BSc in Pharmaceutical Science (Biological)
Programme Code: SG_SPHAR_J07
About Pharmaceutical Science
The pharmaceutical industry is responsible for discovering and producing a wide range of proprietary medicines. In recent years the development and processing of biopharmaceutical medicines has become a major feature of the overall pharmaceutical sector. This programme aims to prepare students to work in this industry, whether in pharmaceuticals or biopharmaceuticals, from initial drug design and discovery all the way through to formulating the final product. The biopharmaceutical processes are more biological-based as compared to the more chemical-based processes associated with small-molecule pharmaceutical products. The Medical Biotechnology and Biopharmaceutical sectors are among the fastest growing in the Life Sciences area both nationally and internationally.
This programme is jointly offered by IT Sligo and NIBRT (National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training).
About the Programme
The programme consists of a unique mix of Science disciplines based on pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry requirements. The programme is multi-disciplinary, and is aimed at producing multi-skilled graduates for a wide range of scientific and production employments in the specific industries. The programme combines cutting-edge skills in Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Science with an understanding of the legislative and quality control system framework which underpins the industry. A number of the modules incorporate hands-on, laboratory work at the state-of-the-art, NIBRT facility in Dublin.
Programme Structure – Modules Covered (credits awarded):
- Biopharmaceuticals 2 (5)
- Pharmaceutical Quality Systems (5)
- Scientific Communications 2 (5)
- Statistics and Computing (5)
- Cell Culture Processing (10)
- Facilities and Utilities (5)
- Protein Purification (10)
- Formulation / Fill-Finish (5)
- Bioanalytical Techniques Theory (5)
- Bioanalytical Techniques Practical (5)
Students are required to complete a total of 60 credits for the full award.
Full details of individual modules are available in the official documentation here.
Further Study The B.Sc. (Ord) Pharmaceutical Science Level 7 provides an excellent foundation for the student who wishes to progress to a B. Sc. (Hons) Pharmaceutical Science Level 8
After you Graduate
Graduates from this programme can expect to find employment in the Pharmaceutical, Biopharmaceutical, Biotechnology or Medical Diagnostics sectors as well as more broadly in the area of analytical science. In the development of this programme emphasis has been placed on aligning the course content with the skills required by the Pharmaceutical / Biopharmaceutical industry, whilst ensuring that there is sufficient flexibility to allow students to move laterally into associated careers. Areas within the sector where graduates typically find employment include: processing operations, quality systems, analytics, regulatory affairs and validation.
The BSc in Pharmaceutical Science provides an excellent foundation for the student who wishes to progress to the BSc. (Hons.) Degree in Pharmaceutical Science or the BSc. (Hons) Degree in Biopharmaceutical Science both of which are offered in a fully online format by IT Sligo.
Entry Requirements
Level 6 on the NFQ (Higher Certificate) in Science or in a cognate area. Applicants with other qualifications and/or with relevant experience will also be considered through IT Sligo’s RPL process.
Award: Level 7
Duration: 2 years
Fees: €7,200 over 2 years
Application Deadline: See Frequently Asked Questions
Delivery: Online
FURTHER INFORMATION
Sarah Walsh
The School of Science
Tel: 071 913 7249
Email: walsh.sarah@itsligo.ie
Course co-ordinator: Etain Kiely email: kiely.etain@itsligo.ie