Ontario College Advanced Diploma in Biotechnology – Advanced (fast-track)

Program Overview

In this program designed specifically for applicants with existing academic credentials, students with a degree in science can expand their knowledge of the biotechnology industry and complete their Biotechnology advanced diploma in two semesters. Biotechnology touches a broad range of industries including health, pharmaceuticals, food production and agriculture. The discipline has created knowledge and products essential to our continued livelihood such as vaccines to prevent disease, pest-resistant plants, environmentally friendly biofuels and improved detection of diseases.

Graduates of the Biotechnology - Advanced program are competitively qualified to work in a range of industries including those focused on food, the environment, pharmaceuticals, natural health products and cannabis. Learning within state-of-the-art labs that matches industry-grade equipment, students learn how living organisms or parts of living organisms can provide new methods of production and development of new products in a range of industries as well as the regulations which govern the use of these techniques. Led by expert faculty with industry and research experience, our courses are rooted in real-world applications and our extensive analytical instrumentation lab provides practical, hands-on training. Students graduate with a strong base of theoretical knowledge and practical skills to draw from in their future careers.

Career Options

What you could be:

Microbiology analyst

Quality assurance analyst

Quality control technologist

Research technologist

Tissue processing specialist

Associate scientist

Instrumentation technologist

Clinical study technician

Food technologist

Research technologist

Where you could work:

Biotechnological, agricultural, environmental or food laboratories

Energy sector

Mining or chemical manufacturing organizations

Cannabis and cannabis related industries

Government institutes

Quality control laboratories

Research laboratories

Natural health product laboratories

Fermentation laboratories

Third-party laboratories

To be considered for the fast-track (credit transfer) pathway a specific educational background is required as follows:

Degree or diploma in a directly related field of study or comparable credential completed within the last five years.

Two post-secondary chemistry courses with a minimum grade of C/60 percent (one must have a lab component).

One post-secondary biochemistry course with a minimum grade of C/60 percent.

Additional information may be requested to demonstrate practical lab experience.

English language proficiency

• Academic IELTS: 6.0, no band score less than 5.5
• Applicants with an Indian or Pakistani passport are required to submit official Academic IELTS test scores with a minimum overall score of 6.0, with no band score below 6.0, as per SDS guidelines. Select programs may require higher scores. TOEFL / PTE / CAEL test scores and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) will not be accepted.
• IBT TOEFL: 80, with minimum section scores of 20
• PTE Academic: 53 minimum overall, no section below 49 L,W,S,R
• CAEL: Overall scores of 60 with no section below 60
• DET 105