FAQs

Over the past 10+ years of our program, we have had a 96%+ full time employment rate in biotechnology as of months after graduation.  

(This number excludes occasional students who elect to pursue a biotech related Ph.D after our program– generally 0-1 per year.)

Our students get positions at biotechnology companies that can be research-based (Research Associate, Associate Scientist) or non-research-based (regulatory affairs, clinical, project management, etc.). Companies range from small start-ups to multinational pharmaceutical companies. You can get a more detailed look at our alumni by clicking on the link below:

https://www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-san-francisco/people/?facetFieldOfStudy=100674

Check in each profile that the person in question is a graduate of our program (as opposed to entering biotech through other means).  As you’ll see, our graduates get quality biotechnology positions and advance quickly in the field.

PSM programs are Master’s degree programs that include a mixture of science and entrepreneurship-based courses. Students in our PSM in Biotechnology program will take about ⅔ science courses and ⅓ bioentrepreneurship courses. 

Our program is aimed at students who are hoping to enter the biotechnology field or to advance their careers in the biotechnology field. Almost all of our students will be working at biotechnology companies after graduation.

We are a fully in-person program with classes located at our beautiful campus in the heart of San Francisco. The San Francisco Bay Area is home to thousands of biotechnology companies–arguably it is the most important biotechnology hub in the world.

Yes, students typically take classes three evenings a week.  This makes our students very desirable for biotech companies wishing to hire student interns, as it allows interns to be present during the working day.  By facilitating internships, our evening classes allow students to build practical job experience and help defray the expense of the Masters. 

No, instead of conducting thesis research with a specific faculty member, students will work in internships/jobs at companies.

Almost all of our students complete the program in 2 years (four semesters).

Our program is 12 years old. We now have hundreds of alumni students working at biotech companies in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the country.

In some years we open spring admissions - check our website for details. This will depend on the size of our incoming fall cohort as we keep our class sizes small.

In most cases no. We want you to receive the full training from classes in our program at USF.

At a minimum, applicants must have completed two semesters of undergraduate Biology and two semesters of undergraduate Chemistry. Additional science courses are preferred.

We will accept three-year bachelor's degrees from international applicants for admission review.

We will review your application thoroughly, including the transcript(s), personal statement, letters of recommendation, and resume, to make the final decision. If your CGPA is below 3.0 out of 4.0, the GRE is recommended. 

The GRE test is optional. Applicants are not required to submit standardized testing to be considered for admission. Applicants who have taken the GRE general exam can choose to submit their scores, and their GRE scores will be considered as a part of their whole application. GRE is highly recommended if CGPA is below 3.0 out of 4.0.

No. While we offer merit-based scholarships at the time of admission, these scholarships only cover a portion of the overall tuition cost.

Please visit https://myusf.usfca.edu/billing-tuition/tuition-fees#cas for more information.

MOOCs cannot substitute for the prerequisite courses. If you haven’t taken any biology or chemistry courses, we recommend taking prerequisite college-level courses at another institution or you can email biotech@usfca.edu for additional consultation.

No. Some of our students will enter our program straight after completing their undergraduate degree with no industry work experience. Having work or research experience can make your application stronger though.

As an international applicant who needs an F1 visa, you will be asked to upload proof of funding documents (bank statements, bank letters, and/or scholarship letters) for the first year of studies. Proof of funds is required in order for your application to be reviewed for admission. For more information, please visit:

https://www.usfca.edu/admission/graduate/international-graduate/certificate-of-finance#proof-of-funding

No, you do not need a supervisor to complete the application.

Yes, you can submit unofficial transcripts for your application. You will not need to submit your official transcripts until the start of your first semester in the program.

Yes. For details on the waiver policy for TOEFL or IELTS scores, please see the International Students page (look for the "Exception Policy" listed under "Test Scores"). For questions, please contact the Office of Graduate Admission for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Yes, you can send a recommendation letter from a supervisor (but not a colleague). However, having at least one recommendation letter from a professor from your undergraduate program is preferred.

Our priority application deadline for fall admission is February 15. The final application deadline is April 15.

Yes, we will consider applications until the program is full and maintain a waitlist until mid-summer. Please note that international applicants should apply early so that there is ample time for the visa application process.

You can expect 3-4 weeks to get an early decision from us after you complete the application. An admission interview (over Zoom) may be required upon the admission committee’s decision.

Generally, you will need to place a deposit within three weeks of receiving your acceptance to the program.  If you fail to deposit by this time, your offer of admission may be cancelled.

You are not assigned an internship position but rather given all of the tools to get a biotech internship. We work with many San Francisco Bay Area employers who have been hired by our program in the past. We connect them with our current students when they are looking for new interns. Mentoring in career and job hunting is a formal part of our program, including a required 1 unit course.

In general, no. Occasionally, a student will work as a paid student worker at USF, but this is usually done by internship F-1 visa students who cannot work off-campus during their first year of study. For students who are allowed to work off campus, taking on a biotech company internship is almost always the preferred option for our students. In virtually all cases, these internships are paid, and they are usually more lucrative than on campus positions.

Over the past 10+ years of our program, we have had a 96%+ full time employment rate in biotechnology as of months after graduation. This number excludes occasional students who elect to pursue a biotech related Ph.D after our program– generally 0-1 per year.

Yes! Typically, 20-30% of our incoming students already have biotechnology positions. You can take an elective course in place of the internship requirement or take on a new project/role at your existing company for the capstone internship.

As an international student on an F-1 visa, you can work off-campus for pay (usually at a biotechnology company) starting in the summer after your first two semesters at USF. You would work while on your CPT status - our ISSS office will help with your CPT application.