B.S. in Biotechnology
With a focus on applying laboratory and computer skills to solve problems, the Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology program offers a diverse curriculum to prepare students for a successful career or graduate studies in biotechnology. As a biotechnology major, you’ll acquire the knowledge and skills used by professionals to develop new technologies and products that improve the human condition.
Biotechnology is a large field, and by choosing from among three concentrations, students can focus their coursework to their area of interest.
Choose from concentrations in:
- Molecular Biotechnology
- Plant and Animal Biotechnology
- Bioinformatics
The Molecular Biotechnology concentration is designed for students with an interest in laboratory-based approaches that are not focused specifically on agricultural applications. For students with an interest in applying biotechnology to agriculture, Plant and Animal Biotechnology would be ideal. The Bioinformatics concentration places a greater emphasis on the computer science aspect of biotechnology.
What is Biotechnology?
Biotechnology is an applied science in which living organisms or biological processes are leveraged to create new technologies and products for use in medicine, agriculture, environmental science, and industry with the intention to improve the quality of human life.
What Can You Do With Your Bachelor’s Degree in Biotechnology?
- Monitor and set up instruments for research or manufacturing
- Curate and analyze large biological datasets
- Analyze samples in a crime lab
- Inspect processes for quality control
- Ensure that products comply with regulatory and safety rules
- Manufacture pharmaceuticals
- Pursue a graduate degree in a related field
Estimated Completion
120 Credit Hours (4 years)
Application Process
Cost
Locations Available
- Stephenville
- Some online courses offered
College
Department
Why Major in Biotechnology?
With a hands-on approach to learning, we help you develop knowledge, skills and experience through coursework and labs which will prepare you for success in professional or graduate schools.
Motivated students have many opportunities to be involved in a research project. As a biotechnology major at Tarleton, you'll be guided to find a research area that fits your interests and goals. This includes opportunities for funding, publication, presentations at conferences, and other experiences that will enrich your education.
Biotechnology majors will gain hands-on experience using a wide variety of instrumentation commonly used in biotechnology applications including bright-field cell counters, fluorescent cell imagers, tissue culture hoods, inverted compound microscopes, ultracentrifuges, and thermal cyclers.
Our faculty are specialists in diverse disciplines and enthusiastic about their teaching and research. In addition to teaching classes, we provide research mentorship to our undergraduate students and have professional networks that can help connect you with research and job opportunities. Many of the classes we teach have field- or lab-based components.
This specialized cohort program prepares students for pursuing fellowships and graduate school. Biotechnology majors in the program are taught how to develop well-crafted fellowship and external funding applications and receive a stipend.
What Classes Will You Take as a Biotechnology Major?
Our program curriculum includes a broad range of courses and other learning opportunities to prepare you for a variety of jobs in biotechnology. To help you narrow down your options and plan for the future, a course in Career Pathways in Biotechnology is built into the curriculum. Other topics for all biotechnology majors include genetics, animal physiology, plant taxonomy, vaccines, virology and current topics in life sciences. Several courses integrate with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute SEA-PHAGES and SEA-GENES programs for bacteriophage discovery and characterization.
You may also be able to work with an adviser in customizing the program coursework to fit your career goals and interests.
View all required classes for the biotechnology bachelor’s degree.
Accreditations
How Do You Get Started on Your Bachelor’s Degree in Biotechnology?
Take the next step toward earning your bachelor’s degree in biotechnology. We have the resources to help you get started.
Our BS in biotechnology offers numerous private and program scholarships for biomedical science majors , such as the AB Medlen Scholarship, Swan and Gaynelle Richardson Endowed Scholarship, David & Debbie Stanphill Scholarship, Pino Family Health Pre-professional Award, John & Lillie May Farley Scholarship and James Mack Foust Endowed Scholarship. You may also qualify for federal financial aid.
Faculty and students actively engage in a wide range of research areas, including ecology, evolutionary biology, genetics, microbiology, molecular biology, physiology, and virology. Recent research projects include conservation genetics of kangaroo rats and crawfish frogs, surveys of reptiles, mammals, and trematode parasites, detection of reticuloendotheliosis virus in wild turkeys, survivorship of translocated Texas horned lizards, analysis of plant communities, and genetic detection of bacterial virulence genes in environmental water samples.
Internships, study abroad, service learning, volunteer activities, job shadowing and professional school fairs are all great ways to enhance your educational experience. The biotechnology bachelor’s degree program offers additional opportunities to get involved through the organizations such as National Institutes of Health, Harris Methodist Hospital, National Science Foundation, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute SEA-PHAGES and SEA-GENES Projects.