This fall Miami Dade College will offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences.<\/p>\n
The new undergraduate program will augment the College\u2019s already-existing seven baccalaureate degrees.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so excited and passionate about what we\u2019re doing here,\u201d said Heather Belmont, Dean of the School of Science. \u201cI think we can make a strong difference here in the number of minority and women entering in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.\u201d<\/p>\n
Three tracks of study will be offered in the degree program: biotechnology, biopharmaceutical sciences and science education.<\/p>\n
According to Miami Dade College institutional research, the degree program will cost 41 percent less than Florida International University\u2019s, and 12 times less than that of the University of Miami.<\/p>\n
In-state tuition at Miami Dade College ranges from $11,821 to $11,925. FIU\u2019s average is $20,411 and UM\u2019s is $147,848, records show.<\/p>\n
In contrast to traditional biological science degrees, each lecture class is paired with a lab.<\/p>\n
Belmont said it is motivated by \u201clocal employers\u2019 demand for more experienced workers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEmployers said, \u2018it\u2019s not that they\u2019re not getting applicants for their jobs; they\u2019re just not getting enough applicants with the experience that they need,\u201d Belmont said.<\/p>\n
A number of scientific research projects are already active at the College\u2014one on the annotation of clostridium taeniosporum, a non-toxigenic relative of clostridium botulinum, the source of the toxin from which Botox is refined.<\/p>\n
Patricia Romaniuk works with the research collaborative at Wolfson Campus. She said they are aiming to understand what the DNA codes might produce.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s important to show ownership in research,\u201d said Romaniuk, a biotechnology major. \u201cThe research that we\u2019re doing relates to what I want to do, dermatology. It\u2019s important.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unlike universities, many colleges must demonstrate to the Florida Board of Education that bachelor degree programs satisfies a \u201ccommunity need.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the process, the program had strong opposition from Barry University and Florida International University, which questioned the \u201ccommunity\u2019s need\u201d for such a degree program at MDC, Belmont said.<\/p>\n
However, according to the Agency for Workforce Innovation, there are 20,668 jobs in the life science and health fields in the Miami-Dade County region and 944 current job openings.<\/p>\n
Future projections predict an increase in those numbers\u2014a 13.4 percent increase by 2018. That\u2019s 23,442 jobs with 1,070 job openings, according to the AWI.<\/p>\n