The COMP BIO pre-major provides students with broad, foundational knowledge in the sciences–biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics–plus an introduction to computer science.
All students must complete ALL of the pre-major coursework before admission to the major, no exceptions.
COMP BIO Major Sheet
Please reference the COMP BIO Major Sheet for pre-major and major course requirements, track information, and department policies.
NOTE: The COMP BIO Major Sheet is reflective of requirements effective FALL 2025 and forward. For all students admitted to the pre-major or major prior to FALL 2025, please consult your Degree Audit Report and the CaSB Academic Advisor to confirm your pre-major requirements.
COMP BIO Pre-Major Requirements
Students need to meet the following requirements to be admitted to the major:
- Completion of all pre-major courses
- Minimum 2.7 GPA in all pre-major courses
- Minimum grade of C or better in all Pre-Major courses*^
- Minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA
*Students are allowed to repeat up to 2 pre-major courses in which they received a C- or below. Please see our Academic Eligibility page for more details.
Computational Biology (COMP BIO) Pre-Major Requirements (effective FALL 2025 and forward):
| C&S BIO 10 |
| Chemistry: 14A, 14B OR 20A, 20B, 20L |
| Computer Science: Computer Science 31 OR Program in Computing 10A |
| Life Sciences: 7A, 7B, 7C |
| Calculus & Statistics Series Option #1: Mathematics 31A, 31B, 33A, 33B, Statistics 10
Calculus & Statistics Series Option #2: Life Sciences 30A, 30B, C&S BIO M32, Mathematics 33A, 33B, Life Sciences 40 |
| Physics: 5A, 5B, 5C OR 1A, 1B, 1C |
Bioinformatics track:
Biological Data Sciences track:
Dynamical Modeling track:
All tracks:
NOTE: Additional pre-reqs (beyond the required and recommended courses above) may be required for certain track courses. Students should check pre-reqs on the Schedule of Classes. |
COMP BIO Pre-Major Course Planning
When planning pre-major coursework, students have different options for completing the mathematics/statistics, chemistry, physics, and computing requirements. Based on students’ choice of mathematics/statistics series and intended concentration, students are advised to take certain courses. The decision tree below can help students identify course options.
When planning courses, students must be mindful of prerequisites. The flowcharts below are meant to help students plan out pre-major coursework by depicting the requisites for each series. These flowcharts were last updated September 2021. Always check the Registrar’s Course Descriptions for the most up-to-date requisites.
All pre-major courses must be taken for a letter grade, C or better. Students who receive a C- or below in a pre-major course must either repeat the course or petition to have the lower grade count for the pre-major. Students who receive 3 or more grades of a C- or below in pre-major courses will be dismissed from CaSB. Learn more about repeat policies and academic eligibility here.
Students are subject to any requirement changes in the pre-major until they are officially declared for the pre-major. Students are subject to any requirement changes in the major until they are officially admitted to the major. Students in the pre-major should check their Degree Audit Report (DAR) for remaining pre-major requirements and the COMP BIO Major Sheet for the most up-to-date major requirements. Please note that the DAR may not show the most current major requirements while in the pre-major status.
