The CSU offers a range of baccalaureate and graduate biotechnology programs to provide students with a solid science, engineering, technology and/or mathematics foundation, along with the knowledge and practical skills needed to succeed in a variety of positions in the life sciences industry. CSU graduates find rewarding careers in discovery research, product development, quality assurance, regulatory affairs, and management in academic research centers, biomedical institutions, government laboratories and life sciences companies. The programs featured here have been developed in partnership with industry experts and professionals so that they will be up to date and relevant.
See also the Professional Science Masters' website here on Biocompass.
Information about careers in biotechnology and the life sciences can be found at the American Chemical Society's Career & Employment webcenter (see, for instance this April 2010 article 
) and at the AAAS's Science Career Magazine . Current job openings in California can be found at any number of job boards on the internet, including Biospace or Hire Life Science .
Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology
The Biotechnology major is an interdisciplinary program which provides students with a strong background in both biology and chemistry. It provides the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to understand the numerous industrial applications of biological phenomena, while emphasizing the study of cell and molecular biology. Students can select their upper division electives from six clusters: (1) Physiology/Neurobiology; (2) Molecular Biology and Genetics; (3) Microbiology and Pathology; (4) Biochemistry and Molecular Separation Techniques; (5) Agriculture; and (6) Business. Twenty units must be chosen from one of these clusters (referred to as the student’s primary cluster) and an additional 8 units from the other five clusters. This will allow the individual to specialize in a particular area. An important feature of this major is an internship in a biotechnology laboratory for practical experience in the field. This program also satisfies the admission requirements for various graduate and preprofessional schools. Because of the diversity of expertise required in an interdisciplinary program, faculty are drawn from the Colleges of Science, Agriculture and Business. The shared facilities include molecular biology labs with chromatographic and electrophoretic apparati, ultracentrifuges, microarray analysis and a variety of microscopy equipment. Molecular analysis facilities include high pressure liquid chromatography, spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. Large and small animal facilities, greenhouses and controlled environmental chambers, and animal and plant tissue culture facilities are also available.
For more information contact: Jill P. Adler-Moore at (909) 869-4047 or
jpadler@csupomona.edu or visit the program website .
Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, Technology & Policy
The Environmental Science, Technology & Policy (ESTP) program offers an innovative interdisciplinary B.S. degree program linking natural science, physical science, technology, economics, and policy. The program emphasizes the critical thinking and technical skills necessary to develop workable solutions to complex environmental problems. Unique in its commitment to linking earth systems science to environmental economics and social policy, ESTP provides students with active learning and applied research in marine, coastal, and watershed systems.
For more information contact:
(831) 582-4110 or SEP_Office@csumb.edu or visit the program website .
Bachelor of Science in Biology, Biotechnology Track
The Biotechnology track prepares students for graduate programs or careers in biotechnology or cellular and molecular biology in medical, industrial, agricultural, or other applications. Students completing the Biotechnology course sequence will be well prepared for an entry-level biotechnology position in industry or government or for graduate programs in biotechnology.
For more information visit the program website .
Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics is essentially the interdisciplinary study of biology and biochemical systems using mathematics and computer science. It involves the use of computers and statistics to make sense out of large amounts of data that are accumulating from high-throughput biological and chemical experiments, such as sequencing of whole gnomes, DNA microarray chips, two-hybrid experiments, and tandem mass spectrometry. The main goal of the degree is to prepare the students for graduate studies in bioinformatics. A secondary goal is to provide students with relevant skills that will be useful for research and development in the growing biotechnology industries.
For more information contact: (909) 537-5326 or visit the program website .
Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology
Biotechnology refers to the application our knowledge of the molecular and cellular life processes for the benefit of society. The Biotechnology curriculum is comprised of courses selected from Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mathematics, Physics, and the College of Business Administration. The core curricula will provide students with a solid foundation in molecular biology, immunology and biochemistry. It will introduce them to the applied technologies in these fields such as molecular genetics/recombinant DNA technology, immunology/cell culture-hybridoma technology, biochemistry/protein purification methods, DNA sequencing and computational biology. Additional core sequence courses will introduce students to major issues related to management, marketing, accounting and product development. The curriculum is meant to provide graduates with the knowledge and training needed to earn and succeed in entry-level positions and beyond -- not only in research and development, but also in areas such as technical services, regulatory affairs, technical writing, quality assurance/control, data management, marketing, management, operations, and public policy.
For more information visit the program website .
Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with Concentration in Genetics & Biotechnology
For more information contact Jim Youngblom at
jyoungblom@csustan.edu or
209-667-3950
or visit the program website .
Cell & Molecular Biology Joint Doctoral Program with UCSD
San Diego State University (SDSU) offers a doctoral degree program in Biology in cooperation with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Division of Biological Sciences . This joint program involves research training under the supervision of participating SDSU faculty whose members are drawn from the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, and Psychology and whose interests cover a wide range of biological problems and represent the interdisciplinary nature of modern biology.
For more information contact: Dr. Greg Harris at gharris@sunstroke.sdsu.edu or visit the program website .
Evolutionary Biology Joint Doctoral Program with UCR
The principal objective of the program is to allow talented students to pursue graduate work in integrative evolutionary studies towards a doctoral degree jointly administered by UC Riverside (UCR) and SDSU.
The joint nature of the doctoral program offers many advantages. Students benefit from contact and expertise in and outside the classroom with faculty members at two strong, complementary evolutionary biology programs. Students also have the opportunity to access facilities and field sites from both institutions that are located throughout southern California and adjacent regions.
At SDSU and UCR, students may study a broad range of topics in evolutionary biology including systematics, paleontology, molecular population biology, and organismal/biodiversity biology. The Ph.D. degree is jointly awarded by both institutions after successful defense of the dissertation.
For more information contact: Dr. Annalisa Berta at aberta@sunstroke.sdsu.edu or visit the program website .
