Biotechnology, B.S.: 120 units

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Offered by: College of Science, Biological Sciences Department

Major Required
Major Electives

General Education Requirements

The Biotechnology major is an interdisciplinary program which provides students with a strong background in both biology and chemistry. It provides the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to understand the numerous industrial applications of biological phenomena, while emphasizing the study of cell and molecular biology. Students can select their upper division electives from five emphases: (1) Cellular, Molecular, and Microbial Biology; (2) Physiology; (3) Biochemistry and Molecular Separation Techniques; (4) Food, Agriculture and Environment; (5) Policy and Business. An important feature of this major is an internship in a biotechnology laboratory for practical experience in the field. This program also satisfies the admission requirements for various graduate and preprofessional schools. Students interested in bioengineering or bioinformatics are encouraged to take a minor in Biophysics, Computer Sciences, or any engineering minor programs. This major requires admission to the Biological Sciences Department and completion of the units indicated below.

Major Required: 74-75 units

Major Electives: 15-16 units

Any combination of courses from the FIVE emphases of electives would satisfy this requirement. Emphases are listed to provide guidance for selecting courses that best fit to your career goals. There is no requirement to declare a specific emphasis. In addition, up to 3 units combined from BIO 4000 , BIO 4410 , BIO 4610 , and BIO 4620 may count towards major electives. Students who take MAT 1200 will need 16 units of Major Electives. Students who take MAT 1140 will need 15 units of Major Electives.

*Some courses may require 1000- or 2000-level prerequisites. These prerequisites cannot count towards degree.

Upper Division Course Emphases

Emphasis 1: Cellular, Molecular, and Microbial Biology

Emphasis 2: Physiology

Emphasis 3: Biochemistry and Molecular Separation Techniques

Emphasis 4: Food, Agriculture, and Environment

Emphasis 5: Policy and Business

Unrestricted Electives: 0-6 units

Select a sufficient number of courses so that the total from “Major Required”, “Major Electives”, “GE”, and “Unrestricted Electives” is at least 120 units.

General Education Requirements: 48 units

Students should view their Degree Progress Report (DPR) for information regarding their General Education requirements. Unless specific GE courses are required for their major, please refer to the list of approved courses in the General Education Program in the University Catalog, https://catalog.cpp.edu. When viewing the catalog, students should select the catalog year associated with the GE requirements listed in their Degree Progress Report.

	Course	Term Taken	Grade
Area A. English Language Communication and Critical Thinking (9 units) At least 3 units from each sub-area
1. Oral Communication
2. Written Communication
3. Critical Thinking
Area B. Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning (12 units) At least 3 units from each sub-area
1. Physical Sciences
2. Life Sciences
3. Laboratory Activity
4. Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning
5. Science and Technology Synthesis
Area C. Arts and Humanities (12 units) At least 3 units from each sub-area and 3 additional units from sub-areas 1 and/or 2
1. Visual and Performing Arts
2. Literature, Modern Languages, Philosophy and Civilization
3. Arts and Humanities Synthesis
Area D. Social Sciences (9 units) At least 3 units from each sub-area
1. U.S. History and American Ideals
2. U.S. Constitution and California Government
4. Social Science Synthesis
Area E. Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (3 units)
Area F. Ethnic Studies (3 units)

For an alternative and interdisciplinary way to complete some of their GE requirements, students may choose the Interdisciplinary General Education program, see below.

Interdisciplinary General Education: 18 units

An alternate pattern for partial fulfillment of GE Areas A, C, and D available for students is the Interdisciplinary General Education (IGE) program. Students should see an advisor for specific GE coursework required by their major. Please refer to the University Catalog General Education Program section for additional information.

How IGE fulfills General Education Requirements:

GE Area	Courses
A2	IGE 1100 and IGE 1200 Category II students are eligible to enroll in IGE 1100 (Fall) and IGE 1200 (Spring) as a two-course sequence to fulfill GE Area A2. Students who choose this sequence will also satisfy GE Area C2. Category III and IV students need to enroll in English composition courses in the A2 GE course list.
C1	IGE 2350
C2	IGE 1100 , IGE 1200 , IGE 2150 , or IGE 2250
C3	IGE 3100
D1	IGE 2150 or IGE 2250 Also satisfy American Institutions Part A
D4	IGE 3100

A single course cannot be double-counted across multiple GE Areas.

revised 07/12/2024

American Institutions: 6 units

Courses that satisfy this requirement may also satisfy GE Areas D1 and D2.

Graduation Writing Test

All persons who receive undergraduate degrees from Cal Poly Pomona must pass the Graduation Writing Test (GWT). The test must be taken by the semester following completion of 60 units for undergraduates.