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Biotech and Pharmaceutical Management MSc

London, Stratford (UCL East)

Embrace one of the fastest paced sectors in health through this cutting-edge Master’s degree that focuses on the business and management of biotechnology and pharmaceutical ventures.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2026/27)
£21,500
£10,750
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)
£39,200
£19,600
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2026
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 26 Jun 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 28 Aug 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

An upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree in a health, science, business or economics related subject or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Graduates without the relevant degree classification but with extensive relevant work experience are welcome to apply and will be considered on an individual basis.

The English language level for this course is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree


This cutting-edge course integrates business with biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. It has been meticulously crafted by academics and industry experts at the world’s first business school dedicated to health.

Offered by a university ranked 9th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2026), the Biotech and Pharmaceutical Management MSc provides a unique opportunity to learn from the best in the sector and enhance your future employability.

With the growing demand for new drug development to address emerging global medical challenges, applying a business perspective to this field is becoming increasingly important. The Biotech and Pharmaceutical Management MSc equips students with the managerial skills necessary to bring biotechnology and pharmaceutical innovations to highly regulated markets.

What's more, this course provides you with an advanced understanding of the intersections between business and science in this field. Drawing on the expertise of the UCL Global Business School for Health (UCL GBSH) and UCL’s other cross-disciplinary centres, including the UCL Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology (UCL ICTM), you will gain valuable insights from diverse perspectives. Anchored in the discipline of Pharmacoeconomics, the course also covers key topics including regulations and market access. In this experiential learning environment, you will have the opportunity to present a business case for a product, service, or process in the business project.  

This course is taught from UCL’s state-of-the-art bespoke facilities on our UCL East campus, on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London. 

Who this course is for

The course is ideal for individuals who envisage a career that spans across biotech, pharmaceuticals, business, and entrepreneurship. This versatile degree is ideal for a range of individuals who want to work in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical world, from start-ups right through to established corporations. You may be a new or recent graduate in a health or science field, or have a PhD or lab experience, and want to gain skills in the business side of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Or you may already work in the biotechnology/pharmaceuticals industry or a consultancy firm but wish to cross over into management and leadership positions with ambitions to bring specialist knowledge to your clients.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

The Biotech and Pharmaceutical Management MSc is an ideal course for individuals who aspire to run a successful start-up in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical sectors, or for those seeking to bring an innovative skill set to enhance their future career opportunities within these industries.

Building on UCL’s longstanding health credentials, which span across every faculty in the university, the UCL GBSH has created a unique learning environment for those who wish to excel in the global health economy. 

By bringing together world-renowned academics in health and business, UCL GBSH is committed to disrupting and reimagining global healthcare by cultivating a new generation of changemaking leaders and innovators.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Many graduates of the Biotech and Pharmaceutical Management MSc have secured jobs and internships at companies across the UK, Europe, and globally. For example, graduates have been offered positions at Cleveland Clinic, Bristol Myers Squibb, various global consultancy firms, and leading global pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies.

Employability

  • You will build a strong understanding of the interconnections between biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and business. 
  • You will develop an entrepreneurial mindset, enabling you to identify opportunities for products, solutions, and innovations emerging from healthcare research. 
  • You will acquire practical skills related to various measures of biotechnology and pharmaceutical costs and outcomes, including a detailed understanding of pharmacoeconomic techniques such as Cost-Benefit Analysis, Cost-Effectiveness Analysis, Cost-Utility Analysis, Cost-Minimisation Analysis, and Cost-Consequence Analysis.
  • The above will be supported by a critical understanding of the ethical, legal, and regulatory factors associated with biotech and pharma business development.

The course will prepare you for a career in:

  • Start-up companies in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical sector.
  • Public, private or non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical space.
  • Biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and business specialisms in professional services, e.g. accountancy, insurance or legal firms.
  • Government and public bodies.

Networking

The Biotech and Pharmaceutical Management MSc course gives you the chance to engage with experts through the UCL GBSH Health Executives in Residence (HEiR). This initiative is designed to advise and empower students, helping them enhance their knowledge of career options, develop self-awareness, and reach their potential. HEiRs share their experiences, expertise, and insights into the challenges faced by senior health executives in driving healthcare improvements. In the business project, you will be assigned an industry mentor who will provide guidance on business case writing and help you develop your communication skills.

Teaching and learning

Module teaching is primarily in the form of attended lectures and seminars across Terms 1 and 2. 

Weekly group tutorials facilitate in-group discussions, encourage informal learning, and discuss the materials covered in the recorded lectures.

There will also be seminar sessions focused on informal case-based presentations and discussions related to module content to demonstrate. These sessions help you develop your presentation skills and encourage critical thinking.

Workshops on project development will empower you to develop investigative, analytical, synthesis and data interrogation skills, which you will put into practice as you advance your business and research projects.

In Term 3, you will embark on the final part of your business project which you will pull together with colleagues having completed much of the research and analysis for the report and presentation. You will also finish your individual desk-based research project at this stage.

You and your project team will assemble your data, case and conclusions with the assistance of an industry mentor and academic supervisor. This approach will provide you with an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills you have developed in the course into a project that you will have to take forward or highlight to potential employers as proof of your business acumen.

