Course Summary
The programme covers the technical, regulatory, operations and management aspects required in the biopharma & pharma industry. In addition, we cover digital transformation, the Pharma 4.0 operating model and lean six sigma, thereby future-proofing students for the factory of the future.
College Link
Career Sectors
This course prepares you for working in the Career Sectors below. Follow the links to get a fuller understanding of the sectors you are preparing for.
Entry Requirements
Applicants must have at least Second Class Honours Grade 2 in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) in any of the following relevant subject areas: chemistry, biology, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences or science, healthcare science, technology, or process engineering. Eligible applicants may also be invited for an interview.
Selection from among eligible applicants will be made according to the following criteria:
Performance in their primary degree
Personal statement
CV
Consideration under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) may also be given to applicants who do not meet the above entry requirements but who have relevant professional experience in a suitable field.
To demonstrate relevant professional experience, applicants will be assessed on the following criteria and an interview may also be required.
Academic achievement
Relevant industry experience
Personal statement
Reference
For Applicants with Qualifications Completed Outside of Ireland
Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.
International/Non-EU Applicants
For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.
In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.
Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.
English Language Requirements
Applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements.
Application Details
Closing Date: 20 January 2025
Non-EU Closing Date: 17 December 2024. Should more places become available it may reopen in early 2025.
Start Date: 1 September 2025
Fees
The EU fee for this course is 10,630.
The Non-EU fee for this course is 18,500.
The Student
Career Interests
This course is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests. If these interests do not describe you, this course may prepare you for work you may not find satisfying.
Investigative
The Investigative person will usually find a particular area of science to be of interest. They are inclined toward intellectual and analytical activities and enjoy observation and theory. They may prefer thought to action, and enjoy the challenge of solving problems with sophiscticated technology. These types prefer mentally stimulating environments and often pay close attention to developments in their chosen field.
Career Progression
Due to the unique and broad nature of the programme, our graduates will have a wide range of roles open to them both in the short-term post-graduation and also in the longer term. Industrial Pharmaceutical Sciences, Operations & Management graduates will have the technical knowledge to work both in large (biopharma) and small molecule (pharma) manufacturing environments. Graduates will also have the competencies to embark on a management career pathway in the longer term with the programme focus on management and transversal skills.
Potential roles open to our graduates include:
Analytical development scientist
BioPharma project/programme management
BioPharma supervisory/management
Manufacturing scientist
Operations/production staff
Pharmaceutical engineer
Process scientist
Process support scientists/engineer
QC technical support
Quality assurance/quality systems specialist
Regulatory affairs scientist/officer
Tech Transfer
Technical operations
Validation scientist/engineer