University of San Francisco - College of Arts & Sciences
Master in Biotechnology
San Francisco, USA
Master degree
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 29,880 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for living on campus and living in off-campus housing
Key Summary
Our 36-unit professional sciences master's (PSM) program is a two-year, four-semester interdisciplinary program that provides students with a multi-disciplinary background that integrates scientific, business, and ethical aspects of biotechnology. The program is intended for students who do not wish to pursue a PhD but still seek a career in the industry. The curriculum focuses on a combination of biotechnology-related and MBA-level business courses. Students start the graduate program each year in the fall.
Major Requirements (36 units)
Fall, 1st Year Courses (9 units)
- BTEC 601 - Career Preparation Seminar
- BTEC 610 - Global & US Regulatory Affairs
- BTEC 611 - Legal-Social-Ethical Biotech
- BTEC 620 - Molecular Biology
- BTEC 698 - Directed Study
Spring, 1st Year Courses (8 units)
- BTEC 612 - Local-National-Global Biotech
- BTEC 615 - Bioinnovation Management
- BTEC 685 - Molecular Genetics & Biotechnology
- BTEC 686 - Molecular Genetics & Biotechnology Lab
- BTEC 698 - Directed Study
Fall, 2nd Year Courses (8 units)
- BTEC 640 - Bioinformatics
- BTEC 688 - Advanced Research Methods in Biotech
- BTEC 689 - Advanced Research Methods in Biotech Lab
- BTEC 698 - Directed Study
Intersession or Summer (2 units)
- BTEC 619 - Bio entrepreneurship AGI
- BTEC 698 - Directed Study
Spring, 2nd Year Courses (9 units)
- BTEC 600 - Graduate Seminar: Molecular Biology
- BTEC 697 - Internship in Biotechnology
Electives (Choose One):
- BIOL 605 - Molecular Medicine
- BTEC 622 - Human Physiology
- BTEC 623 - Disease, Physiology, and Immunology
- BTEC 698 - Directed Study
- Review and evaluate concepts from multiple disciplines (biology, bioinformatics, business) within biotechnology.
- Interpret and execute best practices in biotech-related lab techniques as well as exhibit an ability to assess the novelty of research and prioritize protocols..
- Comprehend the need for ethics in science and technology-based business/research/industry.
- Critically review scientific papers and demonstrate science communication skills necessary to attain professional-level employment in science and technology-based research/industry.
- Demonstrate effective teamwork, team leadership, business communication skills, and networking skills, including exposure to industry members in molecular biology and biotechnology-based business/ research/industry.
The MSCS program offers a limited number of merit-based scholarships to incoming and current graduate students, both domestic and international, on a competitive basis.
MSCS Admission Scholarship
Awarded to incoming MSCS applicants with outstanding applications from all backgrounds. Approximate awards range up to $5k over the first year of study.
MSCS Merit Scholarship
Awarded to incoming MSCS applicants with outstanding applications from all backgrounds, or current MSCS graduate students who demonstrate outstanding skills and leadership. Approximate awards range from $5–10k over one to two semesters.
The Dean's Scholarship
An award of up to $15,000 to use toward tuition, research, and conference travel. Connect with other Dean's Scholarship recipients and leaders across the College of Arts & Sciences. Serve as a program representative to USF donor initiatives to help transform the lives of other USF students. For more information please see the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Scholarships website.
Double Dons Scholarship
USF Alumni and current students can be awarded the USF Double Dons Scholarship upon admission. The scholarship covers 20% of the program tuition, and may not be stacked with other USF scholarship awards. Exceptions may apply.
Our graduates take advantage of being in the Bay Area — the largest biotech cluster in the country — and now work with many established biotech companies, as well as start-ups, that are using cutting-edge technology to shape the future.
Employers
A partial list:
- 10x Genomics
- Alector
- Allogene Therapeutics
- Berkeley Lights
- Calico Life Sciences
- Cargill
- CellCarta
- Cellecta Inc.
- Centivax
- Decibio
- Denali Therapeutics
- DNALite Therapeutics
- Exelixis
- Genentech
- Guardant Health
- IDEAYA Biosciences
- IGM Biosciences
- Laboratory for Genomics Research
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
- Lyell Immunopharma
- Nkarta Therapeutics
- Noah Medical
- Parallel Health
- Pliant Therapeutics
- PrognomiQ Inc
- Singular Genomics
- SOFIE
- Synthego
- UC Berkeley
- YaliBio