Biological Data Sciences

Undergraduate Program Fact Sheet
Biological Data Sciences

Bachelor of Science in Biological Data Sciences

The life sciences have been transformed by the ability to rapidly collect large-scale datasets. Students studying Biological Data Sciences will be at the interface of life and quantitative sciences and study as well as use large datasets to address important questions across disciplines of the life sciences.

Faces of AgSci

“My internship with the Crop and Sciences Department was a great opportunity to apply some of the programming and statistical skills I have learned in my classes and apply them to real-life scenarios." - Sophie Baur, Biological Data Sciences

College of Agricultural Sciences

2,618 |

Total number of AgSci
undergraduate students

10 |

Number of undergraduate
students in this major

$500K |

In scholarships for
AgSci students

$100M |

In funding for AgSci
research each year

Biological Data Sciences Degree Options

Genomics (GEN)
Ecological and Environmental Informatics (EEI)
Computational Biology (CB)

Degrees that Pay. Careers that Matter.

Job opportunities are abundant for graduates with expertise in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources, or ecological sustainability. This expertise helps solve the world’s most pressing issues in the arenas of world hunger, human health, and environmental conservation. Discover how you can build a meaningful career that helps make tomorrow better.

Examples of career paths with a degree in Biological Data Sciences include:

Individualized Advising

Advisors help students develop their course of study. They are the students’ link to scholarships and campus resources, advise on matters of professional development, and point students toward experiential learning and leadership opportunities that will help them be successful in their agricultural or business careers after graduation. For Biological Data Sciences advising, contact Jeff Chang

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B.S. in Biological Data Sciences Example 4-Year Plan | 2022-2023

This is a sample schedule intended for informational purposes only. Students should consult with their OSU academic advisor to create a personalized degree plan.

	FALL		WINTER		SPRING
First Year	BI 221. Princ. of Biology I***	4	BI 222. Princ. of Biology II***	3-4	BI 223. Princ. of Biology III* or CH 233 Gen. Chem* & CH 263 Lab for Chem***	4-5
	CH 231. Gen. Chem	4	CH 232 Gen. Chem***	4	CS 162. Intro Comp Sci II	4
	CH 261. Lab for Chem	1	CH 262 Lab for Chem***	1	MTH 254 Vector Calc	4
	MTH 251. Differ. Calc	4	COMM 111 Pub. Speaking	3	BDS 211. Critical Thinking	3
	WR 121. English Comp or HHS 231 Lifetime Fitness for Health	2-3	MTH 252. Integral Calc.	4
	Total Credits	15-16	Total Credits	16	Total Credits	15-16
Second Year	MTH 254. Vector Calc. I	4	MTH 341 Linear Algebra I	4	MTH 427 Mathematical Biology*	4
	CS 261. Data Structures	4	ST 411 Methods of Data Analysis	4	ST 412. Methods Data Analysis	4
	ST 351. Introduction to Statistical Methods	4	BI 311 Genetics	4	WR 327 Technical Writing	4
	HHS 231. Lifetime Fitness for Health or WR 121 English Comp	2-3	BI 370 Ecology	4	Experiential Learning	3

	Total Credits	14-15	Total Credits	16	Total Credits	15
Third Year	BI 370. Ecology or Elective**	3	OPTION COURSE**	4	BI 445. Evolution or OPTION COURSE*	3
	BI 311 Genetics	4	BACCORE*	3	OPTION COURSE** or BACCORE*	4
	MTH 341. Linear Algebra	3	BACCORE*	3	BOT 458. Ecosystem Genomics or Elective*	3
	BACCORE* or CH 331 Organic Chem	3-4	BACCORE*	3	BDS 411. Analysis of Biol Data	3
	BACCORE*	3	BACCORE*	3	BOT 401 Research/ Internship	3
	Total Credits	14	Total Credits	16	Total Credits	14
Fourth Year	OPTION COURSE**	4	BB 451 Gen Biochem or OPTION COURSE** or BACCORE*	4	OPTION COURSE**	4
	BDS 406. Special Projects	1	OPTION COURSE**	4	BDS 492. Capstone in BDS II	3
	OPTION COURSE**	4	BDS 491. Capstone in BDS I	3	OPTION COURSE**	4
	OPTION COURSE**	4	OPTION COURSE**	4	OPTION COURSE**	4
	MTH 427. Intro to Mathematical Biology or BACCORE*	3
	Total Credits	15	Total Credits	15	Total Credits	16
						Total Credits 180

*BACCORE = HHS 231 + Physical Activity Course, Perspective Courses – Choose a course from each category: Western Culture, Cultural diversity, Literature & Arts, Social Processes, Difference, Power, & Discrimination (met with FW Human Dimension Course). Synthesis Courses –
Choose a course from each category: Science Tech & Society & Contemporary Global Issues.

**ELECTIVE COURSE= Course taken depends on option student selects – see the full list of requirements and options at https://catalog.oregonstate.edu

***PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY SEQUENCE & GEN CHEM SEQUENCE= Students who select the General Option complete the entire Biology sequence during second year and the entire Chemistry sequence during their first year. Students who select the EEI or CB options only complete the first term of general chemistry.