Biotechnology

Northeastern’s MS in Biotechnology is an innovative, non-thesis graduate degree program. The curriculum of this Professional Science Master’s combines advanced interdisciplinary training in biology, chemistry, chemical engineering, and pharmaceutical science with the development of high-value business skills critical to success in today’s dynamic workplace. Graduates are prepared to innovate, collaborate, and lead as research, managerial, or technical professionals in a wide range of biotechnology specialties. The program is taught by respected faculty who are also senior leaders in their fields. They bring extensive experience, first-hand knowledge of industry trends, and assure that the curriculum is rigorous, current, and relevant.

Students choose from concentrations in which core courses are combined with specialization and elective study. All concentrations feature a co-op work experience with an industry, academic or government employer. All concentrations except the biotechnology enterprise concentration include a hands-on lab experience and opportunities to take part in independent work in research labs. The following concentrations are available on our Boston campus:

The biopharmaceutical analytical sciences concentration focuses on structures and activities of biological molecules and their variants formed during the production of biopharmaceuticals. Students learn the diversity of molecular forms derived from the biological products through various biological and chemical mechanisms, and the impact of these structural changes on the safety and efficacy of these biopharmaceuticals. The students learn the science and practice applied in the biotechnology industry to analyze and characterize these molecular forms. This is accomplished through both lecture courses of the analytical sciences and project-driven laboratory experience that utilizes analytical techniques such as mass spectroscopy and molecular separations.

The biotechnology enterprise concentration integrates business and management skills with the science of biotechnology. Students learn the fundamental concepts of leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation, financial decision making and marketing. They gain teamwork, management, and business development skills in the process and graduate prepared to become scientist-managers. Some of the specialization courses for this concentration are offered only online.

The pharmaceutical technologies concentration focuses on the conversion of purified proteins to biopharmaceutical drug products that are compatible for clinical use. This concentration addresses the design of the product formulation, and the development and implementation of the drug product manufacturing processes. Students learn the sciences of the interactions of the biologic molecules in the process conditions and the relevant process technology, such as aseptic operations and freeze-drying, needed for drug product manufacturing. This is accomplished through both lecture courses and project-driven laboratory experience that provides hands-on learning of formulation design and drug product process development.

The process development concentration focuses on the production of drug substance of biopharmaceuticals from cell culture process to purification of the biologic molecules. The students learn the principles of development and implementation of biological manufacturing processes through the integration of concepts and fundamentals of engineering and life sciences. The concentration addresses biochemical engineering, mammalian cell culture process development and protein purification. The learning of the students is reinforced by both lecture courses and project-driven laboratory experience that provides hands-on learning of cell culture and protein separation.

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