The Department of Biological Sciences is the academic home of UMBC’s MPS: Biotechnology program, which is administered by the Department of Continuing and Professional Studies.  Unlike the department’s other graduate programs, the MPS program is a part-time program designed for professionals working in the biotechnology industry.

The primary purpose of the program is to enable these working professionals to learn about the business side of the industry, while at the same time providing a strong foundation in the multiple sciences that underlie the field of biotechnology.  Accordingly, five science courses taken in sequence constitute half of the courses required for the degree, while three courses pertaining to the business of biotechnology and two courses devoted toward understanding bioregulatory issues and good manufacturing process make up the remainder of the degree program.

One science course and at least one non-science course are offered each semester. Currently, the courses are offered in the following sequence: fall-spring-summer-fall-spring, such that the degree may be received in less than two years. Important to the working professional, the courses are all offered in the evening, usually from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, and they are held at UMBC’s Tech Incubator, a conveniently located facility that houses several start-up biotechnology companies and where parking is plentiful, and on the UMBC Campus.

Additional information about the program, which recently was recognized as fulfilling the requirements as a Professional Science Masters (PSM) program, can be found at: http://www.umbc.edu/biotech . Also note that a Graduate Certificate in Biotechnology Management may be earned by taking four of the five non-science courses, with all of these courses being transferable to the MPS program should a student in the Certificate program decide to transfer to the MPS program.