MSc in Biopharmaceutical Engineering
Belfast, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 up to 2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Request the earliest start date
TUITION FEES
GBP 25,800 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for EU and international
Introduction
Biopharmaceutical products are highly important in today’s global healthcare systems in treating illnesses and diseases. The industry in the British Isles has seen significant investment, particularly in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) where there has been capital investment of approximately £7.97 billion in new facilities, mostly in the last 10 years. The global market for biopharmaceuticals was valued at £149 billion in 2017 and is projected to reach £419 billion by 2025, growing at an annual rate of 13.8% from 2018 to 2025. As a result, over 30,000 highly skilled people are currently employed in Ireland's north and south with new companies setting up facilities in RoI every year. The increased uptake of skilled biopharmaceutical employees has necessitated the need for a high-quality education in this sector.
Queen’s University Belfast School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering has a proven track record for delivering high-quality teaching and research and has launched the MSc in Biopharmaceutical Engineering from this platform. This programme will provide students with the knowledge and skills required to work in the field of biopharmaceutical production, separation and purification by applying fundamental science and engineering principles. Through studying this postgraduate taught MSc, graduates will be able to gain a highly relevant qualification which will give them employability on an international level.
Through the use of theory and mathematical approaches to engineering problems, students will understand and become skilled in the development of systems which can facilitate biopharmaceutical production and their subsequent purification.
This course is run in collaboration with our industrial partner Eli Lilly, a global company with excellent standing in the field of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical production and commercialisation. A collaborative course of this nature is the first of its kind in the British Isles and will provide students with real-world knowledge of how these systems are operated in an industrial setting through case studies and first-hand knowledge imparted by the academics and industry staff delivering the course.
Biopharmaceutical Engineering highlights
Industry Links
This course is run in collaboration with the (bio)pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, whose staff teach a full module on the MSc. This will grant you access to the knowledge and experience of individuals who work in the biopharmaceutical industry.
Internationally Renowned Experts
You will be taught by experts in the fields of medicinal chemistry, chemical engineering, and separation science and industry experts who work at Lilly. Having this level of expertise will greatly enhance your understanding and experience of the course.
World Class Facilities
The state-of-the-art pharmaceutical analysis suite in our School will be the base for some of the practical aspects of the core modules in the MSc. This will allow you to see and experience hands-on separation science as it applies to the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. Some work will also be undertaken on our new Solid-State NMR.
Student Experience
The mix of lectures and interactive workshops within the course means that learning and understanding will be reinforced through group work - projects will be completed on a group basis. Furthermore, as a result of the Eli-Lilly connection, there will be opportunities to have on-site visits to Kinsale where the company is based (subject to visa requirements being met, where applicable).
Duration
1 year (Full Time) / 2 years (Part-Time).
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study.
A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas.
Often students worry about the cost of postgraduate study, but there are many funding opportunities available for studying in the UK. From government loans and university scholarships to working while you study. This guide will set out the funding available from the university and some external sources. The information provided in this section is not a comprehensive list of funding sources.
Applying for funding available from the University is part of an integrated, online, postgraduate admissions process. An offer of a place at Queen’s does not constitute an offer of financial support.
For 2023 entry, Faculties and Schools in the University will be setting their deadlines for postgraduate applications for admissions, studentships, and scholarships. Applicants who wish to apply for postgraduate funding available from the University for 2023 entry should refer to the relevant Faculty and School websites for information.
Curriculum
Course Structure
The MSc is awarded to students who complete all six taught modules (120 CATS points) and a 15,000 - 20,000 word research dissertation (60 CATS points).
Exit qualifications are available - students may exit with a Postgraduate Diploma by completing 120 CATS.
Introduction
The modules on this MSc will take you through the intellectual and practical journey involved in the production of biopharmaceutical products, from the identification of a potential therapeutic protein to its purification.
On the full-time course, there are three 20 CATS modules in each of the Autumn and Spring Semesters and a summer research project (60 CATS).
Part-time students will undertake these modules within a teaching delivery spread over two years.
Semester One modules
- CHE7401 Medicinal Chemistry
- CHE7402 Biopharmaceuticals & Upstream Processing
- CHE7403 Chemical Engineering Principles
Semester Two modules
- CHE7404 Bioreactor Design and Bioprocess Control
- CHE7405 Separations, Downstream Processing and Bioanalytical Science
- CHE7406 Regulatory Affairs and Quality Systems
Summer Semester
- CHE7407 Research/Design Project in Biopharmaceutical Engineering
Assessment
Assessments associated with the course are outlined below:
- Two of the modules have formal examinations which will make up 60% of the respective modules (CHE7402 and CHE7405)
- All other marks on the course will be made up of coursework elements in the form of tutorials, workshop problems and the research/design project.
Rankings
Q.U.B. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering is ranked joint 1st in the UK for research intensity and ranked 13th in the UK for studying Chemistry (Complete Universities Guide UK 2023).
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
This MSc will equip you with the knowledge and skills required for a successful career in a biopharmaceutical industrial setting as a process engineer, analytical scientist, or related role. Alongside this, you will have enhanced your overall career prospects in many other science-related fields.
Employment after the Course
With a course like this, you will gain highly desirable skills that will feed into the rapidly expanding industry which is biopharmaceutical production. With the vast investment on the island of Ireland alone, there will be many companies for students to gain employment in. Worldwide opportunities for employment in biopharmaceutical production and engineering provide even greater prospects.
Alongside working in the field of biopharmaceutical production, the skills and knowledge gained through this course will also give students the opportunities to work in a chemical engineering role more widely. Furthermore, with the inclusion of a separations and chromatography-focused module, you will have gained highly sought-after expertise in the area of chromatographical separations and analytical chemistry.
Facilities
Program delivery
Lectures will be run over a maximum of two defined days each week to accommodate day-release schemes. Practicals may take place outside of these days but if so adequate advance notice will be given.
Learning and Teaching
At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high-quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practices in learning, teaching and student support to enable students to achieve their full academic potential.
Field trips
As a part of the course, there will be opportunities to travel to the Eli Lilly site based in Kinsale Co. Cork [subject to visa requirements, where applicable] where students will be taken on a tour of the site, shown techniques in biopharmaceutical production and will also be advised on good practice in such a highly regulated environment.
VLE
Information associated with lectures and assignments is typically communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Canvas.
Program Admission Requirements
Show your commitment and readiness for Grad school by taking the GRE - the most broadly accepted exam for graduate programs internationally.