Bachelor of Science in Biological Data Sciences

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Oregon State University

Program Overview

Oregon State University’s Bachelor of Science in Biological Data Sciences combines life sciences with computer science, statistics, and mathematics, preparing students to use large biological datasets to investigate complex questions in areas such as genomics, ecology, and computational biology. It suits students interested in the growing intersection of biology and data science, with three specialization options—Genomics, Ecological and Environmental Informatics, and Computational Biology—and an emphasis on hands-on, collaborative learning.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish the quantitative and scientific foundation of the degree through General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory, Differential Calculus, and Integral Calculus. They also begin applying critical thinking to scientific data through BDS 211: Use and Abuse of Data: Critical Thinking in Science, alongside their selected option courses.

Year 2: The curriculum brings biology, statistics, and computational methods together through BI 221Z: Principles of Biology: Cells, ST 351: Introduction to Statistical Methods, and BDS 311: Computational Approaches for Biological Data. Students then progress through BI 222Z: Principles of Biology: Organisms, BI 223Z: Principles of Biology: Ecology and Evolution, and ST 411/412: Methods of Data Analysis, strengthening their ability to work with biological datasets.

Year 3: Students develop more advanced biological and analytical knowledge through BI 311: Genetics, BI 445: Evolution, and BDS 411: Analysis of Biological Data: Case Studies. BDS 420: Reflect on Experiential Learning Activities also encourages students to connect their practical experiences with their academic and professional development, while option courses deepen their chosen specialization.

Year 4: The final year focuses on integrating the program’s biology, statistics, mathematics, and computing skills through advanced option courses, electives, and the BDS 491: Capstone Projects in Biological Data Science I course. Students can also complete an independent research, thesis, or internship experience, giving them an opportunity to apply biological data-science methods to a substantial project.

Focus areas: Genomics, Ecological and Environmental Informatics, Computational Biology.

Learning outcomes: Apply biological data sciences to scientific investigation; critically evaluate data and design experiments to test biological hypotheses; effectively communicate scientific data, methods, and ideas; demonstrate awareness of professional and ethical practices of science.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The official Oregon State University program and catalog pages do not state a separate professional accreditation for the Biological Data Sciences BS; not stated. The program is administered by the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology and provides interdisciplinary preparation across life sciences, statistics, computer science, and mathematics.

Reputation (employability rankings): Oregon State University states that it is in the top 1.4% of universities worldwide, based on the Center for World University Rankings; the university also reports a $128,200 median mid-career salary across its alumni on its institutional profile. These are university-wide figures rather than Biological Data Sciences-specific outcomes.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Oregon State University’s Bachelor of Science in Biological Data Sciences is built around applied experience with real biological datasets, combining biology, mathematics, statistics, and computational methods. Experiential Learning Activities are a required part of the degree and can be completed through research, internships, study abroad, teaching, or service learning, with students applying their classroom knowledge to real-world biological-data challenges.

Students develop practical skills through these program-specific opportunities:

Python and scientific computing: BDS 310 Foundations of Biological Data Sciences introduces Python for visualizing and analyzing data and for conducting reproducible research using real-world life-science datasets.
Computational biological data analysis: BDS 311 Computational Approaches for Biological Data develops programming and computational methods for testing hypotheses, analyzing datasets, and making predictions from biological data.
Team-based projects: BDS 491 Capstone Projects in Biological Data Science I has students work in small groups to develop research questions and hypotheses and analyze large biological datasets; datasets may come from public repositories, students' experiential-learning activities, or OSU researchers.
Case-study projects and peer review: BDS 411 Analysis of Biological Data: Case Studies uses case-study solutions and outcomes that are compared through team activities and peer review, helping students evaluate alternative analytical approaches.
Required internships: Students can satisfy the experiential-learning requirement through BDS 004 Internship, including experiences that connect the use of large datasets in scientific investigation with professional networking and workplace practice.
Research opportunities: Students can complete BDS 003 Undergraduate Research, BDS 401 Research, or BDS 403 Thesis, working with a faculty mentor on projects involving the generation, processing, analysis, or interpretation of large biological datasets.
Minimum hands-on experience: OSU's BDS experiential-learning framework requires students to complete hands-on work involving biological data, with the program documentation specifying a minimum of 60 hours; eligible activities include internships, research, study abroad, student teaching, and service learning.
Research environments: Students can connect with OSU research programs working in areas such as microbiomes, microbial interactions, marine ecological modelling, plant microbiomes, plant pathology, genetics, infectious-disease ecology, and gut microbiota, providing potential contexts for biological-data research.
Big-data agriculture internship: OSU faculty associated with the program have directed Undergraduate Learning Experiences in Working with Big Data in Agriculture, giving students opportunities to apply programming and statistical skills to agricultural datasets.
Professional presentation and reflection: BDS 420 Reflect on Experiential Learning Activities develops professional skills through oral and written presentations, résumé/CV preparation, and job or graduate-school application activities.
Program options and facilities: Students can focus their biological-data training through OSU's Computational Biology, Ecological and Environmental Informatics, or Genomics options, supported by the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology and OSU's interdisciplinary quantitative-life-science research environment.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Oregon State University’s Bachelor of Science in Biological Data Sciences prepares graduates to work at the intersection of biology, computing, statistics, and mathematics, with pathways into computational biology, genomics, environmental informatics, research, and data-focused roles. Recent BDS graduates have progressed into roles such as data engineer, medical data bioinformatician, national-laboratory researcher, and state-agency employee, while others have continued into graduate study.

Typical career roles: Data Engineer, Medical Data Bioinformatician, Computational Biology Researcher, Genomics/Data Analyst:

Career support: The College of Agricultural Sciences Career Services and OSU Career Development Center provide career-development support, while BDS advising helps students plan coursework, access professional-development resources, and identify experiential-learning and leadership opportunities.
Graduate outcomes: OSU’s BDS program reports recent graduates entering the workforce as data engineers in private companies, medical data bioinformaticians in academic institutions, researchers in national laboratories, and employees in state agencies.
Graduate-school progression: Recent graduates have entered MS and PhD programs in biostatistics, bioinformatics, business analytics, computational biology, ecology and evolutionary biology, information science, quantitative genetics, and statistics.
Research and professional experience: BDS treats experiential learning as foundational to the program, with students able to pursue research opportunities through Botany and Plant Pathology, the College of Agricultural Sciences, and other OSU colleges and units.
University-industry and interdisciplinary connections: The program is delivered collaboratively by faculty from Botany and Plant Pathology, Computer Science, Fisheries and Wildlife, Horticulture, Microbiology, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, giving students access to expertise across multiple life-science and quantitative disciplines.
Internship experience: OSU highlights BDS student internship experience; one graduate described using programming and statistical skills learned in class during an internship with the Crop and Sciences Department. Recent graduates have also combined undergraduate research with summer internships and programming instruction.
Employment and salary figures: The official BDS program pages reviewed do not state a program-specific employment rate or salary figure. Accordingly, no unsupported salary or placement number is provided.
Accreditation value: The official BDS program and catalog pages identify the degree as a Bachelor of Science offered through OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences; the program pages reviewed do not identify a separate professional accreditation specific to Biological Data Sciences.

Further Academic Progression: After the B.S., students can continue into graduate study in fields aligned with biological data science, including bioinformatics, biostatistics, computational biology, statistics, information science, ecology and evolutionary biology, and quantitative genetics. Oregon State University also offers a Biological Data Science graduate minor that can complement master's and doctoral programs across areas including Molecular and Cellular Biology, Bioengineering, Botany and Plant Pathology, Computer Science, Microbiology, Public Health, and Statistics.