M.S. Degree in Pharmaceutical Development and Management

With its unconventional structure, market-oriented goals, innovative delivery and partnership with prominent pharmaceutical companies, this program offers an unparalleled experience.

Its all-inclusive interdisciplinary approach —with the Adnan Kassar School of Business and pharmaceutical companies— integrates the different facets of the pharmaceutical industry such as production, formulation and development, quality control, quality assurance, regulatory, marketing and sales.

Furthermore, the program’s versatility of thesis (research) and non-thesis (professional) tracks, and wide-ranging choice of elective courses provide opportunities for learning experiences that are tailored to individual professional goals.

Graduates acquire the skill sets for an array of career opportunities in the industry or further advance their research in a PhD-related program. The program is recognized by the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education as well as the New York State Education Department.

Admissions

Applicants seeking admission to the Master’s program in Pharmaceutical Development and Management must provide documented evidence of the following minimum requirements for having:

• Earned a professional degree program in Pharmacy (B.S. or Pharm.D.), or majored in Chemistry or any of the biological sciences (e.g., biology, biochemistry) from a recognized university or program.
• A cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher (out of 4 points) towards their College degree (see above).
• Met LAU’s English language proficiency requirements.

Additionally, applications should include:

• The applicant’s updated Curriculum Vitae.
• A Personal Statement briefly describing the applicant’s qualifications and interest in the program.

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee admission into the program. Students with no Pharmacy degree may be conditionally accepted on a case-by-case basis and are required to complete at least 6 credits of remedial undergraduate courses in Pharmacy at LAU that primarily include but not limited to the following courses: Dosage Forms; Pharmacokinetics and Biopharmaceutics; Medicinal chemistry; Pharmacology.

All applications are reviewed by a committee of faculty.

Curriculum

The program offers optional thesis and non-thesis tracks. The former includes a laboratory-based research project, and the latter includes a 6-month internship with a literature-based project. This is a 36-credit program with the following courses:

Core Courses (3 credits each)

21 credits are required for the thesis and non-thesis tracks.

Elective Courses (3 credits each)

9 credits are needed for the thesis track and 12 credits for the non-thesis (professional) track, by choosing from the following list of elective courses as available.

Project/Thesis

Allocated 3 credits for the non-thesis project and 6 credits for the thesis.

The thesis is directed by a committee of faculty members of the LAU School of Pharmacy, and possibly of adjunct faculty from the pharmaceutical and business corporations.

The project and practice in pharmaceutical companies are typically supervised by faculty members of the LAU School of Pharmacy with support from adjunct faculty from the industry.

See the LAU Academic Catalog (graduate education section) for information regarding admission, tuition, assistantship, academic rules and procedures.

Educational Goals and Outcomes

Goals

The Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Development and Management aims to:

• Foster problem-solving, decision-making, and management skills applied to the development, testing, production, packaging and marketing of pharmaceuticals, that may also be applied to other commercial settings.
• Develop the ability to work effectively with scientists, clinicians, marketing experts, management teams, regulators, and other professionals as part of an academic/industrial/corporate development or management team.
• Prepare students to assume leadership roles in pharmaceutical and other academic, corporate, industrial, or management positions at the national or international level.
• Prepare students to continue graduate studies at the PhD level in related science, and management fields.

Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, graduates are able to:

• Apply advanced knowledge of drug development and pre-formulation for ethical pharmaceutical products.
• Utilize advanced pharmacokinetics in the development of pharmaceuticals.
• Utilize analytical and production processes and equipment in the development of pharmaceuticals.
• Apply the concepts of biotechnology in the production of pharmaceuticals.
• Apply the concepts of biostatistics to the development, and production, and management of pharmaceutical products and clinical trials.
• Apply the principles of management theory to the development, production, evaluation, regulation, distribution, and marketing of ethical pharmaceutical products.
• Apply international and national regulations and ethics in the development, manufacture, bio-manufacture, and management of ethical pharmaceutical products.