Designated Emphasis in Biotechnology

The Designated Emphasis in Biotechnology (DEB) is an inter-graduate group program that allows Ph.D. students to receive and be credited for training in the area of biotechnology. The UCD Biotechnology Program is the administrative home for this program.

The DEB provides a nurturing interactive environment to promote integration of multiple disciplinary approaches to the conduct of research and to promote learning in biotechnology.

The mission is to prepare well-educated students to approach problems with creativity and fexibility. The program will provide tools for the students to be leaders, visionaries, entrepreneurs, researchers and teachers in the broad area of biomolecular technology.

DEB Mission:

We currently have close to 150 students in the program as of 2007 and they come from a wide array of disciplines; Participating graduate programs include 24 programs and close to 100 faculty trainers of varied disciplines are affiliated with the DEB.

The DEB provides a very effective multidisciplinary biotechnology concentration, which includes exposure to bioethics, business and legal aspects of biotechnology as well as a 3-6 month internship in a biotechnology company or research laboratory in another college or national laboratory. Dr. Kjelstrom, the Program Coordinator assists the students in locating internships, preparation of a strong cover letter and curriculum vitae, and the development of professional skills related to the business environment.

DEB Course Work:

The DEB has a required core curriculum for students regardless of whether their graduate major is in biologicial science, engineering, statistics, etc.. A key feature of the DEB is its requirement for a research internship at a cooperating biotechnology company or a cross-college site. When the students complete their Ph.D. requirements as well as the DEB requirements, their diploma notes not only their graduate major, but also that they have completed the DEB.

You can find additional information on the DEB requirements, enrollment, internships, fellowships, etc. in the different subsections of this website.

For more information, please contact
Judith A. Kjelstrom, Program Coordinator
(530)752-8228 or at jakjelstrom@ucdavis.edu.