Biotechnology Degree Requirements

• BIOT 100 Introduction to the Business & Science of Biotechnology
• BIOT 200 Proseminar: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Biotechnology
• 1 biotechnology life science course
• 3 biotechnology business courses
• 2 biotechnology application and innovation courses
• Genetown applied active learning course (see on-campus experience)
  • The first offering will be January 2025
• 1 business cross-train elective
  • EXPO 42c Writing for the Sciences is an elective option

Browse courses →

This track includes the following additional courses:

• Precapstone: Business Ideas and Entrepreneurial Innovation
• Capstone: Business Ideas and Entrepreneurial Innovation

In the precapstone, you complete preliminary research and discovery for your capstone project: the creation of a business plan for a new biotechnology company, a ground-breaking drug, or an emerging technology such as a diagnostic or medical device.

Capstone sequencing. You enroll in the precapstone and capstone courses in back-to-back semesters (fall/spring) and in your final academic year. The capstone must be taken as your sole remaining degree requirement.

The 200-hour internship is an opportunity to apply newly acquired computation or biotechnology management skills to address a pressing business problem identified by a biotechnology employer. You are required to identify an internship-site supervisor at the place of business, who will oversee your work.

The option is ideal for those students who choose to earn a professional graduate certificate in bioinformatics or biotechnology management or a microcertificate in project management methodologies. Learn more about internships.

Currently, we are unable to sponsor student visas for Genetown. To meet the on-campus requirement, you choose a 3-week on-campus Harvard Summer School (HSS) biotechnology elective. Example electives may include: New Business Venturing, Economics of Innovation or Project Management. In addition, the program may provide co-curricular on-campus events relevant to the Genetown experience, such as a Kendall Square tour and industry meetups. You can easily request an I-20 for the F-1 student visa for HSS 3-week sessions. For more details, see International Student Study Options for important visa information.

Come to Cambridge for Convocation (fall) to celebrate your hard-earned admission, Harvard career fairs offered throughout the year, HES alumni networking events (here at Harvard and around the globe), and, of course, Harvard Commencement (May).

• Prior to enrolling in any degree-applicable courses, you must possess a 4-year regionally accredited US bachelor’s degree or its foreign equivalent. Foreign bachelor’s degrees must be evaluated for equivalency.
• You cannot already have or be in the process of earning a master’s degree in biotechnology or a related field. Check your eligibility.
• If English is your second language, you’ll need to prove English proficiency before registering for a course. We have multiple proficiency options.

To begin the admission process, you simply register — no application required — for the following three, four-credit, graduate-level degree courses (available online).

These courses count toward your degree once you’re admitted; they are not additional courses. They are investments in your studies and help ensure success in the program.

• BIOT 200 Proseminar: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Biotechnology
  • To register, you’ll need to pass our online test of critical reading and writing skills or earn a B or higher in EXPO 42c Writing in the Sciences.
  • You have two attempts to earn the minimum grade of B in the proseminar (a withdrawal grade counts as an attempt). The proseminar cannot be more than 2 years old at the time of application.
• BIOT 100 Introduction to the Business & Science of Biotechnology
• 1 biotechnology life science course

The three courses don’t need to be taken in a particular order or in the same semester. All three courses must be completed with a grade of B or higher, without letting your overall Harvard cumulative GPA dip below 3.0.

During the semester of your third degree course, submit the official application to the program.

Don’t delay! You must prioritize the three degree courses for admission and apply before completing subsequent courses. By doing so, you’ll:

• Avoid the loss of credit due to expired course work or changes to admission and degree requirements.
• Ensure your enrollment in critical and timely degree-candidate-only courses.
• Avoid the delayed application fee.
• Gain access to exclusive benefits.

Eligible students who submit a complete and timely application will have nine more courses after admission to earn the degree. Applicants can register for courses in the upcoming semester before they receive their grades and while they await their admission decision.

GPA. You need to earn a B or higher in each of the 3 degree courses required for admission and a B– or higher in each of the subsequent courses. In addition, your cumulative GPA cannot dip below 3.0.

Withdrawal Grades. You are allowed to receive 2 withdrawal (WD) grades without them affecting your GPA. Any additional WD grades count as zero in your cumulative GPA. Please note that a WD grade from a two-credit course will count as 1 of your 2 allowed WD grades. See Academic Standing.

Repeat Courses. We advise you to review the ALM program’s strict policies about repeating courses. Generally speaking, you may not repeat a course to improve your GPA or to fulfill a degree requirement (if the minimum grade was not initially achieved). Nor can you repeat a course for graduate credit that you’ve previously completed at Harvard Extension School or Harvard Summer School at the undergraduate level.

Courses over five years old at the point of admission will not count toward the degree. As stated above, the proseminar cannot be more than two years old at the time of application.

Further, you have five years to complete your degree requirements. The five-year timeline begins at the end of the term in which you complete any three degree-applicable courses, regardless of whether or not you have been admitted to a degree program.

Potential degree candidates must plan accordingly and submit their applications to comply with the five-year course expiration policy or they risk losing degree credit for completed course work. Additionally, admission eligibility will be jeopardized if, at the point of application to the program, the five-year degree completion policy cannot be satisfied (i.e., too many courses to complete in the time remaining).

When you have fulfilled all degree requirements, you will earn your Harvard University degree: Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Extension Studies, field: Biotechnology. Degrees are awarded in November, March, and May, with the annual Harvard Commencement ceremony in May.

When you become an officially admitted degree candidate, you have access to a rich variety of exclusive benefits to support your academic journey. To learn more, visit degree candidate academic opportunities and privileges.