Biomedicine and Law

Major: Biomedicine and Law

Degree Awarded: Master of Science (MS)
Calendar Type: Semester
Minimum Required Credits: 36.0
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 26.9999

Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 19-1020; 23-2000

About the Program

The online Master of Science in Biomedicine and Law degree program comprehensive training in technical and practical aspects of science and innovation as well as in the legal aspects related to new biomedical product development, entrepreneurship, and regulatory compliance. This program is geared to individuals interested in careers focused on technology development.

Graduates of this program will be prepared to progress into more advanced graduate studies in science and/or careers in scientifically oriented management jobs in the public or private sector (e.g., technology commercialization offices, patent agencies). These individuals will also be competitive law school applicants if they so chose to continue their professional studies even though credits for their legal coursework in this program will not be transferable for law school credits.

Curriculum

This is an interdisciplinary online program offered by the College of Medicine. The science courses, which are offered online, are taught by faculty from Drexel University College of Medicine. Faculty from Drexel University's Kline School of Law teach the entrepreneurship courses.

  • Non-thesis program (36.0 semester credits needed to graduate)
  • No thesis requirement
  • Required and elective courses in each discipline
  • Flexible internship elective (experiential learning)
  • Customizable plan of study

Format

  • Online (select courses in both disciplines are offered face to face on-campus)
  • New students admitted each fall and spring semesters
  • Classes taught throughout the year (fall, spring, and summer)
  • Accelerated: 1-year MS (full-time) or 1.5 years (part-time)

Full-Time and Part-Time Options

Students may meet the degree requirements in either a full-time (at least 9.0 credits per semester) or part-time basis. Full-time students generally complete the program in one year. Part-time students must complete the program within four years. Students must enroll in at least 4.5 semester credits of College of Medicine courses to qualify for financial aid. For information regarding financial aid, please visit Drexel Central

Additional Information

For questions about the curriculum and program goals, please email Program Director Dr. Sujata Bhatia at skb322@drexel.edu.

For questions about how to apply to the program, please contact an enrollment counselor at duonline@drexel.edu.

Admission Requirements

New students are admitted every fall and spring semester.

Post-college applicants must have completed a four-year degree program. An undergraduate degree in science is preferred but not required; although a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 is strongly preferred.

Applicants must also fulfill the following requirements for consideration:

  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
  • Essay/personal statement
  • Resume
  • References from at least three instructors or professionals.

Official test scores from graduate admission exams, such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), are optional but highly desirable.

Three letters of recommendation are required. If you received your degree within the last five years, it is strongly recommended that at least one letter of recommendation be provided by someone familiar with your academic qualifications and potential (e.g., your undergraduate advisor, a course instructor, or your research mentor). If you are requesting a letter from someone at your place of employment, the recommendation should be provided by a supervisor (or another more senior manager) with direct knowledge of your work and should address your scientific aptitude as well as your work ethic.

International applicants (non-United States citizens) must meet the same requirements for admission as students from the United States. Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate the ability to speak, write, and understand the English language by submitting an acceptable score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). IELTS scores may be submitted in lieu of TOEFL scores. An evaluation by World Education Services (WES) is required for transcripts from institutions outside the United States. 

  • TOEFL score needs to be at least 90 with at least a 27 in both the reading and writing sections
  • IELTS score needs to be above 7

Online applications are accepted all year-round for consideration for either fall or spring admission. Students may defer admission by one year. All admission decisions are made at the College of Medicine.

Additional Information

For questions about the curriculum and program goals, please contact Program Director Dr. Sujata Bhatia at skb322@drexel.edu.

For information regarding financial aid, please visit Drexel Central

For questions about how to apply to the program, please contact an enrollment counselor at duonline@drexel.edu.

Degree Requirements

There are several ways to customize the experiential learning component (2.0 - 6.0 semester credits) so that it satisfies both the degree requirements and, especially, the student’s own personal situation. The duration of the internship may vary. Shorter rotations may require that the student enroll in elective courses to meet the semester credit requirements for degree. 

