Why Biotech At NU
A January 1999 study by the accounting firm Ernst & Young shows that the New England area has surpassed San Francisco, for the first time, in the formation of firms searching for gene-based drugs. It is estimated that the Massachusetts biotechnology industry now employs triple the number of employees that it did in 1991 (25,000 currently and increasing). Our plan for a practice-oriented, three-track professional M.S. program in biotechnology, therefore, has a strong basis in our geographical region.
For several years, Boston-area biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies have been expressing frustration over the shortage of job candidates with advanced degrees and prior industrial experience. The biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies that we have contacted have all expressed their vital interest in development of the pool of educated professionals with expertise in biotechnology. Specifically, the Industrial Advisory Board for the Northeastern University Molecular Biotechnology Initiative (for more information see our website at www.biotech.neu.edu) has requested that we create an interdisciplinary Masters Program in Biotechnology with specializations in Molecular Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, and Engineering Biotechnology. Building on the experience gained in developing our Sloan Foundation-sponsored Professional Masters in Bioinformatics program, our Biotechnology Masters Development Team has created a flexible, two-year, professional Masters in Biotechnology program that addresses the needs of students and industry through rigorous, interdisciplinary training in biotechnology and "hands-on" industrial rotations. Our goal is to educate professionals who are prepared for immediate productivity in industrial, governmental, or clinical settings.