Students smiling whilst working in a lab environment)

Advanced Therapeutic Technologies

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

Your journey

The BSc Advanced Therapeutic Technologies is a broad, diverse and cutting-edge programme. This new science degree equips graduates with the technical knowledge and power skills to become future leaders in healthcare innovation and technology. The mix of knowledge that programme offers is a key differentiator. Students get a grounding in the basic sciences combined with cutting-edge technologies and professional power skills. The Year 3 industry placement will allow students to gain invaluable industry experience and also build their industry networks and contacts to help with their future careers.

The programme incorporates active learning techniques with a mix of team-based, individual-focused projects and a significant practical focus on laboratory skills and data analysis to ensure workplace readiness. Key areas covered in this programme include:

  • Fundamental sciences: The science of how the body works – physiology, biochemistry, chemistry, and anatomy
  • Genetics and genomics: The role of genes in disease, patterns of inheritance, genetics for diagnosis and drug selection
  • Pharmacology: The science of drugs and how they work in the body
  • Computational biology/data analytics: Statistical analysis and interpretation of big datasets generated from healthcare settings using programming languages
  • Immunology: How the immune system works in health and disease
  • Connected health: Wearable devices, artificial intelligence and machine learning in the context of health
  • Pharmaceutics: The science of drug delivery
  • Precision medicine: Therapeutic treatments which are tailored to the individual
  • Professional power skills: Develop critical personal power skills in competencies 

You can watch an online open event and hear directly from our students, while also finding out more about the course and the career opportunities available. Additionally, you can hear from three key industry experts about the Advanced Therapeutic Technologies programme below:

Watch the video

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

BSc in Advanced Therapeutic Technologies brochure PDF | 3345.6 KB

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. 

Power 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
Bioinformatics and Biostatistics 1 5
Project Management 1 5
Computational Biology 1 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.

In Year 3 you will study advanced genetics and cell biology as well as Biopharmaceutical manufacturing to gain an appreciation of the complex manufacturing processes required for biological therapeutics such as vaccines. Further Power Skills will be developed through the Professional Formation and Enterprise & Innovation modules. During your 8-month industry work placement in Year 3, you will get to demonstrate, apply and further develop the technical knowledge, power skills and competencies in a real work setting and build your professional network.

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
SECOND SEMESTER 8-month industry work placement 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. 

The first semester focuses on the delivery of a research project, either in Ireland or abroad, and the submission of a thesis based on your research project. This module equips you with advanced laboratory skills to be career-ready for either scientific research or industry. In the final semester you will study cutting-edge therapies and technologies in the Frontiers of Therapeutic Technologies and Connected Health modules. You will further develop skills in data analytics and programming while developing your management skills and role as a leader. 

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

 

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

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.