Required Courses
Science Requirements
MIIM 503SBiomedical Ethics2.0
or IDPT 500S Responsible Conduct of Research
or LAW 783S Bioethics
MIIM 518SFoundations of Applied Biomedicine *3.0
MIIM 519SCommercialization of Biomedical Technology **3.0
MIIM 631SBiomedical Innovation Development and Management5.0
Law Requirements
LSTU 500SIntroduction to the Legal System3.0
LSTU 506SPatients and Privacy: HIPAA and Related Regulations3.0
Electives
Choose at least 1 program-specific science elective and 2 law electives
Science, Program-Specific (Required to pick at least 1 course, but more than 1 is recommended)
Applied Statistics for Biomedical Sciences
Biostatistics I
Biomedicine Seminar
Experiential Learning
Biomedical Career Explorations
Special Topics in Microbiology & Immunology
Science, Clinical Research
Emerging Trends in Medical Device Regulation
The History of Misconduct in Biomedical Research
World Wide Regulatory Submissions
Intro to Clinical Trials
Scientific Writing and Medical Literature
Current Federal Regulatory Issues in Biomedical Research
Pharmaceutical Law
Compliance & Monitoring Issues
Designing the Clinical Trial
Science, Basic Science & Research
Fundamentals of Molecular Medicine I
Concepts in Biomedicine I
Fundamentals of Molecular Medicine II
Concepts in Biomedicine II
Molecular Medicine Journal Club II
Molecular Medicine Journal Club I
Biotechniques I: Molecular and Genomic Methods
Biotechniques II: Immunological Methods
Immunology, Immunopathology and Infectious Diseases
Viruses and Viral Infections
Bacteria and Bacterial Infections
Mycology and Fungal Infections
Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases
Introduction to Infectious Diseases
Microbiology and Immunology Seminar
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Clinical Correlations in Infectious Disease
Law (Required to pick at least 2 courses) ***
Reproductive Rights & Justice
Health Care Fraud and Abuse
Law and Entrepreneurship
Health Care Quality Regulation
Health Care Business Regulation
Health Policy Colloquium
Health Care Finance
Legal Regulation of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Research and Development
Legal Regulation of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Sales and Marketing Practices
Law of Medical Malpractice
Food and Drug Law
Health Law Legal Research
Compliance Skills: Auditing, Investigation & Reporting
Legal Research and Analysis
Health Care Rules and Regulations
Health Care Quality, Patient Safety and Risk Management
Risk Assessment and Management
Entrepreneurship ***
Learning from Failure
Innovation & Ideation
Innovation in Established Companies
*

Substitutions: MIIM 515S and MIIM 516S OR MIIM 530S OR MIIM 531S

**

 Substitutions: MIIM 535S and MIIM 536S

***

Science and law courses are offered on a semester basis, and entrepreneurship courses are offered on a quarter basis. Semesters and quarters overlap. Credits shown for entrepreneurship courses are quarter credits (3 quarter credits = 2 semester credits). This program requires a minimum of 36.0 semester credits to meet the degree requirements. This requirement can be met through a combination of science, digital media and entrepreneurship courses.

Additional Information

For more information, please email Program Director Dr. Sujata Bhatia at skb322@drexel.edu.

Sample Plans of Study

These are samples of customizable plans of study. Variations may occur depending on course availability and each student's interest.

Full-time, Fall Start

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
Required Course(s)Required Course(s)Elective Course(s)
MIIM 518S3.0MIIM 519S3.0MIIM 605S2.0-6.0
LSTU 500S*3.0LSTU 506S*3.0LSTU 503S*2.0-3.0
Elective Course(s)Elective Course(s) 
MIIM 550S3.0CR 545S3.0 
 9 9 4-9
Second Year
FallCredits  
Required Course(s)  
MIIM 503S2.0  
MIIM 631S (Capstone Course)5.0  
Elective Course(s)  
LSTU 501S*3.0  
 10  
Total Credits 32-37
*

This is a full-time plan with ≥ 9.0 semester credits/semester. Both science and Law courses are listed in semester credits. To qualify for financial aid, each semester students must enroll in ≥4.5 credits in science courses offered by the College of Medicine. Students must enroll in at least 1 College of Medicine course in order to enroll in any course offered by another Drexel College or School.  Students graduate after 4 terms (1 year), completing 3-4 courses per term, all terms are eligible for financial aid.

