Biotechnology, MBIOT
The Master of Biotechnology Program prepares students, both full- and part-time, for leadership in the critically important and dynamic industries of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Strongly interdisciplinary, this innovative professional master's program draws its faculty and courses from the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Penn's world-class biomedical research centers, renowned science departments and position at the hub of the largest pharmaceutical/biotechnology corridor in the United States, place this program at the vanguard of biotechnology education. There are two curriculum tracks: Molecular Biotechnology and Biopharmaceutical Engineering Biotechnology. These tracks, in combination with core courses, ensure that students get a uniquely broad exposure to the entire field of biotechnology and give students the flexibility to tailor their degree to their background, interests, and current career or career goals.
For more information: http://biotech.seas.upenn.edu/
Master’s Program Curriculum
A minimum of 10.0 course units are required to obtain the Masters of Biotechnology degree.1 2
Core Curriculum
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Curriculum | ||
| Biotechnology | ||
| Select three of the following: | 3 | |
| Immunology for Bioengineers | ||
| Principles of Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering | ||
| Principles, Methods, and Applications of Tissue Engineering | ||
| Quantitative Principles of Drug Design | ||
| Drug Discovery and Development | ||
| Biological Foundations for Bioengineering and Biotechnology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | ||
| Biological Foundations for Bioengineering and Biotechnology: Genomics and Omics Technologies | ||
| Principles of Genome Engineering | ||
| Advancements and Applications in Genome Editing and Engineering | ||
| Principles of Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering | ||
| Protein Engineering & Practical Applications | ||
| Engineering Biotechnology | ||
| Stem Cells, Proteomics and Drug Delivery - Soft Matter Fundamentals | ||
| Drug Discovery and Development | ||
| Modern Biotechnology for Engineers | ||
| Laboratory in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering 3 | ||
| Select 1 of the following: | 1 | |
| Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Superlab | ||
| Masters Biotechnology Lab | ||
| Track Electives | 6 | |
| Total Course Units | 10 | |
- 1
The core courses represent 4 credit units and the track electives represent 6 credit units. Students must take at least 6 credit units--between the core and electives--within SEAS courses. Those SEAS programs are: BE, BIOT, CBE, CIS/CIT, EAS, ENGR, ENM, ESE, IPD, MSE, & MEAM. If a course is cross-listed, students must take the SEAS version of it for it to count toward this 6 SEAS course requirement.
While some courses may fit into multiple course requirements, students must take a total of 10 credit units and may not double-count courses across the Biotechnology curriculum. Double counting may be allowed in dual degree majors, accelerated programs and other select cases. Please see an advisor for more information. Additionally, students may not take cross-listed twice under different course codes and count these toward the degree twice.
- 2
Students may take up to two (2) EAS courses toward the degree. EAS 8960 and EAS 8970 do not count toward the 10 CUs for the program. Students are also limited to two (2) IPD courses and three (3) BIOT 5990 courses toward the degree.
- 3
Students may waive the lab requirement by following the program's workflow. Students who waive the lab will still need to take a class for this requirement, but it can be any course from SEAS (BE, BIOT, CBE, CIS/CIT, EAS, ENGR, ENM, ESE, IPD, MSE, & MEAM).
Track Curriculum
Students are required to select one of the following tracks:
Molecular Biology Track
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Biology Electives | ||
| Select 3 course units of the following: | 3 | |
5000+ courses in ANAT, BBCB, BCHE, BE, BIOE, BIOL, BIOM, BMIN, BSTA, BIOT—excluding BIOT 5990—, CAMB, CBE, CHEM, CIS, CIT, DATA, DATS, EESC, ENMG, EAS—excluding EAS 8960 and EAS 8970—, ENGR, ENM, ENVS, EPID, ESE, GENC, GCB, HPR, HQS, IMUN, IMP, IPD, MSE, MTR, MATH, MEAM, MPHY, NGG, PHRM, PHYS, PSYC, PUBH, REG, SCMP, STAT | ||
| Research | ||
| Select 2 course units of: | 2 | |
| BIOT Independent Study 1 | ||
| Free Elective | 1 | |
Any 5000+ level course | ||
| Total Course Units | 6 | |
- 1
This may be done during one semester, or two semesters (consecutive or non-consecutive). Students should complete this requirement prior to their final semester.
Biopharmaceutical/Engineering Biotechnology Track
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Electives | ||
| Select 2 of the following: | 2 | |
| Optical Microscopy | ||
| Brain-Computer Interfaces | ||
| Computational Biophysics | ||
| Biomedical Image Analysis | ||
| Principles of Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering | ||
| Fundamental Techniques of Imaging | ||
| Continuum Tissue Mechanics | ||
| Biomicrofluidics | ||
| Quantitative Principles of Drug Design | ||
| Developmental Engineering of Tissues | ||
| The Mathematics of Medical Imaging and Measurement | ||
| Advanced Biomedical Imaging Applications | ||
| Nano-Transport | ||
| Principles of Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering | ||
| Nanoscale Systems Biology | ||
| Introduction to Bioinformatics | ||
| Fundamentals of Computational Biology | ||
| Programming Languages and Techniques | ||
| Statistics for Data Science | ||
| Materials for Bioelectronics | ||
| Advanced Electives | ||
| Select 3 of the following: | 3 | |
5000+ courses in ANAT, BBCB, BCHE, BE, BIOE, BIOL, BIOM, BMIN, BSTA, BIOT, CAMB, CBE, CHEM, CIS, CIT, DATA, DATS, EESC, ENMG, EAS—excluding EAS 8960 and EAS 8970—, ENGR, ENM, ENVS, EPID, ESE, GENC, GCB, HPR, HQS, IMUN, IMP, IPD, MSE, MTR, MATH, MEAM, MPHY, NGG, PHRM, PHYS, PSYC, PUBH, REG, SCMP, STAT | ||
| Free Elective | 1 | |
Any 5000+ level course | ||
| Total Course Units | 6 | |
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2025 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.