The biological sciences program at the Qatar campus falls within CMU’s Mellon College of Science, which is nationally recognized for its approach to science education.

CMU-Q biological sciences graduates are trained to be:

• scholars, deeply trained in their discipline
• professionals, adept at communicating, accustomed to working in diverse teams, keenly aware of the global context
• citizens, actively involved, globally engaged
• persons, growing with a sense of wellness and balance

• Biological sciences students have identical graduation requirements as students on the Pittsburgh campus
• CMU-Q graduates have CMU degrees, conferred from the American campus

The Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences has a distinctive core curriculum that provides a foundation in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics. Students also choose electives in biology, humanities, social science and fine arts, shaping their degree programs according to their unique interests and goals.

Biological sciences students who wish to have a specialized focus can tailor their education to include a minor in disciplines such as computational biology or neuroscience. Many students broaden their education by pursuing minors in disciplines outside of the Mellon College of Science in areas such as psychology and business.

Our program offers the best of both worlds: the small size of a liberal arts program, and the educational opportunities of a large research institution.

One of the most important features of the Biological Sciences Program is the opportunity to learn through inquiry-based, hands-on courses that incorporate a wide range of topics and interests. These courses kick-start the transformation of science students to scientists, and often lead to more in-depth projects with faculty members in their research labs.

CMU-Q provides specialized laboratory spaces where students can learn, investigate and conduct research.

Biology lab

A state-of-the art lab with equipment for cellular, biochemical, and molecular biology research and teaching. In addition to standard laboratory equipment, the lab has equipment for tissue culture, real-time quantitative PCR, next generation DNA sequencing (IonS5), GenomeLab GeXP system, HPLC, and a flow cytometer for cellular analysis. There are two separate labs that are dedicated to faculty and student research, which include several working stations for qPCR, bacterial culture, gel electrophoresis, microscopy, sequencing, and a Biosafety Level 2 tissue culture area.

Chemistry lab

A teaching lab that is equipped with the instrumentation for an upper level quantitative chemistry laboratory (HPLC, ICP-AES, ion chromatography). In addition, there is a separate lab that is dedicated to chemistry faculty and student research.

View a sample four year plan for the Biological Sciences degree.