Mar 28, 2024  
University Catalog 2016-2017 
    
University Catalog 2016-2017 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Master of Biotechnology (MBt)


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 (Program to be Suspended Fall 2017)

A joint Masters degree program between CSU Fullerton, CSU Los Angeles, CSU Dominguez Hills, and Cal Poly Pomona

The Program for Applied Biotechnology Studies (PABS) Master of Biotechnology (MBt) is a Professional Science Master’s degree program that prepares graduates for challenging and rewarding careers in the biomedical device, biocomputing and/or biopharmaceutical industries. The PABS-MBt has been recognized as a Professional Science Master’s program in all of its six concentration areas by the Council of Graduate Schools. 

The curriculum is offered through the Program in Applied Biotechnology Studies, a consortium of four member CSU campuses, Los Angeles, Fullerton, Pomona, and Dominguez Hills. This multi-campus model allows students to benefit from faculty expertise and educational resources at each of the member campuses. Departments involved at these campuses include chemistry and biochemistry, biological sciences, business, computer science, engineering, and mathematics. Each campus offers at least one core course as well as advanced courses in on or more of the concentration areas.

The two-year program provides thorough training not only in the major academic disciplines fundamental to the industry, but also in essential business, information literacy, communication, project management, cross-functional teamwork, and group leadership skills.  The curriculum for the degree includes a series of required core courses to be taken by all members of a class as a cohort, a summer internship in a biotechnology company, a second-year biotechnology project in a biotechnology company, and 3 elective courses in one of the six concentrations listed below.  

  • Molecular Biology/Biochemistry
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Regulatory Affairs
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Informatics/Biomathematics

The second-year project is a culminating experience within an industry setting.  It includes the completion of a team-based project, an individually written project report, and an individual presentation of the project findings.

Visit the Program for Applied Biotechnology Studies: Master of Biotechnology (PABS-MBt) web site (www.calstate.edu/pabs/) for more information.

Admission to the Program


Admission to the Master of Biotechnology program is determined by a committee comprised of faculty members from each of the member campuses.   Evaluation takes into account the applicant’s total academic record, industrial or work experience, and statement of purpose. Because of the rigorous nature of the PABS program, the applicant’s practical experience and career aspirations will be important factors in applicant selection.

To be admitted to the program, an applicant must be accepted first by the PABS MBt Program and then by the Admissions office of the home campus at which the student is to be placed (Los Angeles, Fullerton, Dominguez Hills, or Pomona).  

The prospective student must submit an initial application directly to the MBt program, as described fully at http://www.calstate.edu/pabs/applicants/. IMPORTANT: Students do not apply through CSU mentor until after they have been accepted into the program and subsequently assigned by the program office to apply to one of the four  participating campuses.

Applicants must meet the requirements for admission, which include an appropriate (see below) baccalaureate from an accredited institution and a grade-point average of at least 3.0 in the last 60 semester or 90 quarter units attempted.  (Note that the grade point average requirement for admission to the MBt program has been set higher than that required for general admission to Cal State Los Angeles for graduate study or for admission to the M.S. degree program in Biological Sciences at Cal State Los Angeles.  Students with academic deficiencies may be considered for conditional acceptance into the program. For conditionally accepted students, the specific conditions and a deadline for their completion are determined at the time of admission; continuation in the MBt program is contingent upon completion of the admission conditions by the specified deadline.

In addition to general university requirements for CSU admission, acceptance into the MBt program is contingent upon the following:

  1. a B.A. or B.S. from an accredited institution with a grade-point average of 3.0 in the last 60 semester or 90 quarter units of courses in a major in one of the following general areas: Biological Sciences, Engineering, Chemistry or Biochemistry, Business, Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Information Science, or Mathematics
  2. Submission to the program office of a completed application to the MBt program, which is available at the MBt program web site application page (http://www.calstate.edu/pabs/applicants/)
  3. Submission to the program office of all supporting documents for the program application, as described at (http://www.calstate.edu/pabs/applicants/)
  4. Upon an offer of admission into the program following review of materials in items 2 and 3 above, application to the assigned campus through CSU Mentor, including submission of any required documentation.

Requirements for the Degree (38 semester units/55 quarter units)

Students must complete the required core and selected elective courses in a given concentration as described below.  Students may elect to complete any one of the six concentrations.  While the PABS core courses require no prerequisite coursework, the concentration courses often have prerequisites.  Students must have completed prerequisites for any elective courses chosen for their concentration or must have obtained permission from the instructor to enroll. Permission from the instructor does not alter the standards for achievement within the class.  In the majority of cases, these prerequisites have been met by coursework taken as part of a student’s undergraduate major. There are no prerequisites for the concentration in Regulatory Affairs.  No undergraduate degrees in Regulatory Affairs are offered in the United States at this time.

Before being awarded the degree, the student must present his/her project work as a written project report (modified as necessary for proprietary reasons of the company at which the work was done) for submission to the university library. In addition, the student must present his/her work (modified for proprietary reasons as necessary) during a PABS symposium. 

PABS Master of Biotechnology (MBt) Curriculum

Note: Academic units are presented below as Semester Units/Quarter Units to accommodate campus differences in term length and number.

First Year


Semester 1 (9/15 Units)

The Survey of Biotechnology course series provides students with the competency to function effectively as contributing members of multidisciplinary teams. All first-semester survey courses are taught at CSU Fullerton.

• Management 573 (Commercialization of Technology) (3/5)
• Biology 570 (Survey of Biotechnology: Pharm/Tox) (3/5)

Biology 571 (Survey of Biotechnology: Informatics) (3/5)

Semester 2 (13/18)

Semester 2a/Winter Quarter - Courses are taught at CSU Los Angeles

• Biology 5180 (Biotechnology Skills Laboratory) (3/4)
• Management 5502 (Project Management for Biotechnology Professionals) (3/4)

Semester 2b/Spring Quarter - Courses are taught at Cal Poly Pomona

• Biology 576 (Regulatory Affairs) (2/3)
• Biology 564 and 564L (Skills Lecture and Laboratory; Stem Cells) (2/3)
• Concentration Course 1 is also taken during Semester 2. (~3/4) Concentration course locations and course numbers vary. Concentration courses are chosen from one of the six areas named above. The concentration requires a minimum of 3 courses from a list of recommended courses, and a minimum total of 9 semester or 11 quarter units. All concentration courses must be selected with advisor approval.

*Cal Poly Pomona is on a quarter system, and Fullerton and Los Angeles are on a semester system.

Summer (4/6)

• Biology 5XX - course number varies with home campus. (1/2) (Summer Internship) Carried out at a leading biotechnology/biomedical device company in the Southern California region. Internships are ~12 weeks long. Although named “Biology 580,” the internship content may comprise experience from any of the concentrations.
• Quality Assurance Studies 511(Quality Function Management and TQM) (3/4) A required course offered online through College of Extended & International Education, Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Second Year


Semester 3 (6/8)

• Applied Masters Project (Course numbers vary with home campus) (3/4)
• Concentration Course 2 (Course numbers vary) (3/4)

Semester 4 (6/8)

• Applied Masters Project (Course numbers vary with home campus) (3/4)
• Concentration Course 3 (Course numbers vary) (3/4)

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