Computer Science + Bioengineering, BS
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Computer Science + Bioengineering
Students in the Computer Science + Bioengineering (CS+BioE) Bachelor of Science degree program will develop an integrative understanding of computational and bioengineering principles to analyze biomedical data, construct models of biological systems, and design and implement advanced diagnostic and therapeutic techniques to improve human health.
The CS + BioE blended bachelor's degree is a partnership between the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science and the Department of Bioengineering in The Grainger College of Engineering. As part of the computing community at Illinois, you will benefit from being part of a top-five-ranked Computer Science program with world-class faculty and research. Learn more about the School's Rankings and Statistics.
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Curriculum Map
The curriculum sequence mapped below is a sample sequence. Students will work with an academic advisor to achieve educational goals specific to their needs and preparation.
- Course prerequisite chain
- Immediate prerequisite
- Credit or concurrent registration required
- Concurrent registration required
- Postrequisite course sequence
| First Year | Second Year | Third Year | Fourth Year | ||||
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| Fall First Year | Spring First Year | Fall Second Year | Spring Second Year | Fall Third Year | Spring Third Year | Fall Fourth Year | Spring Fourth Year |
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ENG 100 (1) Introduces students to the Grainger College of Engineering and their respective departments. Students will explore the academic environment at Illinois, developing skills that will aid in learning both inside and outside the classroom, build their leadership and collaborative skills, and build community inside and outside the classroom. Through class discussion and assignments, students will explore campus resources, examine and set goals for academic, personal, and professional development, and develop skills to work in diverse teams through a class project. Class Schedule Information: First-year students should enroll in the section corresponding to their major. BIOE 100 (1) Bioengineering Seminar provides a broad introduction to the field, practice, and curriculum of Bioengineering. The major goals are for students to (1) meet the department faculty, (2) understand the curriculum and the 4-year goals, (3) understand and apply technologies central to the field through individual and group projects, (4) begin independent explorations into technologies in the field, and (5) practice teamwork, technical writing, and presentation. The course is designed for first-year Bioengineering majors. CS 124 (3) Basic concepts in computing and fundamental techniques for solving computational problems. Intended as a first course for computer science majors and others with a deep interest in computing. Course Information: Credit is not given for both CS 124 and CS 125. Prerequisite: Three years of high school mathematics or MATH 112. MATH 221 (4)1 First course in calculus and analytic geometry for students with some calculus background; basic techniques of differentiation and integration with applications including curve sketching; antidifferentation, the Riemann integral, fundamental theorem, exponential and trigonometric functions. Course Information: Credit is not given for both MATH 221 and either MATH 220 or MATH 234. Prerequisite: An adequate ALEKS placement score as described at http://math.illinois.edu/ALEKS/ and either one year of high school calculus or a minimum score of 2 on the AB Calculus AP exam. Class Schedule Information: Students must register for one discussion and one lecture section beginning with the same letter. Engineering students must obtain a dean's approval to drop this course after the second week of instruction. RHET 105 (4)2 Introduction in research-based writing and the construction of academic, argumentative essays that use primary and secondary sources as evidence. This course fulfills the Campus Composition I general education requirement. Course Information: Credit is not given for both RHET 105 and any of these other Comp I courses: RHET 101, RHET 102, CMN 111 or CMN 112. Class Schedule Information: Students whose second language is English should take an English placement test through the Division of English as an International Language, before signing up for rhetoric. Engineering students must obtain a dean's approval to drop this course after the second week of instruction. MCB 150 (4)3 Introductory course focusing on the basic structure, metabolic, and molecular processes (including membranes, energy metabolism, genes) common to all cells. Emphasis on unique properties that differentiate the major sub-groups of organisms (Archaea, Bacteria, plants, and animals), and will discuss how cells are integrated into tissues and organs in multicellular organisms. Class Schedule Information: Priority registration given to students in Biological Sciences Program and Biochemistry. For further information: www.life.illinois.edu/mcb/150. Students must register for one discussion and one lecture section. |
