Minor in Computational Science

Structure and additional courses effective for students who started this minor between fall semester 2018 and spring semester 2022 (see here for new structure effective in fall semester 2022, and see below for older version for students who started this minor before fall semester 2018):

Graduates of a minor program in Computational Science (60 ECTS) are capable of writing computer programs of moderate complexity in a higher programming language, and of using these programs to analyze data and simulate scientific models. Computational Science is a transdisciplinary minor.
In addition to imparting knowledge in the basic subject of Informatics (core elective modules WP_N0), insights into various important fields of applied Computational Science will be provided. Two of the following areas must be chosen:

 

1- Data analysis for natural sciences (WP_N1)

2- Simulations in natural sciences (WP_N2)

3- Bioinformatics (WP_N3)

4- Neuroinformatics (WP_N4)

 

General Overview:

10 ECTS must be chosen from WP_N0.

At least 15 ECTS Credits each must be chosen from 2 following blocks (of 4 possible blocks WP_N1, WP_N2, WP_N3 or WP_N4). For example:

WP_N0:                      10 ECTS Credits

WP_N3:                      15 ETCS Credits

WP_N4:                      15 ECTS Credits

Elective modules      20 ECTS Credits

Total:                           60 ECTS Credits

Conditions for attending this minor: Most of the modules in the minor subject require knowledge of Linear Algebra and Analysis ('MAT 111 Linear Algebra I' or 'MAT 141 Linear Algebra for the Natural Sciences' or an equivalent module, as well as 'MAT 121 Analysis I' or 'MAT 182 Analysis for the Natural Sciences' or an equivalent module). If this knowledge has not been acquired beforehand, MAT 141 and MAT 182 must be completed at the beginning of the minor. MAT 141 can be credited as an elective module.

*Please note: some modules are not offered any more or may not be offered each HS or each FS.

WP_N0: Core elective modules 'Informatics' (Wahlpflichtmodule Informatik)

10 ECTS must be chosen from the following.

AINF 1166 is recommended for students with no prior training in programming and with no compulsory programming course within their major.

Semester	Module	ECTS
HS	Informatics I (L+E) (Informatik I) (03SM22AINF02)	6
HS	MAT 101 Programming (07SMMAT101)	4
HS (not in HS22)	MAT 116 Programming MatLab	2
HS	BIO 134 Programming in Biology (07SMBIO134)1	5
FS	PHY 124 Scientific Computing (07SMPHY124)	5
FS	PHY 225 Scientific Programming in Python (07SMPHY225)	1
FS	Informatics II (V+Ü) (Informatik II) (03SM22AINF06)	6
HS	ESC 401 High Performance Computing (07SMESC401)	6
FS	CHE 103 Computer Applications in Chemistry (07SMCHE103)	4
FS	PHY 224 Programming in C++ (07SMPHY224)	1
FS	BIO 394 Interdisciplinary Research Methods In Computational Biology (07SMBIO394)2	4
FS	BIO 144 Data Analysis in Biology (07SMBIO144)	4
HS (irregular)	MAT 003 Introduction to Machine Learning	6
*FS	GEO 876 Introduction to Programming for Spatial Problems3	3
*HS	PHY 114 Scientific Computing	2
*FS	PHY 125 Scientific Computing II (follows PHY 114)	2
*HS	STA 260 Practical Introduction to the Statistical Computing Environment R	1

¹ MAT 183 recommended

² Requirement is BIO 134 or equivalent

³ Requirement: see course catalogue VVZ

WP_N1: Core elective modules 'Data analysis for natural sciences' (Wahlpflichtmodule 'Datenanalyse in den Naturwissenschaften')

At least 15 ECTS must be chosen from the following. ESC 403 must be attended if WP_N1 is chosen.

Semester	Module	ECTS
FS	ESC 403 Introduction to Data Science (07SMESC403)	6
FS	STA 110 Introduction to Probability (07SMSTA110)	5
FS	STA 120 Introduction to Statistics (07SMSTA120)**	5
FS	PHY 241 Data Analysis II (07SMPHY241)	2
HS	STA 121 Statistical Modeling (07SMSTA121)1	5
HS	PHY 231 Data Analysis (07SMPHY231)**	3
HS	STA 402 Likelihood Inference (07SMSTA402)	5
HS	STA 406 Generalized Regression (07SMSTA406)	5
HS	STA 472 Good Statistical Practice (07SMSTA472)3	4
HS	STA 390 Statistical Practice (07SMSTA390)2	4
FS (irregular)	STA 380 Selected Topics in Statistics	3
HS	STA 472 Good Statistical Practice (07SMSTA472)	4

¹ Requirement: STA 120 or similar

² Limited number of participants: requires STA 121

³ Limited number of participants, see online course catalogue

** either STA 120 or PHY 231 can be chosen. If PHY 231 has already been completed, STA 120 can not be chosen (and vice versa).

