Applied Biotechnology (MS)

Department website

The Master of Science in Applied Biotechnology program is offered online collaboratively with UW-Green Bay, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, UW-Platteville, UW-Stevens Point, and UW-Whitewater with administrative and financial support from Universities of Wisconsin Office of Online & Professional Learning Resources. It represents a fully online, asynchronous curriculum, composed of stackable certificates, that includes six required core courses organized in two foundation certificates, one professional track certificate out of four available professional tracks, composed of three courses, a Capstone preparation course, and a project-based Capstone course for a total of 31 credits. 

M.S. in Applied Biotechnology stackable certificates are organized as follows:

Two required foundation graduate certificates: 

1. Fundamentals of Biotechnology Graduate Certificate. 

2. Leadership, Ethics, and Communication in Biotechnology Graduate Certificate 

One optional track graduate certificates. 

3. Quality Assurance and Compliance Graduate Certificate

4. Business Management in Biotechnology Graduate Certificate 

5. Research and Development in Biotechnology Graduate Certificate 

6. Applied Bioinformatics Graduate Certificate 

 Program Learning Outcomes 

1. Goals of the Program\\n\\nGraduates of the program will gain the core competencies required to manage functions across a wide range of biotechnology industries. The required capstone course, which represents the culminating experience in the program, will provide students with the opportunity to apply skills acquired from coursework through a project-based experience in their ‘track’.
2. Competency A – Demonstrate professional and scientific communication appropriate for biotechnology settings.\\n\\nUpon completion of the program, students will be able to:\\n\\n1) Select the most appropriate modalities, methodologies, tools, and practices to communicate complex ideas effectively across diverse audiences\\n2) Demonstrate effective listening, written, verbal, and nonverbal communication skills\\n3) Construct and deliver effective professional presentations
3. Competency B – Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of organizational processes and product development pipelines.\\n\\nUpon completion of the program, students will be able to:\\n\\n1) Evaluate and describe systems of product research, development, and production\\n2)Analyze the potential for commercialization for innovations within the biotechnology industry\\n3) Critique and integrate changes to an existing product development pipeline\\n4) Compare organizational processes employed by biotech firms
4. Competency C - Distinguish among diverse methods and technologies and their applications in biotechnology.\\n\\nUpon completion of the program, students will be able to:\\n\\n1) Compare and contrast emerging with existing technologies.\\n2) Exhibit strong technical knowledge to evaluate and choose appropriate. technologies.\\n3) Demonstrate the ability to read, interpret and apply scientific literature.\\n4) Demonstrate competency in data analyses and statistics.
5. Competency D – Demonstrate strategic leadership and decision-making skills necessary in biotechnology.\\n\\nUpon completion of the program, students will be able to:\\n\\n1) Compare best practices in leadership required for executive action.\\n2) Demonstrate the skills and processes that maximize team performance to successfully meet goals both as an effective team member and leader.\\n3) Identify and provide evidence-based solutions to problems in compliance, development, personnel, and finance.
6. Competency E – Appraise the current regulatory, quality control, and legal frameworks that impact biotechnology.\\n\\nUpon completion of the program, students will be able to:\\n\\n1) Demonstrate understanding of relevant domestic and global regulatory agencies, laws, policies and guidance.\\n2) Assess intellectual property considerations in biotechnology\\n3) Justify the importance of quality and risk management in biotechnology and explain current good practices
7. Competency F – Demonstrate professional and ethical behaviors that foster positive and productive interactions in diverse biotechnology settings.\\n\\nUpon completion of the program, students will be able to:\\n\\n1) Recognize, foster and apply principles of ethical and professional conduct.\\n2) Identify professional opportunities and personal success by acquiring knowledge, networking, and other career development strategies.\\n3) Understand cultural differences that exist in the global marketplace.

Requirements for the Master of Applied Biotechnology

Required courses

Elective track graduate certificate courses

Three elective courses are required. Courses are organized in track graduate certificates. Choose one graduate certificate only.

University Requirements for Master’s Degree Programs

To receive a master’s degree from UW-Parkside, students must meet the following minimum requirements (note that individual programs may impose more stringent requirements):

1. Complete at least 30 graduate credits, of which no more than 12 may be transferred from another institution.
2. Have an overall GPA of at least 3.00 for all graduate work taken at UW-Parkside that is applicable to the degree program.
3. Satisfy all requirements of the graduate degree program.

Students may take no more than seven years to complete a degree, beginning with the semester in which they complete their first course as a UW-Parkside degree-seeking graduate student, unless they apply for and receive an extension through the appropriate graduate program. Some programs may impose a shorter time limit. To graduate, students must file a request for graduation. The request form, signed by the student’s advisor and filed in the appropriate graduate program office, initiates the final review of the candidate’s records. Students also need to apply to graduate with the Office of the Registrar.

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally or nationally accredited university (in any discipline) with a 3.00/4.00 GPA.
• Prerequisite coursework of two semesters of college level biology and/or chemistry with laboratory.
• Employment résumé.
• A personal statement of up to 1,000 words describing the reasons behind your decision to pursue this degree.
• No letters of recommendations are required.
• Students may be considered for a provisional admission, if they do not meet the minimum admission requirements. The Academic Director has the discretion to waive a prerequisite that will allow a student to take an ABT course.

• If you do not meet the minimum admission requirements—such as having a GPA below 3.0 or missing prerequisite coursework—you will need to submit additionally two letters of recommendation. These can be:

• Professional letters of recommendation (a workplace colleague or supervisor)

• Academic letters of recommendation (former professor or academic advisor)