Biotechnology Minor

Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus

Biotechnology is one of the most important areas of growth in the biomedical sciences and has transformed medicine, chemical manufacturing, and agriculture over the last 40 years. Cal Poly's Biotechnology minor is designed to give undergraduate students a grounding in the sciences that underlie biotechnology; in addition, students engage in practical experience in biotechnology lab work.

Students completing the Biotechnology minor take a core of required courses and approved elective courses focusing on biotechnology. You may request information on how to declare a Biotechnology Minor from the Biological Sciences Department website. Final approval of the minor is by one of the Minor Coordinators in the College of Science and Mathematics.

The minor is open to any major except Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Biological Science General Curriculum or with concentrations in Anatomy and Physiology or Molecular and Cellular Biology.

Biological Sciences students preparing for the minor must take CHEM 2242 and CHEM 3352 to fulfill the organic chemistry and biochemistry (if applicable) requirements of their major.

Students interested in more information should contact the Biotechnology Minor Coordinator in the Biological Sciences Department or the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department.

Program Learning Objectives

1. Explain fundamental concepts of biotechnology
2. Demonstrate proficiency in the appropriate lab techniques in biotechnology
3. Integrate chemistry and biology to answer questions in biotechnology

Minor Requirements and Curriculum

• At least half of the units must be from upper-division courses (3000-4000 level).
• At least half of the units must be taken at Cal Poly (in residence).
• No more than one-third of the units will be taken with credit-no credit grading (CR/NC), not counting courses with mandatory CR/NC. Departments may further limit CR/NC grading if desired.
• A minimum 2.0 GPA is required in all units counted for completion of the minor.