Amy Beth Waddell • (901) 333-5224

Southwest Tennessee Community College offers courses leading to either an Associate of Applied Science degree in Biotechnology Technician. This program is designed to give practical hands-on, and theoretical knowledge of a variety of laboratory procedures and equipment. 

The Biotechnology Technician is an important part of the team involved in basic and clinical research. Students completing the program will be employed in medical, research, and industrial laboratories. The final semester of the second year will be spent working in a laboratory at a local institution, hospital, or business, in addition to other courses. During this period, the students’ schedule may differ from the academic calendar.

The program core consists of intensive laboratory-based courses culminating in an off-campus working internship.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:

1. Differentiate scientific-based conclusions to problems encountered in biotechnology. 
2. Understand and adhere to compliance requirements and protocols related to good laboratory practices. 
3. Execute a scientific protocol and troubleshoot real or potential problems encountered in the execution of the protocol. 
4. Communicate experimental findings using scientific language and appropriate syntax for review by supervisors or peers. 
5. Understand and communicate the impact of scientific evidence on society. 
6. Submit a thorough and competitive employment application and resume for work in the highly specialized field of biotechnology. 
7. Integrate into an enterprise and develop professional relationships within that organization. 
8. Solve basic math problems for solution preparation and data collection for laboratory experiments.
9. Conform to ethical standards designed to safeguard and validate data in the biotechnology industry. 
10. Demonstrate a mastery of basic science knowledge and hands-on skills required in the field of biotechnology.