Regulatory Open Forum

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

Hi All,

I have BS and have been working in the industry for ~12 years in preclinical development and research, initially in the lab and then moved to a program manager role all the same mid/large biotech. I transitioned into a regulatory operations (submissions) role roughly a year ago and am happy and learning a lot. I took the RAC certificate and plan to obtain the RAC credential when I have the necessary experience.  

In the interim I am thinking of obtaining or at least starting a MS program since my company has tuition reimbursement even though it has a yearly cap.  I am located in the Northeast and primarily interested in online programs, specifically the temple RAQA or new RPS and Northeastern program.  I am quite happy right now but maybe interested into moving to the strategy side or perhaps regulatory intelligence.

I was initially leaning towards the PRS program since it's a bit cheaper/fewer courses and one can take up to three courses prior to applying however upon closer review electives I am interested in require pre reqs that are not part of the program but rather part of the RAQA program which is a tad more expensive and requires a formal application.  However, I do like the wide variety and flexibility that the RAQA program offers.

The Northeastern program is the cheapest and also has a ton of electives and might be the quickest to obtain the MS if I want that "checkbox" of getting the masters ASAP. I am new to the field so perhaps I am wrong but I think the Temple programs have more prestige since it is older/original program not to knock on Northeastern.

Curious on what everyone's thoughts are?  

Thanks in advance!

Congratulations on looking to continue your educational journey.

I am biased as I have been teaching Global Regulatory Affairs and Regulatory Intelligence in the Temple University RAQA Program for over 20 years. I like that the Temple Program is available both onsite and online, weeknights and weekends, and that there are electives that cover a wide variety of both drug and device topics. The Program celebrated its 50th anniversary a couple of years ago and continues to grow. The classes are conducted live which means that you engage real time with both your professors and other students. And Temple prides itself on having instructors that are well-known in industry and can bring in case studies that are relevant to what is being taught. I also have sat on the steering committee at Temple; we vet new syllabi and professors and always looking to bring in new courses reflective of the ever changing regulatory landscape. 

In the end it will be up to you to decide what is most appropriate for your schedule and how best you learn  (synchronous or asynchronous). Feel free to reach out to me directly if you'd like to discuss offline. 

Hi, good to know you are planning to get additional credentials. Like Linda, I may be biased as I did my MS in RA from OSU, Columbus. The OSU offers these programs online that worked well for me. I am not sure if there is a change in the curriculum, but in addition to the core course, they required a capstone project where you could include your work (given your supervisor allows it). The classes are geared towards leadership, management, safety, regulation, data analysis, etc. Again, you will have to decide at the end, but there are options. Here is the link for you. https://nursing.osu.edu/academics/masters/master-clinical-research
Good luck!!

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Israr Ansari PhD, MS, RAC
Sr. Scientist - Clinical Trials
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-Jan-2022 16:28
From: Anonymous Member
Subject: MS Programs (Temple RAQA or PRS vs Northeastern) for career advancement?

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

Hi All,

I have BS and have been working in the industry for ~12 years in preclinical development and research, initially in the lab and then moved to a program manager role all the same mid/large biotech. I transitioned into a regulatory operations (submissions) role roughly a year ago and am happy and learning a lot. I took the RAC certificate and plan to obtain the RAC credential when I have the necessary experience.

In the interim I am thinking of obtaining or at least starting a MS program since my company has tuition reimbursement even though it has a yearly cap.  I am located in the Northeast and primarily interested in online programs, specifically the temple RAQA or new RPS and Northeastern program.  I am quite happy right now but maybe interested into moving to the strategy side or perhaps regulatory intelligence.

I was initially leaning towards the PRS program since it's a bit cheaper/fewer courses and one can take up to three courses prior to applying however upon closer review electives I am interested in require pre reqs that are not part of the program but rather part of the RAQA program which is a tad more expensive and requires a formal application.  However, I do like the wide variety and flexibility that the RAQA program offers.

The Northeastern program is the cheapest and also has a ton of electives and might be the quickest to obtain the MS if I want that "checkbox" of getting the masters ASAP. I am new to the field so perhaps I am wrong but I think the Temple programs have more prestige since it is older/original program not to knock on Northeastern.

Curious on what everyone's thoughts are?

Thanks in advance!