The SLCC Biotechnology AS Program prepares students for employment in Utah’s growing biotech industry, while also preparing them for transfer to higher education. Most SLCC Biotech students get an industry job well before or soon after they earn their AS, and most biotech employers offer tuition reimbursement as a benefit. Utah Valley University (UVU) accepts the SLCC Biotech AS as transfer credit, and sends biotech faculty to SLCC’s Jordan campus to teach evening sections of the required UVU BS courses.

This means that program graduates may be able to earn a UVU bachelor’s degree with their employer’s support, without having to commute to Orem. Biotechnology courses are offered for credit, in a competency-based education (CBE) format. Classes are not scheduled in the traditional way; instead, students work online and attend the open learning lab as their schedules permit. Students work at their own pace, and have the opportunity to accelerate completion. Students must achieve a B or better in all aspects of biotechnology courses in order to move on to the next course.