Fundamentals of Biotechnology Graduate Certificate
The Fundamentals of Biotechnology Graduate certificate 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. The certificate will provide students with a foundation in biotechnology principles and techniques, and application of biological and chemical methods to modern biotechnological product development. Students will also learn principles of statistics, experimental design, data analysis, and bioinformatic evaluation of complex data sets. The curriculum consists of three, three-credit, 100% online courses. This certificate can be standalone or stackable within the MS Applied Biotechnology degree program.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Graduates of the program will gain the core competencies required to manage functions across a wide range of biotechnology industries.
Program-Specific Policies
Students who are enrolled in, or have completed courses in the Fundamentals of Biotechnology Graduate Certificate, have the right to apply credits from the certificate to the Master of Science in Applied Biotechnology (MS-ABT) program. Students interested in this option need to complete the UW system graduate application to apply for the master's program.
Requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Fundamentals of Biotechnology
Admission to the Fundamentals of Biotechnology Graduate Certificate
- 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 recommendation 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)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ABT 700 | Principles of Biotechnology | 3 |
| ABT 715 | Techniques in Biotechnology | 3 |
| ABT 720 | Experimental Design and Analysis in Biotechnology | 3 |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
University Requirements for Graduate Certificates
Graduate certificates are designed for students at one of the following levels:
- Students who have completed a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution and are enrolled for graduate credit
- Students who are enrolled simultaneously in a graduate degree program
Students must meet the admission requirements of a degree seeking or non-degree seeking graduate student to be eligible to earn a graduate certificate. At least 75% of the credits must be earned after completion of a baccalaureate or higher degree and students must attain a GPA of 3.00 within the certificate courses.
Certificate programs are designed to develop a particular expertise or set of skills. Graduate certificate programs will require a minimum of 8 graduate-level credits. For graduate certificates, at least 50% of the credits must be at the 700 level. At least 60% of the credits for the graduate certificates must be earned at UW-Parkside for program residency. Individual departments and programs may require more than 60% of the credits to be taken at UW Parkside.
Certificate programs should not be confused with certification or licensure programs which lead to certification by an outside agency.