A Critique of the Proposed National Education Policy Reform
Biotechnology at Montgomery College, Maryland
1. Overview of the Biotechnology Program at Montgomery College Dr. Collins Jones Biotechnology Coordinator Biotechnology Program Montgomery College Collins.jones@montgomerycollege.edu
2. Goals of the Biotech Program To prepare students for immediate entry into the biotech workforce AAS for students with no college degree Certificate for students with a college degree (BS or MS) To prepare students to complete a BS or MS degree after completing the AAS degree or Biotech certificate Articulation agreements with local 4-year institutions
3. Who are our students? Most of our students already have a 4-year degree or an M.S. degree in a Life Science A significant number (~30%) of our students are already employed in the Biotech Industry
4. Core Biotech Curriculum BT 101 Introduction to Biotechnology BT 115 Instrumentation for Biotechnology BT 117 Cell Culture and Cell Function BT 200 Protein Biotechnology BT 204 Immunology and Immunological Methods BT 213 Nucleic Acid Methods BT 235 Principles of Biomanufacturing BT 221 Practicum / Internship (not required) Our curricula is continuously reviewed and validated by members of the local biotech industry
5. Other Required Science Courses Chemistry General (one or two semesters) Organic (minimum one semester required) Biology Introduction to Biology Genetics Microbiology
6. Core Values Taught in Every Biotechnology Class Lab Techniques / Skills Documentation (GLP andcGMP) Communication Behavior (the “American Express” skill set) Our focus is on the applied aspects of science – our labs are very hands on and we emphasize how scientific knowledge and theory relates to practical issues in the real world
7. Are we successful? Over 250 students placed at full time jobs Most AAS students continue to complete a 4-year degree and many certificate students enter a Masters Degree program
8. Is the Biotech Program Successful? Tom Watkins, President and CEO of HGS : Human Genome Sciences in Rockville, MD has some 900 employees and plans to add up to 100 employees across the nation. Montgomery College has been a good source to find qualified employees, said Tom Watkins. "They have a really good biotechnology program. They turn out to be terrific employees." - Gazette Newspaper 29 Jan 2010
9. Thank You – Questions? Dr. Collins Jones 240-567-1910 Collins.jones@montgomerycollege.edu
