Bioinformatics Foundations Associate of Science

Program Overview:

The Bioinformatics Foundations AS offers students a powerful Computer Science option with an emphasis in Biology and Chemistry: the opportunity to complete an Associate of Science degree with course credits that are articulated with Winona State University Rochester’s Computer Science – Bioinformatics bachelor’s degree. The curriculum has been specifically designed so that students completing this degree and transferring to Winona State University Rochester will enter with junior-year status with courses applying to the Computer Science – Bioinformatics bachelor’s degree program.

Program Outcomes:

Upon completion of the Bioinformatics Foundations program at RCTC, students will achieve the following outcomes:

• Analyze problems systematically and design algorithmic solutions using appropriate data structures, control structures, and programming paradigms.
• Use modern IDEs and industry-standard tools, including version control systems, to design, implement, test, debug, and secure software.
• Design and query relational databases using SQL, and use diagrams to show how data is organized, stored, and retrieved in computing systems.
• Describe the capabilities and limitations of AI tools—including large language models—and use AI-assisted tools responsibly while critically evaluating their outputs.
• Identify and analyze ethical issues in computing, including privacy, security, bias, intellectual property, and the societal impact of technology.
• Collaborate effectively in teams using structured project management practices to plan, develop, document, and present computing solutions in response to stakeholder needs.
• Explain computer organization and architecture, including instruction execution, memory hierarchy, and concurrency.
• Apply foundational knowledge of biology and chemistry to understand how computational methods are used in life sciences research and bioinformatics applications.

BIOINFORMATICS FOUNDATIONS AS

MINNESOTA TRANSFER CURRICULUM (MnTC)/GENERAL REQUIREMENTS (40 CREDITS)

Complete at least 30 credits in courses from the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC), including all courses listed. You must complete at least one course in six of the ten goal areas.

GOAL 1: COMMUNICATION (11 CREDITS)

• COMM 1114 – Fundamentals of Public Speaking (3 cr)
• ENGL 1117 – Reading and Writing Critically I (4 cr)
• ENGL 1118 – Reading and Writing Critically II (4 cr)

GOAL 3: NATURAL SCIENCES (12 CREDITS)

• BIOL 1220 – General Biology I (4 cr)
• BIOL 2300 – Genetics (4 cr)
• CHEM 1127 – Chemical Principles I (4 cr)

GOAL 4: MATHEMATICS/LOGICAL REASONING (12 CREDITS)

• MATH 1119 – Applied Calculus for Business Majors (3 cr) OR MATH 1127 – Calculus I (5 cr)

GOAL 5: HISTORY AND THE SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SICNECES (6 CREDITS)

Choose a minimum of three credits from two different areas from MnTC Goal 5.

GOAL 6: HUMANITIES AND THE FINE ARTS (6 CREDITS)

Choose a minimum of three credits from two different areas from MnTC Goal 6.

Recommended Course: PHIL 1150 – Computing and AI Ethics (3 cr)

MnTC ELECTIVES (2 CREDITS)

PROGRAM CORE REQUIREMENTS (19 CREDITS)

• COMP 1150 – Computer Science Concepts (3 cr)
• COMP 2243 – Programming and Problem Solving (4 cr)
• COMP 2247 – Algorithms and Data Structure (4 cr)
• MATH 2218 – Discrete Mathematics (4 cr)
• MATH 2350 – Introduction to Mathematical Statistics (4 cr)

OPEN ELECTIVES (1 CREDIT)

Physical Education course recommended.

RECOMMENDED COURSE SEQUENCES

FULL-TIME

• Semester 1 (15 CREDITS): COMP 1150, ENGL 1117, BIOL 1220, MnTC Goal 5, Open Elective (PHED course recommended)
• Semester 2 (14 CREDITS): COMP 2243, MATH 1119 OR MATH 1127, COMM 1114, ENGL 1118
• Semester 3 (15 CREDITS): COMP 2247, BIOL 2300, MATH 2218, MnTC Goal 6
• Semester 4 (16 CREDITS): CHEM 1127, MATH 2350, MnTC Goal 5, MnTC Goal 6, MnTC Electives

PART-TIME

• Semester 1 (8 CREDITS): BIOL 1220, ENGL 1117
• Semester 2 (7 CREDITS): COMP 1150, MnTC Goal 5, Open Elective (PHED course recommended)
• Semester 3 (8 CREDITS): COMP 2243, ENGL 1118
• Semester 4 (6 CREDITS): COMM 1114, MATH 1119 OR MATH 1127
• Semester 5 (7 CREDITS): COMP 2247, MnTC Goal 6
• Semester 6 (8 CREDITS): BIOL 2300, MATH 2218
• Semester 7 (8 CREDITS): CHEM 1127, MATH 2350
• Semester 8 (8 CREDITS): MnTC Goal 5, MnTC Goal 6, MnTC Electives

Course descriptions can be found at: RCTC course descriptions