Major Mondays: Quantitative Biology
Major Mondays: Quantitative Biology
Major: The Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Biology is housed in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. This unique undergraduate program, which links technology and the life sciences, may be selected as a first-choice or second-choice major in the first-year and transfer application processes.
Overview: Recently launched in 2017 under the Department of Biological Sciences, the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Quantitative Biology major provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate students interested in the convergence of data and biological sciences. In 2021, the Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology was established to oversee this ever-growing undergraduate major. Rooted in interdisciplinary learning, a hallmark of the USC undergraduate experience, students pursuing this major are exposed to several academic disciplines across campus, including engineering, data science, biology, and chemistry. Students in the program will participate in an introductory seminar on quantitative and computational biology, conduct research under faculty supervision, and write an honors thesis. For more specific information on the Quantitative Biology major curriculum, please visit the USC Course Catalogue. Overall, the Quantitative Biology major is designed to train students to be “high-level biologists and high-level data analysts” for the 21st century world that awaits them after graduation.
Fun Facts/Notable Information: The Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology was originally founded as the Computational Molecular Biology program within the Department of Mathematics at USC in 1982, offering one of the first PhD programs in the world at that time.
Like many other academic departments at USC, the Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology offers a progressive degree program. Students can obtain a Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Biology and a Master of Science in Quantitative and Computational Biology in as little as five years. Current USC students are eligible to apply during their junior year.
QBio Trojans: Kate Cunningham, Class of 2020, a member of the Quantitative Biology’s inaugural class, worked at a biotechnology company, Epic Sciences, following graduation from USC. In 2021, she began her MD-PhD program at Columbia University in New York.
Adam MacLean, PhD is an assistant professor of Quantitative and Computational Biology at USC. His research interests include systems biology, statistical interference, and computational methods for data analysis. Professor MacLean was recently awarded the National Institutes of Health R35 MIRA Grant.
Additional application requirements:
As an applicant to a major in the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, you will be required to complete one additional short-answer essay in the USC Writing Supplement. These essays are meant for you to let us know what motivates you and what you are most passionate about.
Want to learn more?
To learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Biology, you may e-mail qbio@usc.edu or Professor Peter Calabrese, director of undergraduate studies, at petercal@usc.edu. We’d also recommend that you attend an academic information session presented by the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences to learn more about their undergraduate programs, interdisciplinary learning, and their admissions process.
Written by: Matthew Peterson, International Admission Officer - USC Office of Admission
Edited by: Leslie Escobedo, Assistant Director - USC Office of Admission