Danny A. Benau , PhD
Director for Biomedical Writing Graduate Programs
Effective medical writers take data that they have either created or received and convert them to information and knowledge for communication to appropriate audiences. To be effective, medical writers must be more than mere medical transcribers; they must be part of the checks and balances on the transmission of information on therapies and medical issues.
Biomedical Writing Program Overview
USP is the only institution that educates medical writers in an accredited university program. We offer the non-thesis Master of Science in Biomedical Writing (36 credits), and Certificates in Medical Writing (12 credits each). Since the program's inception in 1997, USP has helped launch the careers of medical writers with strong backgrounds in science, healthcare, English, and journalism.
Online Program
The program meets the needs of working professionals living anywhere in the world; you need internet and telephone access and a computer. You can complete the Master of Science or Certificate of Biomedical Writing either part time or full time. All courses are available completely online. If you are local you are welcome to come onsite to chat with faculty, come to our Third Thursday free dinner seminars, and use the library for online access or quiet study. All formal synchronous classes are held online in the evenings or simultaneously onsite and online on the weekends; you choose class times with other students and faculty at the beginning of the semester.
Certificate Programs
If you have a graduate degree or are seeking senior-level career positions or further training and credentialing in the biomedical writing field, USP offers two certificate programs in biomedical writing:
- The Medical Writing Certificate in Marketing Writing focuses on publications; and
- The Medical Writing Certificate in Regulatory Writing focuses on preparing documents for Food and Drug Administration for initial and continuing approval of therapies.
You can complete the certificate program in 8 months part-time. You may apply credits earned in the certificate courses toward your Master of Science.
Certificate In Biomedical Writing for Master of Science in Cell Biology and Biotechnology
(non-thesis):
If you are interested in a Master of Science in Cell Biology and Biotechnology (non-thesis) and would like to pursue the area of regulatory writing, the certificate in Biomedical Writing option will prepare you to do so. As this area of industrial need continues to expand, there are increasing opportunities for graduates with the requisite knowledge and skills in cell biology and molecular biology to apply their knowledge to the documentation and justification of new drugs, new protocols, and new applications in healthcare. You'll gain knowledge in regulatory affairs, QA/QC assurance, GxP, and similar approaches of the industry, making you competitive in a growing sector where you'll have an advantage due to your through grounding in the science about which you are writing. You can find more information on the Biological Sciences webpages.
