Applied Plant Biology

Applied Plant Biology (APB) involves using living organisms to deal with environmental problems and food security, or to generate new products such as pharmaceuticals or biofuels. Plants form the basis of all food systems and are the ideal living organisms to use in biotechnology.

APB can contribute to a more sustainable future, e.g. by developing more sustainable agriculture and forestry systems that capture carbon from the atmosphere, by breeding higher-yielding or nutrient-rich crops, or by decontaminating land and wastewater.

Non-EU applicants are expected to have educational qualifications of a standard equivalent to the Irish Leaving Certificate. In addition, where such applicants are non-native speakers of the English language they must satisfy the university of their competency in the English language.

To verify if you meet the minimum academic and language requirements visit our qualification comparison page and refer to our International Office page for more information.

Our APB graduates have excellent career prospects and have entered a wide range of careers. This diversity reflects the breadth of the course and the emphasis on transferable skills and practical experience.

In some cases, our graduates work directly with plants, as plant breeders or crop protection scientists. The skills our graduates learn during the APB course mean that they are also employed in broader scientific areas such as the rapidly expanding environmental sector, as well as biotechnology, food, pharmaceutical, agricultural support, and health industries.

Other graduates are also employed in scientific research, science management, education, journalism and computing, while several have set up their own companies.