Biotechnology BS

Biotechnology may be defined broadly as the use of living organisms, or their products, to improve human, animal, or plant life, or the environment. This broad definition has been used as the basis for the design of this program.

Students will gain an understanding of living organisms at the cellular and molecular level through the core courses in the major. The electives will expand their opportunities of acquiring knowledge of organisms at the organismal level and in relationship with their environment. The curriculum emphasizes hands-on learning and provides undergraduate research experience. Students learn through elective courses and research how to apply biological knowledge to solve current problems in fields such as Agriculture, Medicine, Environmental and Marine Sciences.

The program prepares students for:

pursuing graduate studies
entering the work force in industrial, academic or governmental laboratories
acceptance into medical, dental, veterinary or pharmacy schools

Research

Faculty and Students collaborate in real world scientific research and scholarship.

Internships

Students can further develop their scientific knowledge and skills and get experience in a chosen career through internships with our community partners.

Student Engagement

We have many ways for students to engage in the department, university, and community with more than 15 clubs and organizations.

Department Contacts

Croshaw, Dean

Program Coordinator/Professor, Evolutionary Biology

WH 0250

239-590-7428

dcroshaw@fgcu.edu

Genetics, Evolution, Behavioral Ecology, Molecular Methods

Bravo, Gissela

Administrative Specialist II, Biological Sciences

WH 0245

239-590-7153

gbravo@fgcu.edu

Accreditation
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Admissions Information
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Admissions Information for the 2024-2025 Catalog Year
If you are not yet an FGCU student, visit the Admissions Office Website
If you are a newly-admitted FGCU student please be sure to sign up for an Eagle View Orientation session. As part of this session you will be meeting with an academic advisor who will assist you in registering for classes for your major.
Admission Deadlines
Visit the Admissions Office Web site for information on admission deadlines of the university.
Program Requirements
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Program Requirements for the 2024-2025 Catalog Year
The General Education Program Website is located at https://www.fgcu.edu/academics/undergraduatestudies/generaleducation/
Program Progression and Additional Graduation Requirements
For timely degree completion, students must complete all program milestones. The following actions occur when milestones are missed: first occurrence—advising hold and counseling regarding progression requirements; second occurrence—counseling and change to a major outside of the Department of Biology or Department of Chemistry and Physics that is more appropriate to student goals and academic performance. Appeals are handled through the relevant department. The decision of the appeal committee is final. Program milestones include the following:
- BSC 1010C or BSC 1011/1011L minimum grade of C completed one calendar year from admission as first time in college (FTIC) or 30 credits earned, whichever is earlier.
- BSC 1010C and BSC 1011/1011L minimum grade of C completed by end of fourth semester (including summers) from admission as FTIC or 45 credits earned, whichever is earlier.
- PCB 3023C, PCB 3043C or PCB 3063C minimum grade of C completed by end of sixth semester (including summers) from admission as FTIC or 60 credits earned, whichever is earlier.
Transfer students may declare the major after they have completed BSC 1010C, BSC 1011, and BSC 1011L with grades of C or better in each course. Transfer students must complete PCB 3023C, PCB 3043C or PCB 3063C with a grade of C or better within three semesters (including summer) of declaring the major.

In addition to the program requirements, students must:
- Complete a minimum of 120 credits.
- Complete a minimum of 48 of the 120 credits at the upper division (3000 - 4999 level).
- Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all coursework attempted at FGCU.
- Satisfy the College-Level Skills and foreign language entrance requirements.
- Satisfy the Service-Learning requirement.
- Satisfy the Civic Literacy requirement.
- Satisfy the residency requirement: 30 of the last 60 credits must be completed at FGCU.
- Complete the summer course enrollment requirement.
- Submit an Application for Graduation by the deadline listed in the FGCU Academic Calendar.
Program Requirements
1. FGCU General Education Program (https://www.fgcu.edu/academics/undergraduatestudies/generaleducation/)
  
  To prevent or minimize excess hours, select general education courses that satisfy common prerequisite requirements for your intended major.
2. Common Prerequisites
  For this major, common prerequisite courses with an asterisk (*) require prior knowledge and skills demonstrated through degree acceleration programs (e.g., the College Board's Advanced Placement Program [AP], International Baccalaureate Program [IB], College-Level Examination Program [CLEP], Advanced International Certificate of Education Program [AICE]); dual enrollment; placement exam; or college coursework.
  
