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.

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 Fall 2022 is planned to be in-person unless otherwise determined.  UC San Diego is constantly monitoring the situation with COVID-19. 

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
• Two to three years of professional work experience and/or other advanced degrees
• 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

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.
6. You will be interviewed (either face-to-face or through 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.