ACC Proposal to change Bioinformatics Concentration to reflect CS ...

WORCESTER STATE COLLEGE

PROPOSAL FOR A NEW OR REVISED PROGRAM



Date:
November 28, 2007



Department:
Biotechnology


Title of Program:

Concentration in Bioinformatics


_______

New major


_______

Change in an existing major


_______

New concentration unde
r an existing major


_

_

New minor


_______

Change in an existing minor


___
X
___

Change in an existing concentration in an existing major

Number of credits
required

in the
program


13 Credits beyond the requirements in the major
(from 17)


SPECIF
IC COURSE REQUIREMENTS


List courses currently required: (use separate sheets if necessary)

Old catalog copy:

Course #

Title








Credits

CS 140

Computer Science I







4


CS 145


Computer Science II







4


BI 201


Introduction to Cell Biolo
gy OR BI 203 Genetics




4


BT 378

Bioinformatics*








4


*note: BT 378 Bioinformatics requires BI 201 or BI 203 as a prerequisite

Elective Courses: (Select elective courses from the following groups depending
on major**)

I.

Biology Co
urses

BI 201

Cell Biology






4

BI 203

Genetics






4

BI 204

Microbiology






4

BI 375

Virology






4

BI 371

Molecular Biology





4

BI 306

Developmental Biology




4

BT 376

Biotechnology






4

BI 353

Tree of Life: Evolutionary Systematics


4

II.

Ch
emistry Courses

CH 120

General Chemistry I





4

CH 121

General Chemistry II





4

CH 201

Organic Chemistry I (lecture)




3

CH 202

Organic Chemistry II

(lecture)



3

CH 410

Biochemistry I






4

CH 415

Nucleic Acids Biochemistry




3

III.

Computer Science Cour
ses

CS 242

Data Structures





3

CS 282

UNIX Systems Programming




3

CS 400

Database Design





3

IV.

Math Courses

MA 200

Calculus I






4

MA 201

Calculus II






4

MA 220

Discrete Math I





4

MA 302

Probability and Statistics




3

MA 303

Mathematical Mode
ling




3


** Number of electives needed beyond the requirements of the major:

Biology Major:


at least three courses in Group III

Biotechnology Major

at least three courses in Group III

Chemistry Major

at least three courses in Group III and one
course i
n Group I

Computer Science Major

at least one course in Group I, two courses
in group II and MA 303 from Group IV

The purpose of this interdisciplinary concentration is to prepare students to enter the
computer
-
intensive fields of bioinformatics, computati
onal biology, computational
chemistry and molecular modeling including genomics and proteonomics. With the
advent of the Human Genome Project, an explosion of genomics information has
occurred, and databases such as GenBank and EMBL have grown at a rate th
at now
requires storage, organizing and indexing of the information. Questions of gene
expression have led to computational biology, the process of analyzing genomic
sequences and to the field of proteonomics, the understanding of protein structure and
fun
ction. The information obtained by computational biology and computational
chemistry is used in the design of new drugs to treat a variety of diseases. Major drug
and biotechnology companies are seeking people trained in bioinformatics.


List proposed new
courses (use separate sheet if necessary). Please attach course proposal

forms).


Note: Prerequisites to required courses should be explicitly listed as program requirements.

Any new course(s) being proposed should be submitted separately to the All Col
lege
Committee

for referral to the UCC.

New requirements in form of old catalog copy:

Course #

Title








Credits


CS 140

Introduction to Programming






4


BI 201


Cell Biology OR BI 203 Genetics*






4


BT 378

Bioinformatics*








4


*note: BT 378 Bioinformatics requires BI 201 or BI 203 as a prerequisite

Elective Courses: (Select elective courses from the following groups depending on
major**)

I.

Biology Courses

BI 201

Cell Biology






4

BI 203

Genetics






4

BI 204

Micro
biology






4

BI 375

Virology






4

BI 371

Molecular Biology





4

BI 306

Developmental Biology




4

BT 376

Biotechnology






4

BI 353

Tree of Life: Evolutionary Systematics


4

II.

