Joint Major in Chemistry and Biology

The disciplines of biology and chemistry are undergoing remarkable and converging transformations. In response to these new developments, Harvey Mudd College has established a unique opportunity for undergraduate students at the interface of biology and chemistry.

The goal is to enable students to think at the interface, to effortlessly move back and forth between chemistry and biology. They will have the background to appreciate the biological context of their research questions and they will have mastered the chemistry fundamentals that underlie the properties and reactions of biomolecules. These successful students will be able to make connections and have insights that are difficult to obtain without a thorough training in both chemistry and biology. The program in Chemistry and Biology will capture the imaginations of talented HMC students and reinforce their abilities to think across disciplines.

Many schools have used the terms “biochemistry” or “biological chemistry” and some of the newer programs call themselves “chemical biology.” But since the boundaries between chemistry and biology as separate disciplines are rapidly dissolving, and students can choose to steer their studies in many directions, we chose to call it simply the “Joint Major in Chemistry and Biology.”

The Joint Major:

• Chemistry 51: Physical Chemistry
• Chemistry 53: Physical Chemistry Laboratory
• Chemistry 56: Carbon Compounds
• Chemistry 58: Carbon Compounds Laboratory
• Chemistry 103: Chemical Analysis
• Chemistry 105: Organic Chemistry
• Chemistry 109: Chemical Analysis Laboratory
• Chemistry 111: Organic Chemistry Laboratory
• Biology 54: Biology Laboratory
• Biology/Chemistry 182: Chemistry in Living Systems
• Biology/Chemistry 184: Methods in Biochemistry
• Biology 111: Molecular Biology Laboratory
• Biology 113: Molecular Biology
• Biology/Chemistry 189: Topics in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

One course selected from:

• Biology 101: Comparative Physiology
• Biology 108: Ecology and Environmental Biology
• Biology 109: Evolution

• Five elective credits of upper level Biology courses, to be selected by the student in consultation with her/his adviser. Prior permission from the Department of Biology is required.
• Two successive semesters of Biology 191–192 Biology Colloquium and Chemistry 199 Chemistry Seminar (four semesters total).
• Two semesters (at least 6 credits total) of Senior Thesis Research (Biology 193–194, or Biology 195-196, or Chemistry 151–152). The senior thesis will have two readers, a mentor from one department and a co-reader from the other department.

NOTE: In order to optimize their opportunities and to enable individual flexibility, students may request to count other courses not currently listed as Biology electives. These other courses might include new Biology courses developed at HMC, cross-listed HMC courses (e.g., topics in biological engineering), and appropriate courses offered by other Claremont Colleges. Prior approval, granted by the faculties of Biology and Chemistry, will be required to substitute electives.

Joint Major in Computer Science and Mathematics

The Joint Major in Computer Science and Mathematics is cooperatively administered by the Computer Science and Mathematics Departments. The purpose of the Joint Major is to provide a program of study tailored to students who are interested in the interdisciplinary connections between computer science and mathematics. Depending on how electives are selected, the program described below would position successful majors for graduate studies in either computer science or mathematics, or for immediate employment.

The Joint Major in Computer Science and Mathematics degree program has various components: the kernel courses in computer science and mathematics; more advanced courses in computer science and in mathematics; Clinic; and electives. Each of these components is described as follows:

Four kernel courses in computer science and mathematics:

• Mathematics 55: Discrete Mathematics
• Computer Science 60: Principles of Computer Science or Computer Science 42: Principles and Practices of Computer Science
• Computer Science 81: Computability and Logic
• Mathematics 168 or Computer Science 140: Algorithms

Three computer science courses:

• Computer Science 70: Data Structures and Program Development
• Computer Science 105: Computer Systems
• Computer Science 131: Programming Languages

Three mathematics courses:

• Mathematics 131: Analysis I
• Mathematics 165: Numerical Analysis or Math 164: Scientific Computing
• Mathematics 171: Abstract Algebra I

Clinic
Two semesters are required, ordinarily taken during the senior year. Joint Majors will work on a Clinic project either from mathematics, computer science or on an interdisciplinary project. Software Development, CS 121, is strongly recommended for students wishing to take CS Clinic.

