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Last Updated: October 31, 2021

Study Biotechnology in Ireland

Ireland is one of the countries in Europe which attracts a lot of international students due to the quality of education they offer at both undergraduate and graduate levels. English and Irish are the official languages of the country which allows candidates to live comfortably in the country without having to learn Irish for entering the country. They claim to offer a pioneering approach in education that is different from other countries and focuses on the skills the candidate can acquire which will benefit them when they join the workforce.

The country offers programs at undergraduate, graduate, and research levels and also provides both domestic and international students with a few scholarship options which allow them to complete their education debt-free. The country also boasts of having a safe environment especially for international students with locals being friendly and welcoming to both tourists and students. The best courses that the country provides include business analytics, computer science, big data, cloud computing, data analytics, etc. all of which are rooted either in the sciences or business and management.

Benefits of Studying Biotechnology in Ireland

The benefits of studying in Ireland include the exposure the candidates will get in moving abroad to study along with the experience they will get in immersing themselves in a new culture and heritage they are unfamiliar with. The country offers candidates places to visit and plenty of things to do which are specific to the country. They also offer high-quality education especially in the fields of science and business which benefit candidates who wish to take professional courses.

A few of the benefits that candidates will get by studying in Ireland are-

Eligibility Requirements for Biotechnology in Ireland

The eligibility requirements for Biotechnology programs vary from university to university and also according to the level of the program the candidate has chosen. Most often, universities recommend candidates to have a strong background in science or other cognate disciplines which will help them understand and excel in the biotechnology programs they offer. A few of the common requirements include-

Duration of Biotechnology Programs in Ireland

Biotechnology programs are mainly offered at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in Ireland. The duration of an undergraduate level biotechnology program is 4 years and the postgraduate level program has a duration of 1 year in general. Candidates who are doing the postgraduation program on a part-time basis will pursue a course of a duration of 2 years.

Cost of Biotechnology Programs in Ireland

Biotechnology programs are offered at affordable rates to both domestic and international candidates in Ireland. The fee structure is different for candidates who are from EU/EEA countries and non-EU/EEA countries. While educational programs in the fields of humanities and arts are comparatively priced lower, programs in the fields of medicine, engineering, and management have a higher tuition fee. Biotechnology is a field of study that comes under the sciences has a relatively higher tuition fee but candidates will be able to apply for and receive scholarships and grants while studying in the country.

The fee for a postgraduate program in Biotechnology is estimated to start from €12,000 per year to €25,000 per year in most of the well-known universities offering the course.

BSc Biotechnology in Ireland

The BSc Biotechnology program offered in Ireland has a duration of 4 years in all. Through the program, candidates will be able to learn about biological processes and the means of exploiting them for societal benefits. The program will focus on synthesizing biological molecules and the production of the same using living cells. At the undergraduate level, programs generally deal with the theoretical aspects of biotechnology with a prime focus on chemistry, physics, computing, and mathematical physics. Candidates will also be learning about subjects like genetics, immunology, process engineering, etc.

BSc programs generally allow candidates to develop practical knowledge in biotechnology as well by making candidates work for extended hours in laboratories. The fee for the program is different for local students, EU/EEA students, and non-EU/EEA students with non-EU/EEA students having to pay the highest.

MSc Biotechnology in Ireland

The MSc biotechnology programs in Ireland focus mainly on the research and development side of the field. The program deals with the latest technologies and advancements made in the field which will help candidates blend in better with the work environment and keep them updated with respect to the research they will eventually be doing as part of their course. The core subjects will include molecular biology, cell biology, biological chemistry, drug development, DNA, etc.

Most postgraduate programs in biotechnology will also require candidates to do an internship as part of the course apart from the projects they will have to work on during the duration of the course. An MSc biotechnology program in Ireland will have a course duration of only 1 year if candidates are doing a full-time course and a duration of 2 years if they do a part-time course.

Top Universities for Biotechnology in Ireland

The top universities that offer programs in Biotechnology are-

Top Biotechnology Programs in Ireland

A few of the top biotechnology programs in Ireland are-

MSc in Biotechnology- University College Dublin

The MSc Biotechnology program is offered by the School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science and focuses on the latest technological advancements in the field. The core subjects that the program deals with include drug development and clinical trials, professional career development, DNA technology, microbial and animal cell products, emerging issues in biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, etc. Candidates will also have the option of taking up subjects like the business of biotechnology and science, bioprocessing, advanced biological imaging, food biotechnology, etc. They will be required to do a project or an internship according to their preference.

