Biotechnology

The Biotechnology Certificate of Achievement program prepares individuals seeking careers in the life sciences/biotechnology sector. The program is highly hands-on, promotes teamwork, and trains students with analytical, practical, and communication skills that parallel the industry environment, enabling them to think critically and solve on-the-job problems. Employment opportunities include positions such as biological technicians, quality control analysts, manufacturing production technicians, inspectors, testers.

It is estimated that one section of each core course will be initially offered annually, with a headcount of 15 – 20 students enrolled in each section. 30-40 students are estimated to complete the program per year by the end of the second year, and 60 – 80 students are estimated to complete the program per year by the end of the fifth year. Labor market data suggests the Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura region within the community colleges are under supplying workers by approximately 245 workers annually, which program completers will help fill the labor market gap.

The Biotechnology program prepares individuals seeking careers in the life sciences/biotechnology sector. The program is highly hands-on, promotes teamwork, and trains students with analytical, practical, and communication skills that parallel the industry environment, enabling them to think critically and solve on-the-job problems. Employment opportunities include positions such as biological technicians, quality control analysts, manufacturing production technicians, inspectors, testers. Three Biotech courses and one Chemistry course can be completed in a 12-month period, after which students will earn a Certificate of Achievement. Future goals of the program will include specializations in forensics science, bioinformatics, medical laboratory technology, and histochemistry technology. In addition, another program goal is development of an Associate’s degree in Biotechnology.

Although many science disciplines offer a combination of lecture and laboratory skills for students to learn, the laboratory skills are disciplined-focused and are acquired through a sequence of several semesters. The Chemistry discipline, for example, may begin with basic laboratory skills training in a course called Introductory Chemistry. By the time students complete Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, they would have taken a total of 6 semesters (3 years) to consider themselves ready to transfer to a four-year institution to obtain a science baccalaureate degree. However, they find themselves lacking in the laboratory science skills to acquire certain employment opportunities post-graduation. On the other hand, there are students who are not clear about their career paths, but they recognize an interest in science. The Biotechnology Certificate of Achievement program is a 1-year program designed to enrich students with the interdisciplinary laboratory skills necessary to obtain immediate employment in the industry, as some of these hands-on techniques are only experienced in graduate-level science programs or in the industry. The Biotechnology Certificate of Achievement program will support both undergraduates and graduates to “achieve their educational goals, to expand their individual potential, and to successfully pursue their aspirations for a better future for themselves, their community and the world”, as stated in East Los Angeles College’s mission statement.

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
BIOTECH 100	Foundations of Laboratory Science	4	S1
BIOTECH 101	Biological Molecules:  Proteins and Nucleic Acids	5	S2
BIOTECH 103	Quality Control and Regulatory Compliance in Bioscience	2	S2
and CHEM 51	Fundamentals of Chemistry I	5	S1
or CHEM 101or CHEM 201 or CHEM 211	General Chemistry I, or Quantitative & Instrumental Analysis, or Organic Chemistry for Science Majors I	5	S1

Life Sciences Department

Similar Biotechnology programs at: Cerritos College, Citrus College, Compton College, Fullerton College, Glendale Community College, LA Harbor College, LA Mission College, LA Pierce College, LA Trade Tech College, Long Beach City College, Pasadena City College, West LA College

15-30

Proposed Modifications to Program Requirements: - Decrease total units from 18 units to 16 units - Removal of Biotech 102 to align with industry requirements for entry-level Biotechnician I - Updating Biotech 103 to focus on Quality Control & Regulatory Compliance to align with Biotechnology industry sector training needs; - Inclusion of Chemistry to align with other regional Biotechnology programs and increase transferability to upcoming Bachelor level programs within the region.