Bachelor's in Business of Biotechnology

Turn Science into Business Innovation

The biotechnology industry is booming—growing nearly 12% every year—and it needs innovative leaders who can connect groundbreaking science with smart business strategy. Clarkson University’s new Business of Biotechnology bachelor’s degree gives students exactly that advantage.

This interdisciplinary program blends bioscience, biotechnology and business coursework to prepare students for careers as administrators, project managers, executives, and entrepreneurs in the biotech sector. Graduates will leave Clarkson ready to drive innovation in start-ups, multinational corporations, and everything in between.

Unlike traditional biology or biochemistry programs that focus on laboratory research, the Business of Biotechnology major is designed for students who want to understand the science but lead on the business side—managing people, projects, organizations and investments in one of the fastest-growing industries worldwide.

Why Major in Business of Biotechnology at Clarkson?

Interdisciplinary Strength: Study both biotechnology and business fundamentals in a single integrated degree.
Industry Input: Curriculum shaped with insights from Clarkson alumni and professionals currently working in biotech.
Hands-On Experience: Gain professional experience through internships, co-ops or research with industry partners like Regeneron.
Career-Ready: Graduate prepared for roles in regulatory affairs, operations, project management, supply chain management, marketing, and more.

What You'll Learn

As a Business of Biotechnology major, you’ll:

Build a Foundation in Bioscience
Learn core biology, genetics, microbiology and biochemistry to understand the science behind biotech innovation.

Master Biotechnology Concepts
Explore courses in molecular biotechnology, bioinformatics, product development and regulatory affairs.

Gain Business Expertise
Develop skills in finance, marketing, organizational behavior, project management, operations and supply chain strategy.

Navigate Ethical & Legal Issues
Study the ethical, legal and regulatory frameworks shaping biotechnology development and commercialization.

Develop Leadership & Communication Skills
Lead diverse teams, manage projects and communicate effectively in technical and business settings.

Curriculum

Bioscience (15 credits)

Biology II - Cellular and Molecular Biology (3 credits)
Biology II Laboratory (2 credits)
Genetics (3 credits, STS)
Cell Biology (3 credits)
Biology Seminar (1 credit)
Microbiology or Medical Microbiology (3 credits)

Biotechnology Science (15 credits)

Introduction to Biotechnology & Applications (3 credits)
Business of Biotech Cohort Development (1 credit)
Bioinformatics (4 credits)
Molecular Biotechnology (3 credits)
Molecular Biology Laboratory (4 credits)

Professional Experience Course: Internship in Bioscience (0 credits), Professional Experience in Bioscience (0 credits) or Research in Bioscience (variable credit)

Biotechnology Ethics, Law, Regulations (6-9 credits)

Biotechnology Product Development and Regulatory Affairs (3 credits)
Law & Society I (3 credits)

Strongly recommended: One professional ethics course, e.g. Bioethics Across the Healthcare Industry, Medical Ethics, Business Ethics, The Law and Bioethics or other professional ethics course

Chemistry (11 credits)

General Chemistry (4 credits)
General Chemistry II (4 credits)
Biochemistry for Health Sciences (3 credits)

Mathematics (8-11 credits)

Intro to College Mathematics AND Basic Calculus (7 credits) OR Calculus (4 credits)
Biostatistics or Statistics (4 credits)

Business Core (27 credits)

Introduction to Financial and Managerial Accounting (3 credits)
Microeconomics (3 credits) + Macroeconomics (3 credits) OR Engineering Economics + Designing and Leading Innovative Ventures
Introduction to Business Intelligence and Data Analytics (3 credits)
Principles of Marketing (3 credits)
Financial Management (3 credits)
Operations and supply chain management (3 credits)
Management of Technology (3 credits)
Organizational Behavior I (3 credits)
Organizational Policy & Strategy (3 credits)

Business tracks (9 credits)

Project Management
Project Management (3 credits)
Quality Mgmt. & Lean Enterprise (3 credits)
Strategic Human Resource Management (3 credits) or Negotiations and Relationship Management (3 credits)

Supply Chain Management
Supply Chain Design and Management (3 credits)
Logistics Management (3 credits)
Strategic Sourcing (3 credits)

Data Analytics
Applied Data Analytics (3 credits)
Database Design & Management (3 credits)
Introduction to Econometrics (3 credits) or Design of Experiments & Analysis of Data (3 credits)

Marketing & Product Development
Consumer Behavior (3 credits)
Marketing Research (3 credits)
Creativity, Innovation, New Product Development (3 credits)

Generalist
Any three courses from the advising business tracks, or an alternative business course upon approval of the degree program director.

Strongly recommended: Professional Communication (3 credits)
Intro to Public Speaking (3 credits), Professional Communication (3 credits) or another COMM designated course

General Clarkson University undergraduate degree requirements: Clarkson University requires that students complete 120 credit hours of coursework with a 2.0 GPA.

