About the Research Laboratory Technology Baccalaureate

Black woman in lab coat and 2 white males in a laboratory.

California Community Colleges Expands Its Baccalaureate Degree Program

"The California Community Colleges Board of Governors has affirmed approval of three additional degrees for the Baccalaureate Degree Program, helping to further train the state's workforce and giving more Californians an opportunity to earn a four-year degree from a community college. The program expansion will benefit California by awarding more advanced degrees in high-demand workforce industries and putting Californians on a path toward employment in their field of study and in industries of greatest need for the state's economy." (Read full article on the California Community Colleges website)

Bakersfield College is proud to offer an upper division Baccalaureate Program in Research Laboratory Technology.

Bakersfield College's Baccalaureate Degree Program in Research Laboratory Technology will train students with key skills and a foundation in science theory and practice to equip them for technician careers utilizing:

  • modern instrumentation for qualitative and quantitative sample analyses.
  • “good lab practice” cleaning and laboratory maintenance.
  • documentation skills for OSHA and other laboratory regulations and standards.
  • computer systems for program management and reporting.

Bakersfield College has the foundational resources and expertise to set up students for success in the field:

  1. A well-established track-record of success with running a BS program in Industrial Automation.
  2. A strong foundation of STEM Associate degrees that as a pathway can lead into the upper-division program.
  3. Modern facilities for instruction with a $65M investment in a new Science and Technology building that is opening in August 2022.
  4. Research-grade instrumentation, including two multinuclear FT-NMR (Nuclear Magnet, Resonance Spectrometers), FT-IR (Infra-red Spectrometers), GC-MS (Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometers), AA (Atomic Absorption Spectrometer), and four research microwave reactors.
  5. Undergraduate research collaborations through the “CV PATH - Grow Our Own” program with CSU Bakersfield and UC Merced with funding from multiple Federal Grants.
  6. Multiple Bakersfield College faculty partnerships with universities and government agencies on projects ranging from studying bee populations to developing new educational supports for the future of renewable energy for California.
  7. Undergraduate industry internship programs through the College's Math Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) program.
Woman looking into microscope in a lab.
Male and female working in a laboratory.

Students must meet the following requirements for admission into the upper division RTEC Program:

  • Satisfactory completion of the IGETC or Cal-GETC in time for the admitted semester

AND

  • Satisfactory completion of the following courses with a "C" or higher:
    • MATHB1A Precalculus I (4 units)
    • MATHB1B Precalculus II (4 units)
    • CHEMB1B General Chemistry and Chemical Analysis (5 units)
    • BIOLB3B General Biology II (5 units)

Students are encouraged to make an appointment with a counselor for the most up-to-date information regarding application into the upper division program. Policies and procedures may vary, and a counselor can provide personalized guidance based on your specific situation. To set an appointment, call the counseling department at (661) 395-4421 and ask for Cynthia Quintanilla.