This fall is the first semester the biotechnology department is offering a bachelor of arts degree in addition to the existing bachelor of science option in the hopes of preparing students for careers in the biotech industry outside of lab ?research.
Professor Cheng Kao, director of the biotechnology program, said the B.A. program will still be science-based but will emphasize writing, marketing, sales and ?communication.
“I think putting the focus on scientific communication opens a lot more job options,” he said.
Kao said biotechnology is a fast-growing, well-paying industry with new jobs relating to research, business and communications.
“We want to allow the students to be on track to all these types of careers,” he said.
Kao said the biotechnology department was established in 2006 with the bachelor of science degree but only started gaining traction recently.
“The first seven years or so, it wasn’t really advertised,” he said.
Kao became the director of the program about two and a half years ago and said he is attempting to revamp the program’s offerings to match the demands of the biotech industry.
The biotechnology department also recently introduced a minor program available to all students on campus and an accelerated B.S./M.S. combined degree.
“The B.S./M.S. degree is a five-year program that was formed after we talked to people in the industry and asked what would help our students get better jobs,” Kao said.
Getting students jobs is important to the biotechnology department, Kao said.
“The biotechnology program places strong emphasis on students doing internships and participating in programs to help generate these opportunities,” he said.
Last week, the executive director of the Indiana Medical Device Manufacturers Council came to speak about jobs and challenges in the Indiana medical device industry, Kao said.
Kao expressed surprise that students don’t appear aware of Indiana’s vibrant biotechnology industry.
“The bioscience field in Indiana continued to gain jobs during the recession,” he said. “We’re very established in biotechnology, and it’s interesting that our students don’t seem to know that.”
Kao said approximately 70 students are pursuing the biotechnology B.S. degree.
Four additional students declared the B.A. degree this fall, she said.
No students are currently pursuing the minor or combined B.S./M.S. program.
Kao said he believes the programs will become more popular as students hear about them.
The B.A. program will also attract students who may not have considered biotechnology as a potential major, she said.
“There’s quite a bit of excitement about having a B.A. because I don’t think all the students intend on just doing experiments,” he said.
One of these students is senior Jessica Sipes, who began working toward the B.A. this fall.
“While I enjoy the lab aspect of biotech, I have always been more interested in the business side,” she said. “When the B.A. was approved, I knew it would give me the opportunity to pursue the business and sales aspects of biotechnology.”
Sipes was originally pursuing the biotechnology B.S. and said the switch will delay her graduation date by a semester to December 2015.
The novelty of the program also means that Sipes has no seniors to look to for ?guidance.
“There haven’t been any graduates, so I’m not sure how the job market will be for my degree after graduation,” she said. “It can be a bit ?difficult.”
Despite the challenges, Sipes said she loves the B.A. program so far.
“The new program really fits my interests perfectly,” she said. “They have tailored the program to have less lab courses, and that allows room for some business-type classes and a certificate in life sciences business.”
