Academic Program Proposal

Date Proposal Activated	Institution and Proposal	Degree Awarded	Academic Program Name	Objection Deadline	MHEC Final Action	Final Decision Date
	University of Maryland, College Park Proposal	Post-Baccalaureate Certificate (P.B.C.)	Computation and Mathematics for Biological Networks (COMBINE)	6/12/2019	Approved	7/10/2019
Computation and Mathematics for Biological Networks (COMBINE) Program Description
The University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Computation and Mathematics for Biological Networks (COMBINE) applies the methods of network science (developed largely within the physics, applied mathematics, and computer science communities) to the study of biological systems from microscopic to macroscopic scales. This certificate program will immerse doctoral students in interdisciplinary education, research, and training that integrates quantitative modeling methods from physics and mathematics with data processing, analysis, and visualization tools from computer science to gain deeper insights into the structural and dynamical principles governing living systems. Participants will utilize a network-based, data-driven approach, focusing on how interaction patterns can give insights into complex biological phenomena. COMBINE prepares students to become experts in the process of transforming raw biological data into useful information from which new biological insights can be inferred, positioning them to pursue a range of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers at the nexus of the computer, physical, and life sciences.