  FGCU Course: BSC 1010C Gen’l Biology w/Lab I (4) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: BSCX010C or (BSCX010 and BSCX010L)
  
  FGCU Course: BSC 1011 General Biology II (3) and BSC 1011L General Biology II Laboratory (1) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: BSCX011C or (BSCX011 and BSCX011L)
  
  FGCU Course: *CHM 1045 General Chemistry I (3) and CHM 1045L General Chemistry I Lab (1) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: CHM045C or (CHMX045 and CHMX045L)
  [Prerequisites of MAT 1033 minimum grade of C then MAC 1105 minimum grade of C; or relevant accelerated credit; or placement exam]
  
  FGCU Course: CHM 1046 General Chemistry II (3) and CHM 1046L General Chemistry II Lab (1) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: CHMX046C or (CHMX046 and CHMX046L)
  
  FGCU Course: CHM 2210 Organic Chemistry I (3) and CHM 2210L Organic Chemistry I Laboratory (1) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: CHMX210C or (CHMX210 and CHMX210L)
  
  FGCU Course: CHM 2211 Organic Chemistry II (3) and CHM 2211L Organic Chemistry II Laboratory (1) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: CHMX211C or (CHMX211 and CHMX211L)
  
  FGCU Course: *MAC 2311 Calculus I (4) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: MACX311 or MACX233 or MACX253 or MACX281
  [Prerequisites of MAT 1033 minimum grade of C then MAC 1105 minimum grade of C then MAC 1147 minimum grade of C; or relevant accelerated credit; or placement exam]
  
  FGCU Course: *PHY 2053 College Physics I (3) and PHY 2053L College Physics Laboratory (1) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: PHYX053C or (PHYX053 and PHYX053L) or PHYX048C or (PHYX048 and PHYX048L)
  [Prerequisites of MAT 1033 minimum grade of C then MAC 1105 minimum grade of C then MAC 1147 minimum grade of C; or relevant accelerated credit; or placement exam]
  
  FGCU Course: PHY 2054 College Physics II (3) and PHY 2054L College Physics II Laboratory (1) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: PHYX054C or (PHYX054 and PHYX054L) or PHYX049C or (PHYX049 and PHYX049L)
  
  FGCU Course: *STA 2023 Statistical Methods (3) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: STAX023 or STAX122 or STAX014 or STAX024 or STAX321
  [Prerequisites of MAT 1033 minimum grade of C; or relevant accelerated credit; or placement exam]
3. Required Courses in the Major (30 credits)
  A minimum grade of C is required in each course
  
  BCH 3023C Biochemistry (3)
  BSC 4422C Methods in Biotechnology (3)
  BSC 4942C Senior Res. Biotech. (2)
  BSC 4943 Sr. Proj. Pres. Biotech. (1)
  IDS 3300 Foundations of CivicEngagement (3)
  ISC 3120C Scientific Process (3)
  MCB 3020C General Microbiology (4)
  PCB 3023C Cell Biology (4)
  PCB 3063C Genetics (4)
  PCB 4522C Molecular Genetics (3)
4. Restricted Electives in the Major (18 credits)
  A minimum grade of C is required in each course
  
  Select 2 credits from the following:
  
  BSC 4905 Dir. Ind.Study/Res. Biotech. (1-3) or
  BSC 4941 Internship in Biotechnology (1-3)
  
  Select 16 credits from the following:
  
  ANS 3440 Animal Nutrition (3)
  BCH 3025C Analytical Biochemistry (3)
  BOT 3015C The Lives of Plants and Algae (3)
  BOT 4503C Plant Physiology (3)
  BSC 4905 Dir. Ind.Study/Res. Biotech. (1-3)
  BSC 4930 Special Topics in Biology (2-4)
  BSC 4941 Internship in Biotechnology (1-3)
  MAC 2312 Calculus II (4)
  MCB 3652C Environmental Microbiology (3)
  MCB 4223C Food Microbiology (3)
  MCB 4502C Virology (3)
  PCB 3703C Human Physiology (4)*
  PCB 3723C Comparative Animal Physiology (3)*
  PCB 4233C Immunology (3)
  PCB 4253C Developmental Biology (3)
  PCB 4454C Biological Statistics (3)
  PCB 4671C Evolution in the Omics Age (3)
  PCB 4714 Comparative Immunology (3)
  ZOO 4513C Animal Behavior (3)
  ZOO 4753C Histology (3)
  
  *Credits from only one course, either PCB 3723C Comparative Animal Physiology or PCB 3703C Human Physiology, will count towards the required hours of electives in Biotechnology.
5. University Requirements (3 credits)
  Select one of the following:
  IDS 3920 University Colloquium (3)
  Or at least 3 credits in sustainability coursework (SCGR Attribute)
6. Additional Electives - as needed to reach total credits required for the degree
Total Credits Required: 120
Degree Map
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Degree Maps are to be used as a general guideline for students. Some students scheduling needs may vary based upon completed courses and transfer credits. Please see your advisor for assistance and verification.
2024-25 Biotechnology BS Degree Map

