Translational Medicine

University of California, Berkeley

About the Program

The MTM program is a cross-campus collaboration between the Department of Bioengineering at UC Berkeley and the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences at UCSF. Students are enrolled in both Universities and draw on the range of expertise and technological resources available at the two institutions. In addition to these two core departments, students join in aspects of the leadership training offered by the Fung Institute for Engineering Leadership at UC Berkeley.

This program is designed to train students in applying translational research and engineering approaches to solve fundamental problems in healthcare delivery. The program is focused on addressing real-world problems in a creative, interdisciplinary team setting.

This program should appeal to engineers, scientists, and clinicians who seek to bring innovative treatments and devices into clinical use. Individuals with backgrounds in medicine, nursing, dentistry, and pharmacy are encouraged to apply. We anticipate that upon receiving their master’s degree or after further academic or clinical training, graduates will work in industries that deliver healthcare products or patient care. 

The MTM program is an intense year of coursework designed around the main content themes of engineering, clinical needs & strategies, and business, entrepreneurship & technology. The centerpiece of the curriculum is the capstone project course. Complementing 10 months of work with external mentors, this class meets regularly to provide peer support, introduce concepts in translational medicine, and develop presentation skills.

The MTM program is focused specifically on training in translational medicine as opposed to basic research science. As such, this master’s degree is intended as a terminal degree for students interested in industry and entrepreneurship and is not a gateway to the Bioengineering PhD program.

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Admissions

MTM Admissions

Please see the MTM Program website for detailed application instructions.

Admissions decisions are governed by committee, and are based on several factors in the application, including (but not limited to) test scores, academics, essays, letters of recommendation, and prior research and work experience. Students from all educational fields are eligible to apply, but all applicants should be aware that the masters curriculum includes required coursework in bioengineering fundamentals; applicants with a non-technical background should make it clear in their application why they feel that they will be able to handle the more rigorous technical components of the coursework. Applicants who already hold a master's degree in bioengineering (or a similar field) will need to carefully specify their reasons for pursuing this additional masters; duplicate degrees are not allowed.

Please note: Applicants who intend to pursue additional degrees beyond the MTM program should be prepared to explain their intended educational trajectory.

Admission to the University

Applying for Graduate Admission

Thank you for considering UC Berkeley for graduate study! UC Berkeley offers more than 120 graduate programs representing the breadth and depth of interdisciplinary scholarship. The Graduate Division hosts a complete list of graduate academic programs, departments, degrees offered, and application deadlines can be found on the Graduate Division website.

Prospective students must submit an online application to be considered for admission, in addition to any supplemental materials specific to the program for which they are applying. The online application and steps to take to apply can be found on the Graduate Division website.

Admission Requirements

The minimum graduate admission requirements are:

  1. A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;

  2. A satisfactory scholastic average, usually a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale; and

  3. Enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in your chosen field.

For a list of requirements to complete your graduate application, please see the Graduate Division’s Admissions Requirements page. It is also important to check with the program or department of interest, as they may have additional requirements specific to their program of study and degree. Department contact information can be found here.

Where to apply?

Visit the Berkeley Graduate Division application page.

Admission to the Program

Applicants from countries in which the official language is not English must also demonstrate English language proficiency.

Master's Degree Requirements

Curriculum

Satisfactory completion of the MTM program requires the completion of 24 semester (or equivalent) units of upper division and graduate courses, including 6 semester (or equivalent) units of a master’s capstone project administered by the MTM faculty directors. Presentation of the capstone project at a final symposium is required.

Two additional required MTM courses can be split across categories to help you design a curriculum that fits your interests:

  • The 6 semester units of the required MTM Capstone Course [BIOENG 296 at UCSF; 3 units per quarter, 9 quarter units] can be distributed between the Engineering and Clinical Needs and Strategies categories
  • The 4 units of the required Project Management Course [BIO ENG 290 and BIO ENG 291 at Berkeley; 2 unitS per semester] can be distributed between the Engineering and Business Entrepreneurship, and Technology categories

Please see the MTM curriculum website for more detail.

Technical Courses (at least 10 semester units or equivalent)

Courses Required- 10 semester units
BIO ENG 270: Translational Challenges: Diagnostics, Devices, and Therapeutics (UCSF course, 2 quarter units)
BIO ENG 280Ethical and Social Issues in Translational Medicine (Berkeley)1
Bioengineering Electives per approved study list ( https://uctranslationalmedicine.org/curriculum/electives/#engineering)

Clinical Needs and Strategies Courses (at least 6 semester units or equivalent)

Courses Required- 6 semester units
BIO ENG 283: Designing Clinical Research (UCSF, 2 quarter units)
BIO ENG 260: Translational Challenges as Medicine--"Anti-Medical School" (UCSF course, 1 quarter unit)
BIO ENG 285: Health Care Finance and Economics (UCSF course, 2 quarter units)
Clinical needs and strategies electives per approved study list

Business, Entrepreneurship & Technology Courses (at least 8 semester units or equivalent)

Courses Required - 8 semester units
ENGIN 270AOrganizational Behavior for Engineers1
ENGIN 270BR&D Technology Management & Ethics (ENGIN 270 D/E/F/G/H/I/J - choose two)1
ENGIN 270 D-Q - choose two (https://uctranslationalmedicine.org/curriculum/electives )2
Business/Entrepreneurship Electives per approved study list

Courses

Translational Medicine

Contact Information

Bioengineering

306 Stanley Hall

MC 1762

Phone: 510-642-5833

Fax: 510-642-5835

mtm@berkeley.edu

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Department Chair

Phillip Messersmith, PhD

306 Stanley Hall

Phone: 510-642-5833

bioe_chair@berkeley.edu

Executive Director, MTM Program

Verna Rodriguez, PhD

418 Hearst Memorial Mining Building

Phone: 510-664-9080

vmrodriguez@berkeley.edu

Graduate Student Affairs Officer

Joy Ahn

Phone: 510-642-5833

bioe-meng@berkeley.edu

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