Joint Ph.D./MBA in Life Sciences

Curriculum will prepare life scientists for careers in swiftly advancing biotechnology industry

The College of Business has teamed with Invitrogen Corporation and other biotechnology industry giants to establish the first joint Ph.D./MBA program in the nation that focuses both degrees in the life sciences and features direct involvement with biotech companies. The university started a pilot phase in September 2003 with three students and plans to expand to approximately 30 students in the next year.

Invitrogen, Pfizer and Cardiodynamics, Inc. are sponsoring the start-up phase of the PhD/MBA program. In addition to sponsorship, Invitrogen is heavily involved in the program through executive lectures, case studies, internship opportunities and other application-based initiatives.

By combining what would typically be two extensive courses of study—a biotechnology-focused MBA and a Ph.D. in molecular or cell biology in conjunction with University of California, San Diego—there is also an opportunity to complete the program in less time and move forward into business pursuits more quickly. These attributes make the program attractive to entrepreneurial-focused students like Matthew Giacalone.

Giacalone graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in molecular and cell biology from SDSU and also has worked for MPEX, an incubator biotechnology company spun off from SDSU research. His responsibility was to lead the research and development effort in creating new types of vaccines.

Currently, the university is working to secure additional funding to guarantee the program’s continuation and growth. (Read press release)

“With major breakthroughs on the horizon for the biotechnology, life science research and pharmaceutical industries, we need leaders who can not only manage the discovery cycle through new research, but also demonstrate the business acumen required to create successful companies around these ideas.

San Diego is the perfect environment to host such a Ph.D./MBA program because it’s home to the third-largest concentration of biotech companies in the nation, with more than 400 such businesses and several prominent life science research institutions in the region.

Having executives and scientists from Invitrogen directly interact with our students will ensure that our program goes beyond teaching theory to address real-life, real-time industry needs and concerns.”

Gail K. Naughton, Ph.D.,
Dean, SDSU College of Business

CONTACT:

Sanford Bernstein
SDSU Professor of Biology
(619) 594-5629
sbernstein@sunstroke.sdsu.edu

Ph.D. program web site