Biotechnology

Major: Biotechnology
Degree Awarded: Master of Science (MS)
Calendar Type: Semester
Minimum Required Credits: 42.0
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 41.0101
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 11-9121; 19-1029; 25-2031

About the Program

The MS in Biotechnology program is designed to train laboratory personnel in the theory and practice of state-of-the art technologies for biochemical analysis. The program is targeted to individuals who will be seeking employment in biotechnology/pharmaceutical firms or academic laboratories and is appropriate for recent college graduates or experienced technicians. Graduates of this program will possess a set of technical skills that will make them very competitive for laboratory jobs in the academic or industrial sectors, or, if they are already employed, enhance their potential for advancement.

This program includes both academic coursework and hands-on practica.

Additional Information

For more information, visit the College of Medicine's Biotechnology program website.

Admission Requirements

For acceptance to the program, the applicant must have completed a four-year biology or chemistry-based bachelor's degree program, or equivalent. While there are no minimum requirements, applicants should be competitive with regard to grades, entrance exam scores and letters of recommendation. Students must fulfill all requirements for consideration as defined by the Executive Committee of the Division of Biomedical Science Programs:

• official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• official transcript evaluation such as WES, for transcripts from international institutions that are not in English, or that do not use a 4 point GPA scale;
• official entrance exam scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Medical College Admission Test (MCAT);
• references from at least three instructors or industry professionals;
• an application fee of $75; 
• international 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), or IELTS, with the exception of those who have received their undergraduate degree in an accredited US institution;

Students applying to the program will be expected to have undergraduate experience in chemistry, cell biology, biochemistry, and mathematics--including, at a minimum--two semesters each of inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, calculus and biology.

Additional Information

To learn more about applying to Drexel College of Medicine programs, visit the College of Medicine’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies website.

Degree Requirements

This program offers a set of required didactic courses designed to provide students with the theoretical underpinnings of modern Biochemistry and Biotechnology, and will form a foundation for the four hands-on practica. These practica will provide detailed exposure and experience in four different aspects of biochemistry/biotechnology: protein expression and purification; crystallography; gene expression and manipulation; protein-protein and protein-ligand interaction with SPR; and imaging/microscopy. Each practica will be conducted under the close supervision of a faculty member with expertise in the area, and will progress from an initial set of experiments in which the results are already known (allowing students to become familiar with techniques), then progressing to a project tightly associated with the ongoing research in the mentor's laboratory. The third practicum will be 8.0 semester credit hours, and will include preparation of a scholarly paper that reviews a topic related to the techniques associated with that particular practicum.

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Taken a minimum of three times, for one credit each.

Sample Plan of Study