Degree Programme Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology - Student look trough a microscope

Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology bachelor degree programme

Would you like to play a part in dramatically improving the quality of life of millions of patients around the world? The Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology bachelor programme will give you the opportunity to do just that.

Biotechnology is one of the world’s fastest growing research disciplines, and there is an urgent need for experts, managers and researchers who are qualified to work in the industry. As a graduate, you will have the expertise to contribute to the development of groundbreaking innovations in the field.

The degree programme: Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSc)

The Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology bachelor degree is taught in English and comprises theoretical courses and extensive laboratory practicals that cover the fundamentals of natural sciences, biomedicine and the applicable technologies.

It is split into three subject areas:

Medical biotechnology

Lectures and laboratory exercises on biochemical processes, cell and molecular biology, and genetic engineering – including the various analytical techniques – provide a solid knowledge base. You will also gain insights into human medicine and pharmaceutical science in order to acquire an understanding of the effects of medicines and their production.

Pharmaceutical biotechnology

This is an important part of the degree: courses on the theoretical principles and practical implementation of processes used in the biopharmaceutical industry. These cover aspects such as the design of biopharmaceutical production processes and the basics of planning the related production facilities.

In the lab-based courses, a model process set-up is used to illustrate important concepts.

Quality management

Mistakes in the medical and pharmaceutical industry can cost lives, so a thorough knowledge of quality management is essential.

Fundamentals of business

As well as acquiring fundamental scientific knowledge, you also focus on communication and human resources in preparation for working in an interdisciplinary environment.
Your training also includes practical work as part of research and industry projects.

Find out more about the reseach projects

Student Stories

Biotechnology

Biotechnology is an interdisciplinary subject encompassing aspects of medicine, chemistry, biology, physics and pharmacy. Findings from this broad discipline are exploited using integrative approaches.

In this way, they can be implemented to develop biological systems for the production of therapeutic molecules or antibodies for cancer treatments, for instance.

New treatment methods

Biotechnology has developed into a key technology for the future by providing innovative new active substances and diagnostic methods.

There is an increasing focus on stem cells and the cultivation of human tissue in medical biotechnology research. This generates new treatments for previously incurable diseases.

Medical and pharmaceutical technology is by its nature an extremely interdisciplinary field, with the natural sciences, biomedicine and technology playing an especially important role.

Studium Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology - Mann mit Pipette
Studium Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology - Mann und Frau mit Notizbuch
Studium Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology - Frau zeigt auf Landkarte
Medical and pharmaceutical theory combined with extensive lab work: our graduates have a solid foundation on which to build when embarking on careers in biotechnology. They will play a part in tackling problems to which medicine cannot currently provide adequate solutions, and will have the chance to improve the quality of life of people all over the world.
Programme director Harald Hundsberger

A formula for success: theoretical knowledge + practical experience

The programme is built on three pillars.

1

The basics

Semesters 1-4

You will study a comprehensive range of medical and pharmaceutical biotechnology topics during your degree. Courses at the beginning of the programme cover the fundamentals of science, biomedicine, engineering and analysis in preparation for the more advanced subjects that comes later. The curriculum also includes quality management, business fundamentals, communication and interpersonal skills.

You spend a lot of time in the lab right from the very start. You’re introduced to scientific procedures in small groups, which you put into practice straight away.

2

The internship

Semester 5

The 22-week compulsory internship comes in semester 5. Over 50% of our Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology students complete their internship abroad at international companies, research institutes or universities.

We provide you with support before and during your internship: you identify your strengths and evaluate your development potential in the course of one-to-one coaching from our internship coordinator, who then helps you to find a suitable internship place at a company in Austria or abroad.

Looking to gain even more international experience? From 2020, students can spend semester 3 or 4 at a high-profile university such as the Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland or Linköping University in Sweden.

3

Electives

Semester 6

Towards the end of the programme you opt for one of two electives: the medical biotechnology specialism Production of Therapeutic Proteins or the pharmaceutical biotechnology specialism Drug Development Management.