Full-time, Spring Start

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
Elective Course(s)Required Course(s)Required Course(s)
MIIM 605S2.0-6.0MIIM 519S3.0MIIM 518S3.0
MIIM 550S3.0LSTU 500S*3.0LSTU 506S*2.0-3.0
LSTU 503S*2.0-3.0Elective Course(s)Elective Course(s)
 CR 545S3.0CR 515S3.0
 7-12 9 8-9
Second Year
 SpringCredits 
 Required Course(s) 
 MIIM 631S5.0 
 MIIM 503S2.0 
 Elective Course(s) 
 ENTP 621*3.0 
  10 
Total Credits 34-40
*

This is a full-time plan with ≥ 9.0 semester credits/semester. Both science and Law courses are listed in semester credits, and are offered in overlapping semester terms. Entrepreneurship courses are listed in quarter credits, since they are offered in quarter terms (overlap with semester terms). However, 2.0 semester credits will be awarded for 3.0 quarter credits completed.To qualify for financial aid, each semester students must enroll in ≥4.5 credits in science courses offered by the College of Medicine. Students must enroll in at least 1 College of Medicine course in order to enroll in any course offered by another Drexel College or School.  Students graduate after 4 terms (1 year), completing 3-4 courses per term, all terms are eligible for financial aid.

Part-time, Fall Start

First Year (Part-Time)
FallCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
Required Course(s)Required Course(s)Required Course(s)
MIIM 518S3.0MIIM 519S3.0LSTU 506S*2.0-3.0
Elective Course(s)MIIM 503S2.0Elective Course(s)
MIIM 550S3.0LSTU 500S*3.0MIIM 605S2.0-6.0
 6 8 4-9
Second Year (Part-Time)
FallCreditsSpringCredits 
Elective Course(s)Required Course(s) 
CR 545S3.0MIIM 631S (Capstone Course)5.0 
MIIM 645S2.0Elective Course(s) 
LSTU 503S*2.0-3.0LSTU 501S*2.0-3.0 
 7-8 7-8 
Total Credits 32-39
*

This is a part-time plan with <9.0 semester credits/semester. Both science and law courses are listed in semester credits, and are offered in overlapping semesters. To qualify for financial aid, each semester students must enroll in ≥4.5 credits in science courses offered by the College of Medicine. Students must enroll in at least 1 College of Medicine course in order to enroll in any course offered by another Drexel College or School.  Students graduate after 5 terms (1.5 years), completing 3-4 courses per term, all terms are eligible for financial aid.​

Part-time, Spring Start

First Year (Part-Time)
FallCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
Required Course(s)Required Course(s)Required Course(s)
MIIM 503S2.0MIIM 519S3.0MIIM 518S3.0
Elective Course(s)LSTU 500S*3.0LSTU 506S*2.0-3.0
MIIM 550S3.0 Elective Course(s)
LSTU 503S*2.0-3.0 MIIM 645S2.0
 7-8 6 7-8
Second Year (Part-Time)
 SpringCreditsSummerCredits
 Elective Course(s)Required Course(s)
 MIIM 605S2.0-6.0MIIM 631S5.0
 LSTU 504S*3.0Elective Course(s)
  ENTP 621*3.0
  5-9 8
Total Credits 33-39
*

This is a part-time plan with ≤9.0 semester credits/semester. Both science and law courses are listed in semester credits, and are offered in overlapping semester terms. Entrepreneurship courses are listed in quarter credits, since they are offered in quarter terms (overlap with semester terms). However, 2.0 semester credits will be awarded for 3.0 quarter credits completed.​To qualify for financial aid, each semester students must enroll in ≥4.5 credits in science courses offered by the College of Medicine. Students must enroll in at least 1 College of Medicine course in order to enroll in any course offered by another Drexel College or School.  Students graduate after 5 terms (1.5 years), completing 3-4 courses per term, all terms are eligible for financial aid.

Additional Information

To learn more about part-time options, please contact Program Director Dr. Sujata Bhatia at skb322@drexel.edu.

Program Goals

Upon completion of the degree requirements for this MS program, students will have developed:

  • A broad core knowledge in biological sciences and legal aspects of biomedical innovation
  • More in-depth analytical, research, and critical thinking skills
  • An advanced understanding of professional ethics
  • Graduate-level communication and leadership skills
  • Other "work readiness" soft skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, knowledge of career opportunities, and networking

Drexel Student Learning Priorities (DSLPs)

In the course of meeting these program-level goals, students would have also made progress in all of Drexel’s Student Learning Priorities (DSLPs) to help them build their future:

Core Intellectual and Practical Skills:

  • Communication
  • Creative and critical thinking
  • Ethical reasoning
  • Information literacy
  • Self-directed learning

Experiential and Applied Learning: 

  • Global competence
  • Leadership
  • Professional practice
  • Research, scholarship, and creative expression
  • Responsible citizenship

Additional Information

For questions about the curriculum and program goals, please email Program Director Dr. Sujata Bhatia at skb322@drexel.edu.

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