Pharmaceutical Engineering

Overview

The Pharmaceutical Engineering program at Northeastern University is an interdisciplinary program offered through the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Northeastern University.

Students gain the knowledge and skills to work in the pharmaceutical field to analyze and design the engineering aspects of pharmaceutical development, operations, and manufacturing processes. They are also prepared to describe the regulations and good manufacturing practices that are specific to the pharmaceutical industry, as well as communicate effectively within pharmaceutical engineering, in multidisciplinary teams, and between regulatory and quality programs.

As part of the MS program, students will gain hands-on experience in modern experimental techniques, including bioreactor operation, downstream purification, and cell culture. The program emphasizes the most current research in biopharmaceuticals—the fastest-growing segment of the pharmaceuticals field—and covers highly relevant topics including mRNA. Students will also gain a strong understanding of Quality by Design (QbD) and its importance in FDA review.

Career Outlook

There is a growing need for engineers with advanced skills in state-of-the-art pharmaceutical design, manufacturing processes, and regulatory and quality aspects, including cross-functional pharmaceutical engineering knowledge in clinical development, manufacturing, and rigorous quantitative approaches.

Northeastern is one of only a few programs nationwide to combine engineering and pharmaceutical sciences to address this market need.  Upon graduation, students will be prepared for in-demand roles in bio-manufacturing, validation/regulatory compliance, quality control, and more.

Chemical engineers in pharmaceuticals had a median salary of $100,800 in 2018, while the mean salary was $107,180, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Along with California, Massachusetts offers the nation’s strongest market for careers in pharmaceuticals, especially biopharmaceuticals.