Types of assessments include:

  • Written exams: These will test your knowledge of and ability to analyse various case studies and scenarios and you will demonstrate your ability to apply that knowledge.
  • Coursework essays: These will allow you to demonstrate your organisation of knowledge and understanding to develop cohesive arguments.
  • Presentations: You will demonstrate your ability to select, synthesise and communicate information for varied audiences/purposes, using a variety of media, through both group and individual projects.
  • Business project: You will showcase and further enhance your project management, business planning and design, budget forecasting, strategy development and marketing skills along with an understanding of stakeholder engagement.
  • Research project: The research project will hone your research analysis, literature review, critical appraisal, structured research writing and presentation of argument skill set.
  • Enhanced research skills: You will learn how to model health-based hypotheses, literature reviews and practical analysis of results.
  • Health and Business case written analysis: You will establish identification of need, challenges of buy-in, legal ramifications of development, obstacles and ethics through business and academic orientation.
  • Business presentation: Through this you will gain communications skills and the ability to be targeted, persuasive and professionally interrogate current knowledge and understanding with the capacity to take existing knowledge to new scenarios.

Full-time students will attend in-person classes and participate in online directed learning, typically for 12 to 15 hours per week during Terms 1 and 2. Full-time students can expect to spend 20 to 23 hours per week in self-directed study - reading, engaging with course materials and preparing assessments.

Modules

The Biotech and Pharmaceutical Management MSc offers you the opportunity to develop a broad understanding of the biotech and pharma business landscape, particularly in relation to various health systems and approaches to therapeutics.

The course is designed to provide you with an in-depth understanding of these complex and rapidly evolving sectors. It is delivered over three terms through nine modules. In Term 1, we draw on the expertise of both the UCL GBSH and UCL’s other cross-disciplinary centres, including UCL ICTM, to offer an introduction to clinical trials. In this term, the content is grounded in Pharmacoeconomics and includes managerial practices within the biotech and pharmaceutical management module, offering crucial insights into regulations and market access.

In Term 2, you will focus on understanding and synthesising the key business issues and opportunities such as commercialisation, supply chain and drug management. All students on this course will  engage in a group business project involving analysis and stakeholder mapping of a drug or biotech product from trials to business case development and pitching.

Throughout the 12-months, students will also work on two projects, and Term 3 is dedicated to completing these two projects (research project and business project), and consolidating learning from Terms 1 and 2.

There will be several milestones that will form part of the formative assessments to help students develop their projects along with workshops in Terms 1 and 2. Industry mentors will also be available to provide guidance on the business projects.

The final output will be a business plan/report with presentation.

For 2026/27 entry, students will study the following modules.

First Term 

All modules are compulsory:

Second Term 

Compulsory modules:

Optional modules one (select one module):

Optional modules two (select one module):

Third Term 

All modules are compulsory:

The two-year part-time structure consists of 180 credits. Students take 90 credits in Year 1 and 2.

Please note that students who require a visa will not be eligible to apply for this part-time course due to visa restrictions.

The modular/flex structure gives students the flexibility to take 180 credits worth of modules over two to five years. Students can choose as many or as few modules as they wish each year.

Please note that students who require a visa will not be eligible to apply for this flexible course due to visa restrictions.

Compulsory modules










Optional modules




Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Biotech and Pharmaceutical Management.

Accessibility

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

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Are you interested in postgraduate studies at UCL in health, medicine, psychology or life sciences? Join us at our upcoming open evening where you can discover Masters degrees delivered by six UCL faculties: Brain Sciences, Engineering, Life Sciences, Medical Sciences, Population Health Sciences, and Social & Historical Sciences.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27) £21,500 £10,750
Tuition fees (2026/27) £39,200 £19,600

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

Additional costs

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a fee deposit will be charged at 2.5% of the first year fee.

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

For modular/flexible offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a £350 deposit will be charged.

For modular/flexible offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a £500 deposit will be charged.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

This course is based at the UCL East campus in Stratford. The optional modules, of which you will select one, are taught at the Bloomsbury campus: Commercialisation of Research Ideas (BENG0008) and Initiating a Pharmaceutical Start-Up (PHAY0030). Students will need to fund their own travel between the Bloomsbury and UCL East campuses for the face-to-face components of these modules.

For in-person teaching, UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

Please visit the scholarships section of the  UCL GBSH website for more information on available funding.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

EMBA Health: Future Impact Leaders Scholarship

Deadline: 15 August 2025
Value: Up to £15,000 (Duration of programme)
Criteria Based on academic merit
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

GBSH Global Healthcare Leaders Scholarship

Deadline: 29 June 2025
Value: Up to £5,000 (Duration)
Criteria Based on academic merit
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

GBSH Women Healthcare Leaders Scholarship

Deadline: 29 June 2025
Value: Up to £5,000 (Duration)
Criteria Based on academic merit
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

UCL Bupa Scholarship

Deadline: 29 June 2025
Value: Fees plus stipend (1 year)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

UCL East London Scholarship

CLOSED FOR 25/26 ENTRY
Value: Tuition fees plus £16,000 stipend ()
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this course of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When reviewing Biotech and Pharmaceutical Management MSc applications, we will assess your eligibility for the course based on a combination of your academic credentials, any relevant work experience, personal statement, and references. We are looking for applications from ambitious individuals who want to become the next leaders in the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors.

When we assess your application, we would like to learn:

  • Why you want to study Biotech and Pharmaceutical Management at graduate level.
  • Why you want to study the Biotech and Pharmaceutical Management MSc at UCL and what your objectives are.
  • What particularly attracts you to the chosen course (content and opportunities).
  • How has your academic, professional and personal background prepared and qualified you for the demands of this challenging course.
  • Where would you like to go professionally through and after this course.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate courses (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2026-2027

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Global Business School for Health
Global Business School for Health

admissionsgbsh@ucl.ac.uk

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