In addition, students will continue to use a well-equipped laboratory that is part of the facilities near the Veterinary Molecular Biology Department. The new program has gone from three students when it began in 1995 to 55 students in the 1998-99 school year, says Dave Long, a plant sciences faculty member involved with the program. The popularity of this major may be because the program combines a broad understanding of biotechnology with the lab experience students need to get a job in biotechnology. After that, if they want to continue toward a bachelor of science degree in biotechnology, they declare an option in either animal, plant or microbial systems. The program also is excellent preparation for graduate programs.
Many students find it very exciting and enormously stimulating.
One strength of the program is that it provides an exceptional amount of hands-on realistic laboratory work, says Michael White, a veterinary microbiologist who helped design the curriculum. The biotech laboratories are different. In our labs, you have a goal in mind but you don't necessarily know the outcome. Junior students in the program were enthusiastic about the laboratories. In classes, you learn about all this stuff, but we made antibodies yesterday, and it feels good.