WP_N2: Core elective modules 'Simulations in natural sciences' (Wahlpflichtmodule 'Simulationen in den Naturwissenschaften')

At least 15 ECTS must be chosen from the following. ESC 201 must be attended if WP_N2 is chosen.

Semester	Module	ECTS
HS	ESC 201 Simulations in the Natural Sciences I	5
FS	ESC 202 Simulations in the Natural Sciences II	5
HS	AST 245 Computational Astrophysics	6
HS/FS	AST 243 Praktikum Computational Astrophysics	5 (9 previously)
HS/FS	MAT 820 Practical Training in Numerics1	3
FS	BMINF002 Computer Graphics	3
HS (findet nicht statt im HS21)	BINF 4245 Data Visualisation and Analysis	3
HS (findet nicht statt im HS21)	BINF 4234 Data Visualisation Concepts	3
FS	BIO 219 Biomedical Imaging and Scientific Visualization	2
*FS	MAT 827 Numerical Methods for Hyperbolic PDE	10
*FS	MAT 832 Mathematische Modellierung	9
*FS	INI 417 Computer Simulations of Sensory Systems	3
*FS	BINFP 601 Computer Graphics Lab	6
*HS	MAT 802 Numerical Methods for Elliptic and Parabolic PDE	9

¹ Limited number of participants

WP_N3: Core elective modules 'Bioinformatics' (Wahlpflichtmodule 'Bioinformatik')

At least 15 ECTS must be chosen from the following. BIO 390 must be attended if WP_N3 is chosen.

Semester	Module	ECTS
HS	BIO 390 Introduction to Bioinformatics	3 (2)
FS	BIO 334 Practical Bioinformatics1	6
FS	BCH 304 Protein Biophysics	6
HS	BIO 351 Principles of Evolution: Theory1	6
FS	ETH 701-1418-00L Modelling in Population and Evolutionary Biology	4
HS	ETH 636-0009-00L Evolutionary Dynamics	5
HS	BIO 445 Quantitative Life Sciences: From infectious diseases to ecosystems1	6
HS	BIO 392 Bioinformatics of Sequence Variation1	6
FS	BIO 394 Interdisciplinary Research Methods in Computational Biology1	4

¹ Limited number of participants. Requirement: basic studies in Biology, Biomedicine of Biochemistry completed, including BIO 134 Programming in Biology or similar.

WP_N4: Core elective modules 'Neuroinformatics' (Wahlpflichtmodule 'Neuroinformatik')

At least 15 ECTS must be chosen from the following. INI 415 must be attended if WP_N4 is chosen.

Semester	Module	ECTS
HS	INI 415 Systems Neuroscience	6
HS	INI 401 Introduction to Neuroinformatics	6
HS	INI 404: Neuromorphic Engineering I	6
FS	INI 405: Neuromorphic Engineering II	6
FS	INI 402 Computational Vision	6
FS	INI 427 Models of computation	6
*HS	227-0969-00L Methods and Models for fMRI Data Analysis	6
*FS 2017	INI 428 Theory, Programming and simulation of neural networks	6

Elective modules (Wahlmodule)

At least 20 ECTS must be chosen from the following list (or from any of the above blocks WP_N0, WP_N1, WP_N2, WP_N3, WP_N4).

Semester	Module	ECTS
	Free Choice CompSci Modules
HS	STA 404 Clinical Biostatistics1	5
FS	STA 408 Statistical Methods in Epidemiology2	5
HS	STA 426 Statistical Analysis of High-Throughput Genomic and Transcriptomic Data	5
HS	MAT 141 Lineare Algebra für die Naturwissenschaften	5
HS	SPI 301 Computergestütztes Experimentieren I	5
FS	SPI 302 Computergestütztes Experimentieren II	4
FS	AINF 1170 Formale Grundlagen der Informatik I	6
HS	BINF 2100 Foundations of Computing II	6
HS	BMINF005 Software Maintenance and Evolution	3
FS	BINF 2160 Datenbanksysteme	6
HS	521001 Einführung in die Computerlinguistik I	6
FS	521005 Einführung in die Computerlinguistik II	3
HS	521004 Programmiertechniken in der Computerlinguistik	9
FS (irregular)	STA 330 Modelling Dependent Data   (before 'Analysis of longitudinal and spatial data')	5
*FS	Maschinelle Übersetzung und parallele Korpora	6
*HS	520151 Quantitative Methoden in der Computerlinguistik	6
*HS	MINF 4557 Advanced Computer Graphics	6
*FS	BINF 4244 Software Engineering	3

* Please note: some modules are not offered any more or are not offered each HS or FS

¹ Requirement: see course catalogue VVZ

² Requirement: STA 402 and STA 406 or STA 120 and STA 121 (or equivalent)

 

Older version for students who started this minor before fall semester 2018:

Please note: Some modules may have been cancelled. In such cases, students may be required to replace ECTS credits with elective modules.

