Application & Admission Requirements

Intended Audience

The Master of Science in Drug Development & Product Management is intended for individuals from either scientific, medical, pharmaceutical, biotech, business management, or legal backgrounds who need specialized drug development and product management skills for career opportunities and advancement in the life science industry. All eligible and qualified students are encouraged to apply. The DDPM MS does not consider race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories as part of the application and selection process.

Program Details

• GRE/GMAT not required
• One entry point per year: Fall quarter (September)
• Program accepts international applicants
• Program fees apply to both California residents and non-residents, as well as international students. All fees are subject to change at any time.
• Course instruction format for the 2025-2026 Academic Year is planned to be primarily in-person unless otherwise determined.  

Admissions Requirements

Items considered during the admissions review:

• Possession of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education, or the equivalent, with training comparable in standard and content to that provided by the University of California
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 from undergraduate/post-baccalaureate studies
• One-year of relevant work experience in the life sciences industry is required, but two to three years preferred.
• Completion of online application for graduate admission
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• Statement of Purpose: Applicants are asked to submit a statement outlining why the DDPM program in particular interests you and how it will support your intended career goals. Please explain your plan for leveraging your degree to achieve your career pursuits.
• Three letters of recommendation including at least one from a relevant employer.
• TOEFL or IELTS scores (International Applicants). We require a minimum score of 85 on the TOEFL exam and a minimum score of 7.0 on the IELTS exam.
• You may be interviewed (either face-to-face or through Zoom) as part of the admissions process
• No GRE/GMAT required to apply
• Please note: a mandatory admissions acceptance deposit of $1,000 is required to be paid by any incoming student who accepts the offer of admission into DDPM. This deposit fee amount will count toward the student's Fall quarterly fees. 

Application Checklist

1. Statement of Purpose: Applicants are asked to submit a statement outlining why the DDPM program interests you, and how it will support your intended career goals. Please explain your plan for leveraging your degree to achieve your career pursuits.
2. Original Letters of Recommendation: Three letters of recommendation required, including at least one from a relevant employer. Enter the names and emails of your three recommenders into your application. You may enter more than three names if you wish. Please note: you may pay your fees and submit your completed application before all recommendation letters have been posted.
3. Unofficial copies of academic records from all post-secondary institutions attended need to be uploaded into the application for review. Official Transcripts will be required if admitted to the program.
4. Current resume or C.V.
5. TOEFL or IELTS scores (for international applicants)
   • UCSD’s institution code is 4836.
   • Exams must have been taken within the last two years.
   • Applications will not be reviewed until TOEFL (minimum 85 required) or IELTS (minimum 7.0 required) score has been received.
   • Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, UC San Diego will be accepting the TOEFL iBT Home Edition test scores and IELTS Indicator test scores for the current academic cycle. Applicants that do not have in-person testing options may submit the home edition scores as an alternative. The university-wide minimum score for the TOEFL iBT Home Edition is the same as the in-person TOEFL iBT minimum. Information regarding the TOFEL iBT Special Home Edition can be found on the ETS Website.
6. For foreign degrees and transcripts a WES course-by-course evaluation must be submitted along with the transcripts. Please note that UC San Diego only accepts WES evaluations.
7. You may be invited to an interview via Zoom as part of the admissions process.

 

 

Apply Early

• ROLLING ADMISSIONS CYCLE! – All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply long before the application deadline, as space becomes limited closer to the application deadline. The sooner that we receive your completed application, the sooner we can inform you of your acceptance status.
• We encourage international applicants to apply early due to the student visa application process.
• Note: After a thorough review, an application decision is made by UC San Diego Graduate Division. This process can take several weeks, or more, depending on certain criteria and the high volume of applications reviewed.