Relationships Matter
At the heart of the M.S. in Biotechnology Program are the professional relationships you develop with other students, staff, faculty and industry leaders, and the over 400 program alumni —the “Biotech Badger” community. Connections grow as students and continue after graduation with the program serving as an ongoing networking conduit and lasting source of professional support.
Students and alumni are offered free or discounted attendance to annual scientific gatherings, including:
- The Wisconsin Stem Cell Symposium
- The Wisconsin Human Proteomics Symposium
- BioForward’s Wisconsin Biohealth Summit
These opportunities enable people to enrich their professional networks by engaging with the most active researchers and leaders in the biotechnology industry. The program also hosts regular private social and professional networking events exclusively for students and alumni to stay connected.
It’s estimated that 70% to 80% of all jobs are never posted and up to 80% of positions filled are done so through a professional network [*].
The M.S. in Biotechnology Program understands a primary reason people choose this degree is for career advancement. The program prepares you with the cross-functional skills for leadership and greater responsibility in the biotech industry, and helps you find those hidden career opportunities only available through a diverse and extensive professional network.
With over 20 years of graduates, the M.S. in Biotechnology student and alumni network includes over 450 people who share an ambition to make impactful contributions to the biotech industry, their employers, and the colleagues with whom they work.
Students and alumni are very active on LinkedIn and consistently communicate with each other through a private LinkedIn group exclusively for MS in Biotechnology graduates, faculty, and staff. Alumni regularly share job openings within the program’s alumni network, often to list openings on their team or fill their current positions when they are promoted.
Instructing Career Management
The importance of a rich and active professional network is invaluable to career management. Whether you’re celebrating found success during career high points or struggling to regain career momentum during a downturn, it’s critical to have the skills and know-how to manage your career growth and how to engage your professional network for support and guidance.
Understanding how to direct career development is so important to professional growth that the MS in Biotechnology Program created crb845: Professional Development and Effective Management, a course dedicated to professional skills development not just for personal career management, but also for managing the professional growth and development of others.
This one-credit course is taught by Michelle Venturini, MBA, SPHR during the final semester before students graduate.
crb845: Professional Development and Effective Management
Year 2, Spring Semester (1 credit)
This course focuses on effective management and career development. Students learn and practice the applied skills needed for effective managers that lead to synergistic team success within a biotechnology company. Different communication styles are examined that are used to engage and assess employees. Professional development is explored to expand career pathways through networking and by generating professional resumes and interviewing skills.
Stories of Relationship Building and Career Success
The MS in Biotechnology Program keeps the door open for career support. Feel free to submit a request for help.