Biotechnology Program Details
Questions? Contact Us!
Julie González
Program Chair
jegonzalez2@dmacc.edu
515-964-6379
Need Help Getting Started?
DMACC
Admissions Office
admissions@dmacc.edu
515-965-7337
What is Biotechnology?
Biotechnology includes the biosciences uses technology and engineering based on biology, to harness cellular and molecular processes to develop and produce technologies and products that help improve our lives and the health of the planet.
Biotechnology applications strive to …
HEAL the world by improving human and animal health.
FUEL the world by producing sustainable fuels.
FEED the world using environmentally sustainable methods.
The main subfields of Biotechnology are:
- Medical: Vaccines, Antibodies, Therapeutic proteins, Antibiotics, Stem cells, Gene therapy
- Food: Fermentation products, Plant based meat substitutes, Yeasts, Wine, Beer & Champagne
- Biomanufacturing: Enzymes, Biofuels, Bioplastics, Biopolymers & value-added chemicals from waste biomass
- Environmental: Pollution detection, management, Phytoremediation & Waste breakdown
- Aquaculture: Aquaculture, Molecule discovery for human health & medicine
- Agricultural: Work with food crops to ensure a food supply for the global human population including more nutritious, drought, frost and salt tolerant crops
Program Entry Requirements
To enter the Biotechnology Program, you must:
- fill out an application,
- satisfy the assessment requirement, and
- attend any required information/registration sessions necessary to be admitted to DMACC.
You should also have completed one year of high school biology and chemistry or the DMACC equivalents, two years of high school algebra or the DMACC equivalents, and demonstrated satisfactory writing skills.
Graduation Requirements
To graduate with a Liberal Arts Associate in Science Degree with Biotechnology Laboratory Methods Certificate, you must complete the required curriculum with a 2.0 GPA.
The Biotechnology Program includes three degree options:
Associate of Science - Biotechnology Concentration
Students completing this degree pathway are awarded both a transferable Associate of Science Degree and the Biotechnology Laboratory Methods Certificate providing employable, hands-on skills. This is the best combination if you want to:
- Transfer directly into a wide range of 4-year degree biological science majors, or
- Start a career in the biological sciences now with the option to easily continue their education in the future.
Biotechnology Laboratory Methods Certificate
The Biotechnology Laboratory Methods Certificate alongside the Liberal Arts AS Degree, will provide you with the latest information and skills needed to function more effectively in your job or to update your skills for employment possibilities. It will provide you and an employer with evidence of your continued education in a specific education in a specific occupational area.
The Biotechnology Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Degree has concentrations if you plan to start a specific type of biotech career immediately after graduation.
AAS Degree Options
There are two course progressions for this program.
- Biotechnology AS with Lab Methods Certificate
OR - Biology Transfer AS with Biotech Lab Methods Certificate Electives
Biotechnology AS with Lab Methods Certificate
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | 13 | |
| SDV108 | The College Experience | 1 |
| ENG105 | Composition I | 3 |
| Option 1 - Select one course | 3 | |
| *ENV115 | Environmental Science | Opt 1 |
| BIO138 | Field Ecology | Opt 1 |
| MAT130 | Trigonometry | Opt 1 |
| AA/AS Core Humanities | 3 | |
| AA/AS Core Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| Term 2 | 14 | |
| ENG106 | Composition II | 3 |
| BIO112 | General Biology I | 3 |
| CHM165 | General/Inorg Chemistry I | 4 |
| AA/AS Core Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| Term 3 Summer | 7 | |
| **MAT 156 | Statistics | 3 |
| **BIO186 | Microbiology | 4 |
| Term 4 | 14 | |
| BIO146 | Genetics | 3 |
| BIO113 | General Biology II | 4 |
| CHM175 | General/Inorg Chemistry II | 4 |
| Option 2 - Select one course | 3 | |
| *SPC101 | Fundamentals of Oral Comm. | Opt 2 |
| SPC122 | Interpersonal & Small Group Comm. | Opt 2 |
| Term 5 | 16 | |
| **BIO250 | Cell & Molecular Biology-Nucleic Acids | 5 |
| **BIO251 | Cell and Molecular Biology-Proteins | 5 |
| BIO249 | Biotechnology Internship | 3 |
| A S Distributed Credits | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 64 | |
*Options with the best transferability.
**Courses required, in addition to course prerequisites, to complete Biotechnology
Certificate. Contact Biotech Program Chair for details.
Biology Transfer AS with Biotech Lab Methods Certificate Electives
If you wish to complete the Liberal Arts Associate in Science (AS) transfer degree, complete the following.
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | 15 | |
| SDV108 | The College Experience | 1 |
| ENG105 | Composition I | 3 |
| **MAT156 | Statistics | 3 |
| BIO112 | General Biology I | 4 |
| CHM165 | General/Inorg Chemistry I | 4 |
| Term 2 | 17 | |
| ENG106 | Composition II | 3 |
| BIO113 | General Biology II | 4 |
| CHM175 | General/Inorg Chemistry II | 4 |
| AS Core Humanities | 3 | |
| AS Core Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| Term 3 | 15 | |
| BIO146 | Genetics | 3 |
| **BIO186 | Microbiology | 4 |
| MAT211 | Calculus I | 5 |
| Option 1 - Select one course | 3 | |
| *SPC101 | Fundamentals of Oral Comm. | Opt 1 |
| SPC122 | Interpersonal & Small Group Comm. | Opt 1 |
| Term 4 | 17 | |
| **BIO250 | Cell & Molecular Biology-Nucleic Acids | 5 |
| **BIO251 | Cell and Molecular Biology-Proteins | 5 |
| AS Core Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| A S Distributed Credits | 4 | |
| Total Credits | 64 | |
*Options with the best transferability.
**Courses required, in addition to course prerequisites, to complete Biotechnology
Certificate. Contact Biotech Program Chair for details.
Start at DMACC, and transfer to earn your Bachelor’s degree.
Following a 2+2 transfer plan ensures that all course credits earned at DMACC seamlessly transfer to the partner university to complete the remaining two years of the specified bachelor’s degree.
Details on DMACC 2+2 transfer options with these schools:
Building Connections to Meet Biotechnology Industry Demands through Technical Education
The DMACC Biotechnology program is a recipient of a National Science Foundation Advanced Technical Education award, NSF-DUE #2300876, centered on expanding the biotechnology workforce in Iowa and providing high-quality affordable educational opportunities for the future workforce. The project goal is to increase the overall number of students entering the biotechnology workforce pathway and to ensure that biotechnology educational experiences align with industry needs. Approximately 75 high school students are expected to participate in the Science Academy throughout the duration of this three-year project, and an anticipated 48 teachers will receive instruction, networking with industry partners, and biotechnology activity materials during the Summer Workshop, to replicate these experiences for students at their schools. As a result of outreach and education provided through these grant activities, 85 students are expected to complete DMACC’s AS/Biotechnology Laboratory Methods Certificate combination degree. In order to ensure that the Biotechnology program remains astride with evolving industry, project faculty will receive training in cutting edge techniques and equipment, as directed by the advisory Business and Industry Leadership Team. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy.