Master in Life Sciences - Pharmatechnology

School of Life Sciences

Take an active role in shaping the future of pharmaceutical manufacturing. This Master’s programme gives you in‑depth knowledge and practical skills to develop and produce innovative, safe and high‑quality medicines.

Factsheet

Degree: Master of Science in Life Sciences
Study mode: Part-time and Full-time
Learning environment: Onsite and Online
ECTS points: 90 / 120 (Double Degree)
Next start: 14.9.2026
Duration: 3 semesters (full-time) / 6 semesters (part-time)
Language: Englisch
Place: FHNW Campus Muttenz, Hofackerstrasse 30, 4132 Muttenz
Staying abroad: Possible
Application fee: CHF 200
Semester fee: CHF 750 / CHF 1 000 / CHF 5 000

At a glance

Practical training with state‑of‑the‑art technology: Gain expertise in continuous pharmaceutical production and formulation of biologics using modern laboratories and production facilities.
Individual programme design: Choose from a wide range of modules to tailor your studies to your interests and career goals.
Career‑enhancing thesis: Prepare for senior roles by completing an eight‑month master’s thesis in industry or research.
International opportunities: Complete your master’s thesis abroad or earn a double degree at one of our partner universities.

Why study this?

What career opportunities are open to you?

With a specialisation in Pharmatechnology, you are well positioned for a career in the pharmaceutical or biomedical industries. The demand for safe and effective medicines is constantly growing, offering long‑term career prospects in a global sector. Your expertise is sought by major corporations such as Roche and Novartis, medium‑sized companies, and specialised service providers. Opportunities also exist in pharmaceutical engineering, consulting and regulatory authorities.

Typical areas of employment for graduates include:

Contract research and manufacturing companies (CROs/CMOs): Planning and execution of pharmaceutical projects.
Pharmaceutical engineering: Conception and optimisation of technical processes and production facilities.
Consulting firms in the Life Sciences sector: Strategic and regulatory advice.
Regulatory authorities: Evaluation and approval of drugs and medical devices.
Medium-sized pharmaceutical companies: Development of innovative niche products and technologies.

Structure and programme contents

The programme provides a rigorous, practice‑oriented education aligned with the current and future needs of the pharmaceutical industry.

You will gain expertise in the following areas:

Formulation and administration of medicines: Development of suitable pharmaceutical forms and their production on lab and industrial scales.
Formulation of biologics: Specialised training in developing and stabilising biological agents.
Continuous pharmaceutical production: An entire module is dedicated to the modern focus on this technique.
Pharmaceutical production facilities: Planning and technical implementation of production facilities for medicine manufacture.
Elective modules from related fields: Opportunities for specialisation in Analytical Chemistry, Applied Cell Biology, Biotechnology and Bioanalytics.

In addition to the wide range of subject-specific modules, the interdisciplinary modules allow you to put together your own individual study programme. This will help you strengthen your skills in:

Management and leadership: Business administration and leadership in Life Sciences.
Innovation and project management
Data analysis and visualisation: Modern techniques for planning and analysing experiments and modelling multivariate data.

Details of the degree programme

Programme structure

The master’s degree programme consists of three key components: core skills, specialised training and the thesis. In the first part of your degree programme, you will complete modules totalling 50 ECTS. These include your chosen core skills modules (at least 12 ECTS) and specialised training, allowing for individual specialisation. This is followed in the final semester by the thesis, completed over eight months and worth 40 ECTS.

The following is an example of a programme structure for a full-time course (three semesters); part-time students generally take the modules in four semesters.

Full-time course

The master’s degree can be started in the spring or autumn semester and is designed as a full-time programme over three semesters. In the first two semesters, the focus is on lectures and expanding specialist skills.

From the third semester onwards, you will devote yourself to your eight-month MSc thesis, which concludes your studies.

The following is an example of the full-time course starting in the autumn semester:

Part-time study

The master’s degree programme can also be done part-time starting in the spring or autumn semester on a work-study basis. This generally takes six semesters.

Experience has shown that a workload of 50 to 60% is easily compatible with part-time studies.

As a part-time student, you attend tuition over several semesters and usually start your thesis after the fourth semester.

The following is an example of the part-time course starting in the autumn semester:

A total of 50 ECTS credits (i.e. 17 modules each worth 3 ECTS credits) must be earned. Other modules can be selected: Module overview (English)

You can also plan your studies in advance with our MSc Life Sciences planning tool.

Module groups for the Pharmatechnology specialisation

Pharma Technology

choose 5 of 6

Continuous Pharmaceutical Production
Formulation of Biologics and Drug Delivery Routes
Pharmaceutical Production Facilities
Drug Formulation and Delivery for Solid Dosage Forms
Physicochemical Principles of Pharmaceutics
Material Science

Analytics electives

choose 3 of 7

Compound Profiling in Pharmaceutical Drug Discovery
Process Analytical Technology
Bioanalytics in a Regulated Environment
Laboratory Automation in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry
Proteomics and Protein Analytics
Biostructures and Solid State Sciences

Production electives

choose 3 of 7

Sustainable Process Development
Process Automation
Process Transfer and Scale-up
Process Development and Technology
Process Technology for Industrial Pollution Control
Costs and Benefits of Sustainable Production
Regulatory Affairs

Core skills

choose 4 of 8

Data Handling and Visualisation
Business Administration for Life Sciences
Experiment Design and Analysis
Management and Leadership for Life Sciences
Multivariate Data Modelling and Exploration
Innovation and Project Management
Data and Ethics
Politics and Society

Thesis

The eight-month thesis is the core module of the MSc programme and comprises 40 ECTS. You will work on a challenging, application-oriented project with a direct link to current issues in research or practice. You may work in a company, university, a research institute in Switzerland or abroad, or at an institute of the FHNW School of Life Sciences.

International

Our master's programme opens up global horizons: whether aiming for a double degree, planning your master's thesis overseas or coming to us from abroad, we will support you every step of the way!

Outgoing Students: Doing your Master's thesis abroad: Information

Incoming Students: Studying with us as an international student: Information

Requirements and admission

Direct admission requires:

a Bachelor’s degree in a related field from a university of applied sciences or university with a good grade (Switzerland: A, B or ≥ 5; Germany/Austria: at least “good”),

sufficient English proficiency.

If you do not fully meet the requirements, you may be invited to a personal interview.

Proof of sufficient English skills must be provided with one of the following certificates:

Type of certificate	Required level
CE (Cambridge English)	B2/FCE
IELTS (English Language Testing System)	5.5
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)	IBT 72
Spoken or Written Academic English (module in the bachelor’s degree programme at the School of Life Sciences)	4.5

If you are unable to provide evidence of the required command of English, you are obliged to improve it during the course of your master’s degree programme. You can either attend the advanced English course offered by the FHNW School of Life Sciences or other suitable language courses. At the end of the programme, proof must be provided that the required level of English has been achieved (see table above).

Organisational matters

The international Master of Science in Life Sciences is conducted in collaboration with other Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences: Berner Fachhochschule BFH, Haute Ecole Spécialisée de la Suisse Occidentale HES-SO and Zürcher Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften ZHAW.

Course start

The Master's programme starts in the autumn semester (calendar week 38). It is also possible to start the programme in the spring semester (calendar week 8).

Tuition fees

The following semester and registration fees are charged in accordance with FHNW regulations. Further details can be found in the FHNW fee schedule, valid from academic year 2025/26.

Tuition fees per semester:

CHF 750

Swiss nationals
Students legally resident in Switzerland at the start of their studies
Students who provide proof that their parents are domiciled in Switzerland at the start of their studies
Refugees of legal age and stateless persons, legally resident in Switzerland

CHF 1 000