Additional Graduation Requirements include:
- A minimum of 120 credit hours.
- A minimum of 48 of the 120 hours must be at the upper division (3000 - 4999) level.
- A cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all coursework attempted at FGCU.
- A minimum grade of C for each course used to satisfy the following categories: common prerequisites, required courses in the major, and courses in the concentration.
- Satisfaction of the Communication and Computation Skills and foreign language entrance requirements.
- Satisfaction of the Service Learning requirement (See www.fgcu.edu/connect).
- Satisfaction of the residency requirement: thirty of the last sixty credits must be completed at FGCU.
- Completion of the summer course enrollment requirement.
- Submit an online Application for Graduation via Gulfline by the deadline listed in the FGCU Academic Calendar.
- Transfer Notes and Acceptable Substitutes
For All Majors: Students are strongly recommended to select required lower division electives that will enhance their General Education coursework and that will support their intended baccalaureate degree program. Students should consult with an academic advisor in their major degree area.
Course Description
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Official Course Descriptions

Search for official course descriptions by using the Course Description Search utility.

Go to the Course Descriptions Search Web page, then follow these steps:
1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select a course prefix from one of the SUBJECT dropdowns (required)
3. Enter search words in the TEXT field (optional, but will narrow the search results)
4. Press Search
Course Schedule
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Getting Started With the Course Schedule Search

Search for program courses by using the Course Schedule Search utility.

Go to the Course Schedule Search Web page, then follow these steps:
1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select one or more of the search options to narrow your results (for example, CAMPUS, COLLEGE, DEPARTMENT, LEVEL, PREFIX*, COURSE ATTRIBUTE**). For virtual or web courses, select VIRTUAL in the CAMPUS field.
3. Press Search.
*A course prefix is a three-letter designator for a major division of an academic discipline (for example, ACG for Accounting , BSC for Biological Science, ENC for English Composition). See the Degree Requirements page for a list of courses (with prefix and number) that can be used to fulfill degree requirements.

**A course attribute identifies specific characteristics of courses that can be used in a Degree Evaluation to satisfy a degree requirement. (Course attribute examples are Humanities courses - GEHM and Social Science courses - GESO.)
Educational Objectives and Student Outcomes
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Academic Learning Compact

Consistent with its mission and guiding principles, Florida Gulf Coast University is committed to academic excellence and continuous quality improvement, as supported by a sound teaching-learning process. Within this process, students and instructors share responsibility for learning that is a movement from the simple to the complex, the concrete to the abstract, and the dependent to the independent. The Academic Learning Compact (ALC) initiative supports the teaching-learning process by clearly identifying expected core student learning outcomes in the areas of content/discipline knowledge and skills, communication skills, and critical thinking skills; aligning curricula with expectations; and using assessment to guide continuous improvement.

Content/Discipline Knowledge and Skills
Graduates will be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of biological processes from the molecular and cellular perspectives.
2. Approach and solve biological problems critically with scientific literacy in individual and group settings.
3. Demonstrate ability to perform molecular, cellular, and biochemical techniques used in biotechnology.
4. Apply ethical practices and behavior in all aspects of biotechnological scientific endeavors.
Content/discipline knowledge and skills are assessed at the college and departmental levels through assignments completed in one or more of the following courses: BSC 1010C, BSC 1011C, PCB 3063C, BCH 3023C, PCB 3023C, MCB 3020C, PCB 4522C, BSC4422C, ISC 3120, BSC4905 or BSC4941, BSC 4942C, BSC 4943.
Communication Skills
Graduates will be able to:
1. Engage in effective scientific communication as individuals and as team members by listening, speaking, writing and presenting in oral and poster format.
Communication skills are assessed in the capstone courses, BSC 4942C and BSC 4943.
Critical Thinking Skills
Graduates will be able to:
1. Engage in the scientific process to form hypotheses, synthesize scientific information, gather and analyze data, apply statistical techniques and draw conclusions.
Critical thinking skills are assessed in BSC4905 or BSC4941, and the capstone courses, BSC 4942C and BSC 4943.
Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance
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Tuition and Fees

Information on Tuition, Fees and estimated total Cost of Attendance is available on the Office of the Bursar web site.

Financial Aid Opportunities

Visit FGCU's Financial Aid Web site for information about grants, additional scholarships, loans, and student employment.