Camarillo, CA August 3, 2010 – An MS in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics with an emphasis in Stem Cell Technology and Laboratory Management is offered by CSU Channel Islands (CI) through its Extended University. It is a fully funded program designed to meet the needs of stem cell research fields and research and development of the biotechnology industry. Classes meet in the evening or on weekends and incoming students can enroll throughout the year. The two-year program has four terms per year with no recesses, and the second year is an internship. A student can use his or her elective units to participate in an international component if desired.
Dr. Ching-Hua Wang, Director of the MS Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Program at CI stated that a $1,755,906 grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), was awarded CI to support the new emphasis, providing funding for student internship stipends, scholarships and comprehensive lecture and laboratory courses. Students graduate from the program with cutting-edge training and practical experience in their fields, enabling them to enter the workforce in the rapidly expanding biotech sector and stem cell research field.
One of the requirements of the degree program is a one-year internship at a research institution. CI has formed agreements with institutions including UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, Amgen, the Scripps Research Institute, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, USC and Celavie Biosciences to host graduate student interns from the program. Once in the program, students are assigned a personal research mentor, after an interview and evaluation process. Mentors are research scientists in the stem cell research field employed in the above research institutions and biotech companies. Input from the mentors, and the internship programs in which students participate with hands-on research projects, allow students to gain real-world experience and to make professional contacts in their fields while still in school.
Students who are accepted to the program receive a stipend of $35,750 to cover living expenses, tuition, and travel costs to conferences. The host institutions receive additional funding for research supplies and other costs related to the program. In the first graduating class, more than fifty per cent of the grant-funded students had received one or more job offers before graduation. Almost all of these same students were included or will soon be included as authors for scientific papers, even though they had not yet completed their internships.
For information on the program and on the enrollment process, contact CI’s Extended University at 805-437-2748 or exed@csuci.edu.
For media inquiries contact Nancy Covarrubias Gill, Director of Communication & Marketing at CSU Channel Islands at 805-437-8456 or nancy.gill@csuci.edu.
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CI Mission Statement
Placing students at the center of the educational experience, California State University Channel Islands provides undergraduate and graduate education that facilitates learning within and across disciplines through integrative approaches, emphasizes experiential and service learning, and graduates students with multicultural and international perspectives.
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About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands(CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CI's Social Media.