Professionals in biotechnology come up with answers to a host of humanity’s problems—from the Ebola virus to failing crops. With a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Technical and Professional Studies in biotechnology from University of Maryland Global Campus, you can become a part of the solution. The major combines laboratory skills and applied coursework with a biotechnology internship experience and upper-level study.

For this program, you are required to have already gained technical and scientific knowledge of biotechnology through transferred coursework and direct experience in the field. Contact an advisor to confirm your eligibility.

These requirements are for students who enroll in the 2020–2021 academic year. Read this year's program catalog to see our recommended course sequence for this program. For prior year academic requirements, visit our catalog archive.

About the Biotechnology Bachelor's Degree

What You'll Learn

Through your coursework, you will learn how to

  • Practice ethical standards of integrity, honesty, and fairness in scientific practices and professional conduct
  • Communicate orally and in writing in a clear, well-organized manner that effectively informs and clarifies scientific principles and lab techniques
  • Offer technical support, customer assistance, and cost-benefit analyses regarding bio-technical approaches to the development of products and services
  • Use scientific procedures and current and emerging technologies to conduct safe and hygienic laboratory experiments and collect validated and documented data
  • Comply with and adhere to national, state, and local standards, policies, protocols, and regulations for laboratory and manufacturing activity
  • Apply scientific knowledge and principles, quantitative methods, and technology to think critically and solve complex problems in biotechnology

Coursework Examples

In past projects, students have had the opportunity to

  • Design a manual to provide new lab members with rules and regulations for the lab
  • Use scientific reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and knowledge of biological principles to interpret results, make inferences, and draw conclusions about research findings
  • Explore vaccine development from historic, scientific, clinical, and practical perspectives
  • Explore genome analysis, evolutionary relationships, structure-function identification, protein pattern recognition, protein-protein interaction, and algorithms

Biotechnology Bachelor's Degree Requirements

Our curriculum is designed with input from employers, industry experts, and scholars. You'll learn theories combined with real-world applications and practical skills you can apply on the job right away.

Courses in the Major

Total Credits Required: 120

Required Major Courses

  • BIOL 325
  • BIOL 350
  • BIOL 357
  • NSCI 301
  • BIOL 486B or two BIOL 486A courses
  • BIOL 495

The following lower-level courses must be transferred in (15 credits):

  • General microbiology with microbiology laboratory (4 credits)
  • General genetics with genetics laboratory (4 credits)
  • Biotechnology applications and techniques with laboratory (7 credits), chosen from the following academic areas: biotechnology, biochemistry, cell biology, chemistry, genetics, immunology, microbiology, molecular biology, physics, and virology

Related Required Courses

The following required courses may be applied to general education or elective requirements: science coursework in biotechnology, biochemistry, cell biology, chemistry, genetics, immunology, microbiology, molecular biology, physics, and virology courses, to total 17 credits

General Education Requirements

UMGC outlines the options available to fulfill the 41 credits of general education coursework for bachelor's degrees on the General Education Requirements webpage.

In addition to the major, elective, and general education courses and requirements outlined on this page, please review the overall bachelor's degree requirements.

Career Preparation

This program is designed to help you prepare to enter the pharmaceutical, agricultural, or biomedical research industries and organizations in the areas of laboratory technology, quality control, assay analysis, chemical technology, and bioinformatics.

Experience Recommended for Success in the Program

We recommend a strong background in biology, chemistry, and math; an understanding of molecular biological techniques; and strong written and verbal communication skills.

Program Admission Requirements

If you have completed the required lower-level coursework for the biotechnology major—either within an Associate of Applied Science degree program at a community college with which UMGC has an articulation agreement or within another appropriate transfer program—you may seek an academic major in biotechnology. Consult an advisor before selecting this major.

Coursework does not have to be completed prior to admission, but it must be completed prior to graduation. Transfer coursework must include general microbiology with a microbiology lab (4 credits), general genetics with a genetics lab (4 credits), and biotechnology applications and techniques with a lab (7 credits) chosen from the specific subject areas outlined in the Required Major Courses section.



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