Degree Requirements
Gain the fundamental skills and knowledge necessary to build a career in biotechnology or succeed in your graduate studies and research.
B.S. in Biotechnology
Learn how to improve the quality of human life through impactful solutions to the legal, ethical, and social issues associated with biotechnology worldwide.
Why Study Biotechnology at Rivier?
The use of biotechnology encompasses a wide range of procedures in the agricultural, medical, and alternative energy industries. From modifying living organisms to the cultivation of plants—biotechnology is an evolving and competitive field of study with many applications. Rivier’s B.S. in Biotechnology program prepares you for a rewarding career in this ever-evolving field.
Taught by leaders in the field, our Biotechnology program helps you develop a strong knowledge base through detailed coursework and hands-on laboratory training in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, and physics.
In the B.S. in Biotechnology program, you will:
- Acquire strong foundational knowledge
- Obtain practical skills
- Gain additional experience in business and innovation
Generous Aid
We award more than $14 million in need-based and merit-based institutional aid annually. Rivier awards 100% of our full-time undergraduate students some form of aid. Find out more from our Financial Aid Office.
Fall 2025 Grants – Incoming Biology and Biotechnology majors are eligible for a Biology Innovators Grant. First-time, first-year students will be awarded a $3,000 grant each year, renewable for four years for a total of $12,000 in financial support, in addition to a competitive financial aid package. This grant award supports students pursuing degrees in the life sciences.
Dana Blades, Class of 2012, describes his senior project as critical to landing his first professional position in the pharmaceutical industry at Lonza Biologics, a worldwide supplier of biopharmaceuticals. Today, he is a Senior Quality Control Specialist with bluebird bio, a company leading the gene therapy revolution with the potential to treat and cure a range of serious diseases. He credits Rivier, a biotechnology university, with his professional success and for developing his work ethic, troubleshooting skills, patience, and persistence in experimentation.
Innovation Made Possible
With the University’s new Science and Innovation Center, you will conduct independent and group research as well as experiments in our state-of-the-art facility featuring:
- Learning spaces that foster innovation and discovery
- Laboratories and equipment designed to solve real-world problems
- Technology that brings classroom learning to life
- Collaborative spaces to foster faculty and student research
Get Ready for the World with a B.S. in Biotechnology
Your classroom learning comes to life through job shadowing and internships beginning as early as your freshman year.
Local and global teaching trips offer students exposure to biotechnology firms and laboratories, field sites, and different ecosystems. Established partnerships with universities outside of the United States enable students to engage in an international dialogue and gain insight into advances being made around the world.
The Biology Club offers biology-focused events and community service activities. Membership in Beta Beta Beta, a national biological honor society, is available to students who perform well academically.
Where Will Your Degree Take You?
A B.S. in Biotechnology degree prepares you for exciting and innovative careers in environmental, industrial, and medical biotechnology.
Potential Job Roles
- Biochemists, bioinformaticians, or biophysicists
- Research scientists and laboratory technicians
- Pharmaceutical company representatives
- Crime lab technicians
- Quality control analysts or engineers
- Biomedical engineers
Industries
Biotechnology professionals work in a variety of fields:
- Agriculture
- Pharmaceuticals
- Genetics
- Research and development
- Food Science
- Aquaculture
- Environmental health and safety
Take the Next Steps to Earn Your Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology Degree
How to Apply
Learn about criteria, how the admissions process works, and what you will need to apply.
Engage Locally and Globally
Get valuable, practical job experience through job shadowing and internship opportunities with domestic and global biotech companies, research facilities, and universities.
Introducing Our Faculty
Faculty will serve as your mentors and guides.
Contact
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
- Telephone (603) 897-8507
- Email admissions@rivier.edu
- Location Madeleine Hall
Start Today
Exploring biotechnology degree programs? Look no further than Rivier University. Join the workforce in this fast-growing field with a B.S. in Biotechnology.