Rutgers University
BioMathematics Interdisciplinary Major

The field of mathematical biology is undergoing a major resurgence. The wealth of data afforded by new bioinformatics tools and modern molecular biology allow the formulation of precise models, which can then be subject to experimental validation. Opportunities abound for graduate studies, as well as research jobs in the pharmaceutical industry and government labs.

The Biomathematics Interdisciplinary Major at Rutgers was established in the mid-1970s, and underwent a major curricular revision in the year 2000. The Major is administered by the Mathematics Department.

NEW! Facebook group Biomath @ Rutgers, and Sakai website:

General information about biomath:

For general questions regarding courses, degree requirements, and the like, please contact the Mathematics Department undergraduate advisor, in Hill Center Room 308, email: advisor@math.

The Director for the Biomath program is Professor of Mathematics up to Dec 2017 [and acting as Interim Director until someone else takes over] is Eduardo D. Sontag, and the Associate Director is Professor of Genetics David E. Axelrod.

Please address general inquiries to this email address: biomathematics.rutgers@gmail.com. Please do not use this email address for administrative questions (getting course credit, declaring major, and so on). Also, before emailing, please make sure to read carefully the information provided in *all* of the websites that are listed in the "links" website shown above. These websites will probably answer most of your questions!


The requirements for the Biomathematics major (curriculum code 122) at Rutgers are listed below for your convenience. However, students should check Degree Navigator (DN) for official requirements.

Click here for printout of DN, Spring 2016 version.

This information is reproduced here only for the convenience of students, may not reflect current official Rutgers requirements, and is subject to change. .

The major in biomathematics requires 63-67 credits distributed as follows: mathematics, 33 credits; biology and cognate fields 30-34 credits. Students must earn a minimum grade-point average of 2.0 in courses credited toward the major. This major is administered by the mathematics department. The course requirements for this major are the following.

Please follow this link for important updated information about courses

Core Biology and Chemistry required courses:

  • 01:119:115-116 General Biology I and II (4,4), or equivalent
  • 01:160:161-162 General Chemistry I and II (4,4), or equivalent
  • 01:160:171 Introduction to Experimentation (1)

    • Mathematics required courses:

  • 01:640:151, 152, 251 Calculus I, II, and III (4,4,4)
  • 01:640:250 Introductory Linear Algebra (3)
  • 01:640:252 Elementary Differential Equations (3)
  • 01:640:336 Differential Equations in Biology (3)
  • 01:640:338 Discrete and Probabilistic Models in Biology (3)
  • 01:640:477 Mathematical Theory of Probability (3)
  • 01:640:481 Mathematical Theory of Statistics (3)

    • One of the following courses:

  • 01:640:350 Linear Algebra (3)
  • 01:640:373 Numerical Analysis (3)
  • 01:640:423 Elementary Partial Differential Equations (3)
  • 640:428 Graph Theory (3)
  • 01:640:454 Combinatorics (3)
  • 01:640:478 Probability II (3)

    • Required lab, one from the following list:

  • 01:119:117 General Biology Laboratory (2) it is very strongly recommended that you take this lab, which runs with the 115-116 sequence, as it is a prerequisite for many courses
  • 01:146:357 Systems Physiology Laboratory (1)
    [Fall, Spring, 1 credit, Prereq. 119:117. Pre or Corequisite: Systems Physiology 146:356]
  • 01:447:382 Genetics Laboratory (1)
    [Fall, Spring. Online course. Not wetlab.]
  • 14:125:315 BME Measurements and Analysis Laboratory (2)
    [Spring, Prerequisites: 14:125:210 and 211]
  • 01:146:475 Laboratory in Immunology (1)
    [Spring. Pre-requisite 01:119:117, Pre- or Corequsite Immunology 01:146:474]

    • Note: 01:447:390 is a 4-credit elective (see below) and includes a lab that satisfies the requirement above.

    Electives: Four courses from the following list. 01:447:380 is highly recommended. At most one course from 14:125 (Biomedical Engineering) can count as an elective.

  • 01:146:245 Fundamentals of Neurobiology (3)
  • 01:146:270 Fundamentals of Cell and Developmental Biology (3)
  • 01:146:302 or 447:302 Computers in Biology (3)
  • 01:146:356 Systems Physiology (3)
  • 01:146:445 Advanced Neurobiology (3)
  • 01:146:470 Advanced Cell Biology (3)
  • 01:146:474 Immunology (3)
  • 01:160:305 (3) or 160:307 (4) or 160:315 (4) Organic Chemistry
  • 01:160:306 (3) or 160:308 (4) or 160:316 (4) Organic Chemistry
  • 01:447:380 Genetics (4)
  • 01:447:384 Genetic Analysis (4) [note: this course is only open to Genetics majors]
  • 01:447:390 General Microbiology (4)
  • 01:447:480 Topics Molecular Genetics (3)
  • 01:447:486 Evolutionary Genetics (3)
  • 11:704:351 Principles of Applied Ecology (4)
  • 11:704:486 Principles of Evolution (3)
  • 16:215:513 Population Genetics (447:380) (3)
  • No more than one of: 01:146:478 Molecular Biology (3), 01:694:301 Introductory Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (3), 01:694:407 Molecular Biology and Biochemistry I (3), 01:694:408 Molecular Biology and Biochemistry II (3)
  • No more than one of: 14:125:403 Cardiovascular Engineering (3), 14:125:407 Fundamentals of Computer Tomography (3), 14:125:410 Sensory Process, Mechanisms, and Computational Models (3).

    • Notes

    Please follow this link for important updated information about courses

    Follow this link for information regarding Graduation with Honors in Biomathematics

    Follow this link for information regarding Research in Biomathematics courses