Biotechnology

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About Biotechnology

Biotechnology is the scientific manipulation of living organisms, especially at the molecular genetic level. UBC's program combines the world-class science curriculum available at University of British Columbia with the extensive industry-focused laboratory training available at BCIT. The program equips students with the lab, scientific and technical expertise, and the business and communication skills, to start a biotechnology career as soon as you graduate. Courses are housed in the new state-of-the-art Biosciences Teaching Building, the flagship Life Sciences Centre, and the Michael Smith Laboratories, named after the Nobel laureate and UBC professor Dr. Michael Smith.

Program Details

The five-year program is offered in cooperation with BCIT. Students complete a 30-credit first-year program at UBC and then move to BCIT for two years, returning to UBC for about two years of academic and co-op work terms. The combination of theoretical and practical studies focused on microbiology and related disciplines is designed for students hoping to work in the growing biotechnology sector of our economy.

Skills

  • Collaboration with cross-discipline laboratory teams 
  • Presentation of technical and scientific data to non-technical audiences 
  • Quantitative and qualitative analytical skills 
  • Compliance with quality control and safety regulations 
  • Analytical method development or validation (QA/QC) 
  • Use of ELISA, PCR, CRISPR technology in plant and animal cells, gel-electrophoresis, western blot, protein purification, isolation and characterization, bacterial culture, cell passaging, and plant micropropagation 
  • Use of instruments for bioinformatics, gas chromatography, mass spectroscopy, fermenters, microscopy, liquid chromatography-triple quad mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)

Career Options

With an undergraduate degree

  • Agricultural technician/technologist
  • Agrology technician
  • Aquaculture technician
  • Bacteriological technician
  • Biofuel analyst
  • Biological laboratory technologist
  • Bio-production operator 
  • Biotechnology technician
  • Fish hatchery technician
  • Fisheries technician
  • Food and drug inspector
  • Food bacteriological technician
  • Laboratory technician
  • Marketing specialist
  • Microbiology quality control technologist
  • Plant breeding technician
  • Pollution control inspector
  • Product testing associate
  • Quality control technician
  • Seed technologist
  • Technical sales representative
  • Technical Writer
  • Water treatment technician
  • Wildlife biology technician

With additional study

  • Agricultural scientist
  • Bioinformatician
  • Biomedical engineer 
  • Biostatistician
  • Biotechnical engineer
  • Clinical research associate
  • Consumer protection specialist
  • Environmental attorney 
  • Epidemiologist
  • Gene technologist
  • Genetic counselor
  • Health care administrator 
  • Occupational hygienist
  • Occupational therapist
  • Patent agent
  • Patent attorney
  • Pharmaceutical or medicinal chemist
  • Regulatory affairs expert
  • Teacher/Professor
  • Toxicologist
  • Veterinarian

UBC Science Biotechnology Graduates Work As

  • MSc Candidate in Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto 
  • Research Technologist, STEMCELL Technologies 
  • PhD Candidate in Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia 
  • Research Assistant, BC Cancer Agency 
  • PhD Candidate in Molecular and Cellular Pathology, University of Michigan

Related Professional Groups

More Career Resources

Honours: First-Year Requirements

Honours (1136): Biotechnology
  • Science honours requirements, sessional avg >= 70% and 6 cr ENGL 1** or WRDS 1** or SCIE 113 or other eligible communication courses (3 of these 6 cr may be completed during summer session following Year 1).
  • AND
  • SCIE 001
OR
  • Science honours requirements, sessional avg >= 70% and 6 cr ENGL 1** or WRDS 1** or SCIE 113 or other eligible communication courses (3 of these 6 cr may be completed during summer session following Year 1).
  • AND the following Biology + Chemistry + Mathematics + Physics
  • 6 credits from BIOL 111, BIOL 112, BIOL 121
  • or transfer equivalents
  • AND
  • One of CHEM 111 or CHEM 121 or CHEM 141 AND  CHEM 123
  • or 8 transfer credits CHEM 1**
  • AND
  • MATH 100 or MATH 110 or MATH 120
  • or 3 transfer credits of MATH 1** (differential calculus)
  • AND
  • Physics 12 or PHYS 100
  • or 3 transfer credits of PHYS 1**

Musqueam First Nation land acknowledegement

We honour xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam) on whose ancestral, unceded territory UBC Vancouver is situated. UBC Science is committed to building meaningful relationships with Indigenous peoples so we can advance Reconciliation and ensure traditional ways of knowing enrich our teaching and research.

Learn more: Musqueam First Nation

Faculty of Science

Office of the Dean, Earth Sciences Building
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