Industrial Biotechnology
M.Sc.
Overview
Industrial biotechnology (“white biotechnology”) uses microorganisms or their components (enzymes) as biocatalysts for the industrial production of substances. These include special chemicals, fine chemicals, food and food additives, intermediate products for agricultural and pharmaceutical sectors, as well as additives used in manufacturing, but also, and increasingly, high volume chemical products and fuels. In the process, “white biotechnology” relies on renewable resources and attempts to selectively transform these, with the help of biological systems, into valuable chemical products.
As a highly interdisciplinary science, on the one hand industrial biotechnology comprises the biosciences (molecular biology, biochemistry, microbiology, and bioinformatics), which it draws upon in order to identify new biocatalysts. On the other hand, methodologies of (bio)process engineering and technical chemistry are required in order to realize the full potential, in both technical and industrial terms, of new biocatalysts and so as to achieve new and efficient biological production processes on an industrial scale.
From this point of view, a special feature of this non-consecutive master’s program in Industrial Biotechnology lies in the cross-disciplinary selection of students: graduates of bachelor’s programs in both the biosciences and engineering can be admitted to the course. At the beginning of the master's program in Industrial Biotechnology, complementary and discipline-specific foundational knowledge is conveyed (process engineering for bioscientists or biosciences for engineers).
Which further expertise and skills will I acquire?
The master's program in Industrial Biotechnology at the Technical University of Munich aims to provide scientists with a vocational education and training that incorporates broad and pertinent knowledge of methodologies and the discipline. The goal is to train highly qualified specialists able to design and implement new biological processes required in industrial production processes on the interface between the biosciences and process engineering.
Graduates will have complemented, and expanded upon, their previous knowledge of the natural sciences and of engineering and, in addition, possess advanced specialist knowledge in the areas of enzyme engineering, metabolicengineering, bioprocess engineering, and bioseparation engineering.
Which professional opportunities can I take up with this qualification?
Opportunities arise for graduates across the full spectrum of bioprocess development and optimization, from the laboratory to the industrial production. In addition to the chemical industry, potential fields of occupation also include the biotechnological sector, plant and apparatus engineering, the pharmaceutical industry, and environmental engineering.
Structure
- The focus of the first two semesters is on the interdisciplinary broadening out and advancement of students’ existing knowledge. To this end, a mentor assists students with compiling an individual curriculum in accordance with their bachelor’s degree.
- Beginning in the second and third semesters, this is complemented by discipline-specific vocational education and training in the specialist areas of enzyme engineering, metabolic engineering, bioprocess engineering, or bioseparation engineering.
- Elective modules in the first three semesters provide students with the opportunity to complement their own competency profile with content that coincides with their own interests, whether from additional offerings at the Technical University of Munich or at another scientific institution of higher education.
- The program concludes with the master’s thesis in the fourth semester.
Costs
Tuition
HK$97,347.36
(international)
HK$0.00
(home)
Funding
Admissions
Qualifications
Selection takes place through an aptitude assessment procedure. Aptitude assessment is a two-part procedure after the submission of an official application to a program. In this procedure, the TUM school or department determines whether you meet the specific requirements for its master’s degree program.
In the initial stages, the grades you obtained during your bachelor's program, as well as your written documents, will be evaluated using a point system. Depending on the amount of points accumulated, applicants are either immediately admitted, rejected or invited to an admissions interview.
Language requirements
DSH
2