From Lab to Life: Your Biotech Career Starts Here
San Jacinto College’s Biomanufacturing Technology program equips students with specialized, hands-on training in the biotechnology industry. Biotechnology is the use of living systems, cells, and biological processes to develop products that improve our health and quality of life. Biomanufacturing is where biotechnology meets large-scale production to create medicines, vaccines, chemicals, and other products.
The program offers advanced instruction in core areas such as upstream and downstream processing, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance. Designed for individuals seeking to enhance their foundational knowledge, this pathway prepares candidates for immediate entry into the workforce or career advancement in the fast-growing biomanufacturing sector.
Career Opportunities and Income
Visit sanjac.edu for information regarding career opportunities and potential earnings in the Greater Houston region.
Learning & Career Pathway
This learning pathway — a series of related and “stacked” certificates and degrees — includes the following awards. You can start at any point on the path and earn certificates on your way to completing the degree.
- Biomanufacturing Technology, Occupational Certificate (6 months)
- Biomanufacturing Technology, Level II Certificate (1.5 years)
- Biomanufacturing Technology, Associate of Applied Science Degree (2 years)
The Advanced Technical Certificate (ATC) in Biomanufacturing is designed for students who already hold an associate's or bachelor's degree. Providing focused, specialized training to build advanced skills for industry needs, the ATC offers a faster path to career entry or advancement in this field. If you have a prior degree and want to gain expertise in biomanufacturing, this certificate is an efficient way to upskill.
Learning Outcomes and Career Skills
A student completing the last award in the pathway will be able to:
- Follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
- Record results following Good Document Practices (GDP).
- Conduct all processes under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards.
- Exhibit clean and safe work practices and procedures.
- Observe and interpret work conditions and report unsafe conditions.
- Prepare, maintain and troubleshoot biomanufacturing process equipment.
- Prepare materials and properly store media, buffers, solutions, and reagent batches.
- Perform cell culture and fermentation.
- Prepare, initiate (inoculation), and monitor (media addition) cell culture.
- Perform scale-up operations.
- Execute sampling and assessment of product for release.
- Perform testing and data analysis.
- Perform microbiology and chemical testing.
- Apply physics and chemistry involved in common manufacturing processes.
- Demonstrate ability to perform basic upstream and downstream testing.
- Interpret and report aberrant parameters and results.
- Perform product purification.
- Perform filtration and purification of released product.
- Apply quality control and quality assurance methods.
- Exhibit quality communication and collaboration skills.
External Learning Experiences
This program includes external learning experiences outside of the classroom, e.g., an internship, externship, clinical, practicum, or cooperative learning experience. Those experiences are typically on-site at a business or organization.
All students participating in external learning experiences are required to comply with the immunization requirements and policies of the external learning sites. Some learning sites outside the college have their own vaccination requirements. These rules come from those facilities and are not mandated by the college. Failure to meet those immunization requirements may limit a student’s ability to complete the program and/or may delay the student’s graduation date. San Jacinto College does not process exemptions, and students should address potential vaccination exemptions directly with the external learning site.
Locations
College Admission
San Jacinto College is an open admission institution. All students are welcome to apply and will be admitted to the College. You may begin the process on the College’s “How to Apply” webpage.
Program Admission
In addition to being admitted to the College, students must also be admitted to the Biomanufacturing Technology program, which has additional requirements and/or steps. Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the program.
plan of study
3BIO-MFG
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Term | Credits | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| College Algebra | ||
| Plane Trigonometry | ||
| Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences | ||
| Calculus for Business and Social Sciences | ||
| Elementary Statistical Methods (Statistics) | ||
| Mathematics for Teachers I (Fundamentals of Mathematics I) | ||
| BITC 1411 | Introduction to Biotechnology | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Biology for Science Majors I (lecture) and Biology for Science Majors I (lab) | ||
| Anatomy and Physiology I (Lecture) and Anatomy and Physiology I (Lab) | ||
| BITC 1191 | Special Topics in Biological Technology/Technician | 1 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Second Term | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Introductory Chemistry I (lecture) and Introductory Chemistry I (lab) | ||
| General Chemistry I (lecture) and General Chemistry I (lab) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Microbiology for Health Science Majors (lecture) and Microbiology for Health Science Majors (lab) | ||
| Microbiology for Science Majors (lecture) and Microbiology for Science Majors (lab) | ||
| BITC 1340 | Quality Assurance for the Biosciences | 3 |
| BITC 1402 | Biotechnology Laboratory Methods and Techniques | 4 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Summer Year One Term | ||
| ENGL 1301 | Composition I | 3 |
| BCIS 1305 | Business Computer Applications | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Term | ||
| BITC 2411 | Biotechnology Laboratory Instrumentation | 4 |
| BITC 2277 | Product Development to Commercialization | 2 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Second Term | ||
| BITC 2431 | Cell Culture Techniques | 4 |
| BITC 2445 | Medical Biotechnology | 4 |
| BITC 2475 | Upstream and Downstream Manufacturing of Biologics | 4 |
| BITC 2386 or BITC 2387 | Internship - Biotechnology Laboratory Technician Capstone or Internship - Biotechnology Laboratory Technician Experience | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
Capstone Experience: BITC 2386 Internship - Biotechnology Laboratory Technician Capstone or BITC 2387 Internship - Biotechnology Laboratory Technician Experience.