Applied Biotechnology University of Kent

Overview

Advances in biotechnology and bioengineering have transformed fields as diverse as health, agriculture, energy and manufacturing.

Our MSc course is designed for ambitious and entrepreneurial students, who want to harness advanced biology to build on these breakthroughs.

From the very beginning, you’ll be learning how to build and test, rather than just study. You’ll discover how to design next-generation therapeutics, explore antimicrobial resistance, and drive more sustainable biomanufacturing processes. You’ll gain experience in the lab, from CRISPR genome editing to bioprocess optimisation. And you’ll also become confident making decisions from complex datasets.

Kent is home to researchers with expertise in fields such as biotherapeutics and industrial biotechnology, which means your education will be informed by the latest research. You’ll work on research-grade projects, using industry standard platforms, and consider crucial factors such as scalability, sustainability, ethics and societal impact.

We’re also part of a network of NHS labs, biotech SMEs and visionary universities, and our facilities are used daily by partners to develop cutting-edge projects. This means you’ll learn from visiting specialists from industry and academia, who will lead workshops and set challenges based on real problems.

We focus on testing through doing. By working on projects independently and in groups, you’ll build a strong portfolio of datasets, experiments and projects which can showcase your expertise to employers and PhD supervisors.

Whether you’re looking to advance to a PhD or build a career in pharmaceuticals or medical research, you’ll learn to test theories, make smarter design decisions and bring ideas from pilot to market.

Careers

Our practical, project-based course will enable you to apply your knowledge with confidence. You’ll master lab techniques, as well as skills in data analysis and bioinformatics - as well as scientific writing and presentation.

Our course prepares you for a range of different fields in industry, research and study, including: 

• Bioprocess development
• Biomanufacturing
• Technology transfer
• Diagnostics R&D
• Synthetic biology

Our graduates have secured roles at companies such as GW Pharmaceuticals, Bio Products Laboratory, Lonza Biologics, Evox Therapeutics, and PhD roles at universities including Kent, UCL and the University of New South Wales. 

A postgraduate degree in biosciences is designed to equip our graduates with transferable skills that are highly valued in the workplace. Our research-led ethos ensures that students explore the frontiers of scientific knowledge, and the intensive practical components provide rigorous training in cutting edge technical skills that are used in the modern biosciences while working in areas of world-leading expertise within the School.

Destinations for our graduates include the leading pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies within the UK and leading research institutes both at home and abroad. 

To give you an idea of possible career destinations, recent graduates have gone on to the following roles: include Research and Development Technician at GW Pharmaceuticals, Bioanalytical Scientist at Bio Products Laboratory, Scientist at Lonza Biologics, Research Scientist at Evox Therapeutics Limited, and onto PhD study at the University of Kent , University College London, and the University of New South Wales in Australia.