Research and Development

Certificate of Achievement Biotechnology · MiraCosta College · 2026-2027 Catalog

This certificate is designed to meet the increasing need for entry-level laboratory technicians, especially in the field of research and development. Technicians in this field must be proficient in the application of scientific methodology to solve problems. They must learn and implement laboratory procedures and use specialized laboratory equipment. Competency in organizational, computational, and communication skills is required.

This program is designed to give students the theoretical background and practical experience necessary to be a bench-level scientist in both academic and industrial settings. Completion of this program prepares students to gain entry-level employment, or with additional coursework students can transfer to four-year institutions in the biosciences. Graduates of this biotechnology program can expect to be employed in various capacities, including quality control, applied research, product development, analytical testing, and academic (basic) research.

Program Student Learning Outcome

Upon completion of the program, students will report that they were sufficiently developed to meet employer expectations for entry-level performance in a technical laboratory.

Course Requirements

CourseTitleUnits
Required courses:
BIO 105Introductory Biology: Biotechnology in Society3-4
orBIO 204Foundations of Biology: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics, and Molecular Biology
BTEC 107Exploring Biotechnology: Emerging Trends, Careers, and the Local Industry3
BTEC 110Basic Techniques in Biotechnology5
BTEC 120Business and Regulatory Practices in Biotechnology3
BTEC 180Biostatistics4-7
orMATH C2210Calculus I: Early Transcendentals
orMATH C2210ECalculus I: Early Transcendentals - Embedded Support
orMATH C2210HCalculus I: Early Transcendentals - Honors
BTEC 210Data Analysis with Excel1
CHEM 150General Chemistry I: For Science Majors5
CHEM 151General Chemistry II: For Science Majors5
ENGL C1000Academic Reading and Writing4
Select at least two electives from the following:2
BTEC 201Advanced Cell Culture
BTEC 203Techniques in DNA Amplification
BTEC 204Recombinant DNA
BTEC 206Principles of Separation and HPLC
BTEC 207Techniques in Immunochemistry and ELISA
BTEC 231Gene Editing Techniques: CRISPR-Cas9
BTEC 232Principles of Flow Cytometry
BTEC 292Internship Studies
BTEC 299Occupational Work Experience Education
Total Units35-39

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