Professional Masters in Pharmaceutical Engineering Degree

Master of Engineering in Pharmaceutical Engineering and Science (ME)

The pharmaceutical industry is increasingly looking for engineers and scientists with a Pharmaceutical Engineering Masters degree. At Rutgers, the the Masters of Engineering in Pharmaceutical Engineering and Science (ME)  provides current and advanced training in pharmaceutical engineering and manufacturing.

The ME has been set up using the framework of a professional Masters of Pharmaceutical Engineering degree. Rutgers University provides the intellectual climate for the preparation of individuals for professional advancement and is set up not just for full-time students, but also for professionals in industry who can only attend classes part-time but want to develop the skills to work in pharmaceutical product design and manufacturing. Most of our classes are offered in the evening.

The entire Pharmaceutical engineering course list and brief description of course content is listed under courses. To keep our program up-to-date, we rely on a broad pool of exceptional faculty from Rutgers and additional adjunct faculty from industry.

Applications to the ME

Applicants to the ME should have an undergraduate degree in Engineering, Science or Pharmacy. As part of the application, a personal statement is required. Please make sure you discuss that you are interested in Pharmaceutical Engineering in your personal statement. Applicants are not required to submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test; however if available, the submission of such scores is strongly encouraged. International students must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test or an equivalent test – a list of acceptable tests is available at the Rutgers School of Graduate Studies – New Brunswick website. If you are an international applicant with: 1) a minimum of three years in-person undergraduate studies with the mode of instruction being English (please state this in your application), or 2) you have a masters degree with the mode of instruction being English, then TOEFL or IELTS scores are not required; however if available, the submission of such scores is strongly encouraged.

Financial aid is not provided for the students who are admitted to the ME degree program. Tuition and fees depend on the number of courses that are taken each semester. More information on tuition and fees can be found at the Rutgers School of Graduate Studies – New Brunswick website under the Funding tab: Tuition and Cost of Attendance.  All courses in the Pharmaceutical Engineering Program are 3-credit courses.

Applications to the ME must be made through the Rutgers School of Graduate Studies – New Brunswick. Usually the Graduate School New Brunswick requires a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for admission to the ME. The GPA requirement may be waived for students who have significant work experience or other relevant experience. Students who have a cumulative GPA substantially below 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) can apply to the Non-Degree program of study; after successfully completing four courses (with minimum grades) students can apply for a change of degree status to the ME. Further details are given under the Non-Degree program of study. Please note that International students cannot apply or enroll as Non-Degree students as Rutgers will not sponsor a Non-Degree student for a visa.

To apply to the ME, please apply on-line at the Rutgers School of Graduate Studies –  New Brunswick. To apply, search for the Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Program of Study and choose the ME degree. The Master of Engineering in Pharmaceutical Engineering and Science (ME) is administered by the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering and is therefore listed under this department’s programs of study. Please be sure to apply on-line for the ME degree as a MS degree is also offered, but is quite different from the ME degree.

For further information, please contact pharmeng@soe.rutgers.edu

Requirements for the completion of the ME degree

Basic requirements for the completion of the Master of Engineering in Pharmaceutical Engineering and Science degree are the completion of 30 credits of courses, including:

  • 15 credits of core courses
  • 15 credits of elective courses (to be selected from established engineering and science graduate courses ). A listing of acceptable electives is given below. Other elective courses can be selected from current Rutgers engineering and science graduate courses with approval of the program
  • Maintaining an overall cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.
  • Ensuring that no more than two grades are less than B in the core courses.

Core courses (five required courses)

  • 155:545 Synthesis, Separation and Sterile Processing in the Pharmaceutical Industry
  • 155:546 Pharmaceutical Unit Operations
  • 155:547 Statistical Analysis and Design of Pharmaceutical Operations
  • 155:549 Medicine in the Body: Pharmaceutical Engineering of Patient-Medicine Interaction
  • 155:541 Pharmaceutical Materials Engineering
    A brief description of the core course content can be found under core courses.

Electives (choose five elective courses)

A list of approved Pharmaceutical Engineering electives and a brief description of the course content can be found under general elective courses.