Skip to main content

What is the Course about?

Pharmaceutics & Drug Formulation covers drug preparation in a series of bases: tablet, capsule, cream etc. - to ensure satisfactory delivery to the body. Assay' is the analytical determination of drug content in that base.

What is Analytical Science?

Analytical chemists investigate the chemical nature of substances to identify and understand how they behave in different conditions. In the pharmaceutical industry, for example, analytical chemists are involved throughout the drug development process to help determine the quality and stability of drug products.

Course Structure

Lectures and laboratory practical work cover aspects of modern pharmaceutical and formulation development such as the preparation and stress testing of products.

Is this course for you?

The purpose of this course is to produce graduates with the skills to make new pharmaceutical products, trouble-shoot problems in the stability of existing products, and in production proper. This course is for you if you like science, enjoy analytical activities, problem solving and want to study a course with a high level of practical laboratory work.

Special Features:

  • New product development with hands-on formulator experience.
  • Stability evaluation of products.
  • Chemical, physical and microbiological integrity.
  • The lab project will allow students to become familiar with the creation of product plus analysis by spectroscopic and chromatographic technique.
  • Exit Awards: Higher Certificate in Science in Applied Chemistry ( 6) after Year 2 and Bachelor of Science in Analytical Science ( 7) after Year 3.

Year 1

Module Name Semester
Chemistry 1 (M) Semester1
Fundamental Biology (M) Semester1
Laboratory Science (M) Semester1
Physics 1 (M) Semester1
Quantitative Methods 1 (M) Semester1
Quantitative Methods 2 (M) Semester2
Animal and Human Biology (M) Semester2
Chemistry 2 (M) Semester2
Current Concepts in Science (M) Semester2
Physics 2 (Physics for 1st science students semester 2) (M) Semester2

M is a mandatory subject - E is an elective subject

Year 2

Module Name Semester
Analytical Inorganic Chemistry 1 (M) Semester1
Instrumentation (M) Semester1
Organic and Physical Chemistry 1 (M) Semester1
Quantitative Methods and Quality Control 1 (M) Semester1
Organic and Physical Chemistry 2 (M) Semester2
Quantitative Methods and Quality Control 2 (M) Semester2
Analytical Inorganic Chemistry 2 (M) Semester2
Biomolecules (M) Semester2
Pharmaceutical Science (M) Semester2

M is a mandatory subject - E is an elective subject

Year 3

Module Name Semester
Physical Chemistry (M) Semester1
Quality Management, Experimental Design and Data Analysis (M) Semester1
Sampling and Separation Science 1 (M) Semester1
Spectrochemical Methods (M) Semester1
Environmental Science (M) Semester2
Microbiology for Pharmaceutics (M) Semester2
Analytical Project and Workplace Planning (M) Semester2
Pharmaceutical Processing and Process Analytical Technologies (M) Semester2
Sampling and Separation Science 2 (M) Semester2

M is a mandatory subject - E is an elective subject

Year 4

Module Name Semester
Assay Development (M) Semester1
Drug Stability (M) Semester1
Pharmaceutical Formulation (M) Semester1
Advanced Data Analysis and Modelling (M) Semester2
Regulatory Affairs for Pharmaceutics (M) Semester2
Research Project in Pharmaceutics (M) Semester2
Work placement Pharmaceutics (M) Semester2

M is a mandatory subject - E is an elective subject

What are the minimum entry requirements?

  • 2H5 & 4O6/H7
  • English or Irish O6/H7
  • Mathematics O6/H7

What follow-on study opportunities are available?

Graduates of the 8 can progress to MSc and PhD courses at SETU Carlow, or at third-level institutions and research centres.

What exemptions will I receive?

-

Notes

-

What will I be able to do when I finish the course?

  • Primary and secondary pharmaceutical production
  • Pharmaceutical product development and manufacture
  • Quality control in high-volume mass-market manufacturing plant
  • Cleanroom and water-treatment facilities