Biotechnology

Biotechnology (Ph.D.)

The Biotechnology Ph.D. program offered through the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering is strongly research-oriented with coursework in Principles of Cell and Microbe Cultivation, Biochemistry and Cellular Metabolism, Protein Purification, Molecular Biology, and Biochemical Engineering.

Biotechnology (Certificate)

The ability to manipulate the genetic content of microbial, insect, animal, and plant cells has led to a variety of commercial applications in medicine, nutrition, materials science, and the environment. New biotechnology-derived pharmaceutical products are gaining FDA approval, and the sequencing of the human genome will lead to tremendous new opportunities in disease prevention. The Biotechnology certificate program gives you the skills employers are looking for to develop today’s products: biochemical process engineering principles, molecular biology practices, and state-of-the-art cloning and expression techniques.

Courses

The Biotechnology Certificate program is designed to train electrical engineers in the medical uses of diagnostic imaging instrumentation, biotechnology professionals with training in tissue engineering to develop tissue implants, and mechanical engineers who are well-versed in biomaterials to design artificial joints. The certificate program allows students to focus on biomedical instrumentation, biomedical optics, biomaterials/biotechnology and tissue engineering or other related areas of study.

Through industry-based projects and case studies, the four-course, graduate-level Biotechnology Certificate programs provide you with the fundamentals and practical considerations in the field, including construction of recombinant DNA and the production of enzymes, therapeutic proteins, vaccines and small-molecule primary and secondary metabolites. The curriculum features modern techniques for separation and purification of small and large biomolecules. In addition, production and separation case studies emphasize process economics, GMP, and QA/QC.

Two certificate tracks are available. Each track requires four courses.

• Engineering: Emphasizes biochemical process engineering principles and state-of-the-art biotechnology production techniques.
• Science: Emphasizes molecular biology practices and state-of-the-art cloning and expression techniques.

Application deadlines (Ph.D.):

Spring: September 15
Fall: December 15
GRE General Test scores required.

Application deadlines (certificate):

Domestic applicants must apply by December 31 for Spring admission, and August 1 for Fall admission.

International applicants must apply by September 15 for Spring admission, and June 1 for Fall admission.

A Bachelor's degree is required to apply. GRE General Test scores are not required.