Portland Community College

Preparing Technicians for the Bioscience Workforce at PCC

Bioscience Technology education at Portland Community College provides a portal for entry into the Bioscience technical workforce. Students can gain over 1000 hours of relevant technical training in basic and advanced skills that are needed by employers in biomedical research, drug and device manufacturing, testing laboratories and more.

The courses emphasize quality, accountability and communication. Students in our courses receive individual attention and frequent opportunities for applied critical thinking through work in a dedicated laboratory setting, performing techniques and using instrumentation that is common in the bioscience workplace.

Students also gain important insights into careers and applications of the technology being learned. The foundation courses that comprise the Biotechnican Certificate option have been developed in cooperation with several industry partners, and focus on entry-level positions, with emphasis on basic laboratory skills, principles of measurement, the mechanics of manufacturing, quality systems (working in a regulated environment) and safety.

These courses also serve as the foundation for the two-year Associate of Applied Science. To earn the AAS, students go on to complete college science courses and more advanced technical courses to become proficient in solution preparation, DNA and protein methods, molecular analytical procedures, purification procedures, and bacterial and mammalian cell culture. Students then select electives that either develop these skills further, or provide additional knowledge and skills in crossover areas such as microelectronics.