In-Person or Online: Which Biotech Master’s Degree?

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M.S. in Biotechnology, UW-Madison

Mode of Instruction

In-person courses are held off-campus at the MGE Innovation Center in University Research Park.

The hands-on laboratory courses are hosted at the BTC Institute in Fitchburg (10-minutes away).

Both locations are easily accessible with ample free parking.

Course Schedule (full schedule here)

Seven evening/weekend (every other week) class sessions per semester:

• Thursday, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Saturday, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm

Nearly all students are working professionals maintaining full-time employment while completing the degree.

Online Biotechnology Degrees

Mode of Instruction

Fully online and typically 100% asynchronous delivery:

• No scheduled class meetings
• Self-guided learning modules
• Pre-recorded lectures
• Weekly online assignments with hard deadlines
  
• Limited or no direct interaction with instructors and students
• Limited professional networking opportunities

M.S. in Biotechnology, UW-Madison

Fixed Student Cohorts

Fixed cohorts of 24-28 students complete the program together. Students begin the program in the fall and complete the degree together in under two years.

Diversity of industry experience, job function, and corporate affiliation strengthens a blended learning experience and serves as the cornerstone of an extensive professional network within the Biotech Badger community.

Online Biotechnology Degrees 

Fluid Student Populations

Online degrees typically recruit students with a wide range of qualifications, age, background, and experience.

Students may begin an online degree immediately following their undergraduate degree with no industry experience.

Students often self-select their course path. Many elective courses are repurposed from other departments or cross-listed degree paths.

M.S. in Biotechnology, UW-Madison

A broad, interdisciplinary curriculum integrating science, business, regulatory policy and the law relating to new product development and product commercialization in the biotechnology industry with added emphasis on project management and organizational leadership.

Project-based assignments including individual, paired, and group analysis papers and presentations. Group projects exemplify real-world teams encountered in private industry, reinforcing professional application of the curriculum.

There are no formal examinations or tests.

All courses are updated and revised annually to incorporate the latest advances in the biotechnology field.

Laboratory Courses

Three industry-sited, hands-on molecular technology lab courses addressing Diagnostic Testing, Biomanufacturing, and Assay Development complement respective semester themes.

Capstone Thesis

Final semester Capstone master’s thesis with personalized mentorship provided by an assigned faculty pair for business and scientific guidance. A student’s capstone topic can be customized to enhance employer-related relevance and value.

Online Biotechnology Degrees

Unless an online course includes a real-time virtual component for instruction (see the Quality Assurance & Regulatory Affairs Capstone Certificate),  online courses consist of self-guided learning models with pre-recorded lectures and assigned electronic readings.

Learning is independently guided with no direct instruction from content experts.

Assignments in online learning are often a mix of discussion board postings, peer review projects, and recorded presentations. Mostly commonly, assignments are individual with fewer team projects.

Laboratory Courses

It’s impossible to substitute hands-on laboratory instruction in an online degree.

M.S. in Biotechnology, UW-Madison

Student Support and Career Services

Program-based staff serve as direct liaisons between students and UW-Madison campus administrative units, cutting through campus red tape.

Program faculty and staff bring expert knowledge of the biotechnology industry to provide students with valuable career insight and guidance. There’s even a course dedicated to student professional development!

Career support doesn’t stop at graduation; alumni receive lifelong career support offered after graduation through continuous job opportunity sharing and in-network referrals.

Professional Networking

Extensive networking opportunities between students, university and industry faculty, staff, national guest speakers, over 500 alumni, corporate sponsored research partners, and sponsored conferences. The close relationships developed through the M.S. in Biotechnology Program become the cornerstone of your expanding professional network and are invaluable for fostering future career opportunities.

Lifelong professional development opportunities are hosted annually to strengthen interaction among program students, alumni, faculty and staff. The M.S. in Biotechnology Program also sponsors student attendance to such events as BioForward’s Wisconsin Biohealth Symposium, the Wisconsin Stem Cell Symposium, and the Wisconsin Human Proteomics Symposium.

Alumni Success Stories

Read about some of the M.S. in Biotechnology Program graduates who have found great career success with their biotech master’s degree.

Online Biotechnology Degrees

Student Support and Career Services

By their very nature, online degrees offer remote student support services.

Direct interaction is replaced by call center support and typically delivered by people that have little or no direct knowledge of the commercial biotechnology industry.

Professional Networking

Online learning inherently limits available opportunities to develop impactful relationships for professional networking.

While students may establish useful professional contacts through an online degree, it is impossible to substitute virtual interactions with in-person experiences.