Biotechnology

The graduate certificate program in biotechnology provides integrated, interdisciplinary training that encompasses both modern biological sciences and biochemical engineering. The goal of the program is to help students acquire the skills and credentials to undertake crossdisciplinary research in modern industrial, academic, and government biotechnology research laboratories and the perspective to serve as leaders in the advancement of beneficial applications of modern biotechnology.

The graduate biotechnology program is offered cooperatively by the Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. The program awards a certificate, not a separate degree; each student enrolls in a participating department and meets the degree requirements for that department.

A student must take 6 semester credit hours of graduate biotechnology courses, including CHEN 5830 Introduction to Modern Biotechnology and CHEN 5831 Biotechnology Case Studies. For the remaining credits, bioscience graduate students choose from bioengineering courses, and bioengineering students choose from bioscience courses.

During their first year, students take laboratory rotations in participating faculty laboratories. At least one laboratory rotation must be outside the student’s home department. Students receive up to 7 semester credit hours of independent study or laboratory-methods credit for these rotations.

All students are expected to undertake internships with local biotechnology companies. These internships usually take place during the summer after the first year of graduate study.

For more information on the biotechnology certificate program, contact Professor Ryan Gill, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 424 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0424; 303-492-2627.