Master in Bioengineering: Global Innovation

Program Overview

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Master’s Degree in Bioengineering

Programme Overview

The Master’s Degree in Bioengineering is designed to provide students with advanced knowledge in biosciences, biotechnology, and bioengineering. The program aims to prepare graduate students for research, development, and production of products, processes, and services that use microorganisms or their biological components in the fields of industrial biotechnology and biomedicine.

Key Information

• Duration: 1 year + Master Thesis
• Credits: 90 ECTS credits
• Start: September 2025
• Timetable: Classes: 8:00 am to 11:30 am, Experimental laboratories: 11:30 am to 2:30 pm
• Languages: English
• Degree: Official degree
• Hours of laboratory work: More than 50% of credit hours are dedicated to laboratory work

Objectives and Competences

• Objectives:
  • Advanced knowledge of the different disciplines in biosciences
  • Excellence in mastering biotechnological tools
  • Knowledge of industrial sectors and trends in the use of biotechnologies and their engineering aspects
• Competences:
  • Develop the fundamentals and applications of cross-cutting technologies in the field of biotechnologies
  • Acquire knowledge in complementary subjects relevant to professional development in the field of bioengineering
  • Understand the different fields of use of biotechnological tools in a wide range of applications and industrial sectors
  • Conduct an individual research project, the Master Thesis, within a research group under the supervision of a master’s degree professor

Curriculum

• 1st Semester:
  • Cellular engineering for biopharmaceuticals production
  • Bioinformatics & Biomolecular Modelling
  • Biopharmaceuticals bioprocessing and manufacturing
  • Biopharmaceuticals design Lab: from gene to production
  • Bioethics
  • Advanced therapy medicinal products (cell, gene and Tissue therapies)
• 2nd Semester:
  • Vaccines and immunotherapeutic products
  • Development of new therapies Lab
  • CMC Analytics for Biologics
  • Omics science for diagnostics and personalized medicine
• 3rd Semester:
  • Practicum
  • Data analysis
  • Experimental design
  • Formulations Technology
  • Project management and intellectual property
  • Corrosion sciences in industrial and bioengineering Applications
  • Power Skills & leadership
• Master Thesis: 30 ECTS credits

Research Lines

• Biochemistry Laboratory:
  • Protein engineering and enzymology of glycosidases and glycosyltransferases
  • Therapeutic targets in infectious diseases
  • Amyloid proteins in neurodegenerative diseases
  • Biocatalysis: enzymatic redesign, directed evolution of enzymes, and metabolic engineering
  • Metabolic engineering for the production of glycoglycerolipids
  • Bioinformatics and molecular modelling of biological systems
• Biomaterials Laboratory:
  • Polymeric nanoparticles sensitive to a stimulus for controlled drug release
  • Design of biomimetic surfaces with chemical and mechanical cell signalling
  • Design and manufacture of scaffolds for the regeneration of bone and cartilage tissue
• Microbiology Laboratory:
  • Producers of mycotoxins and moulds
  • Microbiological aspects of photodynamic therapy
  • Food and environmental security
• Bioprocesses Laboratory:
  • Expression of recombinant proteins and metabolites, improvement and optimization of bioprocesses and bioreactors
  • Obtaining polyunsaturated fatty acids by biotechnological means
  • Use of industrial by-products to obtain biotechnological products with high added value
  • Isolation of products by bioseparation processes
• Tissue Engineering Laboratory:
  • Design and synthesis of nanometric biomaterials analogous to extracellular matrices
  • Development of instructive three-dimensional environments for functional stem cell differentiation
  • Environmental reprogramming of adult cells for use in regenerative medicine platforms
  • Impact of the hemodynamic environment on the functionality of vascular cells
  • Controlled drug delivery in vascular devices

Admissions Process

• Online pre-registration: Payment of €100 by credit or debit card to open and process your application
• Admission confirmation: The master’s degree coordinator will contact you for an interview
• Pre-enrolment: Payment of €1,000, non-refundable and deductible from the total tuition fees
• Enrolment: Formalization of enrolment through the SIGMA academic management application
• Supplementary Training: Bridging courses may be required based on the student’s academic background

Scholarships and Financial Aid

• Academic Excellence: Up to 40% of tuition fees for the best undergraduate academic transcripts
• Financial need: Scholarships based on family income level and satisfactory academic performance
• International Students: Scholarships for students who reside outside of Spain, have financial need, and a solid academic record

Career Opportunities

• R&D&i activities, project management, development, and innovation in biotechnology companies
• Universities and research centres
• Teaching
• R&D&i Manager
• Laboratory Manager
• Biotechnological Solutions Designer

In-Company Internship

• Optional internships: With research centres or paid internships with companies in the sector between the second and third semesters

Leadership Team

• Jordi Díaz Ferrero, PhD: Dean of the IQS School of Engineering and Department of Analytical and Applied Chemistry
• Martí Lecina Veciana, PhD: Department of Bioengineering

