Engineering - Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Engineering

Course details

The MEngSc/PG Dip in Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Engineering are part-time modular degrees which can be taken over 24 months (for award of a Postgraduate Diploma) to 60 months. You will have the opportunity to gain a formal qualification in areas of particular concern to the bio/pharmaceutical industry that you may not have benefited from before, including issues such as product containment, powder/particle technology, design of API and secondary production facilities, current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP), design of classified facilities, aseptic processing facility design and validation.

Course Details

The MEngSc course is in two parts. Part I (which constitutes the PG Diploma) involves taking 12 modules to the value of ECTS 60 credits. Taught modules are offered on a cyclical basis. Six modules are taken per annum over a two year period if you opt for full registration, although the course can be taken over a maximum of five years. Part II consists of a research thesis to the value of 30 credits. The choice of modules is subject to the approval of the course coordinator.

The modules currently offered are:

Part I 

Students take 60 credits from the following:

Offered in 2015/16 

• PE6010 Pharmaceutical Engineering (5 credits) 
• PE6011 Biopharmaceutical Engineering (5 credits) 
• PE6012 Pharmaceutical Process Equipment; Materials and Mechanical Design (5 credits) 
• PE6013 Powder and Particle Technology and Unit Operations (5 credits) 
• PE6014 Chemical Kinetics, Reactor Design and Bioreactor Engineering (5 credits) 
• PE6015Environmental Engineering in the Pharmaceutical Sector (5 credits) 
• PE6023 Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Utilities (5 credits)
• PE6025 Advanced Health & Safety Management (5 credits)

Offered in 2016/17

• PE6016 Pharmaceutical Industry; Manufacturing and Optimisation (5 credits) 
• PE6017 Pharmaceutical Plant Design and Project Management (5 credits) 
• PE6018 Pharmaceutical Process Validation and Quality (5 credits) 
• PE6019 Process Analytical Technology (5 credits) 
• PE6022Aseptic Manufacturing Design (5 credits) 
• PF6302 Introduction to Pharmaceutics: Formulation Science (5 credits)
• PE6024 Advanced Process Design & Safety Engineering (5 credits)
• PE6025 Advanced Health & Safety Management (5 credits)

Part II (MEngSc only):

• PE6021 Dissertation in Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Engineering (30 credits)

These are subject to change. For full course information see programme website

Further details on the content and modules are available on the Postgraduate College Calendar

Detailed Entry Requirements

Candidates must have a BE (Hons) or BEng (Hons) Degree or equivalent engineering qualification, with a minimum grade 2H2, or a level 8 BSc degree, with a minimum grade 2H2, where the BSc graduate has a recognised qualification in Process or Chemical Engineering (e.g. the Diploma in Process and Chemical Engineering at UCC or equivalent). However, candidates with equivalent academic qualifications and suitable experience may be accepted subject to the approval of College of Science, Engineering and Food Science.

Candidates, for whom English is not their primary language, should possess an IELTS of 6.5 (or TOEFL equivalent) with no less than 6.0 in each inpidual category.

Course Practicalities

• Start-up sessions over two days (half a day per 5 credit module) (four contact hours per 5 credit module) (Fridays and Saturdays at end August/start September and start January) 
• Followed up by tutorial sessions (every two to three weeks on Saturdays) on respective modules throughout term. Tutorial sessions involve six contact hours