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2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Chemical Industry, National, and Government Laboratory Post-Baccalaureate Bridge Program (ING-BP)
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Background:
The Industry, National, and Government Laboratory Post-Baccalaureate Bridge Program (ING-BP) is a credentialed bridge experience that provides intensive training and advanced internship opportunities for students interested in employment performing laboratory-based work in the chemical industry or national or government laboratories. The ING-BP is modeled after the ACS Bridge Project bridge experiences, which successfully integrate culturally responsive practices that provide alternative pathways for students from underrepresented/minoritized (URM) groups interested in graduate programs in the chemical and/or biochemical sciences. However, ~ 60% of all chemistry BA/BS graduates seek employment in government or industrial laboratories. 1 Thus, the ING-BP is a first-of-its-kind program that integrates culturally responsive practices to launch students from URM groups into their desired careers. (See Notes) Accordingly, the ING-BP is tuition-free and offers a competitive salary, housing stipend, and health insurance for the full two years of the program. The goal of this structure is to enable students the space to fully engage, relax into their STEM identity, focus, and thrive while getting high-quality, rigorous preparation for careers in the Chemical and/or Biochemical Sciences.
Advantages of this Program:
Hiring decisions in industry, national, and government laboratories rely heavily on a student’s upper-division electives, hands-on laboratory training on relevant instrumentation, and exposure and practice with specific technical writing tasks. Thus, the ING-BP focuses on providing depth and breadth of opportunity for students in each of these critical areas while providing students with real-world experience. The ING-BP curriculum provides unique training opportunities that are based on specific, ongoing feedback from hiring managers and professionals in local industry, government, and national laboratories. These training opportunities are accompanied by a three-tiered mentorship network for each student to ensure holistic, comprehensive support while they discover their desired employment path. Formal and informal networking and collaborative research interactions are also included to provide students with a wealth of opportunities to interact with the broader scientific and URM-centered STEM communities.
Curriculum Specifics:
During the first year, each student completes undergraduate coursework relevant to their career trajectory, a technical writing course, employment support coursework, and laboratory rotations. Students gain invaluable experience and insight while they prepare for the second phase of the program: an Immersive Laboratory Internship. The Immersive Laboratory Internship begins during the second half of their second semester when students transition to hands-on work with one of our partners in the chemical industry or a government or national laboratory for the remainder of the program. During this time, the students create and iteratively refine a poster and an oral presentation on their research project through scheduled presentations at MSU Denver and partnering institutions. The ING-BP culminates in a capstone project wherein students produce a variety of tailored resumes, engage in mock interviews, and develop a broad set of nuanced professional skills. This supportive, yet highly-customizable structure enables students to gain the tools, credentials, and experience necessary to achieve gainful employment in a competitive entry-level position in the student’s field of interest.
Notes:
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While this program is specifically designed for students from URM groups, we recognize that there are many ways that people can be systemically affected in today’s society. Therefore, any student who has experienced overwhelming circumstantial disadvantages and associated resource needs is encouraged to apply.
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The minimum passing grade for the curriculum in this program is a C.
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ING-BP Program Requirements (20.5 - 24.5 Credits)
To complete the ING-BP certificate program, each student must complete 19.5 - 24.5 credit hours of coursework, depending on their Emphasis Track, as outlined in the categories below. The specifics of the program timeline and curriculum category specifics are described in the following sections.
| Program Credit Categories |
Credit Hours/Course |
Required Credits/Category |
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Internship I/II: T1 Mentor
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0.5
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3
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Technical Employment Support Coursework
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0.5
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4.5 |
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a. JMP 2610 - Intro to Technical Writing
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3
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- |
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b. Ethical Practices in the Employment Sector: T2 Mentor
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0.5
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- |
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c. Data Handling in the Employment Sector: T2 Mentor
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0.5 |
- |
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d. ING-BP Capstone
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0.5 |
- |
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Laboratory Rotations
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0.5
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0.5
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Immersive Laboratory Internship: T3 Mentor
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0.5 - 1
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3.5
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Advanced Undergraduate Coursework*
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1- 4
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9-13*
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| Total Credits for the Program |
20.5 - 24.5 |
*Advanced Undergraduate Coursework Requirements are determined based on the student’s chosen Emphasis Track. Transfer credits will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Year 1 - Semester 1 (7 - 13 credits)
During the first semester, students work closely with their Tier 1 and Tier 2 mentors to plan their course through the program, learn essential workforce skills, and take essential Advanced Undergraduate Coursework that will set students up to take the next step in their career. Year 1 - Semester 2 (7 - 12 credits)
During the second semester, the program begins to ramp up as students continue to work with their Tier 1 and Tier 2 mentors to define their trajectory into their desired employment sector. Students select their Tier 3 laboratory mentors and complete their required Advanced Undergraduate Coursework and Technical Employment Support Coursework. Year 1 - Summer (1 credit)
The students start fully engaging in the Immersive Laboratory Internship portion of the program with their Tier 3 mentor during the summer after their first year. The students continue to work with their Tier 1 mentor to ensure they are adequately supported at every stage of the program
Year 2 - Semester 1 (1.5 credits)
The students continue the Immersive Laboratory Internship portion of the program during the second academic year, working with their Tier 1 and Tier 3 mentors to hone their laboratory and science communication skills. Year 2 - Semester 2 (2 credits)
As students approach the end of the program, they take their ING-BP Capstone course to prepare them for entering the workforce. They do this the semester before their final summer in the program so they can apply the skills they’ve learned during their capstone course to job applications while still receiving support through the program. Year 2 - Summer (1 credit)
Students work closely with their Tier 1 and Tier 3 mentors to get real-time feedback on job applications and interview skills while completing their final laboratory projects. Program Credit Categories
Internship I/II: T1 Mentor (3 credits)
Students must complete a total of 3 credits of Internship coursework with their Tier 1 Mentor during the course of their program. Both of these courses are repeated three times. Technical Employment Support Coursework with a T2 Mentor (4.5 credits)
Students must complete a total of 4 credits and associated non-credit coursework during their first two semesters in Technical Employment Support Coursework with Tier 2 Mentorship. The ING-BP Capstone course, CHE 4997 - ING-BP Capstone: Resume, Interviews, and Professionalism is taken during the second semester of the student’s second year.
Laboratory Rotations (0.5 credits)
Students must complete a total of 0.5 credits of Research/Laboratory Rotations in the first half of the second semester in the program.
Immersive Laboratory Internship with a Tier 3 Mentor (3.5 credits)
Students must complete a total of 3.5 credits of Immersive Laboratory Internship coursework with their Tier 3 Mentor during the course of their program. Advanced Undergraduate Coursework (9-13 credits)
Students must complete a total of 9-13 credits of Advanced Undergraduate Coursework during their first two semesters in the program. The following Emphasis Tracks are geared toward relevant career trajectories. Any courses at the 3000 level or higher listed in these Emphasis Tracks will satisfy the Advanced Undergraduate Coursework requirement, including Omnibus courses at the 390 level or higher. If students have already completed some of the required courses within an Emphasis Track, those credits can be substituted for the specified elective courses. Elective Course Sets listed below within a specific emphasis are suggestions that could deepen the student’s experience but are not required to complete that Emphasis Track.
Note: The credit totals do not include all pre-requisite courses. Students are encouraged to discuss their potential coursework with their T1 mentor prior to registering for classes.
Pharmaceutical/Synthetic Laboratory Emphasis (11 credits)
Biological/Biochemical Laboratory Emphasis (11 credits)
Criminalistics Laboratory Emphasis (12 credits)
Data Science Laboratory Emphasis (12 credits)
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