Faculty

• Carlos Eduardo Semino, PhD: Department of Bioengineering
• Cristina Fornaguera Puigvert, PhD: Department of Bioengineering
• David Lorenzo Izquierdo: Department of Bioengineering
• Francesc Xavier Guix Ràfols, PhD: Department of Bioengineering
• Gisela Domínguez Picart, PhD: IQS Careers and Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management
• Jordi Cuadros Margarit, PhD: Department of Mathematics and Data Analytics
• Loli Molina Jiménez, PhD: Department of Bioengineering
• Marc Carnicer Heras, PhD: Department of Bioengineering
• Maria Auset Vallejo, PhD: Department of Bioengineering
• Marta Guerra Rebollo, PhD: Department of Bioengineering
• Martí Lecina Veciana, PhD: Department of Bioengineering
• Núria Oliva Jorge, PhD: Department of Bioengineering
• Pablo Leivar Rico, PhD: Dean’s Office of the IQS School of Engineering and Department of Bioengineering
• Robert Texidó Bartés, PhD: Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
• Salvador Borrós Gómez, PhD: Management and Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
• Sergi Colominas Fuster, PhD: Department of Analytical and Applied Chemistry
• Victor Manuel González Miguel: Department of Bioengineering
• Xavier Biarnés Fontal, PhD: Department of Bioengineering
• Yeray Asensio Ramírez, PhD: Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

External Faculty

• Francesc Canals Suris: Department of Bioengineering
• Margarita Codinach Creus: Department of Bioengineering
• Santiago Grijalvo Torrijo: Department of Bioengineering

Quality and Accreditations

• VSMA Report and Statements: Internal Quality Guarantee System Manual (SGIC), Degree Report, Degree review reports produced by AQU Catalunya, Degree Monitoring Report (IST)

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

The Master's Degree in Bioengineering at IQS Barcelona is a one-year program designed to equip graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary for research, development, and production of products, processes, and services utilizing microorganisms or their biological components in the fields of industrial biotechnology and biomedicine.

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Objectives:

• To provide students with advanced knowledge in various biosciences disciplines, including cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, microbiology, bioinformatics, etc.
• To develop mastery of biotechnological tools, ranging from genetic and metabolic engineering to bioreactors and bioprocesses.
• To impart knowledge of industrial sectors and trends in the use of biotechnologies, including their engineering aspects.

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Program Description:

The program emphasizes hands-on learning, with over 50% of the teaching content delivered through practical work in the state-of-the-art laboratories of the Bioengineering Building. The faculty comprises renowned researchers and professionals from European and North American institutions, who contribute to the program through courses and seminars on relevant topics.

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Outline:

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Structure:

• The program spans two academic semesters of 30 ECTS credit hours each, followed by a third semester dedicated to the Master Thesis (30 ECTS).
• The Master Thesis must be presented publicly and defended before a jury.

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Course Schedule:

• Classes: 8:00 am to 11:30 am
• Experimental laboratories: 11:30 am to 2:30 pm

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Modules:

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General Knowledge:

• Advanced Genetic Engineering (4 ECTS)
• Industrial Microbiology (3 ECTS)
• Genetic and Metabolic Engineering Laboratory (9 ECTS)
• Synthetic Biology (3 ECTS)
• Advances in Tissue Engineering (3 ECTS)
• Genomic, Proteomic, and HTS Applications (3 ECTS)

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Technological Module:

• Bioinformatics and Data Science (4 ECTS)
• Experimental Design (3 ECTS)
• Biomolecule Modelling (3 ECTS)
• Biomaterials Design and Application (3 ECTS)
• From Gene to Product Laboratory (9 ECTS)

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Management & Ethics:

• Bioethics (3 ECTS)
• Project, Quality, and Intellectual Property Management (3 ECTS)

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Specific Technological:

• Biologics in New Therapies (4 ECTS)
• Human Health Workshop (3 ECTS)
• Bioreactors and Bioprocesses (4 ECTS)
• Pilot Plant Workshop (3 ECTS)

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Master Thesis:

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Teaching:

• The program emphasizes hands-on learning, with over 50% of the teaching content delivered through practical work in the laboratories.
• The faculty comprises renowned researchers and professionals from European and North American institutions.
• The program includes courses and seminars delivered by guest lecturers.

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Careers:

• R&D&i activities in biotechnology companies
• Project management, development, and innovation in biotechnology companies
• Research and technology transfer professional in universities and research centers
• Teaching positions
• R&D&i Manager
• Laboratory Manager
• Biotechnological Solutions Designer

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Other:

• The program offers the possibility of completing the Master Thesis at a foreign university, within a research group, or in a private company.
• The program has partnerships with companies in the industrial sector.
• The program provides opportunities for internships with research centers or paid internships with companies in the sector.