The goal of medical biotechnology is the replacement of damaged cells or organs, not with transplants or dialysis, but with naturally grown cells. Pharmaceutical biotechnology is concerned with manufacturing medical and pharmaceutical products and related operations. Antibiotics, which are produced with the help of microorganisms in large bioreactors, are examples of established biotechnology products.

Curriculum

What can you expect from your studies? The curriculum provides an overview.
​​​​​​​Click on the individual courses for further information.

CourseSWSECTS
Introduction to Laboratory
Introduction to Laboratory Techniques 11
Basics of Physics
Applied Physics - Theory 23
Applied Physics - Laboratory 34
Basics of Chemistry
Analytical Chemistry Laboratory 23
Chemical Calculations 12
General and Inorganic Chemistry 34
Fundamentals in Mathematics
Applied Mathematics
Applied Mathematics - Theory 23
Applied Mathematics - Exercise 11
Introduction to Data Science I 11
Human Medicine I
Anatomy and Physiology 22
Human Genetics 12
Microbiology
Applied Microbiology 12
Microbiological Working Techniques Laboratory 22
CourseSWSECTS
Organic Chemistry
Organic Chemistry - Theory 23
Organic Chemistry - Laboratory 23
Biostatistics and Data Analysis in Biotechnology
Biostatistics 24
Introduction Data Science II 12
Biophysics
Applied Biophysics 23
Biophysics Laboratory 23
Human Medicine II
Human Diseases 11
Immunology and Medical Microbiology 22
Microbiology and Pharmaceutical Production Environment
Microbiological Monitoring Laboratory 22
Introduction to Contamination Control and Clean Room Training 11
Molecular Biology of the Cell
Cell Biology 23
Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering - Theory 23
CourseSWSECTS
Laboratory Skills for Biotechnology
Instrumental Analytics - Theory 12
Instrumental Analytics - Laboratory 23
Genetic Engineering Laboratory 23
Theoretical and Practical Biochemistry
Biochemistry - Theory 34
Biochemistry - Laboratory 23
Applied Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics 23
Medical Biology
Cell Physiology and Medical Molecular Biology 23
Cell Culture Techniques 11
Cell Culture Laboratory I 23
Fundamentals of Engineering
Bioprocess Technology Theory I 11
Measurement and Control Systems I 11
Quality Management and GLP
Introduction to Quality Management 11
GLP/GMP - Theory 11
Practical Training in Industry
Practical Training Application and Preparation 11
CourseSWSECTS
Cell and Tissue Engineering
Cell Culture Laboratory II 35
Scientific Skills 23
Pharmaceutical Production Processes
Protein Purification and Bioprocess Technology
Biochemical Analytics, Protein Purification 23
Equipment and Production Design 23
Bioprocess Technology Theory II 24
Fermentation and Bioseparation Laboratory, Data Analysis 46
Applied Quality Management
GLP/GMP - Seminar 23
Genetic Engineering Laboratory under GLP 23
CourseSWSECTS
Practical Training in Industry
Practical Training Semester 025
Scientific Methods and Tools
Bachelor Paper and Bachelor Exam
Bachelor Seminar I 15
CourseSWSECTS
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Pharmacology 24
Current Issues in Molecular Medicine 23
Project Management
Project Management in Life Sciences 23
Elective Module 1: Production of Therapeutic Proteins
Journal Club for Current Issues
Journal Club for Current Issues 12
Validation and Biomaterials
Introduction to Validation 12
Material Science and Biomaterials 12
Recombinant Protein Technologies
Measurement and Control Systems II 12
Pharmaceutical Protein Production Systems 12
Elective Module 2: Drug Development Management
Journal Club for Current Issues
Journal Club for Current Issues 12
Management and Marketing
Principles of Management and Marketing 23
Biomedical Regulations
Clinical Studies and GCP 13
Drug Regulatory Affairs 12
Scientific Methods and Tools
Bachelor Paper and Bachelor Exam
Bachelor Seminar II and Bachelor Paper 18
Bachelor Exam 02

Key features

What makes our Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology programme so special? Here’s an overview.

The Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology bachelor programme is one of the world’s most comprehensive biotechnology degrees focused on red biotechnology, making it compatible with many biomedicine master programmes offered internationally.

