Biotechnology/Economics (Co-op)
- About
- Co-op
- Workshops
- First year courses
- Upper year courses
- Beyond the classroom
- Beyond University of Waterloo
- Important information
About
Biotechnology is positioned to be the dominant technology of the first half of the 21st Century and many consider biotechnology to be the next revolution following right on the heels of the "information age". The Waterloo Biotechnology and Economics program has a specific technical focus on biotechnology which will impact many facets of our lives including healthcare, food and agriculture, energy and the environment. This program integrates fundamental principles and applications of biotechnology with a more specialized business focus on economics.
This relatively new program is offered through the co-op system only. Career opportunities vary from working for a pharmaceutical company to a brokerage house, from a bank or government agency to a research firm or consulting company. Waterloo's Biotechnology/Economics program can uniquely qualify you to capitalize on the opportunities created by the expanding field of biotechnology
Co-op
What is Co-op?
In the second term of your second year, you are able to begin a co-op job. You will complete 4 months of co-op, then return for 4 months of school. This pattern will continue the rest of your stay at University of Waterloo.
View more information about co-op.
Co-op students at work
- Quality Control, National Microbiology Laboratory, Winnipeg
- Research Officer, National Taiwan University
- Research Analyst, Capital West Mortgages, Vancouver
- Marketing Assistant, Biotechnostix Incorporated
- Neurosurgery Research Assistant, St. Michael's Hospital
- Portfolio Analyst, Ontario Power Generation Inc.
To see what other jobs students have had, visit the co-op jobs page.
Combining Science and Business - The workshops
You will participate in our four workshop style courses, one each year, that provide you with an unique advantage and will develop your ability to apply business knowledge to industrial and scientific technologies. You'll be expected to identify, investigate and solve business problems from a scientific vantage point capitalizing on your strong analytical skills. Issues such as technology innovation, assessment of the current utility of a technology, scale-up of the technology, projected return on investment (ROI), rate of return (ROR) and hurdles (production, regulatory, market competition, and intellectual property protection) come under discussion during the workshop panel debates and focus groups.
In addition, you will develop skills such as public speaking and team management. You will be encouraged to challenge and support each other; creating a competitive environment preparing you for the new economy.
First year courses
By providing you with skills and knowledge in both science and economics, Waterloo's Biotechnology/Economics program can uniquely qualify you to capitalize on the opportunities created by the expanding field of biotechnology
first-year courses you'll take:
| Fall Term | Winter Term |
|---|---|
|
BIOL 130 Introductory Cell Biology BIOL 240/240L Fundamentals of Microbiology (currently BIOL 140/140L) CHEM120/120L Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter |
BIOL 241 Introduction to Applied Microbiology BIOL 239 Genetics (currently listed as BIOL 139) CHEM 123/123L Chemical Reactions, Equilibria and Kinetics ECON 101 Introduction to Microeconomics ECON 102 Introduction to Macroeconomics CS 200 Concepts for Advanced Computer Usage |
A complete listing of all courses (PDF) is available.
Upper year courses
Here is a list of some of our upper-year courses you'll be taking:
| ECON 221 Statistics for Economists BIOL 331 Advanced Cell Biology ENGL 210F Business Writing ECON 371 Business Finance 1 CHEM 266/266L Basic Organic Chemistry 1/ Laboratory |
BIOL 342 Molecular Biotechnology 1 BIOL 208 Molecular Biology BIOL 443 Fermentation Biotechnology ECON 403 Topics in Economic Forecasting ECON 361 Cost-Benefit Analysis and Project Evaluation |
Complete four year course sequences are available
Beyond the classroom
Your personal development is something that we strongly believe is important. In addition to motivating you to attain high academic standards, heavy emphasis is placed on developing your personal and career skills. The intent is to help develop you into an individual who is confident in their life decisions. For this reason, the myBusiness program has been developed. You will be challenged, mentored and motivated to develop specific plans and goals related to your personal formation and career development. This program helps you identify the entrepreneur, manager, leader and scientist in yourself. The result is a well-rounded personality able to comprehend and understand the challenges within the framework of the curriculum, the job market, the national environment as well as global issues.
Beyond University of Waterloo
Because our biotechnology/economics program emphasizes research and computer skills, employers find that our students are valuable team members who quickly learn new techniques and who are able to quickly problem solve.
What our grads are doing now
- Investment Manager
- Business Analyst
- Chief Economic Officer
- Policy Strategist
View other careers that our graduates are following.
View Alumni profiles
