statistical Methods and Application I