Biochemistry (MS)
A skills-based, non-thesis MS in Biotechnology is offered online.
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WPI’s versatile master’s degree program in Biology and Biotechnology will give you the rigorous knowledge, practical skills, and hands-on experience needed to launch a successful career in the life sciences or prepare for a medical or doctoral program.
As a student in our full-time, thesis-based MS program, you will join a tight-knit, dynamic community of researchers dedicated to advancing the understanding of living organisms and their molecular underpinnings. You will make your own discoveries as you explore areas of interest, and gain essential laboratory training, in our cutting-edge research facilities.
For a more robust program with additional research opportunities, consider WPI’s PhD degree program in Biology and Biotechnology.
Curriculum
You will work closely with a faculty mentor to develop a plan of study and research that matches your interests and career goals. Students typically divide their time among research, courses, and seminars. Core courses cover advanced topics in biology and biotechnology, as well as professional training in areas including grant writing, presentation skills, experimental design, and ethics within the life sciences.
You will culminate your degree program with a research-based thesis that applies the principles of biology and biotechnology using hypothesis-driven experimental methods to address a specific research problem.
Similar Degrees
Research
As an MS candidate, you’ll have opportunities to conduct laboratory research in your course and thesis work, and you will be mentored by WPI faculty members who are making meaningful advances at the intersection of biology and technology in the following areas:
- cancer cell biology
- cognition and behavior
- cytoskeletal dynamics
- drug resistance
- epigenetics and gene regulation
- infectious diseases
- neuronal migration and degeneration
- regenerative medicine
- signal transduction mechanisms
MS candidates are encouraged to review the department's faculty pages to identify potential advisors.
You will have access to state-of-the-art equipment in WPI’s Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center, a research complex where an open-plan lab and presence of biotech companies encourage interdisciplinary collaborations. Facilities include an analytical instrumentation core equipped for NMR, Mass Spec, X-Ray Crystal, and qPCR analysis; imaging core with advanced microscopes for point-scanning confocal, spinning disk confocal, and TIRF microscopy; and an AAALAC-accredited vivarium.
Faculty Profiles
David S. Adams
Professor
Biology & Biotechnology
This is a great place to do biology! WPI lies within a driving commute of 260 different biotech companies, and is located within one of the world's two main meccas for biotechnology.
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Lauren Mathews
Associate Professor
Biology & Biotechnology
Research in my laboratory addresses questions in the field of evolutionary ecology and environmental biology, and typically combines field work and laboratory studies. Current projects focus on two disciplines.
[...]
Reeta Rao
Associate Professor
Biology & Biotechnology
My research program focuses on understanding and managing fungal diseases. We primarily study Candida albicans, an opportunistic pathogen and the most prevalent fungal pathogen of humans. It is responsible for common clinical problems including oral thrush and vaginitis, but can also lead to life-threatening systematic infections in immunocompromised individuals such as AIDS patients, resulting in 30-50% mortality rates. The estimated annual cost of treating nosocomial Candida infections exceeds $1 billion per year.
[...]
Robert J. Gegear
Assistant Professor
Biology & Biotechnology
My laboratory studies animal sensory and cognitive systems within the contexts of evolutionary ecology and conservation biology.
[...]Getting Involved
After Graduation
Technological advances in biology hold the promise of helping solve many of today’s pressing global problems. With a master’s degree in Biology and Biotechnology from WPI, you will be well positioned to address these challenges through diverse career opportunities in areas including the biotech industry/private sector, academia, and government.