Biotechnology Program Overview
The Graduate School offers two Biotechnology tracks: : (1) a one-year, non-thesis option which provides a strong foundation of knowledge about core concepts with limited research in a laboratory setting; and (2) a 21-month, research track requiring two semesters of primarily didactic coursework and 12 months of full-time laboratory research. For those with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, we offer an exciting opportunity with our dual MS/MBA program, administered in cooperation with TTU.
Students in the one-year program complete 30 semester credit hours during the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Didactic coursework includes core courses taken by all students enrolled in the Biotechnology program. One-year students also complete 6 semester credit hours of unpaid research in a TTUHSC research laboratory or an internship during the summer following completion of didactic coursework
For students in the 21-month program, we are proud to offer a competitive salary and tuition, included until graduation for those who choose a TTUHSC lab. Students can also choose internships in industry or at the TTUS Office of Research Commercialization. A wide variety of funded research opportunities are available in our friendly and collaborative environment. In Abilene, faculty members in the Department of Immunotherapeutics and Biotechnology are well-funded researchers who study cancer biology, cancer immunology and immunotherapy, nanoparticle drug delivery, tumor micro-environments, and drug screening. Biotechnology faculty members on the Lubbock campus represent faculty in the basic sciences and clinical departments. As such, they represent a variety of research interests, such as addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer biology and therapeutic developments, diabetes, membrane protein physiology and biophysics, neurobiology and pain research, virology and parasitology, and much more.
What is Biotechnology?
Entrepreneurial science is the trend in both academia and within industry settings, proving the growing demand for biotechnologists. Our program prepares our students for a wealth of professional and academic options, including joining a biotech company, securing an academic or industry technical research position, working at a government agency, taking the patent bar exam, or matriculatinginto a Ph.D. with an advantage. By choosing biotechnology as a career, students move forward to achieve positions in research and management within the industry, as well as many other exciting and diverse professions.
Information on our Biotechnology Program
If you're interested in biotechnology as applied to the field of human medicine, our Biotechnology Programmay be just what you're looking for. The M.S. in Biotechnology is a 21 month curriculum that includes two semesters of coursework and a year of full time research in a Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center lab or an internship with an industry lab.
There is no shortcut to a quality education; our faculty are active investigators conducting internationally recognized research in their respective fields. Consequently, graduates of our program move on to the next phases in their careers with the confidence that can only come from the experience of working full time in a state-of-the-art biomedical research laboratory.
Year 1, Fall
GSBS 5000 Interprofessional Experience
GSBS 5471 Core I: Molecules
GSBS 5372 Core II: Cells
GSBS 5373 Core III: Genes
GSBS 5174 Core IV: Biomedical Seminar
GBTC 5020 Laboratory Methods
Total Credit Hours: 13
Year 1, Spring
GBTC 6101 Biotechnology Seminar
GBTC 6301 Introduction to Biotechnology
GBTC 6202 Biomedical Informatics
GBTC 5337 Techniques in Biotechnology
GSBS 5101 Responsible Conduct of Research
*Elective* Mandatory 3 hour elective
Total Credit Hours: 13
Starting in the summer session, students have the option of working in a TTUHSC lab or securing an internship position with a biotechnology-based company. The two coursework options are below:
- Second Year - Lab Option
- Second Year - Industry Option
Year 1, Summer
GBTC 7000 Research
Total Credit Hours: 6
Year 2, Fall
GBTC 7000 Research
GBTC 5199 Biotechnology Lab Report
Elective
Total Credit Hours: 10-13
Year 2, Spring
GBTC 7000 Research
GBTC 5299 Biotechnology Final Report
Elective
Total Credit Hours: 11-14
Year 1, Summer
GBTC 6001 Biotechnology Internship
Total Credit Hours: 6
Year 2, Fall
GBTC 6001 Biotechnology Internship
GBTC 5298 Biotechnology Internship Report
Total Credit Hours: 11
Year 2, Spring
GBTC 6001 Biotechnology Internship
GBTC 5299 Biotechnology Final Report
Elective
Total Credit Hours: 11-14
Electives
GBTC 5210 The Microbiome
GBTC 5212 Fundamentals of Bacteriology
GBTC 5213 Fundamentals of Virology & Parasitology
GBTC 5214 Fundamentals of Immunology
GBTC 5340 The Biology of Cancer
Estimates below are dependent on electives and are for the total length of the program (not per semester):
- One-Year Track:
- Texas residents: $8,500
- Non-Residents: $22,000
- 21-Month Track:
- Faculty Lab Option: $11,000 (employed as Research Assistant for the last year of the program at a salary of $25,000/year.)
- Industry Internship Option: $13,200 (salary determined by employer).
Disclaimer: The above amounts are only estimates and based on tuition and fees currently approved. TTUHSC reserves the right to modify tuition and fees without prior notice, upon approval by the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents. In addition, tuition and fees are subject to change at any time for correction of errors.
Current tuition costs can be seen at the links below or by contacting Student Business Services from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST at (806) 743-7867 for detailed fee information, including out-of-state tuition.
TTUHSC Student Business Services Main Page
TTUHSC Student Business Services Tuition Estimator
View the Current Program Guidelines
View theBiotechnology Brochure
Let us make TTUHSC your academic home for the next step in your career.
Susan Bergeson, Ph.D.
Program Director Biotechnology
Biotechnology Research Assistantship/Internship
Starting June 1st of a Biotechnology student'sthird semesteris a paid research position. Students choose to pursue either a research assistantship in a TTUHSC faculty member's lab or an external internship. These paid positions continue until the time of a student's graduation the following Spring semester.
Admission Requirements
Requirements for admission are flexible and there are no minimum GPA or test score requirements. All applications are reviewed in a holistic manner, with no single factor determining a student's admission.
- Admission requirements are an earned B.S. or B.A. degree in a natural science discipline, including at least one semester each of Organic Chemistry, Biology, and Biochemistry, and a desire to excel in a graduate program with high standards and expectations.
- Average GPA of students offered admission is 3.37.
- Average GRE of students offered admission is over 306.
Application Information
Deadlines
| Semester | Application Open | Application Deadline | Campus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | September 1 | June 1 | Abilene, Lubbock |
How to Apply
Applications must be completed at BioRaider. It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure that their application is submitted by the application deadline to be considered for admission. Only complete applications can be reviewed for admission. The M.S. in Biotechnology admits on a rolling admissions basis for a limited number of slot per campus each admissions cycle.
A complete application is comprised of the following:
- A completely submitted application on BioRaider.com, which includes an Essay/Personal Statement
- At least 2 letters of reference written within the year of application
- GRE general test is optional for domestic applicants, and required for international applicants.
- A GRE taken within the past 5 years
- Paid Application Fee
- Official College Transcripts for all institutions attended
The program requires a valid GRE score within the last 5 years.GRE scores can be submitted using the ETS Institution Code 6851. (TTUHSC = 6851, do not use the TTU code.)
International applicants are also required to submit a valid TOEFL/IELTS score within the last 2 years.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
3601 4th St. MS 6206
Lubbock, TX 79430-6206
- We require official transcripts from all U.S. institutions attended, including those institutions for which you received transfer credit toward your undergraduate degree.
- Electronic official transcripts from U.S. institutions are preferred and should be sent to:graduate.school@ttuhsc.edu.
- Do NOT send international transcripts and/or mark sheets. We require a course-by-course transcript evaluation for all institutions attended outside of the USA.
- Hard copy official transcripts should be mailed to:
Click here to view in depth application instructions for BioRaider.com.