Numerous research projects mean that the latest international research topics are frequently integrated into the curriculum, and work for bachelor and master papers is often part of research projects at our Institute for Biotechnology.

Studying and working abroad

Your English-language, industry-focused bachelor degree will lay the foundations for an international career. Half of the lectures and exercises are taught by experts with research or business experience. Many of them come from well-known universities, leading research institutes and research companies in Austria and 22 other countries.

Our university participates in numerous research partnerships with top universities such as Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Harvard University and the Garvan Institute in Sydney – as well as 3,000 other institutions across the world. The close relations we enjoy with our partners enable you to take advantage of many exchange opportunities and gain international experience.

Another highlight: the Institute for Biotechnology organises an annual scientific conference, which gives our students and alumni the chance to network with international speakers from research and industry.

More about the IMC Life Sciences Week

Lab work: practice makes perfect

As well as acquiring fundamental theoretical knowledge, one of the main objectives of our programme is to equip students with practical skills by including plenty of laboratory work. You do laboratory practicals from the first semester onwards. Importantly: all students are guaranteed a workspace in our state-of-the-art microbiology and molecular biology labs and our chemistry and physics labs.

You also develop a good command of standard research, analysis and production methods, as well as learning basic laboratory skills. Laboratory excises form part of the fundamentals of biology, analysis, biotechnology, bioprocess technology and quality management elements of the programme.

Your 22-week internship – an opportunity to gain first-hand insights into day-to-day research and working life – also gives you additional practical experience.

Excellent career prospects

When you graduate, you can look forward to outstanding job opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry and at technology companies, as well as at research institutes involved in stem cell, regenerative medicine, pharmaceutical development and bioprocess engineering research.

Your impressive skill set will encompass quality control and marketing, and the development, production and approval of biotechnologies for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The ideal preparation for the jobs of the future.

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Key skills

After graduating from this bachelor degree programme, you will have excellent practical skills in addition to solid professional and scientific abilities.

Working in biotechnology gives you the opportunity to tackle problems to which medicine has yet to find satisfactory solutions. The development of antibodies for use in arthritis therapy, and the new technologies for skin transplants and cartilage generation have dramatically improved the quality of life of millions of patients worldwide. And these are only the first outstanding successes of a discipline that is still in its youth.

On our bachelor programme, you develop specialist know-how in the field of medical and pharmaceutical biotechnology. You learn about the properties of technical and biological materials and their interactions, the fundamentals of electrical engineering, measurement technology in bioprocess technology, control technology, and plant engineering and process development for industry. This means you’re ideally placed to start work in industry or research.

Research plays an essential role in medical and pharmaceutical biotechnology. This is why we help you to develop academic skills that allow you to understand and successfully participate in research processes.

During the degree you develop a thorough knowledge of quality management, acquiring know-how in areas such as legal requirements in the pharmaceutical industry, best practice in clean room operations and clean room monitoring.

Medical and pharmaceutical biotechnology is a very interdisciplinary field. It incorporates insights from microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, engineering and process engineering.


An interdisciplinary mindset and the ability to work effectively with colleagues from different disciplines will be important parts of your day-to-day work, which is why the programme places such a strong emphasis on these aspects.

Career paths

After completing the Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology bachelor degree, you will have excellent career prospects thanks to a curriculum that is closely aligned to the needs of industry and research.

Graduates of the programme are in high demand because of their interdisciplinary training and unique skills profile.

After obtaining your bachelor, you have the choice of starting a career or enrolling for a full-time or part-time master degree. Our tip: the Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnologymaster degree is designed to dovetail seamlessly with our bachelor programme.

And, of course, there is the option of taking a related master degree at another Austrian or foreign university.

Potential entry-level positions
biotechnological production and biotechnology process development
routine biomedical laboratory work or applications-based laboratory research
quality assurance for processes and products
approval, marketing and sales of medical products
auditing and inspection of biotechnology products at regulatory and service organisations

10 good reasons


What makes us special? We are more than happy to tell you about the aspects of our university, which we are especially proud of.

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Krems


Friendly and cosmopolitan: The city attracts students from all over the world, who come to study, research and work together.

