Associate in Science Degree

(61 Credit Hours)

Program Director

Jane Pfeilsticker
941-752-5341 Bradenton
941-408-1300, ext. 65341 Venice

Program Goal:

This program is designed to prepare students for employment as technicians who will work in a laboratory or industrial setting. Biotechnology is a wide-ranging field encompassing DNA/RNA and protein isolation, characterization and sequencing; cell culture; genetic modification of organisms; toxicology; vaccine sterility testing; antibody isolation and production; and the development of diagnostic and therapeutic agents. This hands-on program is designed to meet local, statewide and national needs for laboratory technicians. Graduates are grounded thoroughly in basic laboratory skills and trained in advanced molecular biology techniques. Students are acclimated to both research and industrial environments. The program emphasizes laboratory-based, universal and scalable technician skills resulting in a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the methodology.

Potential workplace environments for graduating students include laboratories specializing in: food safety; environmental quality control; the production of new medicines; forensics; alternative fuels; bio-manufacturing; and industry, academic and government research.

Program Entrance Requirements

To be admitted to the Biotechnology Degree Program, a student must have:

1. Achieved a level of English and reading proficiency that qualifies the student for entry into ENC 1101  or higher as demonstrated by the standard placement criteria currently in use at SCF;
2. Achieved a level of mathematics proficiency that qualifies the student for entry into MAC 1105  or higher as demonstrated by the standard placement criteria currently in use at SCF; and
3. Achieved a level of chemistry and biology content proficiency equivalent to that covered in CHM 1025C and BSC 1007C  as demonstrated by the standard placement criteria currently in use at SCF.