In response to the shortage of high-level IT skills in the life science industries and further exacerbated by the need to comply to new US and EU regulations, the project will develop, test and deliver a outline curriculum and related materials towards a masters degree in IT validation in the medical, pharmaceutical and biotechnological industry, To date, the mix of requirements for this emerging new profession has only been addressed through short training courses. The project will result in a curriculum consisting of e-learning packages including good practice cases, exercises, assessment and feedback. Topics will include pharmaceutical processes, ICT, quality control, laws and regulations and good practice. Students of IT, engineering, biotechnology or pharmacy, as well as existing employees in the selected sectors, will be able to access the distance-learning package. Students will be able to study full-time or part-time over one or two years and in addition will be required to undergo a three-month work placement and two residential periods per year. End materials will be in EN, online and, where necessary, on CD-Rom. The e-learning package will be tested, evaluated and piloted with students during the last six months of the project. The university partners in Gent (BE) and Mataro (ES) will then implement the programme in their own institutes. The new degree is expected to become self-supporting and partners will further work towards international certification. Potential students will be informed through normal channels with wider dissemination targeting the educational world and professionals in the industry, both nationally and at European level. This will be achieved via web marketing, articles in professional magazines and participation in conferences and seminars.