Program Overview

Introduction to the Master's Program in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnological Industry

The Master's Program in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnological Industry is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries. The program covers various aspects of the industry, including research and development, production, and marketing.

Program Structure

The program can be completed in one year (full-time) or two years (part-time). The full-time program consists of 60 ECTS credits, which are distributed as follows:

• 2 compulsory subjects: 15 ECTS
• 1 optional subject: 5 ECTS
• External practices: 30 ECTS
• Master's thesis: 10 ECTS

The part-time program is divided into two years:

• First year: 40 ECTS
  • 2 compulsory subjects: 15 ECTS
  • 1 optional subject: 5 ECTS
  • External practices: 20 ECTS
• Second year: 20 ECTS
  • External practices (until December): 10 ECTS
  • Master's thesis (presentation in December/January): 10 ECTS

Compulsory Subjects

The compulsory subjects are:

• Research and Development of Medicines (7.5 ECTS)
  • Challenges and opportunities in pharmaceutical research
  • General strategies in the research and development process
  • Applied chemical research in drug discovery
  • Preclinical research
  • Clinical research
  • Patenting of medicines
  • Registration of medicines
  • Regulatory agencies in Spain, Europe, and the USA
  • Undesirable effects of medicines and the R&D process
  • Characteristics of the pharmaceutical industry
  • The value of medicines in the healthcare system
  • Economic aspects of medicines
  • Professional profiles in pharmaceutical companies
  • Marketing of pharmaceutical products
  • Methodologies for studying pharmaceutical markets
  • The Spanish pharmaceutical market
  • Medicines and media
  • Information and advertising of medicines
  • Quality of research and standardized work procedures
  • General concepts in pharmacognosy
  • Sources of obtaining and analytical bases for quality control of active principles
  • Biosynthesis of pharmacologically active compounds in plants
  • General concepts in biopharmaceutics and pharmaceutical forms
  • Principles of pharmaceutical operations
  • Pharmaceutical innovation and preparation of new drugs
• Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (7.5 ECTS)
  • Introduction to medical biotechnology
  • Biotechnology in the research process of new drugs
  • Basic concepts of the immune system
  • Monoclonal antibodies, cytokines, and biotechnological vaccines
  • Basic concepts in molecular biology
  • Genomics, proteomics, and other '-omics'
  • Interest of bioinformatics in biotechnological processes
  • Validation of therapeutic targets in biotechnology
  • Patents in biotechnology
  • Production of biotechnological agents
  • Toxicological studies with biotechnological products
  • Biotherapy (peptides, hormones, proteins, monoclonal antibodies, recombinant vaccines)
  • Gene therapy
  • Cellular therapy and regenerative medicine
  • Bioengineering (tissue and extracellular matrix)
  • Nanotechnology in diagnosis and treatment
  • Management of research, development, and innovation in biotechnological companies

Optional Subjects

Students must choose one optional subject (5 ECTS) from the following:

• Elements of Biocomputation (in English)
• Scientific Communication
• Topics in Neuroscience
• Biomedicine, Society, and Culture (not offered in the current course)
• Frontiers in Biomedical Technology: Lessons from Gene Expression (in English)
• Genomes and Systems (in English)
• Model Organisms and Human Diseases (in English)

Master's Thesis

The Master's thesis is a compulsory subject (10 ECTS) that is presented in the third trimester.

External Practices

External practices are a compulsory part of the program, with 30 ECTS credits in the full-time program and 20 ECTS credits in the first year of the part-time program, and 10 ECTS credits in the second year of the part-time program.

Tutoring

The program includes tutoring, which is coordinated by the program coordinator. The tutoring is designed to provide students with guidance and support throughout the program.