BIOL 4200 Introduction to Bioinformatics

Bioinformatics is an emerging field at the intersection of biology, mathematics, and computer science. Biologists increasingly use high-throughput methods to generate massive datasets, and bioinformatics harnesses the power and speed of computers to analyze these large datasets. The topics covered in this introductory course include public biological databases, sequence alignment, and analyses of genomes and transcriptomes. Students should have a basic understanding of molecular biology and introductory statistics, and will learn some simple programming skills and how to use a variety of bioinformatics software packages.

Course overview

Department
Biology
School
MCAS
Credits
3
Level
Undergraduate
Offered
Every Fall

Catalog details

Prerequisites
BIOL2000 or BIOL3050 or BIOL3060 or BIOL3150 and BIOL2300 or ECON1151 or MATH4427 or PHCG3560

Catalog text is imported from the reviewed Boston College course snapshot. Confirm eligibility in EagleApps.

Requirements fulfilled

  • Biology B.A.: 3000-level-or-higher Biology elective options (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
  • Biology B.S.: 3000-level-or-higher Biology elective options (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
  • Mathematics B.S.: Natural science, computer science, or economics corequisites (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)

Requirement eligibility can vary by school, cohort, and section. Confirm the selected section in EagleApps or with an advisor.

Official evaluation summary

2.56 / 5

Based on 57 aggregate responses from BC Avalanche/Blue evaluations.

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-08-02. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors

  • Jeffrey Dacosta
    Fall 2026
  • Peter Clote
    Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021 · Official rating 2.84/5

Sections

  • Section 01
    Fall 2026 · Jeffrey Dacosta · Merkert Chemistry Center 130 TuTh 01:30PM-02:45PM · Offered