The duration of the course is 1 year. The fee for EU candidates is €8,440 and the fee for non-EU candidates is €25,600.

MSc in Biotechnology- University College Cork

MSc Biotechnology is offered in the University College Cork as a full-time program with a duration of 1 year. It is offered by the College of Science, Engineering, and Food Science and focuses on both theoretical and practical approaches to this field of study. Candidates who take up this program will have to attend six months of lectures which will also include laboratory work and workshops. Candidates will have to attend seminars and other sessions during this time. The next six months will be dedicated to the research project the candidate has to complete. The core courses that candidates will have to learn during the program include cell and molecular biology, genetic engineering, plant genetic engineering, molecular microbial biotechnology, bioprocess engineering, etc.

The fee that EU candidates have to pay for the program is €7,130 and the fee for non-EU candidates is €22,130 apart from which candidates will have to pay an additional €1,000 as a bench fee.

MSc in Biotechnology- National University of Ireland Galway

This university offers both part-time and full-time programs for MSc Biotechnology. The part-time program has a duration of 2 years whereas the full-time program has a duration of only 1 year. Candidates who take up this program will be learning through lectures, seminars, workshops, and the like. They will also be required to do a research project during the duration of the course. The program focuses mainly on research done in commercial and industrial settings. The core modules include an introduction to business, pharmacology, diagnostic biotechnology, biotechnology research, protein technology, etc. They also offer electives like scientific writing, immunology, advanced industrial processes, cell, and molecular biology, etc.

The fee for EU candidates is €7,606 whereas the fee for non-EU candidates is €23,666 per year.

BSc in Biotechnology- Dublin City University

This program deals with scientific and engineering-related subjects linking them with the biotech industry. Candidates will learn about the basics of mathematics, chemistry, and computing. Candidates will also have to learn about subjects like gene cloning, bioinformatics, and immunology. They will be introduced to industrial work to gain experience. A few of the core modules are biomolecules and metabolism, statistics, transport processes, cell biology, downstream processing, industrial processing, etc.

The fee for EU candidates is €6,679 whereas the fee for non-EU candidates is €15,000 per year.

MSc in Biotechnology and Business- University College Dublin

Though the University College Dublin offers an independent Biotechnology program, the Biotechnology and Business program they offer is also one of high demand. The program is targeted at students who come from a non-business background but aspire to be managers or entrepreneurs in the field of biotech. The core subjects that they take will include professional career development, feasibility and business plan, regulatory affairs in science, etc. The optional courses include biomedical diagnostics, recombinant DNA technology, food biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, etc.

The fee for EU students is €14,030 and the fee for non-EU students is €25,600 per year.

BSc in Bioanalysis and Biotechnology- Limerick Institute of Technology

This is an honors program offered by the Limerick Institute of Technology which has a duration of 1 year and is considered to be an undergraduate add-on course. The program focuses on key areas like biopharmaceuticals, microbiology, cell, and molecular biology, healthcare sciences, etc. The core subjects include data analytics, biomolecular techniques, mammalian cell culture, bioprocessing, etc.

The fee for this program is €10,250.

MSc in Agricultural Biotechnology- Dundalk Institute of Technology

This is the only program in Ireland which focuses on Agricultural Biotechnology and it focuses on the application of biotechnology in the field of agriculture. It is provided by the School of Health and Science under the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Animal Health. A few of the subjects that candidates will be dealing with include animal genetics, nutrition, and health, crop and feed production, genetic engineering, bioinformatics, etc. The duration of the course ranges from 1 to 2 years depending on whether the candidate has chosen a full-time or part-time mode of study.

The fee for the program ranges between €5,100 to €7,650.

BSc Biotechnology- Maynooth University

This program has a duration of 4 years in all where candidates will have to attend lectures, seminars, and workshops as part of the course. Candidates will be taken for industrial visits and eventually provided with placements at the end of the course. The core subjects that they will have to learn as part of the course include biology, chemistry, mathematics, biotechnology, experimental physics, etc.

The fee for the program is estimated to be €13,500 per year.

Career Options for Biotechnology Graduates in Ireland

Candidates who have completed their education in biotechnology will be able to find innumerable job opportunities in the job market due to the technological advancements made in the field. While some candidates opt for higher studies in the field and even take doctorates in the subject, most others opt for jobs they can do either after completing their undergraduate degree or postgraduate degree.

The industries that they will be able to work in include product development, manufacturing, clinical research, pharmaceuticals, etc.

A few of the most popular career options are-

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