Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (MSc)

Overview This four-semester Master of Science programme, taught in English, is aimed at graduates who hold a Bachelor's degree in pharmaceutics, chemistry, or biology and who want to move into specialist or managerial roles within the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical sectors. The course combines theoretical depth with hands-on components so graduates gain both conceptual understanding and practical skills relevant to industry settings.

What you will study The curriculum spans the full biopharmaceutical value chain: from molecular structures and properties through to production standards and the regulatory framework that governs medicines. You will learn core scientific principles alongside the fundamentals of good manufacturing practice (GMP) and regulatory affairs, and the programme highlights current advances — including emerging technologies and innovative laboratory and production techniques — shaping the sector today.

Career preparation By completion you will have a detailed understanding of the technical, regulatory and operational challenges in the biopharmaceutical industry and the applied skills needed to contribute in research, quality, production or regulatory teams. The combination of coursework and practical experience prepares graduates to pursue specialist positions or step into management responsibilities within a tightly regulated, fast-evolving field.

Entry and key facts

• Required first degree: Bachelor's in pharmaceutics, chemistry, or biology
• Language of instruction: English
• Programme length: 4 semesters

This Master’s programme gives you a concentrated, career-oriented education in pharmaceutical biotechnology, combining technical, analytical and management skills needed in the biopharma industry. Courses are organised around three main thematic areas and run over four semesters, with a strong emphasis on practical, hands-on learning in modern laboratories. The curriculum is built to prepare you for roles across development, production and quality assurance in pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

Teaching covers the full chain of biopharmaceutical production and quality management, from upstream processing to final product validation, together with analytical and safety-related methods. You’ll also learn modern data-handling techniques relevant to biotech workflows and acquire project and process management tools used in industry. Practical lab sessions are integrated throughout to ensure you graduate with both theoretical knowledge and operational experience.

Key modules and course components

• Introduction to the pharmaceutical industry
• Sterile process and plant engineering
• Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
• Upstream processing and bioseparation
• Downstream processing
• Qualification of technical equipment
• Pharmaceutical process validation
• Biopharmaceutical analysis (examples: ELISA, chromatography, mass spectrometry)
• Pharmacology and toxicology of biopharmaceuticals
• Practical laboratory work
• Data science for pharmaceutical biotechnology
• Biochemical process engineering
• Project management
• Lean management and Six Sigma
• Professional communication and presentation

Learning outcomes

• Understand the regulatory and operational landscape of the pharmaceutical industry and apply GMP principles.
• Design, operate and optimise upstream and downstream bioprocesses and perform bioseparation techniques.
• Conduct and interpret biopharmaceutical analyses using methods such as ELISA, chromatography and mass spectrometry.
• Validate equipment and processes according to industry standards and document qualification procedures.
• Assess pharmacological and toxicological aspects of biopharmaceuticals to support product development and safety evaluation.
• Use data-science approaches to analyse process and laboratory data for decision-making and process improvement.
• Lead projects, apply lean and Six Sigma methods to enhance process efficiency, and present technical information effectively.

Programme structure and practical requirements

• Delivered over four semesters and organised around three principal study areas (industry/process, scientific methods, management).
• Strong practical component with extensive hands-on laboratory training in state-of-the-art facilities.
• Balanced mix of technical, analytical and managerial coursework to prepare for diverse roles in pharmaceutical biotechnology.

Graduates are prepared for specialist and management roles across the biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical industries. Typical career paths include process development and engineering, production and manufacturing under GMP conditions, quality assurance/quality control, regulatory affairs, analytical development, and roles in biotech/pharma companies, contract research/ manufacturing organisations (CROs/CMOs) and diagnostics firms.

The programme’s combination of laboratory skills, regulatory/GMP training, analytical techniques and management modules (project management, Lean/Six Sigma, professional communication) also supports transitions into product development, technical management and cross-functional roles that bridge science and operations within the pharmaceutical value chain.