Advice for undergrads in comp bio at CMU
Helpful information and resources for undergraduate students in CMU’s Computational Biology Department!
Advice
- Advice for getting involved in research: Some advice for finding good research opportunities, especially if it’s your first time.
- Things you can do outside of class: A list of fun and educational activities that aren’t classes!
Helpful resources
- Guide to the Five SCS Majors: A comparison chart to help first-year students in the School of Computer Science decide which major to declare in the spring. Please check CMU catalog website or consult with advisors for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
- Alumni Contacts: A list of alumni from our department who are happy to answer your questions! NOTE: This is only open to CMU students and alumni. Therefore, a CMU login is required to view this list.
- Guide to ECE and CS at CMU: Describes courses that many CS/ECE students take. May not be updated, so you should definitely ask upperclassmen for their thoughts before registering for a course.
- CMUCourses.com: Awesome website run by the ScottyLabs student organization that displays students’ ratings of courses and the estimated number of hours per week. You’ll need a CMU login to see some of the data.
- Website for 02-251: Great Ideas in CB: Description of the comp bio department’s excellent course designed to introduce undergrads to the field.
- Undergrad CB program website: You can find the requirements here for the primary major, additional major, concentration, and minor.
- Suggested courses for pre-med CB students
- CMU post-gradation outcomes: See where CMU students ended up after graduation (companies in industry, grad schools, etc.). You can filter by major or department.
Undergrad Comp Bio Society
This club hosts events a few times a semester with free food and advice from your fellow students! Any undergrad student interested in computational biology is welcome to show up. It’s an excellent chance to get to know people who may be in your classes and hear about other students’ experiences with courses, research, or internships.
Past events have included:
- Welcome event
- Alumni panel
- Course registration advice
- Presentations by students involved in CB research