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Advanced Therapeutic Technologies

BSc Advanced Therapeutic Technologies (Hons)
School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences

Your journey

The BSc Advanced Therapeutic Technologies programme will provide an excellent student experience that equips graduates with the technical and transversal competencies to become future leaders in healthcare innovation and technology. The programme has been designed to address both the current and future skills needs of the (bio) pharmaceutical and related industries as identified in national and international skills reports. The curriculum draws upon cutting-edge developments across scientific disciplines, including genetics and genomics, computational biology, data analytics, drug delivery, pharmacology, immunology and connected health.

The programme is designed to ensure that graduates can apply the knowledge and skills they gain in the real world to design, create and implement innovative solutions to complex healthcare problems. Employability is embedded throughout the programme and students develop transversal skills through the professional formation modules as well as competencies in project management, leadership and management, enterprise and innovation, and regulatory science. Employability is further enhanced by completion of a longitudinal pharma industry placement of eight months in Year 3, either within or outside Ireland.

The programme incorporates active learning techniques with a mix of team-based and individual-focused projects and a significant practical focus with a view to ensuring workplace readiness.

The programme is four years in total, leading to the award of Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Advanced Therapeutic Technologies.

Virtual open event

Learn more about RCSI’s new and exciting BSc in Advanced Therapeutic Technologies at an online open event on Wednesday, 19 April 2023.

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Hear from three key industry experts about the Advanced Therapeutic Technologies programme below:

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Approved term dates for Undergraduate Medicine, Physiotherapy, Graduate Entry Medicine, MPharm and Advanced Therapeutic Technologies for the academic year 2022/23 can be found here.

Curriculum

Length and structure

Year 1 is delivered across two semesters from September to May:

  • Semester 1 - September to December
  • Semester 2 - January to May

In Year 1 you will learn the foundation principles in the fundamental sciences and laboratory skills. You will gain a basic understanding of the anatomy, physiology and biochemistry of the human body and explore chemical concepts critical to human life. You will develop an appreciation of immunology and microbiology, along with the key principles of drug delivery. 

Year 1 consists of 11 modules and is structured as follows:

Module title Semester  ECTS credits
The Cellular Basis of Life 1 5
Health – Body and Function 1 5
Fundamentals of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry 1 5
Medicines – Pharmaceutics 1 1 5
Foundations of Data Analytics 1 5
The scientist – Professional Formation 1 1 5
Fundamentals of Pharmacology and Immunology 2 5
Fundamentals of Microbiology and Infection
 2 5
Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry 2 5
Medicines – Pharmaceutics 1 2 5
Gastrointestinal Health –– Medicines and Patient Care 2 5

Teaching modalities

The programme adopts a variety of teaching methods to suit the distinct ways in which students learn, including:

  • Lectures
  • Tutorials
  • Small-group teaching/teamwork
  • Laboratory practicals
  • Workshops
  • Research and group projects
  • Online activities
  • E-learning packages

Assessments

Assessments comprise formative/continuous and summative using appropriate modalities relevant to the learning outcomes. Feedback/feedforward strategies feature strongly as part of the assessment strategy.

Length and structure

Year 2 consists of two semesters:

  • Semester 1 - September to December
  • Semester 2 - January to May

In Year 2, students will build upon the knowledge, skills and competencies developed in Year 1. The curriculum will explore the discipline of genomics and its application in precision medicine. You will study the pharmacological management of the major disease states across multiple body systems. 

Students will develop skills in data analytics using Python programming and enhance their statistical competency, as applied to precision medicine. You will study the drug life cycle to bring a new medicine to market, in addition to the regulatory framework across geographies, which leads to the licencing of medicines and gain an appreciation of the complex manufacturing processes required for biological therapeutics such as vaccines. 

Transversal skills will be further developed through project management, enabling you to organise, plan, and deliver a project.

Year 2 consists of eight modules and is structured as follows:

Module title  Semester ECTS credits
Human Genetics and Genomics 1 10 
Pharmacology and Theranostics 1 10
Computational Biology 1 1 5
Fundamentals of Project Management 1 5
Computational Biology 2 2 5
Regulatory Science 2 5
Biologic and Immuno-therapeutics 2 10
Medicines – Drug Life Cycle 2 10

Teaching modalities

The programme adopts a variety of teaching methods to suit the distinct ways in which students learn, including:

  • Lectures
  • Tutorials
  • Small-group teaching/teamwork
  • Laboratory practicals
  • Workshops
  • Research and group projects
  • Online activities
  • E-learning packages

Assessment

Assessments comprise formative/continuous and summative using appropriate modalities relevant to the learning outcomes. Feedback/feedforward strategies feature strongly as part of the assessment strategy.

 

Length and structure

Year 3 is structured differently to the other years of the programme.

  • You will be based on campus during semester 1
  • Semester 2 starts in January when you will start an eight-month industry placement, concluding in August of that year.

Year 3 continues with studying advanced genetics and cell biology as well as biopharmaceutical manufacturing to understand the production of biological therapies. Transversal competencies will be further developed and enhanced through the Professional Formation and Enterprise and Innovation modules. You will demonstrate and apply your technical knowledge and transversal skills and competencies you have gained in a workplace setting with the eight-month Situated Learning module, that has been developed in conjunction with industry partners.

Year 3 consists of five modules and is structured as follows:

Module title Semester  ECTS credits 
Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing 1 10
Advanced Genetics and Cell Biology 1 10
Enterprise and Innovation 1 5
The Scientist – Professional Formation 3 1 5
Situated Learning – Developing in the Workplace 2 60

Teaching modalities

The programme adopts a variety of teaching methods to suit the distinct ways in which students learn, including:

  • Lectures
  • Tutorials
  • Small-group teaching/teamwork
  • Laboratory practicals
  • Workshops
  • Research and group projects
  • Online activities
  • E-learning packages

Assessment

Assessments comprise formative/continuous and summative using appropriate modalities relevant to the learning outcomes. Feedback/feedforward strategies feature strongly as part of the assessment strategy. The work placement is assessed by portfolio and through employer rating.

Length and structure

Year 4 consists of two semesters:

  • Semester 1 - September to December
  • Semester 2 - January to May

Year 4 focuses on career readiness, ensuring you have the skills to be ready for the workplace or further research. Students will study cutting edge therapies and technologies in the Frontiers of Therapeutic Technologies and Connected Health modules.

The final Computational Biology module will further develop students’ skills in data analytics and programming while the Leadership and Management module will develop their management skills and role as leaders.

The final module in semester 2 is the Research Skills module where students carry out a research project for the full semester, either in Ireland or abroad, and submit a thesis based on their research project. This module equips students with advanced laboratory skills setting them up for careers in either scientific research or Industry. This module also provides students with a further opportunity to apply their project management skills and transversal competencies before graduation.

Year 4 consists of five modules and is structured as follows:

Module title Semester  ECTS credits 
Frontiers of Therapeutic Technologies 1 10
Computational Biology 3 1 5
Connected Health 1 10
Leadership and Management 1 5
Scientific Research Skills 2 30

Teaching modalities

The programme adopts a variety of teaching methods to suit the distinct ways in which students learn, including:

  • Lectures
  • Tutorials
  • Small-group teaching/teamwork
  • Laboratory practicals
  • Workshops
  • Research and group projects
  • Online activities
  • E-learning packages

Assessment

Assessments comprise formative/continuous and summative using appropriate modalities relevant to the learning outcomes. Feedback/feedforward strategies feature strongly as part of the assessment strategy. The research project is assessed by dissertation.