A transition from the old to the new structure is possible. In that case, the requirements of the new structure must be followed.

Graduates of a minor program in Computational Science (60 ECTS) are capable of writing computer programs of moderate complexity in a higher programming language, and of using these programs to analyze data and simulate scientific models. Computational Science is a transdisciplinary minor.
In addition to imparting knowledge in the basic subjects of Applied Mathematics, Statistics and Informatics, insights into various important fields of applied Computational Science will be provided. In the 60 ECTS minor, the students must have a concentration in two of the areas of  simulations in natural sciences, neuroinformatics or bioinformatics.

Compulsory modules (Pflichtmodule)

Semester	Module	ECTS
FS	AINF 1152 Informatik II	6
HS	AINF 1166 Informatik I	6
HS/FS	ESC 391 Proseminar Computational Science	2

 

Core elective modules (Wahlpflichtmodule)

• 5 ECTS must be chosen from 'Statistics' WP_N0:

Semester	Module	ECTS
FS	STA 110 Introduction to Probability	5
HS	STA 111 Stochastische Modellierung	5
FS	STA 120 Introduction to Statistics	5
HS	STA 121 Statistical Modeling	5
HS	PHY 231 Datenanalyse	3

• At least 12 ECTS from 'Simulations in Natural Sciences' WP_N1 (ESC 201 must be chosen if WP_N1 is chosen):

Semester	Module	ECTS
HS	ESC 201 Einsatz der Computersimulation I	5
FS	ESC 202 Einsatz der Computersimulation II	5
HS/FS	AST 243 Praktikum Computational Astrophysics	9
FS	ESC 401 High Performance Computing	6
FS	ESC 403 Introduction to Data Science	6
HS/FS	MAT 820 Numerisches Praktikum	3
FS	MAT 012 Introduction to scientific computing	4

• At least 12 ECTS from 'BioInformatics' WP_N2 (BIO 390 must be chosen if WP_N2 is chosen):

Semester	Module	ECTS
HS	BIO 390 Introduction to Bioinformatics	2
HS	BIO 334 Practical Bioinformatics	6
FS	BCH 304 Protein Biophysics	6
HS	BIO 351 Principles of Evolution:Theory	6
HS	ETH 701-1418-00L Modeling in Population and Evolutionary Biology	4
	ETH 636-0009-00L Evolutionary Dynamics	5

• At least 12 ECTS from 'NeuroInformatics'  WP_N3 (INI 415 must be chosen if WP_N3 is chosen):

Semester	Module	ECTS
HS	INI 415 Systems Neuroscience	6
HS	INI 401 Introduction to Neuroinformatics	6
HS	INI 404 Neuromorphic Engineering I	6
FS	INI 405 Neuromorphic Engineering II	6
FS	INI 402 Computational Vision	6
FS	INI 428 Theory, Programming and simulation of neural networks	6
FS	INI 427 Models of computation	6
HS	DOEC 0023 Methods and models for fMRI data analysis	3

 

Elective modules (Wahlmodule)

• The remaining ECTS can be chosen from the following (or from the core electives):

Semester	Module	ECTS
HS	STA 402 Likelihood Inference	5
HS	STA 404 Clinical Biostatistics	5
HS	STA 406 Generalized Regression	5
FS	STA 408 Statistical Methods in Epidemology	5
HS	STA 426 Statistical Methods for the Analysis of Microarray and Short-Read Sequencing Data	5
HS	MAT 141 Lineare Algebra für die Naturwissenschaften	5
FS	STA 330 Analysis of longitudinal and spatial data	5
HS	SPI 301 Computergestütztes Experimentieren I	5
FS	SPI 302 Computergestütztes Experimentieren II	4
	MINF 4226 Computer Graphics	1
	BINF 2110 Software Engineering
	AINF 1110 Formale Grundlagen der Informatik I
	BINF 2100 Formale Grundlagen der Informatik II
	BMINF Software Maintenance and Evolution
FS	BINF 2160 Datenbanksysteme	6
HS	52001 Einführung in die Computerlinguistik I	6
FS	52001 Einführung in die Computerlinguistik II	6
FS	Maschinelle Übersetzung und parallele Korpora	6
HS	520103 Programmiertechniken in der Computerlinguistik III	6
HS	520151 Quantitative Methoden in der Computerlinguistik	6