South East Technological University
BSc in Pharmaceutical Science
Waterford, Ireland
BSc
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
About: The BSc in Pharmaceutical Science at South East Technological University (SETU) in southeast Ireland is a full-time, three-year degree taught at Carlow, Waterford and Wexford. You’ll study drug discovery, development and manufacture with emphasis on laboratory practice, instrumentation, separation science, drug delivery and biotechnology. A final-year research project develops independent research skills. The programme allows transfer into the fourth year of a related honours degree at SETU Waterford.
Career Outcomes: Graduates often enter pharmaceutical sectors in laboratory analysis, quality control, quality assurance, research and development, environmental analysis and food industry roles. Also: analytical chemistry, process development and regulatory affairs.
What is Pharmaceutical Science?
People in Ireland are living longer, healthier and more active lives, partly due to medical progress, and partly due to advancements in pharmaceutical science. Not only is pharmaceutical science critical to the health of the nation, but it also plays a key role in the Irish economy. Ireland is one of the key locations for the pharmaceutical industry in Europe, and the Irish pharmaceutical industry has become one of the largest exporters of pharmaceuticals in the world. Over 150 pharmaceutical companies operate plants in Ireland, including 9 of the world’s top 10 companies. This has created a strong demand for graduates qualified in pharmaceutical science, and employment prospects are excellent.
What is the BSc in Pharmaceutical Science Course?
- The BSc in Pharmaceutical Science course is a full-time, three-year degree that qualifies graduates for employment in the pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical industries and related sectors.
- The course enables graduates to obtain a worthwhile qualification after three years of study.
- Students will study a broad range of scientific subjects that are important for the discovery, development and manufacture of drugs and therapies.
- A strong emphasis is placed on practical work in the laboratory, where students will get hands-on experience of using a wide range of techniques and instrumentation.
- A research project is included in the final year, allowing the student to work independently in an area of interest to them, developing their research and problem-solving skills.
- The programme allows a more flexible progression to further qualifications, such as transfer to the fourth year of a related honours degree at SETU Waterford or elsewhere.
Pharmaceutical Science at SETU Waterford
Students are exposed to a wide range of state-of-the-art instrumentation and equipment at SETU Waterford and learn from researchers actively involved in cutting-edge areas such as separation science, pharmaceutical drug delivery, biotechnology and environmental science.
Research at SETU Waterford
SETU Waterford lecturing staff teaching on this course are actively involved in a range of highly successful and well-funded research work related to pharmaceutical science. Collaborators include national and international universities and research institutes, and industrial partners from the pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical sector, both in Ireland and abroad. Current research areas include: development of novel polymers for therapeutic drug delivery, biomedical research in eye treatment, novel analytical methods for pharmaceutical products, sensing devices for environmental analysis, biotechnology for drug synthesis and bioremediation.
Year 1
Semester 1
- Introductory Biology
- Introductory Chemistry
- Introductory Physics
- Introductory Mathematics
- Introduction to ICT for Scientists
- Good Laboratory Practice & Core Skills
Semester 2
- Cell Biology & Biochemistry
- Physical & Organic Chemistry
- Physics for Scientists
- Mathematics for Scientists
- Introduction to Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Science
- Choose one of the following electives:
- Science & Society
- Forensic Science
Year 2
Semester 3
- Organic Chemistry and Biomolecules
- Spectroscopic Techniques
- Physical Chemistry
- Statistics for Scientists
- Pharmaceutical Science
- Laboratory Data Analysis and Presentation
Semester 4
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry
- Chromatographic and Electrophoretic Techniques
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Environmental Monitoring
- Biopharmaceutical Science
- Applied Mathematics for Scientists
Year 3
Semester 5
- Advanced Spectroscopic Analysis of Organic Compounds
- Chromatographic Method Development and Validation
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
- Pharmaceuticals and Natural Products
- Inorganic and Physical Chemistry
- Introduction to Research Methods
Semester 6
- Industrial Processing and Operations
- Total Quality Management
- Laboratory Data Modelling
- The Professional Individual
- GMP and Data Integrity
- Research Project
Pharmaceutical scientists design and develop new drugs and therapies, and devise cleaner, more efficient industrial processes to manufacture them. There is a strong demand for graduates qualified in pharmaceutical science, and employment prospects are excellent. Graduates have found widespread employment in the large number of pharmaceutical industries in the southeast and beyond.
The main career opportunities are in the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical and related industries in areas such as:
- Laboratory analysis
- Quality control and quality assurance
- Research and development
- Environmental analysis
- Food & drinks industries
Innovative teaching
This programme recently won the ‘Most impactful use of Pearson courseware or services’ award in recognition of the blended learning approach in the delivery of the programme. The common science programmes use an integrated on-line tutorial system that is delivered to small groups in an IT room supported by one or two members of staff. These weekly formative tutorials allow students to apply or practice the material covered in class that week, and student receives individual attention and help at tutorials.
