Program Overview

Industrial Pharmaceutical Sciences, Operations & Management

Course Outline

The MSc in Industrial Pharmaceutical Sciences, Operations and Management is a unique postgraduate qualification designed to maximise graduate employability in the biopharma and pharma industries. The programme is designed by industry for industry to ensure graduate success in the marketplace and will be delivered by the School of Pharmacy and Cork University Business School. 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.

We place a major focus on experiential learning through an 8-month paid industry placement (from January to August) and the use of state-of-the-art pilot scale biopharma & pharma manufacturing facilities in the School of Pharmacy , as well as the Cork Enterprise Training Board Life Sciences Facility in Carrigaline.

You will learn the fundamentals of (bio)pharma operations through extensive simulation in practical laboratory work and workshops using real-world equipment and scenarios. There will be a significant element of learning through the use of case studies, with industry-based guest lectures delivering content across many modules. In addition, core technical, regulatory and operations modules will be delivered by lecturers with significant industry experience.

On this programme, you will undertake a total workload equivalent to 90 credits over the 12-month programme as follows:

Core Modules (50 credits)

• PF6026 Pharmaceutical Technology & Unit Operations (5 credits)
• PF6027 Pharmaceutical GxP & Regulatory Science (5 credits)
• PF6032 Bioprocessing Unit Operations (5 credits)
• PF6033 Pharmaceutical Analysis & Analytics (5 credits)
• PF6045 Pharmaceutical Operations & Management (10 credits)
• BU6514 Business Case for Analytics (5 credits)
• MG6024Developing Management & Leadership Skills for Organisational Effectiveness (10 credits)
• MG6025 Project Management (5 credits)

Elective Modules (10 credits)

• PF6035Lean Six Sigma for Biopharma (10 credits)
• PF6028Process Control & Validation for Pharmaceutical Processes (5 credits)
• PF6044 Digital Transformation in the (Bio)pharma Industry (5 credits)
• PF6029 Biotechnology-derived and Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) (5 credits)

Project (30 credits)

• PF6036 Industry-based Dissertation & Placement (30 credits)

Academic Programme Catalogue

See the Academic Programme Catalogue where you can search for the complete and up-to-date content for this course. Note that the modules for all courses are subject to change from year to year. For complete descriptions of individual modules, see the Book of Modules.

Course Practicalities

The MSc in Industrial Pharmaceutical Sciences, Operations and Management is an intensive 12-month full-time programme, with semester 1 based on campus with lectures, workshops, and practical labs taking place between Monday to Friday 10am-6pm, with occasional evening online lectures. Full attendance at lectures, workshops and practical labs is required. The programme timetable will be favourable to those commuting significant distances.

Students undertake their industry-based placement in semesters 2 and 3. This will comprise 5 days a week, with two days per month based on campus for in-person workshops for core and some elective modules. Any lectures in semester 2 will be delivered asynchronously and live synchronousl

Human Capital Initiative

Development of this course has been supported by the Higher Education Authority under the Human Capital Initiative, Pillar 3. Grant agreement: ‘The iEd Hub’.

Why Choose This Course

The Industrial Pharmaceutical Sciences, Operations & Management MSc programme is the only one of its kind in Ireland that incorporates Industrial Pharmaceutical Sciences and Management targeted at the biopharma & pharma manufacturing industry. The programme has a number of benefits:

• An 8-month industry placement
• A multi-disciplinary programme designed with industry
• Practical & applied industry focus with 60 hours of hands-on practicals
• Industry experienced lecturers
• Guest industry lectures across all modules

Prior industrial experience is considered the most relevant factor in determining employability for new graduates in the marketplace so as part of this programme you will undertake an industrial placement providing you with invaluable experience when applying for graduate roles in the biopharma and pharma industry.

On this programme, you will take over 60 hours of training in hands-on simulated manufacturing environments in state-of-the-art teaching facilities at UCC. We are the only higher education provider nationally that boasts such on-site facilities. These facilities combined with industry-based lecturers will give you a unique educational experience and enable high employability upon graduation.

We have designed this programme in collaboration with the School of Pharmacy, the Cork University Business School (CUBS) and the educational consortium iEd Hub. The unique combination between the School of Pharmacy and CUBS will provide our graduates with both technical and transversal skills to be successful in a wide range of positions in the biopharma & pharma industry.

IEd Hub features the Cork region’s universities, enterprise stakeholders, and leading industries in the Health and Life Sciences sector. Our focus is to deliver a suite of programmes that provide a holistic education - featuring both technical and non-technical skill sets, with students spending their time between industry sites and academic campuses. iEd graduates are embedded with the skills and values needed to forge the future in the Irish Industry.

Continuous assessment is the sole form of module assessment and will be performed through MCQs, assignments, group projects and presentations.

Placement or Study Abroad Information

All our MSc students will undergo an 8-month industrial placement* with a major pharma or biopharma industry partner or in an academic research setting. The majority of placements will be based in Ireland and the Munster region. A dedicated placement coordinator and the programme team will manage the securing of placements and preparing students for interviews and entering the workplace on placement. In some circumstances, it may be required for students to conduct their placement and project on campus, which may not be paid. It should be noted that placements are allocated on a competitive basis, with 100% of students receiving an industrial placement in 2024 academic year. Students must accept the first placement offer provided.

*Note for International Applicants: This is subject to visa requirements. Currently, international students can take placements for up to six months.

Skills and Careers Information

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

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

Fees and Costs

• Postgraduate EU and International Fees 2025/2026

See our Postgraduate EU and Non-EU (International) Fee Schedule for the latest information.

• Deposits

If your course requires a deposit, that figure will be deducted from your second-semester fee payment in January.

• Fee payment

Fees are payable in two equal instalments. First payment is at registration and the balance usually by the end of January.

• How can I pay?

See different options on our How Do I Pay My Fees? page.

• Any questions? See the 'Contact Us' section on the Fees Office page.