Pharmaceutical Science and Business (MS)

Program Description

The goal of the Master of Pharmaceutical Science and Business Program at York College is to prepare students for responsible positions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. Opportunities for students successfully completing the program include careers with Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical companies, professional societies, government, and international agencies. In this two-year graduate program, students will complete a total of 36 credits toward the degree, of which 24 will be from the Common Core Courses and 12 from the optional Elective Courses. Full-time students will be expected to take 9 credits per semester.

Our Master's level class will begin in Fall 2023. The application process for the Fall 2023 cycle has begun, and it is strongly recommended to submit the application by August 16th, 2023. Applications submitted after this deadline may not guarantee admissions into the Fall Semester.

Career Goals

Students are expected to choose elective courses based on their career goals, such as:

Pharmaceutical Research and Development for individuals who would like to pursue or enhance a career in the area of drug discovery, biotherapeutics, pharmaceutics, product formulation, manufacturing process development, the design of clinical trials, etc.

Regulation of Pharmaceuticals for individuals who would like to pursue or enhance a career in the area of the US or international regulatory affairs, writing and submission of regulatory applications, compliance, quality assurance, process validation, product labeling, quality control and design of clinical trials related to the regulation of pharmaceuticals, etc.

Pharmaceutical Management for individuals who would like to pursue or enhance a career in pharmaceutical product management, project management, supply chain management, marketing, etc.

Admission Requirements

An earned bachelor's degree in Pharmaceutical Science, Biotechnology, Biology, Chemistry, Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology or other closely related disciplines from an accredited institution.

The applicants should have adequate preparation in general and organic chemistry, biology, mathematics, physics, biochemistry, and basic pharmacology.
Applicants that received their bachelor 10 or more years prior to the application date may be required to take a placement test.
A minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 2.5
Application to CUNY requiring:
- A personal statement (not more than 1,500 words).
- Three letters of recommendation from referees in academia and/or related professional fields.
- A current resume.
- Official transcript(s) from all universities and colleges attended.
- A nonrefundable $75 application fee payable by check or money order to York College Office of Admissions.

Undergraduate science students (Chemistry, Biology, Physics or others) who apply to the M.S. program in Pharmaceutical Science and Business in addition to meeting the GPA criteria and strong recommendations may have to meet additional course requirements.

Proof of proficiency in the English language (TOEFL*, IELTS* or Duolingo*) is required for all applicants:

Whose first language is not English, and
Who was educated in a country where English is not the official language.

This requirement is not based on country of citizenship or permanent residency, but on the two stated conditions.

*A TOEFL minimum score of 100 or a IELTS minimum score of 7 or a Duolingo minimum score of 105 is strongly suggested to successfully complete the M.S. program.

If Educated Outside the USA:

An evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) is required for applicants who received their bachelor’s degree from a non-US institution.

Selection Process

York College Office of Admissions will gather and screen the applications for minimum requirements, initial processing, and GPA calculation. Admissions decisions will be made by the Graduate Advisory Committee of the department. In some cases, applicants may be invited for an on-site interview.

Required Courses

Course	Description	Credits
PHS501	Pharmaceutical Discovery and Development	3
PHS502	Pharmaceutical Discovery and Development Techniques	3
The laboratory courses may be substituted with other elective courses for students with a minimum of 1-year laboratory experience in the industry. The substitution requires departmental permission.
PHS503	Advanced Pharmacology	3
PHS504	Advanced Biostatistics	3
PHS505	Foundations of Regulatory Affairs	3
PHS506	Pharmaceutical Ethics and Intellectual Property Management	3
PHS507	Pharmaceutical Industry and Business	3
PHS508	Pharmaceutical Science and Business Capstone Project	3
This course is in lieu of a Master's Thesis and Comprehensive Exam.

Elective Courses

Course	Description	Credits
Elective courses are 3 credits each; total requirement is 4 courses (12 credits) to be chosen from the following:		12
PHS509	Biotherapeutics	3
PHS510	Advanced Pharmaceutics	3
PHS511	Special Topics in Pharmaceutical Discovery and Development	3
PHS512	Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, Process Validation and Controls	3
PHS513	Design of Clinical Trials	3
PHS514	Advanced Toxicology	3
PHS515	International Regulatory Affairs	3
PHS516	Pharmaceutical Product Labeling	3
PHS517	Writing and Submission of Regulatory Applications	3
PHS518	Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Management	3
PHS519	Pharmaceutical Marketing	3
PHS520	Pharmaceutical Product Management	3
PHS521	Pharmaceutical Project Management	3