All students must complete The Clarkson Seminar (UNIV 190), or equivalent. Students entering Clarkson as First Year students must also complete The First Year Seminar (FY 100). Students must select coursework and possibly extra-curricular activities that carry a total of at least six communications points. Students are also required to take at least five courses that have Knowledge Area designators, and the five courses must cover at least four of the six Knowledge Areas. Additionally, at least one of these five courses must be a University Course that has two Knowledge Area designators. Students must take at least one laboratory course, two science courses, two math courses and coursework in statistics, and be introduced to professional ethics in their field. Students must take one course with a technology designation, and complete a professional experience.

Professional Experience (0-3 credits): A BB student must have a professional experience of at least 120 hours of activity in an area related to the business of biotechnology. This includes a co-op, internship or job at a biotechnology or biomedical business, research involving biotechnology, or working as a teaching assistant in a course with business or biotechnology content. The professional experience can be completed as a co-op during an academic year semester or during the summer of any academic year. As a product, the student will write a paper explaining what they did and reflecting on what they learned from the experience, and have a memo submitted by their supervisor affirming that the student had adequately completed their professional experience. To transcript this, students will enroll in either Internship in Bioscience (0 credits), Professional Experience in Bioscience (0 credits), or Research in Bioscience (variable credit). Students will sign up for the section number of the BB Program Director (i.e. Langen, section 42), who will approve and verify that the activity meets the requirements of the professional experience. Note that this is not qualitatively different than the professional experience requirement for the Biology-BS degree.

Business of Biotechnology + Direct Entry Programs

Majoring in Business of Biotechnology is also the newest option for Clarkson’s Direct Entry initiative for healthcare careers. In this program, students complete four years of undergraduate study at Clarkson for a BS degree, then directly enter our master's or doctorate degree programs in their chosen healthcare field.

There is no second application (high school students apply for both the bachelor's and graduate degree programs at the same time), as long as all the requirements and academic criteria have been met. Direct Entry provides a guaranteed spot for first-year undergraduate students in our Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, MS in Occupational Therapy (MS-OT) program or MS in Physician Assistant Studies (MS-PA) program.

Learn more about our Direct Entry programs

Relevant Minors

Combine your Business of Biotechnology major with a variety of minors to create a truly personalized academic experience tailored to your career goals. Popular minors include:

Product Development and Marketing Minor

Explore the concepts and tools that go into designing and marketing new products. Sharpen your creativity, and develop a portfolio that showcases your work. Learn more about the product development and marketing minor.

Project Management Minor

Learn to manage people, resources and budgets to ensure that projects are completed on time, on budget and within performance specifications. Additionally prepare for Project Management Institute (PMI)™ certification and to sit for the American Society for Quality’s “Certified Quality Improvement Associate” exam. Explore the project management minor.

Medicine and Healthcare Minor

The best healthcare practitioners are more than technically proficient. They're also keenly aware of ethics, history and other perspectives on their profession. Get insights that will prepare you for what awaits in the field while gaining invaluable hands-on experience. Learn more about the medicine and healthcare minor.

Pre-Health Sciences Advising Tracks

If you're interested in pursuing a career in the health sciences or healthcare, we'll work with you to ensure you're going the right way. Each semester, faculty advisors will help you choose classes and activities that can make it easier to get into graduate programs. The departmental psychology curriculum is so flexible that it provides an ideal starting point for students who want to double major (e.g., degrees in psychology and healthcare, or psychology and biology) within their regular course load.

This program opens doors for students who want to understand the science but also want to manage, lead and innovate in the fast-growing biotech sector.”

— Petra Kraus, Assistant Professor of Biology

Career Opportunities

Graduates of Clarkson’s Business of Biotechnology program will be prepared for high-demand roles such as:

Project Manager in Biotech R&D
Regulatory Affairs Specialist
Biotech Operations Manager
Supply Chain Manager
Business Development Associate
Entrepreneur in Biotechnology Start-Ups
Biotech Product Marketing and Sales Manager

With Clarkson’s strong ties to industry and alumni networks, students will be well-positioned to join companies such as Regeneron, Bristol Myers Squibb, and other leading biotech firms.

The Clarkson Advantage

The Business of Biotechnology major combines Clarkson’s nationally ranked business programs with its established reputation in biotechnology and biosciences. Students benefit from:

Small classes and personalized advising.
Connections to industry through the Career Center’s biotech partnerships.
A pathway to graduate programs, including Clarkson’s 4+1 MBA, Healthcare Management MBA, and Business Analytics MBA.

This unique degree gives students the ability to bridge science and strategy—a rare skill set that sets Clarkson graduates apart in today’s competitive biotech job market.