Minor Award in Science in Bioanalytical Techniques

Course Summary

Programme Code: SG_SQUAL_E09

Delivery: Online 

NIBRT and ATU Sligo have aligned to provide certificate programmes that are short, accredited programmes designed in association with industry partners. These programmes focus on upskilling students on the key competencies required for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. These part-time programmes are 
delivered via a blend of online and flexible learning with ATU Sligo, and practical modules in the NIBRT facility.

About this programme:

The Minor Award in Science in Bioanalytical Techniques (Level 9; 10 credits) is a special purpose award developed by ATU Sligo in collaboration with NIBRT (National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training).

The primary focus of this SPA is the emerging Biopharmaceutical industry sector in Ireland and overseas and these awards are being developed and offered in partnership with NIBRT. The Bioanalytics practical laboratory element in this proposed special purpose award is a very attractive option for personnel seeking laboratory hands on experience.

This course is particularly suited to provide the core skills to transition those individuals with some previous experience as operators or lab. technicians to similar roles within the rapidly-expanding Biopharmaceutical manufacturing sector and also to more specialised roles. The course is structured to include the requisite knowledge, skills and professional competence required to be part of this workforce and has a large practical component (50%) associated with it.

This course is unique. It is part of the award winning suite of courses offered by NIBRT/ATU Sligo (Taoiseach’s Public Service Excellence Awards). It is a blend of the latest cutting edge academic modules in Biopharmaceuticals and exposure to a state of the art and award winning industrial biopharmaceutical training facility.

Award:

Special Purpose Award in Quality Analytics for Biopharma- Level 9 (10 Credits).

Key Course Information

Course Attendance:

Lectures will be delivered online and students are required to attend NIBRT for practicals once in the semester.

This SPA has been specifically designed in response to the requirements from the Biopharma industry:

The programme provides a thorough understanding of the principles of Biopharmaceutical Analytics in both theory and practice. The following modules have been designed to meet the needs of the Biopharma industry sector:

• Biopharmaceutical Analytics Techniques Theory.

• Biopharmaceutical Analytics Techniques Practical.

Whether you are studying part-time online, blended or full-time online, it is very important that you allocate enough study time to your online course to stay focused, reduce stress and achieve your goals. For part-time online or blended learning, it is recommended that you should try to allow for 5-6 hours per week per 5 credit module to your studies.  

Most online courses typically involve 3 x 5 credit modules per semester which leads to an average 15 – 18 study hours per week. Our online courses have about 3 hours of live lectures per week (but this can vary per programme). The rest of your study time consists of independent learning, communicating with your lecturers and classmates and carrying out assignments. 

Live lectures normally take place between 6pm and 10pm, Monday to Thursday but this may vary depending on the availability of specific lecturers. If the Live Classroom scheduled times for the live online lectures do not suit you, recordings will be made available through Moodle. Please note, you may be required to take some time off work for the below:  
•    Exams Christmas Exams: 2 – 4 days in January each year. Summer Exams: 2 – 4 days in May each year.  
•    Workshops/Practical Classes Approximately 2 - 4 days per year depending on the course you are studying. You will receive notification of the dates from your lecturer for each specific subject requirement. 
 

Contact details:

Course Co-ordinator NIBRT : Melissa Hoare

Email: melissa.hoare@nibrt.ie

Course Co-ordinator ATU Sligo: Mary Butler
Email: mary.butler@atu.ie 

Online and Part time Admissions

• tel: 071 9318511
• email: admissions.sligo@atu.ie

Award:

Special Purpose Award in Quality Analytics for Biopharma- Level 9 (10 Credits).

Application Closing Date : 16th August 2024

Entry Requirements

To qualify for entry onto this special purpose award, a standard applicant must hold a cognate Level 8 Degree or equivalent qualification. Applicants who may not have the aforementioned qualifications but who may have relevant industrial experience may apply for consideration under the RPL process in accordance with the policies of ATU Sligo in this area. 

RPL
Applicants with other qualifications and with relevant work experience may also be considered through ATU Sligo’s Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) process. RPL is a process that may allow you to gain admission to a programme or to receive exemptions / credit from some parts of a programme based on demonstrated learning that you may have achieved through another programme of study or through your work and career. Further information is available through www.atu.ie/recognition-of-prior-learning which our dedicated RPL portal or by contacting our admissions team at admissions.sligo@atu.ie 

English requirement
Applicants whose first language is not English should provide evidence of English language proficiency. For further information on English language requirements click here
 

Career Opportunities

Candidates who successfully complete the 10 credit Level 9 SPA may be eligible to work in QC/QA laboratories that specialise in the analysis of Biologics.

Further Study

Candidates who successfully complete the 10 credit Level 9 SPA may apply for entry to the 30 credit SPA Level 9 Cert in Biopharmaceutical Science. Following successful completion of the 30 credit Level 9 Cert in Biopharmaceutical Science candidates may progress to Year 2 of the 60 credit Postgraduate Diploma in Biopharmaceutical Science or Year 2 of the 90 credit Masters in Biopharmaceutical Science.

Programme Fees

Fees may be subject to change for academic year 2024/2025.

To help make the payment of fees more manageable for students who are self-funding their studies, tuition fees can be paid through payment instalment plans at ATU Sligo. For further information on instalment plans, please visit our Fees and Funding webpage. 

If you apply and are approved for an online course at ATU Sligo, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit of €250 to secure your place. Your deposit will then be credited against the course fees once you are registered as a student. Students at ATU Sligo are also eligible to claim tax relief at the standard rate for tuition fees.

For further information and guidance about Fees and Funding for online and part-time courses at ATU Sligo, click here.

If you are seeking to take your exams online, and you meet the eligibility criteria (overseas students and those with extenuating circumstances), an additional examinations fee will apply. For further information, please visit our Examinations webpage. 
 

Course Format

Semester 1