Biomedical Graduate Programs

Translational Biotechnology (MS)

Preparing the next generation of STEM and business leaders needed to move new regenerative medicine therapies from the laboratory to the clinic.

The Translational Biotechnology (MS) degree program features scientific, business and regulatory affairs training with the goal of preparing graduates to lead the movement of novel therapies from the laboratory into the clinic.

Our approach is flexible in order to meet the needs of each individual student. Students with a scientific background interested in research will have the opportunity to work with the prestigious faculty at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) to prepare and defend a publication quality Thesis. Students without a scientific background will be able to work with our experts in industry, biomanufacturing and regulatory affairs to complete the program with a Capstone Project.

View our overview presentation.

Read more about the Translational Biotechnology program.

Learn about the Research Pathway plan of study.

Learn about the Business Pathway plan of study.

Overview

Translational Biotechnology is a full- or part-time MS degree program designed for students coming from a traditional scientific background as well as students and professionals from non-scientific fields that are interested in biotechnology. The program offers 2 tracks (Research or Business). The Research track is offered as an on-campus program and the Business track is available as an online program.

At the end of this program, participants will be better able to:

Understand relevant scientific knowledge related to Regenerative Medicine
Outline the process of product development from preclinical testing to use in the clinic
Apply relevant ethical, regulatory, healthcare industry and organizational considerations to biomanufacturing
Lead individuals and teams using relevant knowledge, management and leadership skills

Program and curriculum development will leverage the scientific, industry and regulatory affairs expertise at WFIRM and associated partner companies and institutions. WFIRM is an internationally recognized leader in regenerative medicine with many world firsts, including the development and implantation of the first engineered organ in a patient. A number of the basic principles of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine were first developed at the institute. The scale and functional diversity of the WFIRM workforce makes it a major employer in regenerative medicine both in the region and in the field overall.

You will be able to apply the knowledge and skills conferred through this program in a variety of settings. As a graduate, you will be well-positioned to work in the biotechnology, device and pharmaceutical industries, private and government research labs and academia.

Want to learn more about regenerative medicine? Listen as Dr. Anthony Atala, Director of WFIRM, provides a brief history of this exciting new field and a tour of the institute.

Outcomes

Upon graduation, you’ll be ready to pursue a variety of STEM careers relevant to current and changing times based on the knowledge, skills and abilities you’ve gleaned. The broader workforce will be eager to access the critical new skills in market evaluation, project management, product development and finance, previously under-represented or non-existent in graduate STEM education, which you’ve cultivated as a student. You’ll take with you the expertise required for entrepreneurship, large scale-up of biological therapies, or biomanufacturing (regulatory affairs, process development, quality control), many of which are simultaneously required for a career in biotechnology or academic sectors collaborating with industry.

Admissions

This program expands participants’ knowledge of regenerative medicine as well as the business and regulatory affairs skills needed to successfully translate novel therapies from the laboratory to the clinic.

As such, the program invites applications from those desiring a career dedicated to advancing novel regenerative medicine therapies to patients, including those who are currently employed in, but wish to change fields or advance themselves within, biotechnology. Recent bachelor’s level graduates and working professionals are encouraged to apply.

The Research track requires full-time study and has an expectation of on-campus participation. Research track students perform research at WFIRM in support of a Thesis. The Business track is a part-time program, designed for working professionals and does not require participation in Winston-Salem. Enrolled students in both tracks do need to commit to a minimum of 5 academic terms (20 months). A decelerated plan of study may be an option for Business track students; that plan allows students to move at a slower pace, with fewer courses per term.

Curriculum

The Translational Biotechnology MS degree features scientific, business and regulatory affairs training with the goal of preparing graduates to lead the movement of novel therapies from the laboratory into the clinic.

Regenerative Medicine therapies have the potential to revolutionize the way medicine is practiced. Over the past 3 decades, basic and pre-clinical research has resulted in a number of therapies gaining FDA approval for clinical trials. With the numbers of therapies being readied for translation to patients, trained scientists and business professionals with expertise in regulatory affairs, scale-up and biomanufacturing are critical. Core components of the curriculum include training in the science of regenerative medicine and business fundamentals. Students with a science background have the option to be involved in Thesis research at WFIRM with a science focused curriculum designed to fit their needs. Students without a science background that are interested in the Business track will take an introduction to regenerative medicine course designed for non-scientists and will submit a final capstone project at the end of the program. Both tracks will include course work in science, business fundamentals, the translational process and commercialization and an internship experience.

These tracks open up multiple career paths for program graduates in academic, biotech and government research, entrepreneurship, biotech management and administration, as well as serving as a springboard to a PhD, enabling students to take on research or teaching roles. Through our program, you’ll develop the specific skills needed for drug and medical device development, obtaining FDA approval for moving into clinical trials, as well as covering the business, ethical and legal perspectives on translating novel therapies to achieve WFIRM’s mission: To improve patients’ lives through regenerative medicine.

Leadership and Faculty

Led by Tracy Criswell, PhD, the program’s faculty are research, clinical and teaching faculty from Wake Forest University, with a strong concentration of faculty drawn from the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine.

Tracy L. Criswell, PhD

Associate Professor, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine

Joan F. Schanck, MPA

Chief Education Program Officer, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine

More Resources

These degree programs are administered by Wake Forest University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and located on the Bowman Gray Campus alongside Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Technology Transfer and Commercialization

Research Focus Areas

Translation to Care

More Resources

Translational Biotechnology (MS)

Overview

Outcomes

Admissions

Curriculum

Leadership and Faculty

Tracy L. Criswell, PhD

Joan F. Schanck, MPA

More Resources