Bioscience
Go straight from the classroom to a career with this one-of-a-kind program that offers full-ride sponsorships and guaranteed jobs in biomanufacturing to students who pursue an Aldevron-sponsored degree or diploma option.
Biotechnology is the fastest-growing industry in the world, and workers who possess the skills and expertise needed to succeed in this cutting-edge field are in high demand.
The M State Bioscience program was created specifically with that in mind.
Designed in partnership with Fargo-based biomanufacturing company Aldevron, the program prepares students for rewarding and progressive careers in lab-like settings, teaching them the techniques and practices commonly used in biotechnology and biomanufacturing. Aldevron is a leader in the production of plasmid DNA, mRNA and proteins that contribute to groundbreaki
ng scientific work.
Graduates of this program who go on to work at Aldevron or other biotechnology companies enjoy careers as biomanufacturing operators, technical experts, scientists, project managers, researchers, developers and more.
Multiple degree and diploma options – including some fully sponsored by Aldevron and some not sponsored – are available within this program, including a one-year Bioscience Diploma and two-year Associate of Science Degree in Biology. The two-year degree is part of M State's Biology Transfer Pathway program, which makes it possible for students who obtain this degree to seamlessly transfer to a four-year university to pursue a bachelor's degree in biology.
What you’ll learn
Students in the Bioscience program learn everything from genetics to chemistry to college writing, taking classes at M State’s Fergus Falls or Moorhead campuses and completing an internship at Aldevron or another company within the industry.
Fast-paced, rigorous and hands-on, the program focuses on the foundations of the sciences – biology, chemistry, microbiology and genetics. Communication skills, critical thinking, and practiced knowledge of current technologies are core elements of the curriculum.
Required courses include General Chemistry, College Algebra, General Biology, General Microbiology, Genetics, Introduction to Biotechnology and others.
Sponsorships
The Bioscience program’s sponsored degree and diploma options are sponsored by Aldevron. These options offer full-ride sponsorships as well as potential part-time employment at Aldevron during the school year and guaranteed full-time employment at Aldevron after graduation.
Sponsorships are available to enrolled students who commit to working in biomanufacturing at Aldevron for 2 to 3 years after graduation, depending on the degree or diploma program, and who maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average and provide their grades to Aldevron every semester.
- Sponsored diploma and degree options
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- Bioscience Diploma: Students in the one-year Bioscience sponsored diploma program receive a full-ride sponsorship for tuition, fees, books and supplies for the year. They may work part-time for Aldevron during the school year and then must work for the company for two years after graduation. They begin their careers at Aldevron as first-level Biomanufacturing Operators.
- Associate of Science Degree in Biology: Sponsored students who complete the diploma program may continue at M State for another year to obtain a sponsored Associate of Science Degree in Biology. These students receive a full-ride sponsorship and may gain part-time employment at Aldevron during the school year. They complete a summer internship in-between academic years and must work at Aldevron for two years after graduation, starting as third-level GMP-S Biomanufacturers. This two-year degree is part of M State's Biology Transfer Pathway program, which makes it possible for students who obtain the degree to seamlessly transfer to any one of the following four-year universities to pursue a non-sponsored bachelor's degree in biology: Minnesota State University Moorhead, Bemidji State University, Metropolitan State University, Minnesota State University Mankato, Southwest Minnesota State University, St. Cloud State University, Winona State University and Arizona State University.
- Diploma and degree options, not sponsored
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The program’s degree and diploma options – Bioscience Diploma, Associate of Science Degree in Biology, Biology Transfer Pathway – are the same whether sponsored or not. Sponsorships are optional.
Students who enroll in the Bioscience program and are not eligible for or do not seek sponsorship are not required to commit to working at Aldevron, and do not need to meet other eligibility requirements of the sponsored options. These students are also not required to complete the internship component of the program at Aldevron, and may instead intern at another company of their choosing within the industry.
Non-sponsored students who complete their two-year associate degrees as part of the Biology Transfer Pathway program may seamlessly transfer to any of the same four-year universities as sponsored students to pursue a related bachelor's degree.
Students who are not sponsored are not guaranteed employment with Aldevron after graduation and may seek employment anywhere they choose.
