Curriculum: Hygienic Manufacturing of Cosmetic Products Graduate Certificate

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04.01.2025

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05.12.2025

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Curriculum at a Glance

Hygienic Manufacturing of Cosmetic Products Graduate Certificate

The courses cover interdisciplinary courses relevant to cosmetic product science and hygienic manufacturing. Specifically, courses included in the program will cover basic formulation science, introductory skin and hair science, microbiology, product preservation, plant engineering and hygiene, product packaging, and quality assurance.

New content has been developed specifically for the Certificate course, by a team of leading industry experts assembled by the Personal Care Products Council, the industry association for all companies involved in the United States cosmetics market. Individual modules are being created by experienced people responsible for controlling manufacturing hygiene risk in many of the most prestigious and best-known brands on sale today.

In specialist areas, such as equipment design, we have representatives of leading companies who supply the manufacturing systems for those companies. We have members of the team from test equipment suppliers, service providers, and contract manufacturers, who are all providing modules to share their knowledge. The learning modules are reinforced by case studies taken from real-world incidents.

The new content adds to existing well-established material to further enhance the opportunity to learn applied microbiology, engineering, management, problem-solving, and quality system knowledge, in high demand from the very exciting and growing world of personal care cosmetic products.

The two new courses are the following:

MANUFACTURING HYGIENE – Microbiology, Product/Package Design and Quality Assurance
- Instructors: Dr. Phil Geis; Geoff Waby
MANUFACTURING HYGIENE – Facilities, Utilities, and Plant Engineering
- Instructors: Deepika Raina, Andy Dick

The following courses are required for the Graduate Certificate totaling (13) credit hours:

Manufacturing Hygiene – Microbiology, Product/Package Design and Quality Assurance
Manufacturing Hygiene – Facilities, Utilities and Plant Engineering
Cosmetic Microbiology
Intro to surface, colloid and membrane science
Intro to skin and hair
Skin, hair and oral products

Notably, those who would like to go beyond the GC and complete the MS can formally apply and transfer their GC credits toward the MS.

CURRICULUM AT A GLANCE

Required

Course	Title / Description	Credit
PCEU8150	Manufacturing Hygiene: Microbiology, Product/Package Design, & Quality Assurance Course: PCEU8150 Credit: 2 The course will define the technical fundamentals that establish the need for manufacturing hygiene and put the work of the Manufacturing Hygienist into context. The technical elements will establish a basic understanding of microbiology, define quality expectations and relevant methods by which product quality and systems monitoring are conducted, risk assessments that identify critical control points, investigations and remedial actions regarding quality compromises. The course will put the work of the Manufacturing Hygienist into context. The context will cover the goals of business and the social and regulatory environment in which businesses operate. The role of regulators will be explained as they relate to maintaining control of manufacturing hygiene. People skills needed for an effective manufacturing hygienist to play a leading role, construct and support effective systems to maintain control of product quality, will be covered by the lesson plan.	2
PCEU8140	Manufacturing Hygiene: Facilities, Utilities, and Plant Engineering Course: PCEU8140 Credit: 2 The course will introduce the scientific principles and the practical application of designing, building and operating a manufacturing plant for the successful manufacture of personal care products. The focus will be on the equipment, facilities and utility systems of the plant. This includes the various clean design requirements for different types of equipment and buildings and critical utility systems, including the water system and heating, ventilation and air conditioning a well as other essential utility systems.	2
PCEU8080	Cosmetic Microbiology Course: PCEU8080 Credit: 2 The goal of this course is to teach cosmetic science and microbiology graduate students up-to-date informaton on cosmetic microbiology, product preservation, skin microflora, and regulations pertaining to cosmetic and OTC drug products. The approach is a practical one based onindustry experience with the preservation of skin care products. Topics discussed include the historical developments in cosmetic microbiology, a basic review of microbiology, product preservation, preservatives, microbiological issues in the manufacturing plant, problems with Pseudomonas spp., modulation of skin microflora with products and probiotics, and the Food, Drug &Cosmetic Act and Regulations pertaining to cosmetic and OTC drug products.	2
PCEU8024	Introduction to Surface, Colloid and Membrane Science Course: PCEU8024 Credit: 2 This introductory course will focus on fundamentals underpinning cosmetic formulations including wetting, spreading, contact angle, surface excess and adsorption, interfacial and solution chemistry of surfactants, surface tension, micellization, mixed surfactant systems, silicone surfactants, basic rheology, polymers and polyelectrolytes, silicone polymers, foams, foam stability and rheology, solid-liquid interface and an intro to bilayers and stratum corneum membrane.	2
PCEU8110	Introduction to Skincare and Haircare Science Course: PCEU8110 Credit: 2 Lectures and homework assignments covering basic skin and hair structure, properties of skin and hair, basic biophysical methods for evaluation of skin, basics of topical delivery, basics of hair growth, introduction to product technologies for skin cleansing, skin care, hand hygiene and hair care technologies and an intro to skin disease states.	2
PCEU8051	Skin, Hair, and Oral Products Course: PCEU8051 Credit: 3 The class is designed to provide a practical overview of the formulation approaches used for cosmetic and selected OTC drug products broadly intended for use in skin care, hair care, and oral care, including stability and performance evaluations. Sufficient background information regarding the anatomy and physiology of the skin and associated appendages, the hair, and the oral cavity as well as solution and colloid (emulsion) chemistry will be provided for appropriate understanding of the contexts of the formulation approaches. In addition, an overview of pertinent FDA regulations regarding cosmetic and OTC products will be included as well as descriptions of the development processes for these products, record keeping, and intellectual property protection.	3

FAQs

How long does it take to complete the Hygienic Manufacturing of Cosmetic Products Graduate Certificate?

The Hygienic Manufacturing of Cosmetic Products Graduate Certificate is typically completed in 3 semesters or 1 year based on taking 2 courses per semester, which is the average pace.
What GPA do I need for the Hygienic Manufacturing of Cosmetic Products Graduate Certificate?

For the Hygienic Manufacturing of Cosmetic Products Graduate Certificate, a grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.00 or foreign equivalent is recommended.
What are the admission requirements for the Hygienic Manufacturing of Cosmetic Products Graduate Certificate?
Requirements include:
- A U.S. bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university or an equivalent degree from a foreign country in the field of science such as chemistry, chemical engineering, biology, or a similar field
- A grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.00 or foreign equivalent
- At least one semester of undergraduate coursework in organic chemistry and calculus
- For international students, a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) of at least 90 (internet-based) or 235 (computer-based), or a Duolingo English Test of at least 110 is accepted.
  - Transcripts must be submitted for evaluation to an agency recognized by the National Association of Credential Evaluating Services (NACES; www.naces.org).
Please visit the Admissions Requirements page for more information.