Chemistry - Analysis of Pharmaceutical Compounds

This is one of the most established Analytical MSc courses in Ireland and is amongst the more popular MSc courses studied in UCC. This MSc course, in particular, has great international success in attracting students from all over the World due to the industry-led teaching agenda. The industry-relevant curriculum offered to students and the opportunity to complete a six-month placement in industry or an academic research lab has also impacted greatly on the student experience. The global recognition of the course is also evident from our international alumni that maintain contact through a dedicated LinkedIn group.

This course also has an Industry Advisory Board that provides crucial industry feedback on both the teaching strategy and practice for the taught postgraduate course in Analytical Chemistry. There are currently 18 companies on this board with representatives from the Pharmaceutical, BioPharma, Biomedical Device, Environment and Food/Beverage sectors. There are a number of guest lectures from industry and a dedicated industry led module where students participate in a series of workshops either delivered on site with the industry partner or hosted by the Tyndall National Institute.

Annually, the George Guilbault Symposium provides the MSc students with an opportunity to present their Thesis projects. This event is run over two days, with all students presenting. An evening reception also takes places where students have the chance to present a poster on their research work and engage with the industry. Students are shortlisted for presenting to the industry judges on the second day and these presentations are distributed amongst several keynote presentations made by industry. All the awards (Best Presentation and Best Poster) are sponsored by industry.

This MSc course in Analysis of Pharmaceutical Compounds gives students a broad foundation in analytical chemistry and its application in an industrial setting with emphasis on method selection, development and validation for pharmaceutical compounds and the application to quality control and trace drug analysis. It also provides them with an opportunity to gain much sought-after and valued industry relevant training and qualification in an analytical division. This course is internationally recognised for its award-winning and high-quality students with >90% of students finding employment in industry or going on to further their studies through Ph.D.

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. Visit our PG English Language Requirements page for more information.

The MSc courses aim to provide you with the necessary skill set to develop methods and solve problems as demanded by many industries today (including pharmaceutical, environmental and forensic analytical laboratories). You are also introduced to research and innovation in analytical science.

Many analytical chemists, pharmaceutical chemical analysts and environmental chemical analysts go on to pursue careers in industry, government and forensic laboratories and opportunities for further research often result.

The course sets out to bridge the gap between the current undergraduate degree knowledge and what is relevant and expected by the industry. There is a strong emphasis on developing transferable skills and ensuring that the career path for the student is either industry or academically focused. A large percentage of students gain employment in the industry after completion of the course, however, a number of graduates also decide to progress to international Ph.D. opportunities.