Students smiling whilst working in a lab environment)

Advanced Therapeutic Technologies

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

BSc in Advanced Therapeutic Technologies online webinar

Do you want to become a next-generation scientist? And gain the scientific knowledge and skills to develop a drug from lab to market and work in the thriving (bio)pharma industry? Join us online on Thursday, 23 January from 7pm-8pm to learn more about RCSI’s new career focused science degree.

Register now

Your journey

The BSc in 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 (Bio) Pharma innovation and technology. 

What are advanced therapeutics?

Advanced therapeutics are innovative biological medicines that includes gene therapies, cell therapies, mRNA and DNA-based therapies and vaccines. These therapeutics have the potential to make a large impact on the personalised treatment and outcome of specific diseases like cancer, diabetes, epilepsy and dementia. For example:

  • Gene therapy: Corrects underlying genetic problems caused by diseases 
  • Cell therapy: Introduces new healthy cells into a patient’s body to replace diseased or missing ones
  • mRNA vaccines: Developed and used during the COVID pandemic.

What advanced technologies are covered during this degree?

The invention and application of high-throughput technologies in biological and medical research generates significant volumes of data and contributes to identifying and developing new and personalised medicines. The requirement for analysis and interpretation of “big data” has led to a demand for training in data analytics and computational biology. During the programme students gain an understanding of key concepts in advance genetics and cell biology, computational biology (python programming), biostatistics (R), bioinformatics, precision medicine, AI and machine learning, and connected health.

Become a next generation scientist

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. 

Fundamental sciences

The science of how the body works – physiology, biochemistry, chemistry, and anatomy.

Computational biology and data analytics

Statistical analysis and interpretation of big datasets generated from healthcare settings using programming languages.

Pharmaceutics

The science of drug delivery.

Genetics and Genomics

The role of genes in disease, patterns of inheritance, genetics for diagnosis and drug selection.

Immunology

How the immune system works in health and disease.




Precision medicine

Therapeutic treatments that are tailored to the individual.

Pharmacology

The science of drugs and how they work in the body.


Connected health

Wearable devices, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in the context of health.



Professional power skills

Develop critical personal power skills in competencies like communication, collaboration, project management and team work.

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

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
The Scientist: Professional Formation 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
Biostatistics and Bioanalytics 1 5
Fundamentals of 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 [Including NBIRT*] 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

[*NIBRT Training: All students receive dedicated training in biopharma manufacturing methods at the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT).]

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.