CS 128 (3) Continuation of CS 124. More advanced concepts in computing and techniques and approaches for solving computational problems. Course Information: Prerequisite: CS 124 or CS 125. CS 173 (3) Discrete mathematical structures frequently encountered in the study of Computer Science. Sets, propositions, Boolean algebra, induction, recursion, relations, functions, and graphs. Course Information: Credit is not given for both CS 173 and MATH 213. Prerequisite: One of CS 124, CS 125, ECE 220; one of MATH 220, MATH 221. MATH 231 (3) Second course in calculus and analytic geometry: techniques of integration, conic sections, polar coordinates, and infinite series. Course Information: Prerequisite: MATH 220 or MATH 221. Class Schedule Information: Students must register for one discussion and one lecture section beginning with the same letter in Fall and Spring terms only. Engineering students must obtain a dean's approval to drop this course after the second week of instruction. PHYS 211 (4) Newton's Laws, work and energy, static properties and fluids, oscillations, transverse waves, systems of particles, and rotations. A calculus-based approach for majors in engineering, mathematics, physics and chemistry. Course Information: Credit is not given for both PHYS 211 and PHYS 101. Prerequisite: Credit or concurrent registration in MATH 231. Class Schedule Information: For students in engineering, mathematics, physics and chemistry. Exams are given in the evening (during fall and spring semesters). Register for a lecture (A) section, a discussion (D) section and a laboratory (L) section. Engineering students must obtain a dean's approval to drop this course after the second week of instruction. BIOE 120 (1) Lectures and discussions of recent trends in bioengineering; topics typically include biological interaction with ultrasound and microwave radiation, modeling, instrumentation, biomaterials, biomechanics, biological heat and mass transfer, and medical imaging techniques. GEE (3) |
CS 225 (4) Data abstractions: elementary data structures (lists, stacks, queues, and trees) and their implementation using an object-oriented programming language. Solutions to a variety of computational problems such as search on graphs and trees. Elementary analysis of algorithms. Course Information: Credit is not given for CS 277 if credit for CS 225 has been earned. Prerequisite: CS 126 or CS 128 or ECE 220; One of CS 173, MATH 213, MATH 347, MATH 412 or MATH 413. Class Schedule Information: Students must register for one lecture-discussion and one lecture section. CS 222 (1) Design and implementation of novel software solutions. Problem identification and definition; idea generation and evaluation; and software implementation, testing, and deployment. Emphasizes software development best practices?including framework selection, code review, documentation, appropriate library usage, project management, continuous integration and testing, and teamwork. Course Information: Prerequisite: CS 128; credit or concurrent registration in CS 225. Restricted to majors in Computer Science undergraduate curricula only. MATH 241 (4) Third course in calculus and analytic geometry including vector analysis: Euclidean space, partial differentiation, multiple integrals, line integrals and surface integrals, the integral theorems of vector calculus. Course Information: Credit is not given for both MATH 241 and MATH 292. Prerequisite: MATH 231. Class Schedule Information: Students must register for one discussion and one lecture section beginning with the same letter in Fall and Spring terms only. Engineering students must obtain a dean's approval to drop this course after the second week of instruction. PHYS 212 (4) Coulomb's Law, electric fields, Gauss' Law, electric potential, capacitance, circuits, magnetic forces and fields, Ampere's law, induction, electromagnetic waves, polarization, and geometrical optics. A calculus-based approach for majors in engineering, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Course Information: Credit is not given for both PHYS 212 and PHYS 102. Prerequisite: PHYS 211; credit or concurrent registration in MATH 241. Class Schedule Information: For students in engineering, mathematics, physics and chemistry. Exams are given in the evening (during fall and spring semesters). Register for a lecture (A) section, a discussion (D) section and a laboratory (L) section. Engineering students must obtain a dean's approval to drop this course after the second week of instruction. GEE (3) |
CS 233 (4)6 Fundamentals of computer architecture: digital logic design, working up from the logic gate level to understand the function of a simple computer; machine-level programming to understand implementation of high-level languages; performance models of modern computer architectures to enable performance optimization of software; hardware primitives for parallelism and security. Course Information: Prerequisite: CS 125 or CS 128; CS 173 or MATH 213; credit or concurrent enrollment in CS 225. MATH 285 (3) Techniques and applications of ordinary differential equations, including Fourier series and boundary value problems, and an introduction to partial differential equations. Intended for engineering majors and others who require a working knowledge of differential equations. Course Information: Credit is not given for both MATH 285 and any of MATH 284, MATH 286, MATH 441. Prerequisite: MATH 241. MATH 257 (3)4 Introductory course incorporating linear algebra concepts with computational tools, with real world applications to science, engineering and data science. Topics include linear equations, matrix operations, vector spaces, linear transformations, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, inner products and norms, orthogonality, linear regression, equilibrium, linear dynamical systems and the singular value decomposition. Course Information: Credit is not given for both MATH 257 and any of MATH 125, MATH 225, MATH 227, MATH 415 or ASRM 406. Prerequisite: MATH 220 or MATH 221; CS 101 or equivalent programming experience. Class Schedule Information: Students must register for a lecture, a lab, and a discussion section. BIOE 205 (3) Introduction to signals and linear systems with examples from biology and medicine. Linear systems and mathematical models of systems, including differential equations, convolution, Laplace transforms, Fourier series and transforms, and discrete representations. Class examples and coursework apply general techniques to problems in biological signal analysis, including circuits, enzyme kinematics, and physiological system analysis. Use of Matlab and Simulink software to understand more complex systems. Course Information: Prerequisite: CS 101 or CS 124, PHYS 212, and credit or concurrent registration in MATH 285. GEE (3) |
