BA/BS in Biotechnology

Biotechnology uses living organisms to make useful products, which is why it connects things as different as cheese, biofuels and genetic engineering. This major fits students who enjoy lab work and do well in biology, and it keeps careers open in environmental research, pharmaceuticals, food and drink production and other areas. The program balances theory with plenty of laboratory time for building skills. Students generally begin with mostly biology and chemistry courses and labs, such as cell biology and organic chemistry. They then move to advanced topics including culturing cells, immunology, genetics and medical ethics, and they can choose electives that suit their interests. The bachelor of science is offered by the Department of Biotechnical and Clinical Laboratory Sciences in the Jacobs medical school at the University at Buffalo.