Program Details

The program prepares graduates for entry-level positions in biotechnology and related industries. Coursework provides students with an understanding of basic scientific principles in molecular biology and chemistry, proper laboratory documentation methods, and emphasizes laboratory techniques and procedures such as solution and media preparation, DNA purification and analysis, electrophoresis, chromatography, and quality control techniques. In preparation for the required internship, the program provides students with instruction on resume and cover letter preparation, interpersonal skills, and workplace culture.

The faculty and staff of the Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) Biotechnology Program are excited to have you join our program. We actively seek guidance from an Advisory Committee selected from local biotechnology industry and transfer institutions and strive to ensure the education and training you receive from the NOVA Biotechnology Program is cutting edge and relevant in the current job market.

• Transfer Opportunities

  In order to learn more about possible transfer opportunities associated with this program of study please visit here. Students interested in transferring should contact an advisor or counselor to further discuss their plans.

• Credit for Prior Learning

  Credit for prior learning (CPL) generally refers to the process of granting college credit for learning gained in nontraditional ways, including but not limited to: certifications, AP or IB exams, military training, or life experience.

  • Credit for Prior Learning
• Career Prospects

  NOVA Biotechnology program AAS degree recipients are prepared to enter biotechnology and related industries as laboratory, research, or manufacturing technicians, among other positions. Students receiving the Career Studies Certificate may enter the field at the assistant or associate scientist levels.

• Academic Advising

  See Frequently Asked Questions about the Biotechnology Program.

  Strategies for Planning

  • Get Program–Placed early in your time at NOVA.
  • As early as possible, meet with a faculty advisor to develop a proposed timeline for your program.
  • Plan to balance out your general education courses with one or more lab science each semester.
  • Check pre-requisites and timeline, and make sure you meet them, as many courses required one year of Biology or Chemistry or division approval.
  • Meet with your counselor/advisor each semester to plan what courses you will take.
  • If you are planning to enter medical or pharmacy school, prospective students are strongly encouraged to take two lab sciences concurrently as well as take the sequence of biology and chemistry courses.
  • Plan a graduation date. With a counselor, investigate the checklist of activities to get cleared for graduation.
  • Proper signature before deadlines will facilitate the processing of your paperwork for graduation by the Registrar’s office.
  • Register early!

  Transfer Information

  Although an A.A.S. degree is not designed to be a transfer degree, we have taken special care to include as many transferable courses as possible. At least 2/3 of our credits are transferable to higher institutions. It is our understanding that many of our graduates will want to continue their education. We are facilitating articulation agreements with local colleges and universities for 100% transferability.

  Faculty Advising

  Our faculty members all have experience in research and industry, as well as teaching. Note: When contacting key faculty for assistance, place the term biotechnology somewhere in the topic line of your e-mail, it will process your message faster.

  Please, feel free to contact us if you need more information about our new program and courses. There is at least a faculty member on each campus who can help you decide on how to choose your courses according to your needs or career goals.

  Biotech Faculty Advisors

  For general Biotechnology Program questions, please email biotech@nvcc.edu and one of the Biotechnology Program faculty will respond to your questions.

  For specific advising questions, the Biotechnology Program Faculty Advisors are:

  • Dr. Xin Zhou, Professor of Biology & Biotechnology – xzhou@nvcc.edu
  • Dr. Ryan Marcheschi, Associate Professor of Biology & Biotechnology – rmarcheschi@nvcc.edu

  For administrative inquiries, the college faculty administrators of the Biotechnology Program are:

  • Dr. Vashti Bryant, Associate Dean of Science & Technology - vbryant@nvcc.edu
• Facilities and Equipment

  Our current facilities include a biotechnology center at the Manassas Campus where we house gel electrophoresis supplies, thermocyclers, and a DNA Sequencer in addition to basic laboratory equipment. We recently received a $500,000 earmark grant through the U.S. Dept. of Energy to build and outfit new laboratory space.

  As more equipment is purchased and put in place, we can assure that all students will have a first-hand experience with the equipment. To date we have acquired digital analytical scales for use in validation, digital pipettors, electrophoresis units, multi-purpose centrifuges, microscopes, thermocyclers, cell culture facilities, gel documentation and analysis software, and laminar flow hoods. Currently, the Manassas Campus has a computerized DNA sequencer to analyze DNA of microbes, plants, and blood. This provides students with invaluable skills for jobs related to DNA technologies, and provides a brief introduction to Bioinformatics.

  Curricula are being developed in current courses such as Microbiology and Botany to use the DNA sequencer. Our new DNA Methods course will include sequencing but also the use of RFLP patterns to discriminate organisms and microsatellites to compare genotypes.

  Manassas is planning a Phase III building with new science labs and classrooms. This building is expected to house some dedicated lab space primarily for (a) nucleic acid and protein methods and (b) cell culture and immunological methods instruction, as well as classroom space for credit and non-credit (continuing education) classes.

• Resources

  Biotechnology Companies in Northern Virginia

  • American Type Culture Collection (ATCC)
  • Bode Technologies
  • Howard Hughes Medical Research Institute
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • Covance laboratories
  • Advion

  Government Resources

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Environmental Protection Agency
  • U.S. Food and Drug Administration

  Forensics

  • American Academy of Forensic Sciences
  • Forensic Magazine
  • Forensic Science Degrees

  Regulatory, Patent, and Legal Resources

  • Patents and Trademark Office Website

  Agricultural Biotech field

  • U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N.
  • AgBiotechNet

  Bioethics

  • University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics

  Bioinformatics

  • Predict Protein
  • eMolecules Chemicals Information
  • Genomics, Proteomics, and Bioinformatics Knowledge Base

  General Sites of Interest

  • VA Biotech
  • MD Biotech
  • North Carolina Biotechnology Center
  • Cornell University Biotechnology Center
  • Proteomics Server of the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB)
  • National center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)

  Useful websites to look for Biotech jobs

  • Craiglist DC Biotech Jobs
  • DC Jobs
  • Washington Post Jobs
  • Jobs at Advion
  • Jobs at Covance
  • Jobs at Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
  • Jobs at Bode Technologies
  • Jobs at the VA department of Forensic Science

  Activities and resources for Science Teachers

  • DNA Biotechnology manual
  • DNA electrophoresis and fingerprinting
  • Immunology manual
  • Chromatography manual
  • Protein electrophoresis manual
  • Genes in a bottle and DNA necklace