Upon completion of the requirements of Indiana University’s B.A. degree in biotechnology—you will be able to understand and apply basic science, perform technical skills, learn written and oral communication skills, develop critical thinking, understand societal and environmental impact of life sciences, and realize practical perspectives of biotechnology in the private sector and government.
Biotechnology B.A. program goals and student learning outcomes
- Basic science understanding and application
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of concepts in molecular biology, biochemistry, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell biology
- Understand and apply approaches and methods in biotechnology
- Connect methodology with applied life science research to address new problems
- Competency in technical skills
- Conduct precise and accurate bench work
- Record, organize, and analyze data using modern approaches
- Communication and teamwork
- Develop well-written SOPs, protocols, reports, grant proposals, and communications for scientists and general audiences
- Communicate and contextualize biotechnology concepts and research in written and oral form for business applications
- Communicate with the general public and with experts in science and/or business
- Develop teamwork skills to solve problems
- Critical thinking
- Explain principles of experimental design and the use of controls
- Evaluate credibility and reproducibility of data, and whether conclusions are supported
- Understand how and when technologies may be applied to specific problems
- Critically read and analyze scientific literature as well as web postings and press accounts in biotechnology fields
- Societal and environmental impact
- Judge the impact of life science discoveries on individuals, society, and environment
- Characterize long-term consequences of discoveries in biotechnology
- Evaluate ethical issues in science and research
- Practical perspectives of biotech in the private sector and government
- Explain the breadth and structure of the biotechnology industry
- Formulate plans for how safety and efficacy of products can be evaluated
- Critically evaluate the regulation of biotechnology products and industry and the impact of regulation on biotechnology industry
- Understand how the biotechnology industry is financed
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