Electives
Eight units of upper division technical electives: these electives can be from mathematics, computer science or other departments (but must include at least two units of mathematics and at least two units of computer science), and must be chosen with approval of the faculty advisors so that a coherent program is formed. Two semesters of senior thesis research can count toward this requirement. Note that Complexity Theory can be taken as either Math 167 or CS 142.

Colloquia
Students are required to attend two semesters of Computer Science Colloquium (CS 193–196), one semester of Mathematics Colloquium (Math 199) and one semester of Math Forum (Math 198).

Students in the Joint Major program will have faculty advisers from both the mathematics and the computer science departments. For further descriptions of the computer science and mathematics programs, please refer to their separate sections in this catalogue.

Joint Major in Mathematical Biology

Mathematical and computational components are vital to many areas of contemporary biological research, such as genomics, molecular modeling, structural biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, and systems analysis of neurobiology, physiology and metabolism. Students interested in the interface between biology and mathematics may pursue the Mathematical Biology Major, which is jointly administered by the Departments of Biology and Mathematics.

The Mathematical Biology Major prepares graduates for further study in either biology or applied mathematics or for employment in industry. HMC’s Common Core provides mathematical biology majors with a strong multidisciplinary foundation, and the college offers many opportunities for students to engage in interdisciplinary research in biomathematics and quantitative biology. Students who choose this major become immersed in the scientific and intellectual cultures of both biology and mathematics, and the major is sufficiently flexible to allow students to concentrate in a particular area of mathematical biology. Students in this major have both a Biology adviser and a Mathematics advisor, who will help them plan a program tailored to their interests and goals.

Mathematics (10 units)

• Mathematics 55: Discrete Math (3)
• Mathematics 131: Analysis I (3)

Two mathematics electives (4 units); recommended courses include:

• Mathematics 106: Combinatorics
• Mathematics 120: Chirality
• Mathematics 151: Probability
• Mathematics 152: Mathematical Statistics
• Mathematics 156: Stochastic Processes
• Mathematics 158: Applied Statistics
• Mathematics 159: Design and Analysis of Experiments
• Mathematics 173: Advanced Linear Algebra
• Mathematics 180: Applied Analysis
• Mathematics 181: Dynamical Systems
• Mathematics 182: Partial Differential Equations
• Mathematics 185: Wavelets
• Mathematics 187: Operations Research
• Mathematics 188: Social Choice and Decision Making

Biology (15 Units)

• Biology 54:Biology Laboratory (1)

Three of the following four courses (9 units)

• Biology 101: Comparative Physiology
• Biology 108: Ecology and Environmental Biology
• Biology 109: Evolutionary Biology
• Biology 113: Molecular Biology

Two biology electives (one seminar and one lab, 5 units)

Computation (3 units)

• Mathematics 164:Scientific Computing (3) or
• Mathematics 165:Numerical Analysis (3) or
• Mathematics 168/CS 140:Algorithms (3) or
• Biology 188:Computational Biology (3) or

Another computation course with approval of the advisors

Mathematical Biology (4 units)

• Mathematics 118:Mathematical Biology I (2)
• Mathematics 119:Mathematical Biology II (2)

Additional Requirements (9 units)

One technical elective, chosen in consultation with student's advisor (3 units).

The elective will typically be an additional mathematics or biology course, but can be another technical course that strengthens the student’s area of interest. A few examples of the possible courses are:

• Biology 153: Biostatistics
• Computer Science 60: Principles of Computer Science or Computer Science 65:Principles and Practices of Computer Science
• Computer Science 152: Neural Networks
• Chemistry 51: Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics and Kinetics
• Chemistry 56: Carbon Compounds
• Biology/Chemistry 182: Chemistry in Living Systems

Two semesters of Senior Thesis Research (Biology 193–194 or Mathematics 197) or Clinic (6 units)

Colloquia

• Biology 191–192: Biology Colloquium (two semesters) and
• Mathematics 198, 199: Two semesters of Math Colloquium (Math 199) or one semester of Math Colloquium (Math 199) and one semester of Math Forum (Math 198).

For further information, contact the mathematical biology advisors Professors Stephen Adolph (Biology), Lisette de Pillis (Mathematics), and Jon Jacobsen (Mathematics).