Overview
- Degree awarded
- MSc
- Duration
- 1 year (full-time)
- Entry requirements
-
We require an honours degree (minimum Upper Second) or overseas equivalent in the biological sciences, which includes a broad suite of subjects, for example:
- biochemistry;
- biotechnology;
- cell biology;
- genetics;
- life sciences;
- microbiology;
- molecular biology.
You must also provide sufficient evidence of the relevant units taken.
- How to apply
Please apply via our online application form. See the application and selection section for details of supporting documents.
Due to the high demand for this course, we operate a staged admissions process. We reserve the right to close applications at any stage if the course is full. Please apply as early as possible.
Your application must be complete to be considered within the relevant stage. For non-UK educated students, you must provide some initial evidence of English language ability. We cannot provide any decisions without this.
Applications with missing supporting documents will only be given a final decision in the stage during which the outstanding documents are received. For example, if you submit your application in stage 1 but your references are not received until stage 3, you will be considered as a stage 3 applicant and you will only receive your decision by the stage 3 deadline.
We cannot prioritise any individual applications nor can we provide any decisions prior to the published stage deadlines. If you require a decision by a particular date, eg, for a scholarship application, it is your responsibility to ensure your application is submitted and completed in enough time for you to receive your decision.
If we make you an offer, you will have two weeks to reply. Offers not replied to within two weeks will be withdrawn.
- Stage 1: Application completed by 1 December 2024; decision by 24 January 2025
- Stage 2: Application completed by 9 March 2025; decision by 15 April 2025
- Stage 3: Application completed by 11 May 2025; decision by 13 June 2025
- Stage 4: Application completed by 27 July 2025; decision by 29 August 2025
Please note we give preference to applicants with grades above our minimum entry requirements due to the competition for places.
Whilst we aim to give you a decision on your application by the deadline date, in some instances due to competition for places and volume of applications received, it may be necessary to roll your application forward to the next deadline date. If this is the case, we will let you know after the initial deadline has passed.
Course options
| Full-time | Part-time | Full-time distance learning | Part-time distance learning | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSc | Y | N | N | N |
Course overview
- Learn how to turn scientific discoveries into inventions and commercial products through this course taught jointly by the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health and Alliance Manchester Business School.
- Develop research skills in biotechnology and scientific knowledge applicable to a range of careers, including working as a consultant, in business development, as a research and development manager, patent engineer and technical specialist, or continuing research in a PhD programme.
- Study at a university ranked 7th in the UK for Business and Management and for Biological Sciences (QS World University Rankings 2023).
Open days
The University holds regular open days, where you will have the opportunity to tour the campus and find out more about our facilities and courses. On this day, you will find out more about the course and meet academic and admissions staff who will be able to answer any questions you have. For more information, see Open days .
Fees
For entry in the academic year beginning September 2025, the tuition fees are as follows:
-
MSc (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £16,500
International, including EU, students (per annum): £38,500
Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.
The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.
All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK students (fees are typically fixed for International students for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees. Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.
Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1000 towards their tuition fees before a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
- Contact name
- Postgraduate Admissions Office
- Telephone
- 0161 529 4539
- pgtaught.biosciences@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/biosciences/masters/
- School/Faculty
-
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Entry requirements
Academic entry qualification overview
We require an honours degree (minimum Upper Second) or overseas equivalent in the biological sciences, which includes a broad suite of subjects, for example:
- biochemistry;
- biotechnology;
- cell biology;
- genetics;
- life sciences;
- microbiology;
- molecular biology.
You must also provide sufficient evidence of the relevant units taken.
English language
International students must demonstrate English proficiency at the point of application through a secure and approved testing system.
We ask for English language proof if you are from non-majority English speaking countries (a list of majority English speaking countries, as defined by the UK Home Office, can be found here ).
Specifically, we require a minimum of:
- IELTS : 6.5 overall with 6.5 in each component.
- TOEFL: 90 internet-based with 22 in each component.
See further information about requirements for your country .
We may also accept evidence of a confirmed place on a University Pre-sessional English language course , if your current IELTS scores are:
- Minimum 6.0 overall (with 6.0 in each component) plus enrolment and attendance on the 6-week pre-sessional course (PS6)
- Minimum 6.0 overall (with 5.5 in each component) plus enrolment and attendance on the 10-week pre-sessional course (PS10).
Please note, we must approve this before you apply for the English course.
English language test validity
Other international entry requirements
We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. For more details, see entry requirements from your country .
Application and selection
How to apply
Please apply via our online application form. See the application and selection section for details of supporting documents.
Due to the high demand for this course, we operate a staged admissions process. We reserve the right to close applications at any stage if the course is full. Please apply as early as possible.
Your application must be complete to be considered within the relevant stage. For non-UK educated students, you must provide some initial evidence of English language ability. We cannot provide any decisions without this.
Applications with missing supporting documents will only be given a final decision in the stage during which the outstanding documents are received. For example, if you submit your application in stage 1 but your references are not received until stage 3, you will be considered as a stage 3 applicant and you will only receive your decision by the stage 3 deadline.
We cannot prioritise any individual applications nor can we provide any decisions prior to the published stage deadlines. If you require a decision by a particular date, eg, for a scholarship application, it is your responsibility to ensure your application is submitted and completed in enough time for you to receive your decision.
If we make you an offer, you will have two weeks to reply. Offers not replied to within two weeks will be withdrawn.
