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
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required courses: | ||
| BIO 105 | Introductory Biology: Biotechnology in Society | 3-4 |
| orBIO 204 | Foundations of Biology: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics, and Molecular Biology | |
| BTEC 107 | Exploring Biotechnology: Emerging Trends, Careers, and the Local Industry | 3 |
| BTEC 110 | Basic Techniques in Biotechnology | 5 |
| BTEC 120 | Business and Regulatory Practices in Biotechnology | 3 |
| BTEC 180 | Biostatistics | 4-7 |
| orMATH C2210 | Calculus I: Early Transcendentals | |
| orMATH C2210E | Calculus I: Early Transcendentals - Embedded Support | |
| orMATH C2210H | Calculus I: Early Transcendentals - Honors | |
| BTEC 210 | Data Analysis with Excel | 1 |
| CHEM 150 | General Chemistry I: For Science Majors | 5 |
| CHEM 151 | General Chemistry II: For Science Majors | 5 |
| ENGL C1000 | Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
| Select at least two electives from the following: | 2 | |
| BTEC 201 | Advanced Cell Culture | |
| BTEC 203 | Techniques in DNA Amplification | |
| BTEC 204 | Recombinant DNA | |
| BTEC 206 | Principles of Separation and HPLC | |
| BTEC 207 | Techniques in Immunochemistry and ELISA | |
| BTEC 231 | Gene Editing Techniques: CRISPR-Cas9 | |
| BTEC 232 | Principles of Flow Cytometry | |
| BTEC 292 | Internship Studies | |
| BTEC 299 | Occupational Work Experience Education | |
| Total Units | 35-39 | |