MS/MBA Biotechnology: Life Sciences
A joint degree that blends business, ethics, and life science
Harvard’s dual degree program, MS/MBA Biotechnology: Life Sciences, aims to prepare the next generation of industry leaders with advanced training in business, ethics, and life sciences. Built in response to student demand, this novel approach to a Harvard MBA is for people with both an undergraduate degree in the life sciences and at least two years of work experience.
This intensive, two-year dual degree program will offer MS courses developed and taught by HSCRB faculty. The degrees are jointly offered by Harvard Business School (HBS) and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).
In the program, students will follow a core curriculum that focuses on business and includes courses in science and ethics. Intensive courses over the summer and in January, plus a broad range of electives in the second year, will ensure students can fulfil both business and science degree requirements.
“We want to provide leadership for the whole scientific and medical enterprise: biotechnology, pharma, venture capital, NGOs, and government. Our future leaders need to feel that the ethical component of what they’re doing is as important as the financial, so that medical needs worldwide can be addressed in an equitable way.”
-Mark Fishman, M.D., Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and faculty co-chair of the program
“Our department has built into it a strong entrepreneurial spirit, with many biotech companies developed by our faculty. Our scientists don’t just ask and answer questions about how nature works, but further ask how do you make use of that information and commercialize it to help people. This dual degree expands on that, allowing us to train exceptional, ethical leaders in industry – or even in policy – who really understand the science and can be nimble in their decision making.”
-Doug Melton, Ph.D., Xander University Professor, co-founder of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and faculty co-chair of the program
“The idea is to collaborate with the best and brightest minds across Harvard who believe that it is within our scientific and economic grasp to reduce human suffering. Students will have access to faculty members from HBS, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Harvard Medical School, who will be present in the classroom at the same time. The program will give them both an MBA and an amazing science education that allows them to lead the next generation of life-sciences companies.”
-Amitabh Chandra, Ph.D., Ethel Zimmerman Wiener Professor of Public Policy at HKS, Henry and Allison McCance Professor of Business Administration at HBS, and faculty co-chair of the program
“I am so excited about the launch of this program. It is much needed – we aim to train the future leaders of biotech and pharma, providing them with business skills, scientific critical thinking, and an ethical framework. It’s also exciting for us to interact with a new type of student in HSCRB, expanding our educational community to include undergraduates, science graduate students, medical students, and now business students. It is a real pleasure to work with our colleagues at HBS. I cannot wait to meet our first cohort.”
-Bill Anderson, Director of Education in HSCRB and program director for the degree program