Chemistry Courses

CH 120

General Chemistry I





4

CH 121

General Chemi
stry II





4

CH 201

Organic Chemistry I (lecture)




3

CH 202

Organic Chemistry II

(lecture)



3

CH 410

Biochemistry I






4

CH 415

Nucleic Acids Biochemistry




3

III.

Computer Science Courses

CS 242

Data Structures





3

CS 282

UNIX Systems Programming




3

CS 265

Database Applications




3

CS 400

Database Design





3

IV.

Math Courses

MA 200

Calculus I






4

MA 201

Calculus II






4

MA 220

Discrete Math I





4

MA 302

Probability and Statistics




3

MA 303

Mathematical Modeling




3


** Number of electives n
eeded beyond the requirements of the major.

Biology Major:

at least three courses in Group III

Biotechnology Major

at least three courses in Group III

Chemistry Major

at least three courses in Group III and one course in
Group I

Computer Science Major

at
least one course in Group I, two courses in group
II, CS 400 from Group III, and MA 201 and MA
303 from Group IV

The purpose of this interdisciplinary concentration is to prepare students to enter the
computer
-
intensive fields of bioinformatics, computatio
nal biology, computational
chemistry and molecular modeling including genomics and proteonomics. With the
advent of the Human Genome Project, an explosion of genomics information has
occurred, and databases such as GenBank and EMBL have grown at a rate tha
t now
requires storage, organizing and indexing of the information. Questions of gene
expression have led to computational biology, the process of analyzing genomic
sequences and to the field of proteonomics, the understanding of protein structure and
func
tion. The information obtained by computational biology and computational
chemistry is used in the design of new drugs to treat a variety of diseases. Major drug
and biotechnology companies are seeking people trained in bioinformatics.



Proposed new catal
og copy (simplified):

Major in Biotechnology, Concentration in Bioinformatics

The purpose of this interdisciplinary concentration is to prepare students to enter the
computer
-
intensive fields of bioinformatics, computational biology, computational
chemistr
y and molecular modeling including genomics and proteonomics. With the
advent of the Human Genome Project, an explosion of genomics information has
occurred, and databases such as GenBank and EMBL have grown at a rate that now
requires storage, organizing
and indexing of the information. Questions of gene
expression have led to computational biology, the process of analyzing genomic
sequences and to the field of proteonomics, the understanding of protein structure and
function. The information obtained by c
omputational biology and computational
chemistry is used in the design of new drugs to treat a variety of diseases. Major drug and
biotechnology companies are seeking people trained in bioinformatics.

In addition to the requirements for the Major in Biotec
hnology:

Course #

Title








Credits


BT 378

Bioinformatics
*








4

CS 140

Introduction to Programming






4


CS 242


Data Structures







3

CS 282


UNIX Systems Programming






3

CS 265


Database Applications






3



*co
unts as a Biotechnology Major Elective.

Indicate what additional staff will be required by this proposal.

_____None.___________________________________________________________________

Briefly explain the rationale for this proposal.

CS 145 is removed from

the requirements because the Computer Science department is no longer
offering it.

CS 265 can be taken by non
-
CS majors instead of CS 400. CS 400 is more theoretical than is
needed for non
-
CS majors.


LIBRARY EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR THIS PR
OPOSAL


1.
Does the library currently own the core monographs, core journals and the core audio
-
visual
materials in the field?

a. Core monographs




yes
X

no ____

b. Core journals




yes
X

no ____

c. Core Audio
-
Visual materials


yes
X

no ____

2
.

Does the library have access to relevant online databases?

Yes ____

No
X


3.

Do you anticipate that a large proportion of the necessary core materials will have to be
supplied via interlibrary loan?





Yes ____

No
X


4.


Specify any additional libr
ary equipment or materials that would be required.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________


5.

What instrument did you use to assess the library res
ources. Please specify.

INTERNET ACCESS TO THE REQUIRED JOURNALS AND WEBSITES, ALL WHICH
ARE FREE TO USER

Department Vote:

____________

_____________


Signature: ___________________________________________

____________





Department Chair






Date