Completing Prerequisites for Biotechnology program
Required prerequisites
At least one course in each of the following subjects is required for successful completion with at least a C or higher of the Biotechnology PSM Programs:
- Biochemistry
- Advanced Biology (ex. Molecular Biology, Genetics, or Cell Biology)
The following course is highly recommended but are not required:
- Statistics
Prior to joining the University, should you believe that you have already fulfilled one or both pre-requisites via an undergraduate course previously taken, please fill out and submit this form.
Provide the following documents with your petition form:
- The syllabus for the undergraduate course(s) you believe fulfilled the pre-requisite. Secondary school courses will not fulfill the requirement. Please do not submit secondary school syllabi or unnecessary documents as this will result in a delay of your petition review. A petition containing unnecessary documents will be returned to the petitioner.
- An unofficial transcript listing the course number, title, and grade of the course(s) you are petitioning to have reviewed. The transcript must be oriented right side up and be legible. Highlight the course number, title, and grade so that it is easy for the reviewer to find.
Note that this is a request for review by the Biotechnology program. Filling out this form does not guarantee approval. You will be notified of a decision within 5-10 business days. Please submit a petition form for each prerequisite you are missing – do not combine two requests to review into one submission.
Not having completed the pre-requisites will not prohibit you from beginning your graduate program. However, all prerequisites must be completed within two academic semester of beginning the program:
- Biochemistry must be completed by the end of the fall semester for fall admits and prior to taking BIOT5750 Molecular Approaches; for spring admits, biochemistry must be completed prior to the start of the fall semester prior to BIOT5750
- Advanced biology (molecular biology/genetics/cell biology) must be completed by the end of the second academic semester
The following Northeastern undergraduate courses will fulfill the prerequisites. These courses are not offered each semester and may not be offered each year. For Boston students, College of Science (COS) courses are usually offered in the day. College of Professional Studies courses are usually offered in the evenings. For information about College of Professional Studies (CPS) courses, contact CPS toll free at 877-668-7727 to confirm CPS course offerings (semester, days, times).
In order to register for the courses, please contact [email protected]. Once the courses are complete email [email protected] and include the official transcripts.
The difference in the courses offered by CPS and COS, and thus the difference in cost (see tuition rates), is related to timing, number of credits, faculty, and content. To obtain course descriptions for comparison, visit the Registrar’s website and click on Banner Course Catalog.
Biochemistry
College of Science
BIOL 3611 Biochemistry (4 credits)
College of Professional Studies
BIO 3100 Biochemistry (3 credits)
Molecular Biology or Cell Biology or Genetics
College of Professional Studies
BIO 2500 Genetics and Molecular Biology (3 credits)
BIO 2300 Cell Biology (3 credits)
Spring 2024
Note: CPS-BIO1600 Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 (3 credits) no longer meets the requirement.
Other Institutions
There are a number of institutions in the Boston area that offer undergraduate courses that will meet the pre-requisites such as Bunker Hill Community College and Harvard Extension.
There are several institutions that offer courses online. In the case of an online course not taken at Northeastern and not listed below, the syllabus should be submitted for approval to insure it adequately covers the subject. Some institutions do not issue a grade, only a “verified certificate” if the student passes the course. In such cases, if no certificate is earned, the course would be regarded as incomplete and it would not be accepted.
Biochemistry
- Bunker Hill Community College (CHM-121 Prin of Organic & Biochem)
- Harvard Extension (online BIOS E-10)
- Mass Bay Community College
- Tufts University (on ground, BIO0152A Biochemistry and Cellular Metabolism)
- University of California Berkeley (online, MCELLBI X105 – Introductory Biochemistry)
- University of California San Diego (online, BIOL-40357 Biochemistry)
- University of Massachusetts Boston
- University of New England (online, CHEM 1005 Medical Biochemistry)
- University of Rhode Island (online, CMB311 Introductory Biochemistry)