Departments & Programs

Biotechnology

Major in Biotechnology—B.S.
Purpose

The B.S. Degree in Biotechnology provides students with fundamental training in basic scientific principles as well as specific concepts, techniques, and applications used in biotechnology. B.S. in Biotechnology graduates will be trained to work in biotechnology and related industries, including the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries; enroll in graduate programs (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Biotechnology or related fields such as Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Genetics, and Biochemistry; or pursue advanced professional degrees such as M.D. (Medicine), M.B.A. (Business), or J.D. (Law) with an emphasis on Biotechnology issues. The B.S. is a rigorous degree that provides an excellent preparation for medical school, dental school and graduate school, as well as jobs in the life sciences.

Requirements  

Students must complete campus-wide General Education and College CASE requirements for the B.S. Requirements include Foundations: English Composition and Mathematical Modeling, CASE Intensive Writing, World Languages and Cultures/CASE Foreign Language, Critical Approaches, Breadth of Inquiry, and Public Oral Communication requirements:

  1. Writing, (English Composition, Intensive Writing). Intensive Writing (IW) requirement satisfied by an IW class of BIOT-T 322. Note: To avoid schedule conflicts, Biotechnology students should enroll in an IW class of T322 as soon as they complete course prerequisites.
  2. Foundations: Mathematical Modeling, fulfilled by major.
  3. Foreign language, three semesters in the same language or equivalent proficiency. General Education requires demonstrated proficiency through the second semester of the second year OR completion of two World Culture courses. Students should discuss these options with an academic advisor.
  4. One Critical Approaches to the Arts and Sciences course—students are advised to choose a course that will serve as one of the required arts and humanities or social and historical studies courses listed below.
  5. Arts and humanities, two courses.
  6. Social and historical studies, two courses.
  7. Natural and mathematical sciences, fulfilled by major.
  8. One Public Oral Communication course.
Major Requirements

Students must complete the following with a minimum grade of C– in each course and a minimum major grade point average of C (2.000):

  1. BIOL-L 112 and L211.
  2. Either (a) BIOL-M 250 and M 315 or (b) BIOL-M 430 and M 435.
  3. BIOT-T 301, T 310, T 312, T 315, T 322, T 425, and T 440.
  4. At least three additional courses, chosen from among the following, for a minimum of 12 credit hours: ANAT-A 464, BIOL-L 311, L 312, L 313, L 317, L 319, L 321, L 323, L 324, L 331, M 250, M 315, M 350, M 360, M 430, M 435, M 440, M 445, M 460, M 465, M 480, M 485, Z 466, Z 469, BIOT-T 415, T 490 (maximum of 6 credits may count as elective credit), CHEM-C 343, C 362, C 483, or C 484.
  5. MATH-M 211 or M 215 (or M 119 and M 120).
  6. CHEM-C 117 and C 127, C 341, C 342, A 314, and A 316.
  7. One of the following statistics courses: MATH-K 310, PSY-K 300, LAMP-L 316, STAT-S 300 or S 303, or SPEA-K 300. (Note that although SPEA-K 300 fulfills the statistics requirement, it does not count toward College of Arts and Sciences credit hours if the total hours allowed outside the College have been met.)
  8. PHYS-P 201 and P 202 or PHYS-P 221 and P 222 (10 cr.).

Students must also complete the degree requirements for the B.S. degree in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Students who wish to complete a business minor or the Liberal Arts and Management Program (LAMP) certificate as part of their degree program are advised that they may need to take some of the relevant courses in the summer or in an additional semester. The College of Arts and Sciences allows students to take 20 credit hours outside the College that will count toward graduation. This allowance should also be taken into account when considering the business minor or the LAMP certificate.