Biotechnology

• Four available concentrations
• Opportunities to participate in wet lab coursework experience
• Co-op real-world work experience during a three- to six-month graduate co-op with a leading industry, academic, or government employer
• Recent biotechnology co-op placements have included Biogen Idec, EMD Serono/Millipore, Harvard Medical School, Medimmune, Momenta Pharmaceuticals, New England Biolabs, Regeneron, Novartis, and Genzyme, among others
• Gain in-demand industry skills. The industry’s unparalleled growth is projected to continue in the coming years, providing new opportunities on every level and in every industry sector, from large pharmaceutical operations to entrepreneurial biotechnology startups.

While all biotechnology lecture courses can be completed online, two hybrid lab courses occur across the summer terms annually. For students living in the U.S., these courses meet across a two-week period on the Boston campus, Monday through Friday from 9 to 5 p.m.

Many students that need to travel to the Boston area for this experience stay in on-campus housing across this window. If students are not able to waive the laboratory coursework requirements, they must travel to campus to attend on-ground classes for the duration of these windows.

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 include wet lab coursework designed to provide students with fundamental bench/technical skills they will need to access cutting-edge advances in the industry.

Available concentrations include:

• Agricultural biotechnology: The agricultural concentration goes beyond the production of biological drugs and focuses on the key agricultural biotechnology (agritech) principles and methods used today. The concentration addresses plant, animal, food, and ecological biotechnology.
• Biodefense: The biodefense concentration is designed to prepare students for the initial homeland biodefense and bioterrorism response. Students have an opportunity to learn the microbiology and epidemiology of biological agents that are potential threats, identify and propose countermeasures, and develop expertise in response and recovery strategies and policies.
• Biopharmaceutical technologies and analytics: The biopharmaceutical technologies and analytics track focuses on structures, variants, and activities of biological molecules, as well as how to convert purified proteins to biopharmaceutical drug products that are compatible for clinical use. Students learn the diversity of molecular forms derived from biological products, techniques to analyze and characterize these forms, and the impact of these structural changes on the safety and efficacy of biopharmaceuticals.
• Biotechnology operations: The biotechnology operations track is an operationally inclusive concentration that offers relevant insights to the inner workings of a biotech company while preparing students for new entry or promotions to a variety of biotech functions. Students learn the principles of quality, regulatory science, process science, and manufacturing while integrating business and management skills with the science of biotechnology.
• Interdisciplinary: Students are not required to declare a concentration. With the interdisciplinary option, students select 17 credits of electives in place of concentration-specific courses.

Learn more about applying to the College of Science and our admissions deadlines.

• Online application

• Application fee

• Transcripts from all institutions attended

• Personal statement

• Resumé

• Two letters of recommendation

• GPA 3.0+

• GRE is not required

• English language proficiency:

  • Degree earned or in progress at a U.S./Canadian institution

  • Degree earned or in progress at an institution where English is the only medium of instruction

  • Official exam scores from either the TOEFL iBT (institution code is 3682), IELTS, PTE exam, or Duolingo English Test. Scores are valid for 2 years from the test date.

• Prerequisite coursework:

  • Applicants may be admitted to the program without first satisfying these pre-requisite requirements but will be expected to complete this coursework in parallel during their first year in the program.

    • Biochemistry (lecture, no lab required)

    • Advanced biology, such as genetics, physiology, or molecular biology (lecture, no lab required) 

  • Statistics recommended, not required