Master of Science in Biotechnology
The University of Texas at Dallas
Key Information
Campus location
Richardson, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
2 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
USD 18,276 / per semester
Application deadline
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Earliest start date
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Introduction
The Master of Science in a Biotechnology degree program is intended to prepare students for careers in biotechnology and biomedicine and to assist currently employed professionals in enhancing their career opportunities.
Biotechnology captures the exciting opportunities made possible by the decoding of the human genome and by the advances in bioanalytical instrumentation. The field is projected for continued rapid growth. The MS in biotechnology is designed so that students may enter the program with a wide range of prior disciplinary backgrounds, prepare for and take the four core courses and, by choosing from a wide range of approved electives, tailor the remainder of the degree program to their career opportunities. In this manner, students may develop areas of additional depth in fields such as:
- Molecular and Cell Biology
- Chemistry
- Research
- Engineering and Computer Science
- Health Care
- Management and Business Administration
- Science Education
Admissions
Curriculum
Core Courses
The core consists of four courses: BIOL 5375 Genes to Genomes, BIOL 5381 Genomics, BIOL 6373 Proteomics, and BIOL 6384 Biotechnology Laboratory. BIOL 6384 Biotechnology Laboratory is a skills-based course. Students must show that they have adequate laboratory skills in order to enroll in BIOL 6384. Students enrolled in the MS in Biotechnology program will have priority for enrollment in BIOL 6384.
The four core courses should be taken in the following order: BIOL 5375 Genes to Genomes, BIOL 5381 Genomics, BIOL 6373 Proteomics, BIOL 6384 Biotechnology Laboratory. Instructor consent is required for core courses taken out of this sequence.
Program Policies
The program is open to all students who hold a bachelor's degree, although those with laboratory science, mathematics, computer science, or engineering degrees are particularly encouraged to apply. In general, students will not be admitted to the MS in Biotechnology program if they require more than two courses in order to be ready to take the core courses.
Every student admitted to the MS in Biotechnology program shall consult with the program advisor(s) and develop a mutually agreed degree plan. All requests for deviations from the degree program described in this catalog shall be discussed first with a program advisor, who will forward the request to the Committee on Biotechnology for decision.
There are no formal prerequisites for most of the core courses, and a student, after obtaining consent from the program advisor, may attempt one or more core courses. However, the level of the BIOL core courses is such that most students will want to have mastered the material in the following courses:
- General Chemistry (two semesters, with lab), Organic Chemistry (two semesters, with lab)
- BIOL 2311 Introduction to Modern Biology I (with workshop)
- BIOL 3361 Biochemistry I or BIOL 6352 Modern Biochemistry I
- BIOL 3301 Classical and Molecular Genetics or BIOL 6331 Molecular Genetics
- BIOL 3302 Eukaryotic Molecular and Cell Biology or BIOL 6356 Eukaryotic Molecular and Cell Biology
- Students who elect to prepare and defend a thesis must satisfy the MS thesis procedures specified by the department of their thesis supervisor.
Elective Courses
As a general rule, any UT Dallas graduate course that is approved by the advisor as being relevant to the student's tailored degree plan may be taken as an elective for the Biotechnology MS program. Students should consult the program advisor for the current list of recommended electives.
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the program seek positions such as lab technician, quality control inspector and analyst, teacher, college instructor, academic or industrial scientist/researcher, and healthcare professional.
English Language Requirements
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