Biological Therapeutics, full-time, second cycle

Field: science and natural sciences, medical sciences and health sciences

Discipline: biological sciences, chemical sciences, physical sciences, medical sciences

Language of instruction: english

Professional degree you will be awarded after completing studies : Master's degree

Where and when your classes will take place:

Place: Classes are held in laboratories on the Ochota Campus: mainly at the Faculty of Physics (Ludwika Pasteura 5) and at the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (Księcia Trojdena 4). Some classes involving guests from outside Warsaw (e.g. representatives of pharmaceutical companies) will be conducted online.

Time: Classes are held from Monday to Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

What kind of knowledge, skills and competencies you will acquire at this field of studies:

• the design and in vitro synthesis of nucleic acid-based biological drugs.
• the molecular mechanisms of action of biological drugs at the cellular and organismal levels.
• pharmaceutical biophysics methods for better design, quality control and optimisation of biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
• biochemical mechanisms occurring in cells and how they can be used in the production of medicinal substances.
• purification of proteins with therapeutic applications (such as antibodies) and learn about cellular systems used for drug production.
• designing preclinical studies of biological drugs using in vitro cell cultures and animal models.
• methods of delivering biological drugs to cells using lipid nanoparticles.
• ethical creation of animal models for preclinical research using CRISPR/Cas9 methods and the use of animals following applicable law and good practice.
• the use of modern analytical techniques for biological drug research
• modern technologies, and methods of genetic modification used in the production of biological drugs.
• regulatory, patent, financial and management aspects related to the development of biological drugs
• principles of quality control of drugs based on proteins and nucleic acids and their production on a preclinical scale.
• production technologies, biotechnological processes, and transport and separation methods.

You will learn:

• to critically analyse scientific publications and patents, and to present research results following the principles of effective and correct communication.
• to plan and conduct biotechnological experiments, and to interpret and report research data.
• to develop soft skills through teamwork and team management.
• use bioinformatics tools to design, analyse and improve biological drugs.
• assess the usefulness of various methods and devices and propose optimal solutions for drug development and production.
• develop practical laboratory skills in the field of pharmaceutical biotechnology.

• Implement and supervise the production processes of biosimilar drugs and quality control, and compliance with regulatory requirements.

During your studies in Biological Therapeutics, you will gain comprehensive theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of pharmaceutical biotechnology, laboratory and analytical skills, and the competencies necessary to work in the innovative sector of biological and biosimilar drug production, which will allow you to function effectively in the modern pharmaceutical industry. You will acquire the skills to work in research and development and production departments of companies in the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical sectors.

Where you can find a job after completing studies

On the Biological Therapeutics programme, we place a strong emphasis on developing critical thinking skills and acquiring and processing reliable information creatively. A key part of this is the series of logically connected laboratory exercises we have designed, covering the chemical synthesis of reagents and enzymes necessary for RNA production, the design of antigen-encoding templates for in vitro transcription, and quality control and preclinical testing. You will learn how to package mRNA into lipid nanoparticles using microfluidic techniques, and how to administer these to cells cultured in vitro or to animals.

Throughout your studies, you will therefore develop practical expertise in designing, synthesising, purifying and verifying the quality of therapeutic mRNA.

You will also become familiar with protein purification methods and learn about monoclonal antibody selection. You will use CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing tools to modify the mouse genome, learning how to genotype in order to select properly modified clones. You will also gain experience in modern sequencing techniques, such as nanopore sequencing, and learn how to analyse data obtained from this type of experiment.

The Biological Therapeutics programme is distinguished by its block teaching, which enables complex, multi-stage experiments and makes more effective use of laboratory time. Integrating knowledge from the exact and natural sciences and medicine, the programme prepares specialists for work in modern pharmacy and biotechnology.

Are there different specialties and specializations at the field of studies

The Biological Therapeutics programme does not offer specialisations.

Will you pursue internship during the studies

The study programme does not include internships, so they are optional.

Is it possible to study one/several semesters at other university

Yes, you can participate in the MOST or Erasmus+ programmes.

Where you can find more information on the study programme:

Visit our website: https://medycyna.uw.edu.pl/leki_biologiczne/

Admission rules for candidates with Polish diplomas 

Those who have obtained a Bachelor's, Master's or Engineer's degree, or an equivalent qualification, in any field of study, may apply for admission to the first year of second-cycle studies.

The admission procedure consists of two stages.

In the first stage, the average grade from previous studies (first-cycle or long-cycle Master's degree) and the result of a written English exam consisting of a multiple-choice section and open-ended tasks are taken into account. Topics for both parts of the selection process will be specified in detail and provided in the Online Candidate Recruitment System.

The results of the first part of the selection process will be converted into recruitment points (RP) according to the following formula:

RP = 0,10*S + 0,90*T.

Where:

S - The component of the average grade from first-cycle studies. It is calculated using the following formula:

S = AG x 100 / 2 (where AG is the average grade from the studies). A maximum of 250 points can be obtained for the average grade achieved in the first-cycle studies.

T: Result of the written part of the qualification procedure (max. 100 points).

In the first stage of the procedure, candidates can obtain a maximum of 115 points. The twenty-four candidates with the best results in the first stage will be admitted to the second stage, for which the minimum qualifying score is 60% of the maximum possible score. Failure to participate in the written test (e.g. absence from the exam) will result in exclusion from further stages of the recruitment process. The second stage of the process is an interview with the committee in English concerning specified scientific literature and issues related to the field of study. Topics for the interview will be specified in detail and provided in the Online Candidate Recruitment System.

The purpose of the interview is to assess candidates' general knowledge of the topics that will be covered in their future studies. A maximum of 50 points can be obtained in the interview, and a minimum of 26 points is required to pass. Half marks are possible. The assessment criteria are: substantive knowledge of the given scope (max. 20 points); correct reasoning and understanding of issues (max. 20 points); and fluency in English (max. 10 points).

The final ranking list will be determined based on the score calculated according to the following formula:

FRP = 0,25*RP + 0,75*R.

Where:

RP - result of the first stage of recruitment.

R - Result of the interview (maximum 50 points).

Admission rules for candidates with foreign diplomas

The same rules apply as for candidates with a diploma obtained in Poland. The grades of candidates with a foreign diploma will be converted and equated to the grading scale used at the University of Warsaw.

Checking candidates' competence to undertake studies conducted in the English language 

- certificate or possibility of confirmation during the procedure.

If documents confirming English language proficiency at level B2 or above (following the requirements specified in the general part of the admission resolution) are not provided, the candidate's language competence will be verified during a written exam in the first stage of the procedure.

Deadlines

Written exam: 16th of September, 2025

Qualification intreview: 18th of September, 2025

Announcement of results: 24th of September, 2025

Reception of documents: 

• I round: 25th-26th of September, 2025
• II round (in case of not fulfilling the limit during I round): 29th-30th of September, 2025

Payments

Application fee

Student's ID payment (ELS)

Required documents

List of required documents submitted by candidates qualified for studies

Additional information 

Find us on the map: Faculty of Medicine