FAQs | Quantitative Biosciences

Overall FAQs

What is the story behind QBioS?

Georgia Tech’s Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative Biosciences was founded in 2015. The PhD in Quantitative Biosciences is designed to provide students training in the quantitative analysis of problems in the biosciences – spanning foundational advances and application to challenges in human health, energy and the environment.

What is a Home School? 

The QBioS Graduate Program is one of Georgia Tech’s few interdisciplinary graduate programs. It is independent of any particular school or department and is supported by the College of Sciences. Participating academic units are called Home Schools. QBioS allows students in any Home School to pair with advisors in any Home School.

As of August 1, 2016, the participating Home Schools in QBIOS include the Schools of Biological Sciences (SoBS), Chemistry and Biochemistry (CHEM), Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS), Mathematics (MATH), Physics (PHYS) and Psychology (PSYC).

Home Schools admit students to QBioS and set administrative policies for students in that Home School (such as stipend policies). Home Schools do not administer degree requirements, such as thesis proposal evaluation, approval of programs of study, and procedures related to dissertation committee selection and defense. Programmatic requirements are set by the QBioS program faculty.

The Home School of the student and the student’s research advisor set policies regarding laboratory and research infrastructure. The Home School is also responsible for the administration of tuition waivers.

In some cases, a student may wish to change Home Schools; the most common scenario is to change into the Home School of the advisor. Changing Home Schools requires the consent of the student’s thesis advisor as well as the graduate office of the new Home School.

What do you mean by "Program Faculty"?

Program Faculty are those Georgia Tech faculty members who can serve as a primary thesis supervisor for a Ph.D. in Quantitative BioSciences. These faculty members have appointments in any of the six Schools in the College of Sciences. Students may work with any Program Faculty irrespective of their Home School.

What is the difference between a School and a Department?

Nothing. Georgia Tech’s core academic units are “Schools” (what other institutions call “Departments). These Schools are organized within distinct “Colleges”. For example, the QBioS program includes faculty from six Schools in the College of Sciences at Georgia Tech.

Where is Georgia Tech located?

The Georgia Institute of Technology, also known as Georgia Tech, is located in Midtown Atlanta. The campus is easily accessible by public transportation - http://www.gatech.edu/visit - and is within walking distance of many Atlanta attractions, including Piedmont Park, the High Museum of Art, and the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.

Admissions-related FAQs

How does admissions work? 

Students interested in QBioS apply directly to the program via the Georgia Tech graduate admissions site:

http://www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu/apply-now

The QBioS graduate committee evaluates all applications, in consultation with faculty from the designated "Home School". We expect to make initial decisions for fall admission in January.

I have physics, mathematics, computer science and/or engineering training – can I apply?

Absolutely. We welcome applications from high-quality undergraduate and Master's students trained in the physical sciences (e.g., physics, earth systems and chemistry), mathematics, computer science, and engineering, and who would like to transition to a career focusing on interface research in the biosciences. Successful applicants will likely have one or more examples of having pursued and excelled in research experience for undergraduates in the biosciences, advanced biosciences coursework (junior level or higher), or externship in a biosciences-focused position. However, prior experience in the biosciences is not a precondition for admission to the program.

I have bioscience training – can I apply?

Absolutely. We welcome applications from high-quality undergraduate and Master's students trained in the biosciences (e.g., integrative biology, physiology, ecology, evolution, neuroscience, biochemistry, molecular & cellular biology) with particular strengths and interests in quantitative analysis and modeling. Successful applicants will likely have one or more examples of having taken physics, mathematics, computer science or data science courses (junior level or higher) or have pursued and excelled in a research experience for undergraduates with a quantitative component.

Successful applicants will likely have one or more examples of having pursued and excelled in research experience for undergraduates in the biosciences, advanced biosciences coursework (junior level or higher), or externship in a biosciences-focused position.

How do I select a program of study?

The program of study denotes the set of courses a student takes to fulfill the coursework requirement for a Ph.D. in Quantitative BioSciences. The bulk of this coursework is electives. Students elect to focus in one of a series of designated research areas. Student training in a designated area includes a requirement to take at least 9 hours of coursework in a coherent, bioscience theme. They must also take at least 9 hours of coursework focused on quantitative modeling. In addition, students select a coherent interface minor, including 3 hours of coursework not included in either the bioscience/modeling categories. The program of study is developed in coordination with the initial student review committee and is then approved by the Thesis Proposal Committee.

How do I pick an advisor?

Students will rotate with two different QBioS faculty members in the Spring of their first year, with additional opportunities for up to two more rotations in the Summer of their first year. These rotations are meant to provide opportunities for students and faculty to see if there is a good match for selection of a thesis advisor. QBioS students should identify a thesis advisor no later than the end of the Summer of their first year. Upon mutual agreement, the student and advisor will inform the QBioS graduate committee which will then review and confirm all requests.

What materials do I need to apply?

Applicants to the QBioS program should have the following materials ready in advance of the application date:

Official transcripts
(International applicants only) Official TOEFL scores or IELTS scores
Names and contact information of three references
All domestic and international applicants will be asked to provide credit card information to pay the nonrefundable $75/$85 application fee.

Additional essay information will be requested as part of the application process.

What prior degrees must I have to apply?

