The University of Pennsylvania is partnering with Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, the nation's leading nonprofit research organization dedicated to hepatitis B and liver cancer, school officials announced Wednesday.

With this partnership, University of Pennsylvania graduate students in the Master of Chemical Sciences program to apply and complete research within the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute. This agreement helps provide Blumberg Institute with outstanding individuals to work in its labs and offers Penn's graduate students the opportunity to be mentored while they secure real-world research experience in order to enter or advance in the chemistry profession.

"With this agreement with Blumberg, our master's degree students are able to extend the expertise of Penn's research and teaching," Nora E. Lewis, vice dean of Professional and Liberal Education within Penn's School of Arts and Sciences, said in a statement.

The Master of Chemical Sciences is a newly developed academic program offered by the University of Pennsylvania's College of Liberal and Professional Studies, which is a division of the School of Arts and Sciences. The professional master's degree is designed to provide students with a well-rounded foundation in a blend of chemistry topics. Whether they are interested in pursuing careers in this profession, or are already working within the pharmaceutical or chemical industries, the Master of Chemical Sciences offers full and part-time options to enable them to pursue their education without interrupting their careers.

 "We are very excited about this new partnership, which opens up new opportunities for students from Bucks County to get the Penn experience, and for Penn students to benefit from the entrepreneurial spirit of the Blumberg Institute and the Pennsylvania Biotech Center," said Dr. Tim Block, president of the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute. "This is a great synergistic partnership that will benefit not just the students and these two institutions, but all of us, as we work to advance therapies to combat hepatitis B for the millions infected worldwide."

The curriculum is structured with a combination of core concentration and elective courses, to address the students' interests and goals.

For more information about the Masters of Chemical Sciences, visit www.upenn.edu/chemistry.