BIOTECHNOLOGY MAJORS

WHERE ARE YOU GOING IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS??

The field of Biotechnology is a very exciting one, with new advances being made in human genetics, gene therapy, cancer research, genetic diseases, transplantation, agriculture, vaccines and pharmaceuticals. The next 25-30 years will be some of the most challenging and most rewarding for persons in the field!!!

But right now you may be wondering how you will eventually fit into the picture. You have probably wondered if anything about the courses you are now taking makes sense!! Perhaps taking a look at the next four years will put everything in perspective. Refer to Suggested Course Schedule for the Biotechnology Degree for a specific list of courses you will be taking. Begin now to build towards a successful career in Biotechnology.

THIS 1ST YEAR you are building a foundation of fundamental knowledge in biology, chemistry and mathematics. Although much of what you are learning may not make sense now, you will use a surprisingly large amount of the knowledge and many of the lab techniques in courses coming up. Also, the discipline needed to make it through exams, quizzes, labs and lab reports will be very useful when you face the challenges of more interesting, but more challenging, advanced courses.

2ND YEAR - you will immerse yourself in the introductory level specialized biotechnology courses (e.g., tissue culture, hybridoma techniques, molecular biology, immunology) and continue to build your chemistry skills (organic chemistry - definitely more relevant than general chemistry; analytical chemistry - a lab course that fits very well into biotechnology). Much of the knowledge and many of the skills you will acquire will also set you up for some very nice Co-op opportunities.

Throughout your entire four years, you will also be able to select any RIT courses as Institute electives. Often, students start taking these elective courses in their second year, but this is not necessary. You can explore areas such as business (try the BS/MBA idea), the arts, photography, and computer sciences, to name only a few possibilities. Many biotechnology grads combine their science with one of these fields to enter non-laboratory careers related to biotechnology.

You may even be considering going on to graduate school or a professional school in medicine, veterinary medicine, physical therapy, etc. The Biotechnology degree allows you to prepare yourself for any of these advanced degree programs. You can begin to select courses to fit these career opportunities during your second year.

3RD YEAR - things get real exciting as you move into the more advanced courses in several different areas of biotechnology. Microbiology, genetics, molecular genetics, and biochemistry are some of the areas in which you will concentrate.

If you want to increase the excitement and challenge even beyond the standard biotechnology courses, I invite you to consider doing Independent Study or Undergraduate Research with teachers in the department. These types of individual projects can be arranged with any of our faculty members. Simply talk with them.


4TH YEAR - you have built yourself up to now be able to handle the most advanced courses we offer in biotechnology, courses which many educators feel are equivalent to some found in graduate school (e.g., genetic engineering, microbial & viral genetics, industrial microbiology, cell physiology).