Biotechnology

The Biotechnology program in the Division of Science is housed in the Department of Biology and leads to either a BS or MS degree in Biotechnology. These degree programs are designed to prepare students for careers in biotechnology, industry, or biomedical research.  Students receive a thorough course foundation coupled with a one-year required laboratory research experience.

For admissions questions, please contact the City College of New York Admissions Office. For degree inquiries you can email biology@ccny.cuny.edu , the undergraduate biotechnology advisors, Drs. Bao Vuong ( BVuong@ccny.cuny.edu ) or Chris Li ( CLi@ccny.cuny.edu ; on sabbatical 2025), or the MS biotechnology advisors Drs. Shireen Saleque ( SSaleque@ccny.cuny.edu ) or Chris Li ( CLi@ccny.cuny.edu ; on sabbatical 2025).

FOR UNDERGRADUATES

To declare the major, students must have completed BIO 10100, BIO 10200, BIO 20600, CHEM 10301, CHEM 10401, and MATH 20500 or the equivalents with a GPA of at least a 3.0 and an overall GPA of at least a 3.0.

Course Requirements

The program requires a total of at least 76-80 course credits.  At least 60% of these credits must be taken at City College.

Required core courses

BIOLOGY

BIO 10100 Biological Foundations I (4 cr)
BIO 10200 Biological Foundations II (4 cr)
BIO 20600 Introduction to Genetics (4 cr)
BIO 22900 Cell & Molecular Biology (4 cr)
BIO 48300 Laboratory in Biotechnology (5 cr)

CHEMISTRY

CHEM 10301 General Chemistry I (4 cr)
CHEM 10401 General Chemistry II (4 cr)
CHEM 26100 Organic Chemistry I (3 cr)
CHEM 26200 Organic Chemistry Lab I (2 cr)
CHEM 26300 Organic Chemistry II (3 cr)
CHEM 32002 Biochemistry I (3 cr)

MATHEMATICS

MATH 20500 Elements of Calculus (4 cr)
MATH 20900 Elements of Calculus & Statistics (4 cr)
OR
MATH 20100-21300 series (total 12 cr)

PHILOSOPHY

PHIL 34905 Bioethics

PHYSICS

PHYS 20300 General Physics I (4 cr)
PHYS 20400 General Physics II (4 cr)
OR
PHYS 20700/20800 series (8 cr)

RESEARCH COURSES

One year of laboratory bench research or computational research (6 cr) is required with a mentor in the Division of Science.  Students are allowed to work with mentors in other City College divisions (such as CSOM or Engineering) as well as at affiliated institutions (such as New York Botanical Gardens or Memorial Sloan Kettering) as long as there is a Division of Science co-mentor. Please note that for Honors, students must complete 9 cr of research, of which only 6 cr count towards the major.

BIO/CHEM/PHYS 30100-30300 Honor Research (3 cr)
BIO/CHEM/PHYS 31000 Independent Study (3 cr)

BIOTECH ELECTIVE CREDITS (11 cr)

FOR MS STUDENTS

Entering students should have an undergraduate major in biological sciences (such as biology, botany, zoology, and molecular biology), chemistry, or physics with a GPA of at least 3.0.  Chemistry or physics majors must have at least one year of appropriate biological sciences prior to admission.  All applicants should have one year of college physics, one semester of organic chemistry, and one year of calculus and/or statistics.  Students who have not majored in the sciences should have taken the foundational courses as indicated in the sciences and mathematics.  While GREs are not required, they are highly recommended for foreign students.  Foreign students must have TOEFL scores with a minimum of 75% on the exam.

Students can apply online at: https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/admissions/graduate-studies.

Course Requirements

The program requires a total of at least 36 course credits.  

Required core courses

BIO V0005 Genetics (4 cr)
BIO V1401 Cell Biology (4 cr)
BIO C0300 Molecular Biology (4 cr)
BIO A8300 Laboratory in Biotechnology (5 cr)
PHIL B9720 Biomedical Ethics or equivalent (3 cr)
BIO V9100 Colloquium or CHEM B9800 (must be taken twice for a total of 2 cr)

Required research courses

Original research culminating in a thesis is required.  The thesis research must be defended to a panel of at least three faculty members. Students are allowed to work with mentors in other City College divisions (such as CSOM or Engineering) as well as at affiliated institutions (such as New York Botanical Gardens or Memorial Sloan Kettering) as long as there is a Division of Science co-mentor. 

BIO/CHEM/PHYS B9901 Research (3 cr)
BIO/CHEM/PHYS B9902 Research (3 cr)

BIOTECH ELECTIVE CREDITS (8 cr)

4+1 BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM

This program is for advanced undergraduates who want to continue as MS students in his/her/their research laboratory.  Undergraduate students will be able to apply up to 9 credits of graduate coursework to both the Biotechnology BS and Biotechnology MS degree requirements.  Undergraduates are required to write an undergraduate research thesis, which will serve as the basis of the Master's research thesis.  MS students are required to defend their research thesis to a panel of three faculty members.

Admissions

Prospective students are expected to have a strong undergraduate background in the sciences, a desire to perform research, have earned 60 credits, and have at least a 3.3 GPA in core Biotechnology courses and at least an overall 3.0 GPA to be eligible.  Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation from Division of Science Faculty, one of which must be from the proposed research mentor, a written personal statement describing goals and interests in Biotechnology, and an application form.  These materials must be submitted to the undergraduate Biotechnology advisor.

Course requirements

Requirements from the undergraduate and MS degree programs must be satisfied.  Undegraduates in the 4+1 program are expected to maintain an overall average GPA of at least a 3.0. A student who falls below this GPA cutoff will be allowed to be on academic probation for one year.  If the student has not satisfied the GPA requirement after one year, he/she/they will be terminated from the 4+1 program.  All MS students are required to maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.0

Information about our Biotechnology Degrees are available as pdf files below.