CS 341 (4)6 Basics of system programming, including POSIX processes, process control, inter-process communication, synchronization, signals, simple memory management, file I/O and directories, shell programming, socket network programming, RPC programming in distributed systems, basic security mechanisms, and standard tools for systems programming such as debugging tools. Course Information: Credit is not given for both CS 341 and either CS 241 or ECE 391. Prerequisite: CS 225 and CS 233. Class Schedule Information: Students must register for one lecture and one discussion section. BIOE 206 (3) Molecular and cellular biology focusing on instrumentation and measurement techniques: gene expression, translation, and regulation; cellular energetics and enzyme kinetics; membrane transport and cell signaling; cytoskeleton and the cell cycle; cell biology fundamentals emphasizing modern imaging and measurement systems to quantify cellular function. Course Information: Credit is not given for both BIOE 206 and MCB 252. Prerequisite: MCB 150. BIOETE (3-4) BIOE TE FE (3) LOTE3 (3-5) Language - 3rd Level Course |
CS 374 (4) Analysis of algorithms, major paradigms of algorithm design including recursive algorithms, divide-and-conquer algorithms, dynamic programming, greedy algorithms, and graph algorithms. Formal models of computation including finite automata and Turing machines. Limitations of computation arising from fundamental notions of algorithm and from complexity-theoretic constraints. Reductions, undecidability and NP-completeness. Course Information: Same as ECE 374. Prerequisite: One of CS 173, MATH 213; CS 225. BIOE 310 (3) Fundamental and applied statistics, including probability distributions, parameter estimation, descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, and linear regression. Statistical methods in genomics including sequence analysis, gene expression data analysis, human genomic variation, regulatory genomics, and cancer genomics. Course Information: Credit is not given towards graduation for both BIOE 310 and IE 300. Prerequisite: BIOE 210 or MATH 257. Students in the BS-BIOE must take BIOE 210 as the prerequisite. Class Schedule Information: Departmental approval required for non-majors. BIOETE (3-4) BIOE TE BIOEUDTE (3-4) Upper Division TE FE (3) |
CS 421 (3-4)7 Structure of programming languages and their implementation. Basic language design principles; abstract data types; functional languages; type systems; object-oriented languages. Basics of lexing, parsing, syntax-directed translation, semantic analysis, and code generation. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: One of CS 233, CS 240 or CS 340; CS 374; one of MATH 225, MATH 257, MATH 415, MATH 416, ASRM 406, BIOE 210. BIOETE (3-4) BIOE TE BIOETE (3-4) BIOE TE GEE (3) FE (2) Free Elective |
BIOE 404 (4) This capstone design course is the culmination of the CS+BIOE curriculum. The course focuses on the design of computational technologies for needs in human health and in the life sciences. Students will perform market research, develop a prototype software, and explore entrepreneurship at the interface of bioengineering and computer science. Students will practice problem identification and the analysis of solutions for real world problems from the perspective of value added for end-users. Students will use principles of design, engineering analysis, and customer discovery. This course emphasizes effective teamwork and technical communication, and integrates content related to intellectual property, quality, human factors, FDA regulation, professionalism, and ethics. The overall goal of the course is to prepare students for careers using computational approaches in healthcare, biotechnology, life sciences, and pharmaceutical industries. Course Information: 4 undergraduate hours. No gra BIOETE (3-4) BIOE TE BIOEUDTE (3-4) Upper Division TE GEE (3) FE (3) |
| 17 hours | 17 hours | 16 hours | 16 hours | 16-19 hours | 16-18 hours | 14-17 hours | 16-18 hours |
Notes
Before reviewing the links, students should find their effective Academic Catalog Year. When clicking any links referenced below that take students to the Academic Catalog Year pages, they should be mindful of which Academic Catalog year is displayed.
- MATH 220 may be substituted. MATH 220 is appropriate for students with no background in calculus. 4 of 5 credit hours count towards degree.
- RHET 105 (or an alternative Composition I sequence) is taken either in the first or second semester of the first year, according to the student's UIN (Spring if UIN is Odd). General Education Elective is taken the other semester. Composition I guidelines can be found at Degree and General Education Requirements under Written Communication Requirement.
- CHEM 102 and CHEM 103 may be substituted
- BIOE 210 may be substituted.
- Additional coursework, subject to the Grainger College of Engineering restrictions to Free Electives, so that there are at least 128 credit hours earned toward the degree
- CS 340 and two (2) CS technical electives (400 level CS courses) can be use to substitute the CS 233 and CS 341 requirements. The 2 technical electives must be distinct from courses used to satisfy other major requirements and can replace Free Electives.
- CS 357 may be substituted.
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