BIOTECHNOLOGY LAB TECHNICIAN

Career Studies Certificate                                                                                                                                  LO, MA

 

Purpose:  This Career Studies Certificate is designed for persons wishing to enhance their employment options or retrain for a career as a laboratory technician in various biotechnology disciplines.  Students interested in this certificate may include:   a) career changers who already have a bachelor’s degree,  b) scientists who were trained in foreign countries who need updated training, c) current A.S. in Science students who want to obtain a core of biotech courses and/or find a job in local industry while they complete their undergraduate degrees, and d) high school teachers who wish to refine their own biotechnology skills and obtain the required re-training necessary for continued teacher certification.

 

Prerequisites:  Because jobs in biotechnology generally require at least an associate’s degree, students must already have a 2 or 4 year college degree, be enrolled in the Science A.S., or obtain permission from the Biotechnology Program Coordinator in order to be placed into this program.  BIO 101 General Biology I is a prerequisite of all of the biotechnology courses in this program.

 

 

One Year                                                                                                 Credits

1st Semester

BIO           180 Introduction to Careers in Biotechnology                                 1

BIO            205 Microbiology or BIO 206 Cell Biology                                                              4

BIO            250 Biotechnology Research Methods and Skills                                                3

BIO            253 Biotechnology Concepts                                                                                    3

              Total                                                                                             11

 

2nd Semester

1ENG/CST  Elective                                                                                                                          3

BIO           165 Principles in Regulatory and Quality Environments for                                2

                 Biotechnology

BIO            251 Protein Applications in Biotechnology or

BIO            252 Nucleic Acid Methods                                                                                        4

BIO            254 Capstone Seminar in Biotechnology                                                               2

              Total                                                                                             11

 

3rd  Semester

2BIO          290 Coordinated Internship in Biotechnology                                                       2

 

Total credits for the Biotechnology Lab Technician Career Studies Certificate = 24

 

All first-time students must take a one-credit Student Development (SDV) course prior to enrolling in their 16th credit at NOVA.

 

1 Students can choose from the following courses: CST 100 (Principles of Public Speaking) CST 110 (Introduction to Communication), CST 227 (Business and Professional Communication), ENG 115 (Technical Writing, ENG 131 (Technical Report Writing I)

 

2 Students must be approved by the biotechnology program coordinator for an internship.  Criteria for approval include successful completion of biotechnology courses (including a demonstrated proficiency of basic lab skills), a professional work ethic, and an ability to work well with others.