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Program Overview

Seattle and San Diego are two West Coast centers of the biotechnology industry. The biotech industry has a distinct set of requirements for the project manager. Managing various discoveries, development, testing, and manufacturing processes within a highly regulated environment poses unique project management challenges.

To meet the emerging needs of the biotech industry, UC San Diego Extension and UW Extension have come together to jointly develop an online Biotech Project Management Certificate Program. Participants will first take two online courses developed and offered by UW Extension, addressing the fundamentals of project management. Participants will then take two biomedical online courses from UC San Diego Extension and apply the foundation principles of good project management to biotech product development project management processes.

The courses will address the unique project management challenges in the pharmaceutical or biomedical industry, including regulatory issues and moving the project forward in the culture of a scientific community. When students successfully complete all four courses, they will receive a UW-UC San Diego joint certificate. No degree credit is associated with this program, however, twelve (12) Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are awarded upon successful completion of this program.

Audience

The program is intended for product managers, manufacturing managers, quality managers and scientific, clinical research or regulatory specialists engaged in biotech product design, development and control. The program is ideal for individuals who are trying to move into the biotech industry by learning project management processes for completing and delivering a biotech product within budget and on schedule.

How Online Learning Works

Classes in this certificate program are delivered online via the World Wide Web, which means you don't need to come to campus to earn your certificate: You can study from anywhere. To access your course materials, you'll simply log on to the Internet, where the course Web site will provide instruction, online quizzes, sample code, and homework assignments. You'll use e-mail and voice-mail to communicate with your instructors and other students. Just like in a classroom course, in these "group-start" online courses, students begin each course at the same time and work through the coursework together. To participate, you'll need a computer with access to the Web (see technology requirements). After you are accepted and enrolled in a course, you will be mailed instructions on how to access your classes.

Qualities for Success in Online Learning

Prospective participants should consider their learning style, strengths and preferences if they intend to apply for the online learning option. Points to consider:

• If you are skilled at managing your time to achieve goals, are self-disciplined, and enjoy working on your own, you can do well in online learning.
• Courses rely on written instructions rather than in-person explanations from your instructor. You should be comfortable with learning through reading and communicating primarily in writing.
• An online discussion forum for each lesson connects you to other students and to your instructor. You may be studying in your living room, but you are not alone when you take an online learning course.
• Online learning saves commuting time, but these courses require at least as much time as attending classes and completing assignments for campus courses.

Contact a Program Representative

If you have questions about this program, please call 206-685-8936 in the greater Seattle area, or 888-469-6499, or e-mail us.