The UMass BTP Program joins together faculty from five degree-granting programs – Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Polymer Science and Engineering, Veterinary and Animal Sciences, and Molecular and Cellular Biology – to train students in an interdisciplinary fashion that expands career opportunities and sharpens professional skills.
Students participating in the Biotechnology Training Program will complete a prescribed curriculum over two years and if they desire may obtain a graduate certificate in Cellular Engineering. Innovative features include:
- The BTP Core Course that is informed by and co-taught by industry experts;
- Laboratory Modules in biotechnology-relevant approaches and techniques modeled after professional industry workshops (this page will be updated with new modules that will be starting soon);
- Student-run Biotechnology Journal Club to break down discipline barriers in a non-threatening atmosphere;
- A newly designed course in Biostatistics and Statistical Computing to promote math fluency for all trainees;
- Collaboration with the STEM Diversity Institute to ensure a diverse student population;
- An annual Symposium on Biotechnology that offers a unique “Speed Dating” experience where students pitch their ideas and receive feedback from industry experts;
- Targeted partnering with the new UMass Graduate School Office of Professional Development to provide career exploration and planning for our students.
We have recruited numerous industrial partners to support a hallmark of our program, a formal internship in which all trainees will participate.