Curriculum
Our curriculum integrates science and business knowledge with professional training in the biotechnology industry.
Training Bioscience Industry Leaders
The MMB curriculum features a unique blend of science and business courses along with a guest speaker series that features industry leaders. Through partnerships with bioscience companies, it also offers practicum projects, internships and other opportunities that help students develop the practical knowledge and invaluable professional skills they need to succeed in today’s competitive marketplace.
MMB Graduates:
- Possess extensive knowledge of science and business
- Demonstrate flexibility of professional skills in multiple industry sectors
- Adapt to change
- Foster productive dialogue between individuals, companies, and communities
- Apply creativity and innovation to solve problems
- Work confidently with big data management
- Cope with uncertainty and risk
The MMB curriculum includes courses from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), the Biotechnology Program (BIT), the Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) and the Poole College of Management.
Customize Your Degree
MMB students can choose to focus on particular concentrations that align with their career interests. Concentrations are an option and are not required.
Required Coursework
Forty one credit hours are required for graduation, including:
- 25 credits of required courses
- 13 credits of elective courses
- 3 credit-hour summer internship
Industry Experience Coursework
- MB 585 – Industry Case Studies (3 credits; taken three times for 9 credits total)
Students must register for MB 585 (Industry Case Studies) each semester until their final semester, when they register for MB 590.
- MB 590 – Capstone Project Course (3 credits; taken final semester)
- MB 620 – Special Problems: Industry Internship (3 credits)
Students are required to complete an internship, typically during the summer between their first and second year, and must register for the Internship Course during their second fall semester.
Course Requirements: completion of 160-hour internship in industry, submission of an internship portfolio, and an oral presentation (scheduled during the fall semester).
Microbiology and Bioscience Courses
Students must take two of the following core Microbiology courses:
- MB 555 – Microbial Biotechnology (3 credits; offered spring only)
- MB 714 – Microbial Regulation and Physiology (recommended; 3 credits; offered fall only)
- MB 751 – Immunology (3 credits; offered spring only)
- MB 758 – Microbial Genetics and Genomics (3 credits; offered spring only)
- MB 589 – Topical Problems: Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology (3 credits; Instructor: Dr. Mike Hyman)
- PB 580 – Introduction to Plant Biotechnology (3 credits; offered fall only)
Students must also take one Science Elective (3 or 4 credits).
Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Courses
Students must choose one of the following two course tracts:
- BIT 510 – Core Techniques in Biotechnology (4 credits)
OR
- BEC 525 – Molecular Biology for Biomanufacturing (2 credits) AND BEC 545 – Cell Line Development in Biomanufacturing (2 credits)
*Incoming students may be able to opt out of this requirement if they can provide sufficient evidence that indicates basic experience and understanding of biotechnologies, such as recombinant DNA procedures, gene expression, isolation and identification of nucleic acids and proteins. Evidence may include a letter from a current or former supervisor and/or professor speaking to the applicant’s understanding of and experiences with these technologies. Applicants with doctoral training in a related field may opt out of BIT 510 OR BEC 525/BEC 545 with MMB approval.
Students must also take two BIT or BEC Electives (2 credits each; 4 credits total)
Business Courses
- MBA 585 – Current Topics in Bioscience Management (3 credits)
- Two MBA Electives (3 credits each; 6 credits total)
Elective Coursework
Students select one science elective, two biotechnology or biomanufacturing electives, and two MBA electives.
Science Electives
Students must complete at least one science elective (3 or 4 credits).
Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAE)
- BAE 525 – Industrial Microbiology and Bioprocesses
- BAE 528 – Biomass to Renewable Energy Processes
Biochemistry (BCH)
- BCH 553 – Biochemistry of Gene Expression
- BCH 555 – Proteins and Molecular Structure
- BCH 571 – Regulation of Metabolism
- BCH 701 – Macromolecular structure
- BCH 703 – Macromolecular synthesis and Regulation
- BCH 705 – Molecular Biology of the Cell
- BCH 751 – Biophysical Chemistry
Comparative Biomedical Sciences (CBS)
- CBS 565 – Fundamentals of Biomedical Sciences
Food Science (FS)
- FS 502 – Chemistry of Food and Bioprocessed Materials
- FS 553 – Food Law and Regulation
Genetics (GN)
- GN 513 – Advanced Genetics
- GN 521 – Molecular Genetics
- GN 730 – Fungal Genetics and Physiology
- GN 735 – Functional Genomics
Microbiology (MB)
- MB 501 – Biology of Plant Pathogens
- MB 505 – Food Microbiology
- MB 532 – Soil Microbiology
- MB 575 – Introduction to Mycology
- MB 718 – Introductory Virology
- MB 725 – Fermentation Microbiology
- MB 730 – Fungal Genetics and Physiology
- MB 751 – Immunology
- MB 758 – Microbial Genetics and Genomics
- MB 774 – Phycology
Plant Biology (PB)
- PB 580 – Introduction to Plant Biotechnology
Plant Pathology (PP)
- PP 530 – Agricultural Ethics and the Environment
Statistics (ST)
- ST 511 – Experimental Statistics for the Biological Sciences I
- ST 512 – Experimental Statistics for the Biological Sciences II
- ST 513 – Statistics for Management
- ST 520 – Statistical Principles of Clinical Trials and Epidemiology
Toxicology (TOX)
- TOX 515 – Environmental Toxicology
- TOX 710 – Molecular and Biochemical Toxicology
Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Electives
Students take two BIT and/or BEC elective courses (4 credits).
Biotechnology (BIT) – 2 credits each
NOTE: Not all BIT courses are offered every semester. Visit the Biotechnology website for details on BIT courses.
- BIT 562 – Gene Expression: Microarrays
- BIT 563 – Fermentation of Recombinant Organisms
- BIT 564 – Protein Purification
- BIT 565 – Real-Time PCR Techniques
- BIT 566 – Animal Cell Culture Techniques
- BIT 567 – PCR and DNA Fingerprinting
- BIT 568 – Genome Mapping
- BIT 569 – RNA Purification & Analysis
- BIT 581 – Plant Transformation
- BIT 595 – Special Topics
- BIT 815 – Advanced Special Topics
Biomanufacturing (BEC) – 2 credits each
Visit the BTEC website for details on BEC courses.
- BEC(MB) 520 – Fundamentals of Microbial Cell Biotransformations
- BEC 532 – Biologic Procession Science
- BEC 536 – Introduction to Downstream Process Development
- BEC 542 – Insect Cells Protein Expression
- BEC 575 – Global Regulatory Affairs for Medical Products
- BEC 580 – cGMP Fermentation Operations
- BEC 585 – cGMP Downstream Operations
- BEC 595 – Advanced Topics in Biocatalysis
Master of Business Administration (MBA) Electives
Students must take two MBA electives (6 credits).
- BUS 554 – Project Management
- MBA 555 – Product Design and Development
- MBA 570 – Entrepreneurship: Managing the Growth Venture
- MBA 576 – Technology Evaluation and Commercialization Concepts
- MBA 577 – High Technology Entrepreneurship (prerequisite: MBA 576)
- MBA 586 – Legal and Marketing Dynamics in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology (fall only)
- MBA 590 – Special topic classes; vary by semester/year; approval required before registering
NOTE: Students who choose to pursue the MMB/MBA dual degree option have the option of a concentration in either Biosciences Management or Entrepreneurship. The MBA concentration chosen by the student will dictate which MBA electives the student will take in the MMB program. More information about this can be found on the MMB/MBA dual degree page.

Sample Course Schedule
Here is an example of a typical course schedule for our two-year program. Course sequence may vary depending on availability and concentration.
Note: Please refer to individual concentration pages for sample course schedules for each concentration.
Year One | Year Two |
---|---|
Fall Semester #1 – MB 585 Case Studies (required) – BIT 510 (4 credits) OR BEC 525 and BEC 545 (4 credits total) – Core Microbiology Course Choice (MB 714 is the recommended course) | Fall Semester #2 – MB 585 Case Studies (required) – MB 620 Industrial Internship (required) – One or Two BIT or BEC Electives (2 credits each) – MBA 586 or MBA 576 or MBA elective |
Spring Semester #1 – MB 585 Case Studies (required) – Core Microbiology Course Choice or BIT 510 (if not taken in the previous semester) – Elective | Spring Semester #2 – MB 590 Capstone Course (required) – Science or BIT/BEC elective or other required course not yet taken – One or Two BIT or BEC Electives (two credits each) |
Summer Semester #1 Industrial Internship Experience | Summer Semester #2 MMB/MBA dual degree students may choose to complete their Second Industrial Internship Experience (if beginning MBA program the following semester) |