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MS/MBA Biotechnology: Life Sciences

MS/MBA Biotechnology: Life Sciences

  • Overview
  • Curriculum
  • Faculty & Advisors
  • Admissions & Financial Aid
  • FAQs

A joint degree that blends science, business & ethics

A joint degree with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Students are affiliated with Harvard Medical School through the Harvard Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology.

The 21st Century will be the century of transformational discoveries in the life sciences. To bring these discoveries to patients, the world needs business leaders working at the intersection of science and society, with deep understanding of biotechnology, life sciences, and management. To meet this need, the MS/MBA Biotechnology: Life Sciences Program at Harvard University builds upon students’ existing biotech and life sciences knowledge and equips them with the latest business and scientific insights. This empowers them to lead transformative organizations that will advance new drug discoveries and therapeutics.

The curriculum emphasizes developing effective business models in the life-sciences, leading life sciences companies, understanding the ethical implications of new therapeutics, and the importance of equitable access to these discoveries. It leverages the entire resources of Harvard University and works closely with the Greater Boston area, one of the largest biotech clusters in the world.

Key organizations comprising the Harvard health and life science community include, the HBS Health Care Initiative (HCI), HBS Blavatnik Fellowship in Life Science Entrepreneurship, the Harvard Biotech Club, the HBS Health Care Club (HCC), the Harvard Health Innovation Network (HHIN), and the Pagliuca Harvard Life lab, among many others.

Overview 

Harvard offers a joint degree program that confers an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Master of Science from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Harvard Medical School in the Harvard Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, a Faculty of Arts and Sciences/Harvard Medical School joint department. The program is completed over two academic years, utilizing January terms and time in August at the start of the program.

Curriculum 

Students complete degree requirements over two academic years, augmented by coursework during August at the beginning of the program and during both January terms. Students have the summer free between Year 1 and Year 2 to pursue an internship, most likely in the life sciences or biotech space.

Faculty & Advisors 

Students have access to a network of faculty and advisors, a group of accomplished Harvard alumni in the health care, biotech or life sciences space who serve as mentors, speakers, and career advisors for the community.

Admissions & Financial Aid 

The program seeks a diverse group of outstanding students who have an undergraduate degree in life sciences and/or significant workplace experience in biotechnology or life sciences.

Frequently Asked Questions 

How do we leverage Boston’s biotech, research and entrepreneurial ecosystems? What resources did MS/MBA students have and are there opportunities outside the classroom?

The MS/MBA Biotech program is part of a larger community of health care interested students, faculty and alumni at HBS; around the University; and in the greater Boston area, which is one of the largest biotech clusters in the world. Through courses like the Life Sciences, Ethics, and Management seminar, students interact with industry leaders, who discuss challenges they have faced in their various roles.

Key organizations comprising the health and life science community at Harvard include:

  • HBS Health Care Initiative (HCI) – The Initiative fosters and promotes faculty research, supports the development of high-impact educational programs and creates an interconnected HBS health care community.
  • HBS Blavatnik Fellowship in Life Science Entrepreneurship - The Fellowship offers HBS alumni and Harvard-affiliated postdocs the opportunity to create new ventures around promising life science technologies while developing their leadership talents.
  • Harvard Biotech Club – This student organization is on a mission to bridge the gap between industry and academia and provide the education, skills, and network for students to become future leaders in biotech.
  • HBS Health Care Club (HCC) – One of the largest student clubs at HBS, the HCC plans an annual conference and numerous networking events for students interested in all industries in this sector.
  • Harvard Health Innovation Network (HHIN) – HHIN’s mission is to promote health care innovation and entrepreneurship across the Harvard ecosystem including its schools and hospitals.
  • Harvard i-Lab and Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab – Harvard i-Labs are part of an innovation ecosystem that exists to support Harvard students and select alumni in their quest to explore the world of game-changing entrepreneurship.
  • HBS Health Alumni Association (HBS HAA) – The equivalent of the HCC, but for alumni, the HBS HAA has regional programing around the world to help alums stay connected with the school and each other.
What types of applicants should be interested in this program?

Prospective students should be fascinated by the intersection of biotech, pharma, and business. Successful candidates for the program will hold an undergraduate degree in biology (or another life science) and/or have significant workplace experience in biotechnology or life sciences. Candidates with advanced degrees such as an MS, MD, or PhD are warmly welcomed to apply.

If you are unsure whether your background has prepared you sufficiently, consider your familiarity with the topics covered in Molecular Biology of the Cell by Alberts et al. Students are expected to be knowledgeable with that level of material. Additionally, students should be comfortable engaging with primary scientific literature.

Am I eligible for the program if I'm in the process of pursuing, or have previously received, an advanced degree (MS, MD, or PhD)?
Students, even those with advanced degrees (MD or PhD), will encounter a breadth and depth of science and medicine they have not had in their undergraduate and graduate training. The faculty comprise fundamental scientists and and clinicians, many with experience in founding or running biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, who go deep into the specifics of fundamental papers and clinical trials, and thereby provide students with approaches, background, and tools that they can bring in their subsequent careers in drug discovery and in the evaluation of biotechnology investments. Currently, these approaches are learned only by years of apprenticeship in biotechnology or venture capital.

MS/MBA News 

African American Student Union Spotlight on Joint Degrees

By: AASU
  • 09 Mar 2023
  • | 
  • MBA Admissions Blog

Q&A with the HBS Armed Forces Alumni Association, MBA Class of 2023

By: AFAA
  • 27 May 2022
  • | 
  • MBA Admissions Blog

The Many Languages of Medicine to Impact Care Delivery

By: Ted Obi
  • 12 Apr 2022
  • | 
  • MBA Admissions Blog

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