Director’s Welcome
Welcome to the Graduate Program in Biotechnology.
While some industries are downsizing in the current economy, the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are strong and growing. And Massachusetts continues to stand as an epicenter for these industries.
As the director of the Graduate Program in Biotechnology, I have been working to guarantee that our candidates gain the knowledge and experience necessary to make their next career move. Along with our career services officer, I have gone out to meet recruiters at local companies, both to inform them about our program and to better shape the program around industry needs.
In all cases, recruiters have expressed the desire to find qualified master’s level applicants with a strong background in science, updated biology training, and cross-training in another field. This is exactly what can be achieved by earning the master’s degree in biotechnology at Harvard Extension School.
The 2 questions that I am most frequently asked by prospective students are:
- Do I have the necessary background to apply to the biotechnology program?
- What have students of the program gone on to do after completing the degree?
In response to the first question, successful applicants have an undergraduate degree in an area of science and have worked in an area of research for at least 1 year after completing their bachelor’s degree.
I have some candidates who do not have any background in biology but who have degrees in a different area of science such as engineering or computer science. They have worked as industry scientists for the last 5 years, and now want to break into the field of nanotechnologies or bioinformatics. All have found a perfect fit in this program.
Some examples of what students have done after graduating include becoming a doctoral student at Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences; directing a hedge fund at a company in Washington, DC; becoming a project manager; going on to law school to study patent law; and working as a lab manager in an academic lab. Other graduates who continued as research scientists enjoyed a significant pay increase in recognition of their higher qualifications.
The master’s degree in biotechnology is a program in which career potential can undergo an evolution. This enhancement in your training will provide a selective advantage in an industry where conditions are always changing and always competitive.
With warm regards,
Cheryl Vaughan, PhD
Director and Research Advisor of the Biotechnology Program
Assistant Director for Science Instruction
Lecturer on Molecular and Cellular Biology