Employees in the field of biotechnology work in industrial or research laboratories. The work involves the discovery, manufacturing and testing of products used for research, diagnosis or treatment of disease. Educational emphasis is placed on developing laboratory expertise coupled with a strong foundation in basic Biotechnology. Curriculum development is based on input from experts in the Biotechnology industry and from transfer institutions. Students will learn the fundamentals of tissue culture, basic techniques for working with nucleic acids and genomes, proteins and enzymes and immunological methods.
All classes have an extensive laboratory component.
Support classes in basic Biotechnology, Microbiology, Genetics and Chemical Instrumentation are also offered. After successful completion of two or more Biotech classes students may begin off campus training at a local company through the internship program. These internships are expected to lead to full time employment within three to six months.