Why Biotech At NU
Massachusetts is home to more than 400 biotechnology companies (MBC, 2007). It is estimated that the Massachusetts biotechnology industry employs 42,917 individuals who earn an average salary of more than $100,000 and are responsible for over $5 billion of in-state payroll (US Census Bureau, 2005). Our practice-oriented, three-track Professional Master of Science (PSM) in Biotechnology Program at Northeastern University, therefore, is strongly rooted in our geographical region.
For several years, Boston-area biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies have expressed frustration over the shortage of job candidates with advanced degrees and prior industry experience. The biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies that we have contacted have all expressed their vital interest in developing a pool of educated professionals with expertise in biotechnology. The Industrial Advisory Board for Northeastern's Biotechnology Initiative particularly requested that we create an interdisciplinary Professional Master of Science (PSM) in Biotechnology with specializations in molecular biotechnology, pharmaceutical biotechnology, and engineering biotechnology. In response and with funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's PSM initiative, our team created a flexible, non-thesis, professional program, that addresses the needs of students and industry through rigorous interdisciplinary training in biotechnology and an internship that provides a "real-world" learning opportunity in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.
Our goal is to respond to regional and national needs for a stronger scientific workforce by preparing our students with the biotechnology expertise and professonal skills they need to be immediately productive in industrial, governmental, and clinical settings.