- As needed, strengthen functional knowledge of molecular biology, and other areas of strategic focus such as immunology, virology and pharmacology.
- Demonstrate an understanding of modern biomanufacturing processes and their associated vocabulary, in order to effectively communicate and engage in fruitful collaborations with technical specialists.
- Develop the knowledge necessary to effectively understand one or more interdisciplinary aspects of the biopharma industry, including the impact of drug and/or device regulations, evaluating risk and monitoring compliance, and/or value creation in the development process.
- Identify and utilize strategies to build and manage a multidisciplinary team or project.
- Foster leadership and interpersonal skills required to excel in a diverse life science company.
The Master of Science in Bioscience Management provides students with the practical knowledge in the areas of biotechnology, chemistry and business administration to make strategic decisions within a bio-related industry.
Also available online:
Learning Outcomes
Admissions Qualifications
- A Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited program in life science; other backgrounds including management, engineering or computer science may be considered on an individual basis. If an applicant does not have a degree in the life sciences, they should demonstrate knowledge and exposure to the life sciences through work experience or other outlet. We recommend applicants use their resume and statement of purpose to describe their educational development in the life sciences post degree.
- Undergraduate major GPA of > 3.0
For specific application requirements, visit our admissions for online programs page.
If you do not have a bachelor's degree, please view our list of undergraduate programs.
Program Requirements
Distribution Requirement (30 Credits)
Chemistry / Biochemistry: 6 - 12 credits
Biology / Biotechnology*: 6 - 12 credits
Management: 6 - 12 credits
Electives: 3 - 9 credits
- For this interdisciplinary degree, no more than half of the academic credit can be taken in the same department.
- Courses across all 3 departments (CBC, BBT and Management) will require a fundamental knowledge of algebra
- Life Science courses will assume a basic knowledge of biochemistry and molecular biology
- A foundation or ramp-up course, Molecular Biology of the Cell, is recommended for students who need to refresh their baseline knowledge before moving on to additional life science courses.
*Note: Some of the biomanufacturing courses require an on-site lab, however students are not required to take courses with a lab component as part of their plan of study.
Thesis option: Currently, WPI’s online graduate programs do not offer a thesis option, as theses cannot be completed online. If you wish to pursue a thesis on campus, it is the student’s responsibility to find an advisor. Please note that depending on the project’s subject and timeframe, there might not be a faculty member willing or able to advise.
Course Schedule
View academic term start dates for online courses.
Academic Year 2020
FALL TERM
- BB 570 ST. Genetic Engineering and Synthetic Biology
- BB 570 ST. Molecular Biology of the Cell
- OIE 542. Risk Management and Decision Making
- FIN 503. Financial Decision-Making for Value Creation
EARLY SPRING TERM
- BB 560. Methods of Protein Purification and Downstream Processing*
- BB or CH course (see list below)
- MIS 576. Project Management
- OBC 505. Teaming and Organizing for Innovation
LATE SPRING TERM
- BB 509. Scale-Up of Bioprocessing* or
- BB or CH Course (see list below)
- OIE 598. Engineering Economics
- OIE 542. Risk Management and Decision Making
SUMMER TERM
- MA 501. Engineering Mathematics
- MA 511. Applied Statistics for Engineers and Scientists
- MIS 576. Project Management
OTHER BIOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY COURSES
These skills-based courses will be offered every other year (as needed):
- BB 570 ST. Animal Cell Culture*
- BB 570 ST. Medical and Applied Immunology*
- BB 565. Virology*
- BB 581. Bioinformatics*
- BB 553. Experimental Design and Statistics in the Life Sciences*
- BB 570 ST. Genetic Engineering and Gene Expression*
- BB 570 ST. Advanced Topics in Biotechnology
OTHER CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY COURSES
- CH 538. Medicinal Chemistry
- CH 555 ST. Drug Regulations
- CH 555 ST. Drug Safety and Regulatory Affairs
- CH 555 ST. Membrane Protein-Targeted Drug Design
OTHER ELECTIVES
Additional management and math electives can be found here.
Please note that asterisks (*) indicate that although the course is offered online, it is a “skills-based” course and includes 12-24 hrs of hands-on labwork, delivered on the weekends in 4-8 hr modules, on the WPI campus.
Software used in this program: Labster Simulation Software
Course Offerings are subject to change. If you are interested in enrolling, please contact us for the most up-to-date information.
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