Certificate in Biotechnology

The Graduate Certificate in Biotechnology offered by the Department of Biological Sciences (DBS) will provide students with core competencies and exposure to areas of study in biotechnology to prepare them for the workforce and higher education. The Graduate Certificate in Biotechnology is a multi-disciplinary program designed to combine advanced discipline-specific course work with activities that develop communication and technical skills that are highly valued by employers in the biotechnology industry. Successful completion of the Certificate Program will provide students with a solid foundation for success through practical experience gained via internships in laboratories on campus or in local industry. The Certificate Program will also cultivate an awareness of ethical, policy, and management issues related to the biotechnology industry.

Admission Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree, or its equivalent, from a regionally accredited college or university
• Evidence of sufficient undergraduate preparation in biology with a minimum of 12 credit hours in biology or related study
• GPA of at least 2.8 (based on a 4.0 scale) on all previous complete work beyond high school (secondary school)
• An online application through the Graduate School’s application system
• A statement of purpose
• Unofficial transcripts of all college coursework attempted
• Official and satisfactory scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language Test (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), if English is not the applicant’s native language and if he or she has not earned a post-secondary degree from a U.S. institution
• No GRE

Certificate Requirements

The Graduate Certificate in Biotechnology requires 15 credit hours with 9 credit hours of Biological Sciences courses selected from the list below, 3 credit hours of Bioinformatics or Chemistry courses selected from the list below, 1 credit hour Professional Development seminar, and 2 credit hours Research Internship.

Biological Sciences Courses (9 credit hours)

Select from the following:

• BIOL 5162 – Advanced Biotechnology I (3)
• BIOL 5163 – Advanced Biotechnology II (3)
• BIOL 5167 – Medical Genetics (3) every Fall
• BIOL 5168 – Recombinant DNA Techniques (4)
• BIOL 5171 – Cell Physiology (3)
• BIOL 5184 – Plant Biotechnology (3)
• BIOL 5250 – Microbiology (3) every Spring
• BIOL 5250L – Microbiology Laboratory (1)
• BIOL 5251 – Immunology (3)
• BIOL 5253 – Marine Microbiology (4) every other Fall
• BIOL 5254 – Epidemiology (3)
• BIOL 5255 – Bacterial Genetics (3)
• BIOL 5256 – Pathogenic Bacteriology (3)
• BIOL 5256L – Pathogenic Bacteriology Laboratory (1)
• BIOL 5259 – Advanced Virology (3) every Summer
• BIOL 5259L – Advanced Virology Laboratory (1)
• BIOL 5265 – Drugs: Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms (3) every Spring
• BIOL 5292 – Advances in Immunology (3)
• BIOL 6101 – Hypothesis Testing (3) every Fall
• BIOL 6241 – Environmental Biology (3)
• BIOL 6270 – Biological Pathways and Metabolism (3) every other Spring
• BIOL 6366 – Advanced Protein Biotechnology (3) every other Fall

Bioinformatics and Chemistry Courses (3 credit hours)

Select from the following:

• BINF 5171 – Business of Biotechnology (3)
• BINF 5191 – Life Sciences and the Law (3)
• BINF 6200 – Statistics for Bioinformatics (3)
• BINF 6201 – Molecular Sequence Analysis (3)
• BINF 6203 – Genomics (3)
• CHEM 5090 – Special Topics in Chemistry (1 to 4) (NanoBiochemistry)

Seminar Course (1 credit hour) offered in Spring 2025

• BIOL 6600 – Seminar (1 to 2)

Research Internship (2 credit hours)

Participate in 2 credit hours of a biotechnology-based research internship:

• BIOL 6901 – Laboratory Research (1 to 2)

Additional Notes

• The Certificate will be awarded upon completion of the courses for 15 or more credit hours, with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Only one grade of C may be counted toward the Certificate.
• The 15 required credit hours must be completed within four years of study starting from the time the first course is taken.
• Courses taken for one graduate certificate may not be counted toward another graduate certificate.
• Up to 6 credit hours of graduate coursework taken as post-baccalaureate status at UNC Charlotte may be applied toward the Certificate.
• Credit hours earned in the Certificate program may be applied to the Master’s or Doctoral program in Biology pursued either in conjunction with or after the certificate has been awarded subject to admission to that graduate program.
• A tuition increment will apply to this program.