Curriculum Breadth and Versatility

Penn’s cross-disciplinary approach echoes the nature of biotechnology, an interdisciplinary field contributed to by biology, biochemistry, chemical engineering, bioengineering, computer and information science and plant science. The Biotechnology Program exposes students to the broad range of biotechnology, giving them both the skills and knowledge they need to assume leadership in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Students can:

• Tailor their studies to an existing or future career in biotechnology. Each student selects one of three parallel tracks– molecular biology, biomedical technologies, or biopharmaceutical track. The first track emphasizes molecular biology with a research component for elective courses. The biomedical technologies track focuses on clinical issues such as biomaterial, tissue engineering, and imaging. The biopharmaceutical track stresses bioprocess engineering and drug discovery, which is central to pharmaceutical industry. Core courses common to all tracks insure each student’s exposure to the fundamentals of biotechnology. Our curriculum webpage gives a look at the courses associated with the tracks.
• Benefit from interaction with a diverse student base. The program’s cross-disciplinary approach attracts students from a wide range of backgrounds including biology, chemistry, computer science, and engineering. These different perspectives add to the learning experience.
• Develop the ability to look at projects from various biotechnology perspectives. In today’s workplace where working in teams across disciplines is key, multidisciplinary training prepares students for the flexibility and versatility they need for business success.