Duke BTE Curriculum & Courses

1. Courses

Engineering Students must take:

  • One laboratory-based class in modern biotechnology 
  • Two semesters credit of Biological Engineering Seminar Series
    • CBTE Fellows take four semesters
  • Four BTE Electives
  • Two non–engineering biomedical science classes
  • Two Grant Mock Study sections

Non-Engineering Students must take:

  • One Laboratory-based class in modern biotechnology 
  • Two semesters credit of Biological Engineering Seminar Series
    • CBTE Fellows take four semesters
  • Two BTE Electives 
  • Two non–engineering biomedical science classes
  • Two Grant Mock Study sections

2. BioE Seminars

All students seeking a certificate must regularly attend BioE seminars.

3. Kewaunee Lectures

All students seeking a CBTE certificate must participate in the Kewaunee Lecture each year. This includes presenting a poster during the poster session, attending the lecture and going to the awards dinner.

4. Responsible Research Training

Students seeking a certificate must also satisfy the Graduate School's Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training requirements.

5. Duke CBTE Scholarly Activities

All students seeking a certificate in CBTE are expected to make participation in CBTE activities a priority throughout their tenure as Duke graduate students. These activities include:

  • Annual meeting with the program director
  • Student-run "Chalk Talks"
  • Grant Mock Study Sections
    • Held during the summers
    • Must be completed twice during a student's training

6. Additional Requirements for CBTE Fellows

Internship

All CBTE Fellows are expected to participate in an industrial internship that provides interested students with extensive industrial research experience.

Interdisciplinary Experience/Thesis Committee Composition

The NIH encourages biotechnology trainee fellows to have significant interdisciplinary experience. CBTE Fellows will work on projects involving teams of engineering and non-engineering collaborators. Students with an engineering background should work on a project that has substantial contributions from a non-engineering program faculty member.

In addition, at least two CBTE faculty must be on the doctoral dissertation committee of the trainee, one of whom must be the committee chair. At least one committee member must be a non-engineer CBTE faculty member.