Computational and Systems Biology - Curriculum Requirements

A student must indicate his/her interest in completing an emphasis in Computational and Systems Biology when selecting a Ph.D. program.  All requirements of the selected Ph.D. program, which include the DBS Core Course, laboratory rotations, ethics training, advanced coursework, a qualifying examination and dissertation thesis, must be fulfilled.  In addition, to complete the emphasis, students must take two advanced courses offered by Computational and Systems Biology faculty and attend the activities listed below. All coursework should be approved by the student’s mentor(s) and program chair.

Required Courses

Students must complete two of the 1.5 credit courses listed below. It is anticipated that students with quantitative backgrounds will take the general “Computational Methods in Biological Sciences” course.

Required Activities

ECSB students are required to attend the Computational and Systems Biology Discussion Group and the Computational and Systems Biology Journal Club.

Course substitutions 

Students who have completed, with a minimum grade of B, an undergraduate or graduate course equivalent to any of the courses may, with the approval of the faculty advisor and Program Chair, substitute those for any of the courses listed among the approved electives. The student must provide a syllabus of the course deemed to be equivalent and a transcript showing the grade earned in that course.

Pre-Requisites

Students unsure whether or not they meet the pre-requisites for ECSB courses should consult their faculty advisor. Both UT Dallas and UT Arlington offer courses in computer science and mathematics that may provide the necessary background in programming, algorithms and data structures.

The ECSB allows students to take courses at UT Arlington and UT Dallas as part of the curriculum, as long as

• the course selection has been approved by the student’s mentor/faculty advisor. 
• the mentor agrees to fund any additional fees, since in some cases these courses will incur additional tuition fees.. 

Please note, all course charges must be paid to UT Southwestern and a concurrent enrollment form must be filed by the student through his/her graduate program assistant. Forms are available from Dorothee Staber.

Committee requirements

Each qualifying examination committee and dissertation committee for a student completing a Computational and Systems Biology emphasis must include one member of the Computational and Systems Biology faculty.