Drug Design & Discovery Track

What You’ll Learn

This track provides students with an in-depth knowledge of the processes involved in the use of technology and bioinformatics to design drugs. Science courses offered in this track focus on underlying disease mechanisms and the identification of drugs for biopharmaceutical targets. Students will enroll in courses covering regulatory affairs, the FDA approval process, intellectual property, and current good manufacturing procedures and commercialization of pharmaceuticals.

Possible career paths include research, regulatory affairs, and intellectual property management and licensing.

Join Us in Spring or Fall 2025!

Spring Final Deadline: November 1
Fall Priority Application: May 15
Fall Final Deadline: July 1

Courses

Drug Design & Discovery students must complete these required courses:

  • BCHB 5130 Core Concepts of Biochemistry (4 credits)
  • BCHB 5140 or 5150 Introduction to Bioinformatics (1 credit)
  • BIOT 5007 or 5008 Laboratory Applications of Biotechnology (3 credits)
  • BIOT 5009 Introduction to the Biotechnology Industry (3 credits)
  • BIOT 5100 Entrepreneurial Biotechnology (3 credits)
  • BIOT 5160 Molecular Medicine (2 credits)
  • BIOT 5220 Drug Targets & Drug Design (2 credits)
  • BIOT 5230 Intellectual Property (2 credits)
  • BIOT 5310 DNA Damage, Repair & Human Therapy (1 credit)
  • BIOT 5430 Current Good Laboratory and Manufacturing Practices (cGLMP) for Biotechnology (1 credit)
  • BIOT 5660 Drug Development to Post Approval (1 credit)
  • BIOT 6430 FDA Case Studies (1 credit)
  • BIOT 7950 Biotechnology Capstone Internship (4 credits)

Students must also complete these non-credit courses:

  • BCHB 5540 Research Ethics & Integrity
  • BIOT 6590 Introduction to Biotechnology Internship

For more information, please contact us.

Drug Design & Discovery students must complete 2 credits of electives:

Fall Electives

  • BCHB 5350 Programmed Cell Death (2 credits) or BCHB 5450 Essentials of Programmed Cell Death (1 credit)
  • BIOT 5190 Medical Toxicology (2 credits)
  • BIOT 5200 Financial Matrix in Biotechnology (1 credit)
  • BIOT 5260 Core Methods in Biotechnology (3 credits)
  • BIOT 5370 Protein Production & Bioprocessing (3 credits)
  • BIOT 5520 Marketing Applications in Biotechnology (1 credit)
  • BIOT 5590 New Frontiers in Biotechnology (1 credit)
  • BIOT 6007 or 6008 Research Applications of Biotechnology (3 credits)

Spring Electives

  • BCHB 5360 Cell Culture Applications in Biotechnology and Medicine (2 credits) or BCHB 5460 Principles of Tissue Culture (1 credit)
  • BCHB 5410 Structural Biology (3 credits)
  • BCHB 5750 Immunotechniques in Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology (2 credits)
  • BIOT 5250 Immunobiotechnology (2 credits)
  • BIOT 5260 Core Methods in Biotechnology (3 credits)
  • BIOT 5270 Food Biotechnology (2 credits)
  • BIOT 5370 Protein Production & Bioprocessing (3 credits)
  • BIOT 5500 Management Strategies for Biotech Companies (1 credit)
  • BIOT 5510 Commercialization for the Biotechnology Industry (1 credit)
  • BIOT 5550 Government, Science & Technology Management (1 credit)
  • BIOT 5570 Strategic Leadership in Science & Tech (1 credit)
  • BIOT 5700 Gene & Cell Therapy Strategies (1 credit)
  • BIOT 6007 or 6008 Research Applications of Biotechnology (3 credits)
  • BIOT 6100 Biomedical Tissue Engineering & 3D Cell Culture in Drug Discovery (2 credits)
  • BIOT 8001 Portfolio & Project Management (1 credit)

Summer Internships

For more information, please contact us.

These courses do not count toward the degree requirements, but students may find them beneficial.

  • BIOT 7000 Scientific & Presentation English (1 credit, offered in Fall and Spring)
  • BIOT 7003 Conversational English for International Students (1 credit, offered in Fall and Spring)

Example Degree Plan

The following is an example degree plan for full-time students, who finish the program in 10 months (two semesters). Our program charges a full-time, per-semester flat rate for students taking 12 credits or more in a semester and a part-time, per-credit rate for students taking fewer than 12 credits.

Fall

Course NameCredit(s)
BCHB 5130 Core Concepts of Biochemistry4
BCHB 5140 Introduction to Bioinformatics1
BIOT 5007 Laboratory Applications of Biotechnology3
BIOT 5009 Introduction to the Biotechnology Industry 3
BIOT 5230 Intellectual Property2
BIOT 5310 DNA Damage, Repair & Human Therapy1
BIOT 6590 Introduction to Biotechnology Internship0
Elective 11
15 Credits

Spring

Course NameCredit(s)
BCHB 5220 Drug Targets & Drug Design2
BCHB 5540 Research Ethics & Integrity0
BIOT 5100 Entrepreneurial Biotechnology 3
BIOT 5160 Molecular Medicine2
BIOT 5430 Current Good Laboratory and Manufacturing Practices (cGLMP) for Biotechnology1
BIOT 5660 Drug Development to Post Approval1
BIOT 6430 FDA Case Studies1
BIOT 7950 Biotechnology Capstone Internship4
Elective 21
15 Credits

Learn More

Admissions

View prerequisites and begin your application.

Alumni Outcomes

Where are our graduates working and studying?