Engineering - Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Engineering

Why study Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Engineering?

The enormous need for Engineers to work in the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical and medical devices industries has been well documented in recent years, most recently by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN). The 2024 report suggests the possibility of creation of over 6000 jobs in this sector by 2027, primarily driven by jobs in manufacturing, followed by jobs in the services sector. This will require significant upskilling of the existing workforce in the Pharma/Biopharma sectors, and development of industry-academia collaborations fostering re-skilling.

Many graduates working in the pharmaceutical industries with a scientific background find themselves working in areas which increasingly overlap with engineers and engineering. Many would like to develop an engineering-based understanding of processes and production in a formal manner. This course offers you the opportunity to do this, developing your skill set and employability across a wider range of roles.

The course also presents the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry with an opportunity to enable greater cohesion and understanding among inter- and multi-disciplinary teams as graduates with science backgrounds receive a formal qualification in engineering.

Who should apply?

The aim of this (NFQ level 9) programme is to provide upskilling/re-skilling opportunities for working professionals in the Engineering and Manufacturing sectors. It is also aimed to fill the need for the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Postgraduate Education of Engineers working in the Pharmaceutical Industry.

To date many Engineering graduates (including Chemical & Process Engineering graduates) do not have formal educational qualifications relating specifically to the pharmaceutical industry. This is because many undergraduate Chemical Engineering courses, which are generally broad in nature, do not cover issues of particular concern to the pharmaceutical industry; 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, validation, etc. This is the case to an even greater extent the case for graduates of other Engineering disciplines.

Parallelly, many graduates working in the pharmaceutical industries with a scientific background find themselves working in areas which increasingly overlap with engineers and engineering. Many of them would like to develop an engineering-based understanding of processes and production in a formal manner. This programme offers these graduates with significant benefits both to themselves and their companies by developing their skill set and employability across a wider range of roles through the enhanced continuing professional development that this programme offers. This programme also offers the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry with an opportunity to enable greater cohesion and understanding among inter and multi-disciplinary teams as graduates with science backgrounds, but relevant experience in Engineering, receive a formal Level 9 qualification in engineering.

Who teaches this course?

This course provides a unique opportunity to learn from academics and industry professionals alike. Modules are delivered by academics from the Discipline of Process and Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering and Architecture and the School of Chemistry. A number of modules are delivered by lecturers from leading industries including Eli Lilly, Janssen, MSD and PM Group. The course also features a module on Biopharmaceutical Engineering delivered by the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT), Dublin, designed to provide hands-on-training and insight into state-of-the-art biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes and practises.

What are the key learning outcomes?

Upon completion of this programme, candidates will be able to:

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.

What is the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry like in Ireland and Cork?

Over the past two decades, Ireland has established itself as a global leader in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and has been tremendously successful in attracting multinational companies to establish manufacturing operations across the country.

The Irish pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry remains highly advanced, employing latest technology, state-of-the-art techniques and equipment and following strict quality control procedures. The pharmaceutical industry in Ireland is a world leader in offering products and services, from research and development for new medicines to the manufacturing and marketing of new medicines for humans and animals.

Ireland is now home to more than 85 biopharmaceutical sites and 9 of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies have substantial operations in Ireland. Around 60% of all exports from Ireland is contributed to the Biopharmaceutical industry which is directly employing over 25,000 people. Ireland is now the largest net exporter of pharmaceuticals in the EU accounting for over 50% of all exports from the country.

Cork has established itself as a thriving industrial hub, boasting a resilient and diverse economy with more than 190 multinational firms operating in clusters across the technology, financial services, cybersecurity, pharmaceuticals and life sciences sectors. Cork’s Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences sector continues to grow rapidly, exemplified by the investment of over €10 billion in new facilities over the last decade. Seven of the ten of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies including Janssen, AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Merck/MSD, Novartis, and Thermo Fisher Scientific are based in Cork, more specifically around the Cork Harbour Region. In total there are now over thirty pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries operating in Cork with a workforce of over 10,000.

The 2024 EGFSN report on Skills for Biopharma suggests the continued expansion of this sector, primarily driven by jobs in manufacturing, followed by jobs in the services sector.

What sort of jobs would this course prepare me for?

This programme will prepare candidates for wide range of jobs in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical sectors including manufacturing roles and roles associated with process and facility design and optimisation and project management. On successful completion of the programme, the candidate should able to work in a highly regulated pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical sector taking account of environmental, health and safety and risk factors, and know how to apply relevant codes of practice, industry standards and emerging practices and technologies.

Will I get exposure to the pharmaceutical/ biopharmaceutical industry in this course?

Several modules are delivered by lecturers from leading industries including Eli Lilly, Janssen, MSD and PM Group providing direct, up-to-date and highly relevant industrial insight into the pharma biopharma industries in Ireland and beyond. Candidates will also require participating in an on-site practical training at the state-of-the-art facility at the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT), Dublin.

Are there any career workshops included as part of this course?

No formal career workshops are included as part of this course. However, as UCC students, all candidates will be able to access career-related trainings, workshops  and guidance offered by UCC’s Career Services.