- Stage 1: Application completed by 1 December 2024; decision by 24 January 2025
- Stage 2: Application completed by 9 March 2025; decision by 15 April 2025
- Stage 3: Application completed by 11 May 2025; decision by 13 June 2025
- Stage 4: Application completed by 27 July 2025; decision by 29 August 2025
Please note we give preference to applicants with grades above our minimum entry requirements due to the competition for places.
Whilst we aim to give you a decision on your application by the deadline date, in some instances due to competition for places and volume of applications received, it may be necessary to roll your application forward to the next deadline date. If this is the case, we will let you know after the initial deadline has passed.
Advice to applicants
We require the following documents before we can consider your application:
- Transcript of your studies to date.
- Degree certificate (if you have already graduated).
- Personal statement of approximately 300 words detailing briefly why you are interested in the course, what relevant knowledge/experience you will bring, and how the course aligns with your future career goals. Please also give examples of your ability to work both independently and in groups. Personal statements over 300 words will not be read past the word limit which may impact your application outcome.
- Curriculum vitae (CV).
- Evidence of English Language ability.
- Two academic references. You must provide the contact details of two referees in your application form. We will accept applications with one reference only but preference will be given to applications with two.
Your referees will be contacted directly and asked to provide a letter of reference. When providing referee details, you must ensure the email addresses are accurate and official, typically ending with an institutional domain. We do not accept references provided from a personal email address, eg Hotmail or Gmail.
If any of the supporting documents are not in English, you must also provide us with official or certified English translations.
If English is not your first language, we also require proof of your English language ability. If you have already taken an English language qualification, please include your certificate with your application. We cannot provide a decision on an application without seeing some evidence of a good level of English language ability. If you do not provide this when you apply, your application will remain on hold until evidence is received.
How your application is considered
Interview requirements
Overseas (non-UK) applicants
Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1,000 towards their tuition fees before a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.
You cannot use your CAS to apply for a visa more than three months before the start date of your course. This means that if you intend to begin a course on 16th September 2024, we will not issue you with a CAS number before 16th June 2024.
Your CAS number is only valid for one student visa application.
Re-applications
Course details
Course description
Our MSc Biotechnology and Enterprise course will show you how to perform state-of-the-art scientific discoveries into commercial products using a combination of research skills and business knowledge.
Jointly delivered by the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health and Alliance Manchester Business School, this master's course will also show you how discoveries can translate into a business plan for start-up technologies or innovative processes for commercial applications.
You will cover topics including commercialisation and intellectual property, advanced biotechnology and synthetic biology through taught units, before carrying out a lab-based research project.
The combination of research skills and business knowledge will ensure you are well-equipped for career opportunities in the global biotechnology market.
PhD with integrated master's
If you're planning to undertake a PhD after your master's, our Integrated PhD programme will enable you to combine your postgraduate taught course with a related PhD project in biology, medicine or health.
You can also visit this page for examples of projects related to integrated master's courses.
Special features
Wide range of teaching expertise
Learn from experts from the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, the Faculty of Science and Engineering, and Alliance Manchester Business School to combine your scientific and business knowledge and skills.
Teaching and learning
We use a range of teaching and learning methods, including lectures, seminars and workshops. This involves working individually and in teams.
Find out more by visiting the postgraduate teaching and learning page.
Coursework and assessment
Course unit details
This course starts in September and runs for 12 months. You require 180 credits to complete the course, of which:
- 90 credits are from taught course units
- 90 credits are from the research project
All students will be required to register on an academic literacy programme at the start of the course, which is designed specifically to help you write for a scientific audience.
The course has three main components.
Core Entrepreneurial Skills (taught units)
Workshops, lectures and group sessions focus on intellectual property and knowledge transfer and commercialisation in the life sciences. You will prepare a business plan for a virtual company and take part in a business pitch to describe the value and potential of your product.
- Commercialisation in the Life Sciences including strategic business planning (45 credits, mandatory)
- Intellectual Property in the Life Sciences (15 credits, optional)
Core Scientific Skills (taught units)
You will undertake laboratory work, lectures, seminars and workshops which will support you in your chosen area of research.
- Advanced Biotechnology I: Expression systems for biopharmaceutical and industrial proteins (15 credits)
- Advanced Biotechnology II: Synthetic Biology (15 credits, mandatory)
- Disease modelling and genome engineering (15 credits, optional)
Research project
You will undertake one full-time project, starting with a literature review in October and progressing to lab work in February. The final dissertation report will be presented in a format suitable for publication in a biotechnology journal.
Research Skills - Lab-based research project (90 credits, mandatory).
Course unit list
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercialisation in the Life Sciences | BIOL60760 | 45 | Mandatory |
| Research Skills (Lab-based Research Project) | BIOL60770 | 90 | Mandatory |
| Advanced Biotechnology I: expression systems for biopharmaceutical & industrial proteins | BIOL60771 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Advanced Biotechnology II: Synthetic Biology | BIOL64351 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Intellectual Property in the Life Sciences | BIOL60781 | 15 | Optional |
| Disease Modelling and Genome Engineering | BIOL67672 | 15 | Optional |
Scholarships and bursaries
For the latest scholarship and bursary information please visit the fees and funding page.
What our students say
The course has really shaped the way I look at science. Nowadays, when I see science, I see a business concept.
Temitope (Nikkie) Adeyemi
Read more from our students on highlights of the course in 2019 on the Biology, Medicine and Health Student Blog .
Facilities
Disability support
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service .
Careers
Career opportunities
The combination of research skills and business knowledge will ensure you are well-equipped for career opportunities in the global biotechnology market.
Recent graduates have either continued to a PhD programme or moved into careers in industry, including business development, patent engineering, consultancy and knowledge transfer positions in bioscience and pharmaceutical companies.