Master of Biopharmaceutical Engineering (MBE)

Professional preparation for biopharmaceutical manufacturing

The Master of Biopharmaceutical Engineering (MBE) is a fully online, 30-credit professional master's degree designed for working engineers and scientists. Students can complete the program in two years.

Program status: Pending state approval, with a planned launch in Fall 2027.

Stackable path from certificate to master's degree

All 12 credits from NJIT's Graduate Certificate in Biopharmaceutical Engineering count toward the MBE. Students can begin with the certificate and continue toward the master's degree without losing credits.

Curriculum

The MBE requires 30 credits: four required core courses totaling 12 credits and six elective courses totaling 18 credits. Students choose at least three electives from one competency area and may select the remaining three from any of the four areas.

Required core courses

• PHEN 602 Pharmaceutical Facility Design
• PHEN 604 Validation and Regulatory Issues in the Pharmaceutical Industry
• PHEN 607 Biotechnology Processes
• PHEN 608 Unit Operations in Bioprocess Engineering

Elective competency areas

Digital and Data-Driven Biomanufacturing

Statistical analysis, data science, machine learning, computational modeling and predictive quality.

Courses: CHE 632, CHEM 737, EM 637, IE 618, MATH 661, MTEN 631 and MTEN 633.

Pharmaceutical Quality and Regulatory Engineering

Quality assurance, regulatory compliance, validation, risk-based documentation and good manufacturing practices.

Courses: CHEM 714, CHEM 777, EM 637, EM 691, IE 659, IE 673, IE 686 and MATH 661.

Biopharmaceutical Operations and Technology Management

Project management, cost estimation, supply chain and scalable manufacturing operations.

Courses: BME 682, EM 636, EM 637, EM 691, IE 659, IE 673, IE 686, MATH 661 and PHEN 618.

Biologically-Driven Engineering Systems

Tissue engineering, immunological therapies, molecular systems and biological process design.

Courses: BIOL 606, BME 652, CHE 632, CHEM 714, CHEM 737, CHEM 777, IE 686, MATH 661 and PHEN 618.

Hands-on cell and gene therapy training

Through NJIT's partnership with Made Scientific, the PHEN 607 capstone includes two weekends of hands-on cell and gene therapy manufacturing training at Made Scientific's current good manufacturing practice facility in Princeton, New Jersey. The experience connects online coursework with active manufacturing standards, tools and workflows.

Industry-informed teaching

The curriculum was co-developed with the CME Industrial Advisory Board and NJIT alumni working in the biopharmaceutical industry. Courses include instruction from industry experts such as:

• Dr. Humberto Vega-Mercado, former Global Head of Technology Transfers and Validation at Johnson & Johnson, with leadership roles at Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis-Sandoz and Merck.
• Dr. Branly Orban, Global Head of Quality Operations Excellence at Galapagos, previously leading CAR T quality teams at Bristol Myers Squibb and Celgene.

Program contact

Sagnik Basuray
Program Director
Otto H. York Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering
New Jersey Institute of Technology