By the time of matriculation (e.g., August of starting fall), QBioS PhD applicants should have a bachelor's degree OR a master's degree in the physical sciences, biological sciences, engineering, computer science, or related interdiscplinary field. We accept applications from students currently enrolled in either bachelor's or master's degree programs and from professionals seeking to extend their research training in an interdisciplinary field.

Program-related FAQs

How many courses are required?

First-year students are required to take a foundations course, two seminar courses, two modeling courses and two bioscience courses in their first year.

Core Introductory Courses – All Required
BIOL/PHYS 6750     Foundations of Quantitative Biosciences (4 hrs)
BIOL 8801                  Seminar in Biology – Quantitative Biosciences (1 hr)
BIOL 8801                  Seminar in Biology – Quantitative Biosciences (1 hr)
BIOL 8801                  Professional Development in Quantitative Biosciences (1 hr)

In addition, QBioS students must take the following prior to graduation:

Quantitative Modeling Core (3 courses):
Students select three elective courses that involve rigorous quantitative methods and models. At Georgia Tech, there are many such classes available (see additional FAQ in this section).

Bioscience Disciplinary Electives (2 courses):
Students select three elective courses that deepen student understanding of the biosciences in one of the following areas:

•           Chemical Biology
•           Molecular and Cellular Systems
•           Organismal Behavior and Physiology
•           Ecology
•           Evolution
•           Earth Systems

Quantitative Models in the Biosciences (1 course):

Students select one course a la carte that satisfies the requirement that students take a course involving the direct application of quantitative methods to the biosciences. All courses satisfying this requirement are 3 credit hours, including problem sets, involving mathematical and computational methods.

What are the modeling courses available?

Quantitative Modeling Core (3 courses):

Students select three elective courses that involve rigorous quantitative methods and models. At Georgia Tech, there are many such classes available, e.g.,:

APPH 6225, Biostatistics
CHEM 6481, Statistical Mechanics
CHEM 6573, Molecular Biochemistry
CHEM 6755, Theoretical Chemistry of Polymers
CHEM 8843, Mathematical Methods for Chemistry
CS 7280, Network Science
CS 7492, Simulation of Biology
CS 7641, Machine Learning
CSE 6140, Computational Science and Engineering Algorithms
CSE 6220, High Performance Computing
CSE 6242, Data and Visual Analytics
CSE 6301, Algorithms for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
CSE 6643, Numerical Linear Algebra
CSE 6730, Modeling and Simulation: Fundamentals and Applications
CSE/ISYE 6740, Machine Learning I: Computational Data Analysis
EAS 6502, Introductory Fluid Dynamics
EAS 8803, Mathematical Methods for Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
ECE 6550, Linear Systems and Controls
ISYE 6404, Nonparametric Data Analysis
ISYE 6421, Biostatistics
MATH 6221, Advanced Classical Probability Theory
PHYS 6124, Mathematical Methods for Physics
PHYS 6268, Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos
PHYS 7123, Statistical Mechanics II
PHYS 8823, Geometry and 3d Printing

What do you mean by “rotations”?

Rotations are an essential part of the QBioS training. The term “rotation” is conventionally applied to lab rotations in life science training programs where students work with one lab for a full semester with the intent to identify a thesis advisor. In the QBioS program at Georgia Tech, students rotate in two groups in the Spring semester of their first year. These rotations may be with any program faculty member whether the research is primarily theoretical, computational, experimental, or some combination thereof. Each rotation lasts half of the term (8 weeks in total) with an expectation that the time spent is equivalent to 20 hours of work per week. The intent of these rotations is to help students and faculty “find a match”, i.e., identify a thesis advisor for the QBioS student. In the event that a match is not made by the end of the Spring term, students may select up to two additional rotations in the Summer of their first year. QBioS students should identify a thesis advisor no later than the end of the Summer of their first year.

Are there qualifying exams to advance to candidacy?

No. Advancing to candidacy is based on performance in core coursework in the first two years (minimum 3.0 GPA required) and successful defense of a thesis proposal.

What is the thesis proposal?

Every QBioS PhD student must seek admission to candidacy by presenting a ten-page Thesis Proposal, including two additional pages of references to a Thesis Proposal Committee (TPC) composed of their primary research supervisor and at least three other Georgia Tech faculty members, including at least two members from the QBioS program faculty. Every student is required to defend their Proposal to their TPC in the form of a 30 minute oral presentation followed by an additional 30-60 minutes of questions from the committee. The written Thesis Proposal should contain (1) a review of the literature of their field; (2) a discussion of how the proposed research fits into that field; and (3) a summary of preliminary results. Each TPC member (except for the supervisor) is expected to ask questions designed to probe the student's understanding of the proposed research. It is the responsibility of the TPC to decide if the student “passes’’ or “fails’’ the Thesis Proposal. A student who passes is formally admitted to Ph.D. candidacy. A student who fails must rewrite his/her Thesis Proposal and/or repeat the oral presentation no later than the subsequent semester as directed by their TPC.

How are students financially supported?

Students are supported by a combination of fellowships, graduate research assistantships (GRAs), and graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs). QBioS PhD students receive a tuition waiver and a competitive stipend. For example, in the first year of the program, most students will be supported by GTAs in their Fall and Spring terms and by a GRA in their Summer term.