Biology and Biotechnology majors merging

There is now one less major at WPI. A proposed merger of the Biology and Biotechnology majors was recently approved by the Committee on Academic Operations (CAO) and faculty. This merger would change the distribution requirements for both majors, allowing for both a general, non-specialized major and an option for one of five concentrations. These changes are scheduled to begin next year, and promise to improve the quality of both departments.

For those who are graduating soon, the impact brought by this change will be minimal. For freshmen, and even some sophomores, the merger creates new possibilities. For example, a freshman could declare their major in Biology right now, then switch to the new system A Term next year and declare a concentration. Whereas before they would have got a Bachelor of Science degree in just "Biology," they would receive the Bachelor of Science degree in "Biology and Biotechnology with a Concentration in (fill in the blank)." However, it is recommended that students talk to their advisors before making this change.

For those who do switch, what will the new requirements be for the major or concentration? Students will still have to complete six courses in Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, and/or Computer Science; an MQP; and two-thirds unit worth of advanced level lab courses. The Chemistry requirement will only be 5 courses, instead of six, which is the current number required for Biology majors. Students will have to take four courses related to the concentration (or Biology in general) whereas only Biotechnology majors had to take 1 unit of related courses. And students with concentrations will take one unit of 3000 - 4000 level general courses and a pair of 3000 - 4000 level courses specifically related to their area. There are several key reasons that Biology and Biotechnology are combining into one single major. According to a statement released by CAO, the difference between the majors in terms of requirements is "not only unclear, but also completely arbitrary. With the institutional adoption of concentrations, it [becomes] more logical to allow students to select areas of if interest within Biology and Biotechnology and to focus their academic work to better reflect their interest." These concentrations include molecular biology, genetics, and computational biology, a relatively new field vital towards understanding the human genome.

With the addition of the Computational Biology option, WPI is allowing students to explore one of the newer fields of Biology. Computational Biology, more widely know as Bioinformatics, combines knowledge of Biology, Mathematics, and Computer Science. The field was created in response to the decoding of genomes of animals, bacteria, and humans. Those who study Bioinformatics are able to create databases with which to store the data, make algorithms that can find useful portions of the DNA, and experiment with those sections to create drugs that help fight cancer, diabetes, and many other hereditary and genetic diseases. The courses that students might have to take for this option include Experimental Design (BB 3040), Differential Equations (MA 2051), and Algorithms (CS 2223).

Despite the change, the number of courses will not increase. As CAO stated, "these changes require no additional resources unless the number of [Biology] majors expands significantly." However, because of the additional concentration option, students can now be supplied with clearer outlines on what is required for their particular field of interest, and plan with greater ease. It will also be easier to choose the appropriate advisor based on concentration. It is hoped these changes will allow Biology and Biotechnology majors to succeed better at WPI and enter into graduate and medical schools.