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Service centers


Our university has removed a host of administrative hurdles, leaving you free to concentrate fully on your studies.

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Advisory Service


Do you have questions regarding our degree programmes or the application? Contact our Prospective Student Advisory Service.

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Opinions: Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology

Click through the videos of the degree programme.

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Our Team

Get to know the core team of our bachelor degree programme Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology.

  • Prof.(FH) Priv.-Doz. Mag. Dr. Harald Hundsberger - IMC Fachhochschule Krems

    Head of Institute Biotechnology / Programme Director Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology

    Prof.(FH) Priv.-Doz. Mag. Dr. Harald Hundsberger
    Core Competencies
    Recombinant Protein Expression, Cell Culture Models, Peptide Engineering,Instrument Development
  • Mag. Dr. Peter Allacher - IMC Fachhochschule Krems
    Mag. Dr. Peter Allacher
    A
    Laboratory Head / Institute Krems Bioanalytics
  • Prof.(FH) Priv. Doz. Mag. Dr. Andreas Eger - IMC Fachhochschule Krems
    Prof.(FH) Priv. Doz. Mag. Dr. Andreas Eger
    E
    Head of Research Institute Krems Bioanalytics / Professor Department...
  • Prof.(FH) Mag. Dr. Christoph Wiesner - IMC Fachhochschule Krems
    Prof.(FH) Mag. Dr. Christoph Wiesner
    W
    Professor Department of Life Sciences
  • Dr.rer.nat.techn. Georg Sixta - IMC Fachhochschule Krems
    Dr.rer.nat.techn. Georg Sixta
    S
    Professor Department of Life Sciences
  • Prof.(FH) DI Dominik Schild - IMC Fachhochschule Krems
    Prof.(FH) DI Dominik Schild
    S
    Professor Department of Life Sciences
  • Dipl.Biol. Maren Pflüger, PhD - IMC Fachhochschule Krems
    Dipl.Biol. Maren Pflüger, PhD
    P
    Research Assistant / Department of Life Sciences
  • Prof.(FH) Mag. Dana Mezricky - IMC Fachhochschule Krems
    Prof.(FH) Mag. Dana Mezricky
    M
    Professorin Department of Life Sciences
  • DI (FH) Anita Koppensteiner - IMC Fachhochschule Krems
    DI (FH) Anita Koppensteiner
    K
    Research Assistant / Department of Life Sciences
  • Prof.(FH) Priv.Doz. Dr. Reinhard Klein - IMC Fachhochschule Krems
    Prof.(FH) Priv.Doz. Dr. Reinhard Klein
    K
    Professor Department of Life Sciences
  • Prof.(FH) Dr. Christian Klein - IMC Fachhochschule Krems
    Prof.(FH) Dr. Christian Klein
    K
    Professor Department of Life Sciences
  • Prof.(FH) DI Bernhard Klausgraber - IMC Fachhochschule Krems
    Prof.(FH) DI Bernhard Klausgraber
    K
    Professor Department of Life Sciences
  • Prof.(FH) Dr. Barbara Entler - IMC Fachhochschule Krems
    Prof.(FH) Dr. Barbara Entler
    E
    Professor Department of Life Sciences
  • Prof. (FH) Dr. Maximilian Schachner - IMC Fachhochschule Krems
    Prof. (FH) Dr. Maximilian Schachner
    S
    Deputy Head International Relations

Application and admissions – the next steps

You've found a course that's a perfect fit? Great – you’ve already taken the most important step! We’ve put together an overview to guide you through the next steps.

1

Admission requirements

We'll be happy to inform you about the requirements you have to meet in order to apply.

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2

Admissions procedure

Preparation is everything – read up on the admissions procedure in detail.

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3

Important dates and deadlines

What deadlines do you need to keep an eye on for your online application? Get an overview.

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4

Apply online

You've decided for one of our degree programmes? First of all: congratulations and thank you for choosing us! We’ll be happy to guide you step-by-step through your online application.

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5

Study-relevant dates

You would like to plan ahead and would like to know when your degree programme starts? Here you will find the answer!

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Questions about the degree programme?

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