Admission to the Biotechnology Master's Program is open to students with appropriate backgrounds in the sciences, including biology, neuroscience, and biochemistry, physics or chemistry. Other majors are accepted on a case-by-case basis.

Yes. Please visit the Fifth-Year Master's Degree section of our website. Please note that the Fifth-Year Program is exclusively for current Brown undergraduate students.

No. The GREs are not required.

The 2025-2026 cost of tuition is $8,962 per credit or $71,696 for eight credits.

Most students are self-funded, meaning they pay for the degree through loans or their personal funds. Domestic students can complete the FAFSA and CSS profile to obtain loans. Find more information on financial aid online. International students should consult the Graduate School website.

All accepted applicants, domestic and international, are considered for an 1/8 tuition scholarship. These merit awards are limited, and are determined based on application material. No other information is necessary to be considered for the merit scholarship.

The institution code for Brown University is 3094. There is no separate department/program code.

Yes, further information for international applicants can be found by visiting the Brown Graduate School website.

All international applicants whose native language is not English must submit an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Score. For more information, visit the Graduate School website. The Biotech MS Program has a minimum TOEFL and IELTS score of 100 and 8, respectively.

No, we do not hold interviews.

The Master of Science in Biotechnology has coursework as well as a thesis requirement. The Master of Arts is a non-thesis, coursework-only degree program.

The Biotechnology Master's degree is an eight-credit degree that students typically complete over two years. At Brown, one credit is equivalent to one course.

The AM degree can be accelerated to be completed in two semesters. The ScM degree can be completed in two semesters, but this represents a significant time commitment from students as it requires both course work and a thesis. Most ScM students looking to accelerate their degree complete the program in 12-15 months.

Yes. Please visit the Degree Program page for more information on our part-time track program.

No. Most faculty will want to see that you are accepted into the program prior to discussing thesis research. 

Each student is assigned to either the Director or the Associate Director as an academic advisor. In addition, ScM students find a research advisor who serves as their thesis advisor. The process of finding a thesis is a combination of students reaching out to faculty and faculty reaching out to students for interviews. Both a student and a research advisor have to agree to work together. Doing a thesis is contingent on finding a research advisor, however, almost every student wishing to pursue a thesis has been able to.  

Our graduates go to work for pharma companies, biotech companies, device companies, universities, and consulting firms. Please view our career outcomes page for more information.

No. The co-op is not required. Please visit our co-op page for more information.

Generally yes. Many international students do the co-op with CPT. Students must be eligible to apply for CPT.