Program Overview

Introduction to the Biotechnology Management Program

The M.S. in Biotechnology Management is a joint graduate degree designed to prepare scientists for leadership roles in biotechnology, science, and engineering-based companies. The program is a collaboration between the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in the School of Biological Sciences and The Paul Merage School of Business.

Program Overview

The program provides advanced training in biotechnology through coursework, a teaching laboratory, and two quarters of independent research in a faculty laboratory of the student's choosing. Students also learn to think as business managers by solving product development challenges through consulting projects, creating business plans, and exposure to current issues within the biotechnology sector. The program is fully interdisciplinary, with students immersed in the campus cultures of both science and business.

Program Details

Some of the distinctive features of the MSBTM program include:

• Advanced training in biotechnology through coursework and an eight-unit teaching laboratory
• A research component where students engage in research with a faculty member in either the School of Biological Sciences or the Department of Biomedical Engineering
• An intensive course, Thinking Strategically in the Digital Age, which presents fundamental concepts, tools, and solutions from management
• An experiential learning component where student teams work with managers of biotechnology or biological science-based companies on innovative solutions to current problems
• A business plan component where students prepare a formal business plan for an Entrepreneurship or New Venture Management course
• A capstone course that integrates the programs two-year curriculum and provides a format for the required comprehensive exam

Admission Requirements

Applicants will apply directly to the Graduate Division for the MSBTM program beginning each fall. The program uses rolling admission deadlines, with a priority deadline of January 15 and a normal deadline of March 15. Prerequisite requirements include a B.A. or B.S. in Biological Sciences or a related discipline, and several recommended elective and laboratory courses. Admission to graduate standing in MB&B is generally accorded to those possessing a B.S. in Biological Sciences or an allied field obtained with an acceptable level of scholarship from an institution of recognized standing.

Evaluation Criteria

Applicants will be evaluated on their prior academic record and their potential for management and leadership as demonstrated in the submitted application materials, including:

• University transcripts
• Letters of recommendation
• Resumé with a list of applicable work experience
• Two essays: a Statement of Purpose and a Personal History Statement
• An interview by admissions counselors from The Paul Merage School of Business

Course Work and Examination Requirements

The M.S. Plan II requires seventeen required courses, a minimum of 77 units, plus a zero-unit Proseminar sequence, and a comprehensive examination administered during the jointly taught capstone course in the spring quarter of the second year.

Required and Recommended Courses, Business

A total of nine courses adding up to 36 units, including:

• MGMTMBA 200: Thinking Strategically in the Digital Age
• MGMTMBA 298: Merage Consulting Projects
• MGMTMBA 214: Entrepreneurship: Planning the New Venture or MGMTMBA 213: New Venture Management
• Three MBA core courses selected from a list of options
• Three MBA elective courses

Required and Recommended Courses, Biotechnology

A total of seven courses adding up to 36 units, including:

• Two core biological science courses: Nucleic Acid Structure and Function and Protein Structure and Function
• Two additional graduate-level elective courses in biological sciences or biomedical engineering
• One teaching laboratory course: Biotechnology Management Laboratory
• Two quarters of research with a faculty member in the School of Biological Sciences or Department of Biomedical Engineering

Proseminar Course

A six-quarter course, MBA Proseminar, provides students with information and practical skills for success in the program and career planning.

Capstone Course

A jointly taught capstone course, Biotech Management, integrates the programs two-year curriculum and provides a format for the required comprehensive exam. The curriculum addresses scientific and management issues in the biotech industry, and guest lecturers from the biotech industry are invited to talk about the scientific and management sides of their companies.