Bachelor of Science in Biology with Biotechnology Option

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Turn Your Curiosity Into a Career

Are you fascinated by the science of life and eager to make a difference in fields like human health, agriculture, food safety, environmental sustainability, and energy production? Follow your curiosity and earn a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a focus on Biotechnology to begin your journey toward a fulfilling career. 

Biotechnology is a dynamic, multidisciplinary field that impacts nearly every aspect of modern life by driving real, measurable change. The EWU Biotechnology Option gives you a strong foundation in molecular biotechnology, combining core courses in chemistry, genetics, and cellular and molecular biology. You can also explore your interests with various electives, including embryology, hematology, immunology, medical bacteriology, and virology. 

A key highlight of the Biotech Option is the year-long biotechnology course series. You’ll have the opportunity to design and conduct original research, developing essential skills in molecular biotechniques, troubleshooting, methods optimization, and teamwork. 

You’ll complete your degree well-prepared to enter any profession in the life sciences field or to continue your studies in graduate school. 

Questions? Please reach out to Dr. Luis Matos at lmatos@ewu.edu.

Curriculum & Requirements

Academic Plan

What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

Biology Major with Biotechnology Option, Bachelor of Science (BS)

Graduation Requirements: complete the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Major Field Test for Biology.

Grade Requirements: a cumulative GPA ≥2.0 for all courses in student’s curriculum in Biology.

Required Biology Courses
BIOL 171BIOLOGY I5
BIOL 172BIOLOGY II5
BIOL 173BIOLOGY III5
BIOL 270BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION3
BIOL 301MICROBIOLOGY5
BIOL 310FUNDAMENTALS OF GENETICS5
BIOL 436CELL BIOLOGY5
BIOL 438MOLECULAR BIOLOGY5
BIOL 484TOPICS IN MOLECULAR BIOTECHNOLOGY2
BIOL 485MOLECULAR BIOTECHNOLOGY5
BIOL 488MOLECULAR BIOTECHNOLOGY LABORATORY2
Choose from the following 10
BOTANY
VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY
EPIDEMIOLOGY
MEDICAL BACTERIOLOGY
IMMUNOLOGY
VIROLOGY
HEMATOLOGY
EMBRYOLOGY
INTERMEDIARY METABOLISM
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMMING
CALCULUS II
Required Supporting Courses
CHEM 171
& 171L
& CHEM 172
& CHEM 172L
& CHEM 173
& CHEM 173L		GENERAL CHEMISTRY I
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY II
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY III
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY III		15
CHEM 304
& 304L		QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
and QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS LAB		6
CHEM 351ORGANIC CHEMISTRY4
CHEM 352ORGANIC CHEMISTRY4
CHEM 372ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I3
CHEM 480BIOCHEMISTRY5
MATH 161CALCULUS I5
MATH 380ELEMENTARY PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS5
or BIOL 380 DATA ANALYSIS FOR BIOLOGISTS
PHYS 131INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS I4
or PHYS 151 GENERAL PHYSICS I
PHYS 132INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS II4
or PHYS 152 GENERAL PHYSICS II
PHYS 133INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS III4
or PHYS 153 GENERAL PHYSICS III
PHYS 161MECHANICS LABORATORY1
PHYS 162HEAT AND OPTICS LABORATORY1
PHYS 163ELECTRONICS LABORATORY I1
Required Senior Capstone
BIOL 490ABIOTECHNOLOGY CAPSTONE5
Total Credits124

The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.

Courses may be offered in different terms and not all courses are offered every term, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. There may be some courses that have required prerequisites not listed in the plan, review the course descriptions for information. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.

First Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
BIOL 1715BIOL 1725BIOL 1735
CHEM 171
& 171L (Natural Science BACR 1)		5CHEM 172
& 172L (Natural Science BACR 2)		5BIOL 2703
ENGL 1015ENGL 2015CHEM 173
& 173L		5
 15 15 13
Second Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
BIOL 3105CHEM 304
& 304L		6BIOL 3015
MATH 1615PHYS 132
& PHYS 162		5PHYS 133
& PHYS 163		5
PHYS 131
& PHYS 161		5Global Studies - graduation requirement15Humanities & Arts BACR 115
 15 16 15
Third Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
BIOL 4365BIOL 4385CHEM 4805
CHEM 3514CHEM 3524Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5
MATH 380 or BIOL 3805CHEM 3723Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective4
 Social Science BACR 115 
 14 17 14
Fourth Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
BIOL 4842BIOL 4855BIOL 490A (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement)5
Biology Elective25BIOL 4882Biology Elective25
Humanities & Arts BACR 215Diversity - graduation requirement15Social Science BACR 215
Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective4Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective3 
 16 15 15
Total Credits 180
1

University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate.  Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

2

Biology Elective–choose 10 credits from the approved list.

Student Story

Alumna Tiana Joy reflects on how her experience at EWU shaped her journey to graduate school. She tackled challenging coursework in biology and chemistry while taking advantage of the state-of-the-art facilities on and off campus.

Engaging in student clubs, hands-on research projects, and receiving personalized guidance from dedicated professors not only enhanced her skills but also prepared her for success as she advanced in her academic career.

Why Study Biology at EWU?

Research Opportunities

Research Opportunities

Lead independent research projects and present your findings at scientific conferences.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

State-of-the-Art Facilities

Access modern labs and equipment that prepare you for real-world challenges.

Career Connections

Career Connections

Network with industry leaders and alumni thriving in diverse biological sciences fields.

Applied Learning

Applied Learning

Engage in fieldwork, internships, and research projects that bring biology to life.

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Expert Faculty

Expert Faculty

Learn from experienced professors passionate about teaching and research.

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Where Our Graduates Work

  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • Providence Health & Services
  • Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
  • Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
  • Leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies
"Whether you’re interested in fisheries, looking at plants, soils, or mammalian life evolution, there’s a professor here doing research that would be within your interests." — Rachel Pentico '21
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