Biotechnology
2004-2006 Undergraduate Catalog | Catalogs

Recombinant DNA technology has revolutionized the biotechnology industry leading to tremendous advances and opportunities in every field in biology. New discoveries in medicine have led to successful attempts to cure hereditary diseases and cancer through gene therapy and immunotherapy. In agriculture, biotechnology has led to a multitude of plants resistant to disease, drought, and targeted herbicides. In the environmental sciences, bioremediation by genetically altered bacteria is used to clean up polluted sites. Biotechnology is used in law enforcement for the identification of individuals through DNA fingerprinting. Biotechnological techniques are now fundamental to almost every area of basic research in the biological sciences.

Certificate in Biotechnology

This program is designed to provide students with extensive laboratory training in molecular biology, cell biology, microbiology, immunology, and biochemistry. A student holding a certificate may obtain employment in the biotechnology industry, pharmaceutical companies, university research laboratories, forensic laboratories, or medical research centers.

The 15-semester-hour certificate is available as an option for undergraduate biology, chemistry, and environmental science majors and is appropriate for post-baccalaureate students who wish to enhance their professional skills or prepare for graduate study in medicine or related fields. The component courses are available for graduate credit to students with post-baccalaureate standing and may be used with consent towards partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MS in chemistry.

Prerequisites

To register for courses in the biotechnology certificate program, students must have successfully completed Biol 301 or the equivalent and Chem 211.

Requirements

All courses submitted for the certificate must be completed at Roosevelt University and passed with a grade of C or higher. Students must successfully complete practical laboratory examinations in each course submitted for the certificate. Because of the rapid pace of technological change in this field, courses submitted for the certificate must have been completed within five calendar years prior to receiving the certificate. Students must choose three of the following five courses:

Scheduling and time-to-certificate

Courses in the certificate program may be taken one or two at a time so that the certificate may be completed in one or two academic years. Well prepared students who begin in the fall semester may receive a certificate at the end of the following spring semester. Classes are scheduled in the evenings or on weekends for the convenience of working students.