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What is Genomics and Molecular Genetics?

Get a Master's in Genomics and Molecular Genetics

The Genomics and Molecular Genetics B.S.

An interdisciplinary biology field, genomics is the study of a person’s genes, or genome, and how those genes interact with each other and the person’s environment.

Molecular genetics is concerned with gene structure and the function of genetic material at the molecular level.

Experts in molecular genetics and genomics scrutinize the functioning and composition of a single gene while also understanding the interrelationships of genes to identify their influence on an organism’s growth and development.

At Florida Tech, you’ll explore this scientific relationship and develop the knowledge to solve real-world issues, such as antibiotic-resistant bacteria and cancer.

What can you do with a molecular biology degree? By building a strong foundation in molecular genetics and genomics, you’ll be prepared for careers in genetic counseling, research and medicine. You’ll also be prepared to continue your studies at the graduate level, including medical school.

Top 10
Best Schools for Genome Sciences/Genomics
College Factual
Top 11%
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No. 6
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Why Choose Florida Tech for Genomics and Molecular Genetics?

Your professors in the genomics and molecular genetics B.S. program at Florida Tech will immediately immerse you in modern genetic, genomic, cellular and molecular approaches to the study of biology.

The curriculum for the genomics and molecular genetics B.S. will give you a solid foundation in chemistry, biochemistry, physics and mathematics, along with robust research projects. Your degree in genetics culminates in a senior laboratory experience, where you’ll conduct an intensive study in genetic engineering and nucleic acid analysis.

You’ll engage in 15 to 20 hours a week of hands-on laboratory time, where you’ll gain experience using the same tools and techniques molecular biologists use. You’ll collaborate with faculty, graduate students and your undergrad peers on exciting research. You can also pursue independent research in areas of molecular genetics and genomics that matter most to you and your future.

You’ll interact and work closely with internationally recognized and respected Florida Tech faculty thanks to small classes that encourage mentoring relationships. You’ll also have a faculty advisor who will counsel you throughout your time in Florida Tech’s genomics and molecular genetics program.

You’ll have full access to state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge tools that are critical to conducting research in molecular genetics and genomics. The 70,000-square-foot F.W. Olin Life Sciences building includes mass spectrometers, PCR thermocyclers, electron microscopes, confocal microscopes, a greenhouse, an imaging lab, high resolution microscopy, tissue culture labs, growth chambers and equipment to analyze genes and proteins. You’ll also have access to the L3Harris Center for Science and Engineering and the state-of-the-art Gordon L. Nelson Health Sciences building.

Florida Tech’s location on the Space Coast, just south of NASA-Kennedy Space Center, gives you easy access to an abundance of internship and employment opportunities, with numerous high-tech corporations and government and military organizations nearby. We’re also minutes from the Indian River Lagoon, North America’s most diverse estuary, and just over the causeway from the Atlantic Ocean and its 72 miles of beaches.

As Florida's STEM University, Florida Tech is one of the best schools for premed and a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry is excellent preparation for medical school. Florida Tech alumni with an interest in medical biochemistry often pursue careers as physicians and other health care practitioners in a variety of specialties.

You will find the coursework, research opportunities and advising you need to be ready to apply to medical school. We also offer special direct admission pathways into select programs through our partnerships with Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine (located right on the Florida Tech campus) and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Learn more about premed.

Careers in Genomics and Molecular Genetics

Are you wondering what you can do with a molecular biology degree? Are you exploring how to become a geneticist? With the genomics and molecular genetics B.S. at Florida Tech, you’ll be on the path to career opportunities in genetic engineering, biotechnology, the human genome project, cell structure, bacteria resistance and cancer research.

Jobs in molecular genetics and genomics include:

  • Molecular genetics scientist
  • Geneticist
  • Academic researcher
  • Genetic counselor
  • Biotech researcher
  • Forensic DNA analyst
  • Medical laboratory technologist
  • Biomedical engineer

Looking ahead to your future career can be exciting! Keep in mind that certain roles may entail additional prerequisites, such as an advanced degree.

Florida Tech Career Services assists students, alumni and employers in their search for careers and employee candidates. We help students develop career plans and job-search skills. Explore our Career Toolbox to learn more about our services and access additional resources.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), provides information about specific jobs, including median annual pay, working conditions and job outlook, among other things. Check the handbook for information on the outlook for genetic counselorsbiomedical engineers and other careers in molecular genetics and genomics.

Advanced Degree Options

After receiving a genomics and molecular genetics B.S. degree, many of our students continue their graduate studies at Florida Tech and other prestigious universities, including medical schools.

Post-graduate programs our students choose include:

Explore the Genomics and Molecular Genetics, B.S., Curriculum

The Genomics and Molecular Genetics, B.S., Curriculum

The genomics and molecular genetics B.S. provides the coursework and training you need to prepare for graduate studies or jobs in biotechnology. In addition to biology, you’ll take courses that give you a solid foundation in chemistry, biochemistry, physics and mathematics. In your final year, you’ll conduct an open-lab experience that will empower you to be an independent thinker with the in-demand skills valued in academic and government research labs and by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Classes include:

  • General Genetics
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Prokaryotic Molecular Biology
  • Genetic Engineering Techniques

Check the catalog for a description of all courses.

Download the Genomics and Molecular Genetics, B.S. Curriculum now!

Internships That Prepare You for the Future

At Florida Tech, internships for genomics and molecular genetics provide real-world experience and prepare you to stand out in the job market after college. We’re in one of the largest high-tech workforce areas in the country—that means numerous internship and employment opportunities for our students.

You’ll use the same equipment and techniques you’ll find on the job through hands-on learning at Florida Tech and through internship opportunities at locations such as:

  • Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
  • Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
  • NASA-Kennedy Space Center
  • National Institutes of Health

Learn more about Genomics and Molecular Genetics at Florida Tech on the website.

Take Part in Faculty Research Teams

Even as an undergraduate, you can be invited to join faculty research teams to engage in high-level research opportunities. As a research assistant, you could work on real-life issues, like antibiotic-resistant bacteria, cancer cures, crime-scene analysis and agriculture in space. Florida Tech’s faculty in molecular genetics and genomics also conduct diverse research projects in:

  • Infrared imaging systems of pit vipers, pythons and boas
  • Marine animal toxicology
  • Molecular mechanisms underlying sperm-egg fusion
  • Diseases such as Alzheimer’s cardiovascular and other diseases of cellular stress
  • Plant communication
  • Molecular targets for novel antibiotics and pharmaceuticals development
  • Plant metabolomics
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