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BS Biotechnology/MS Biotechnology
PlusOne Program

The PlusOne Program allows students to accelerate their study by applying graduate credits taken as an undergraduate toward both an undergraduate and a graduate degree.

If you are a motivated and academically strong student interested in entering the biotechnology industry, you can begin earning a Master of Science in Biotechnology after completing 16 semester hours at Northeastern, while completing your Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology. This is achieved by allowing you to count up to 17 graduate credits toward both your graduate and undergraduate degree requirements.

There are several major reasons why this option might be right for you.

  • Professionals with graduate-level experience are likely to be more competitive upon entering the workforce.
  • The MS in Biotechnology combines advanced technical courses with a significant component of business courses preparing for work in the biotechnology industrial setting.
  • A PlusOne degree program can accelerate receipt of a graduate degree and reduce its cost, since in most cases, a PlusOne degree student can earn a graduate degree with only one additional year of study beyond the BS.


Eligibility and Admissions Requirements

If you are a biotechnology major with a minimum GPA of 3.0, we welcome your application to the PlusOne program. After completing 16 semester hours at Northeastern, you will be eligible to apply to the PlusOne program. Applications are due by August 1 for start in the fall term or December 1 for start in the spring term. At the completion of the PlusOne program, you will have had one co-op experience in the biotech industry.

Application Process

  1. Meet with your undergraduate advisor, David Cichocki ([email protected]), to determine if the PlusOne program is a good fit for you and design a plan of study.
  2. Apply. Applications will be submitted to the College of Science Graduate Admissions and Student Services Office. See instructions below.
  3. If accepted, PlusOne students will attend orientation at the start of the term they are accepted for and meet with the co-op coordinator the following month in order to plan the timing of the graduate co-op.

Application Instructions:

  • Submit an inquiry form to create your initial application profile. You will receive an email notification from the Slate application system to set up your account.
  • Follow the instructions in the email to set up your account and be directed to the PlusOne application.
  • Complete all required fields in the application.
  • Upload your unofficial Northeastern transcript from Banner.
    • If you have completed an Associate’s Degree prior to entering Northeastern University, upload the Associate Degree transcripts to the online application.
  • Upload a signed copy of your Program Plan from your Undergraduate Advisor, located in the Program Information section for you to download and complete.
    • Please note that the Program Plan is required for submission and may take up to two weeks to obtain a signature from your Undergraduate Advisor.

Application Deadlines

Fall semester: August 1
Spring semester: December 1

Curriculum

A degree audit using the code BS Biotechnology/MS Biotechnology with the current catalog year under “Explore Options” provides a list of course requirements and choices. Thirty-four graduate credits are required in the PlusOne program; a maximum of 17 can be taken as an undergraduate.

In essence, a fixed series of prescribed courses taken as an undergraduate (see below) replaces some of the required courses and science electives taken for the Bachelor of Science degree. While you are an undergraduate, up to 17 credits of graduate courses can count toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees. Once you complete the undergraduate degree, you become a full-time graduate student, enrolling in the same courses (17 credits) as other second-year graduate students in the MS program for a total of 34 graduate credits to earn the MS degree.

Required courses (total of 17 semester hours graduate credits) to complete as an undergraduate:

  • BIOT 5120 Foundations in Biotechnology, in place of BTC 1300 Intro to Biotechnology (3 SH)
  • BIOT 5631 Cell Culture Processes for Biopharmaceutical Production, in place of BTC 2700 Cell Culture
    Techniques or BTC 4450 Quality Control and Validation Issues (3 SH)
  • BIOT 5219 The Biotech Enterprise, in place of an elective (2 SH)
  • BIOT 5145 Basic Biotech Lab Skills or if enrolling in Enterprise concentration 1 credit elective such as BIOT5220 Patents in the Biotech Industry
  • BIOT5621 Protein Principles in Biotechnology, in place of BIO 3100 Biochemistry (3 SH)
  • BIOL 6299 Molecular Cell Biology for Biotechnology, in place of BIO 2300 Cell Biology (3 SH)
  • BIOT 6214 Experimental Design and Biostatistics, in place of an elective (2 SH)
  • INT 2000 Experiential Project Preparation (0 SH) or BIOT 6500 Professional Development for Co-op (0 SH)

If any of the above courses have been taken at a prior institute before transfer, students may take any of the approved elective courses to be counted toward both their BS and MS degrees. View elective options.

Note: Any financial aid a student may have received from the university while an undergraduate will not continue once the student obtains graduate status. PlusOne students are not eligible to receive the Double Husky Scholarship. Once you complete the BS in Biotechnology and are enrolled as a graduate student, the tuition rate is the College of Science credit rate.