Entry year
2024/25
2024/25
Entry requirements
2.2
2.2
Duration
3 years (Part-time)
2 years (Full-time)
3 years (Part-time)
2 years (Full-time)
Places available
10 (Part Time)
30 (Full Time)
10 (Part Time)
30 (Full Time)
Biopharmaceutical products are highly important in today’s global healthcare systems in treating illnesses and disease. 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 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 biopharmaceuticals 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 the case studies and first-hand knowledge imparted by the academics and industry staff delivering the course.
Placements on this course can be done in an appropriate company anywhere in the UK or the Republic of Ireland. They are open to both local and International students (subject to visa requirements).
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)
Biopharmaceutical Engineering with a Year in Industry 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 field of medicinal chemistry, chemical engineering, separation science and industry experts who work in 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 – and on placement. 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).
NEXT
Course content
Course Structure
The MSc is awarded to students who successfully complete all six taught modules (120 CATS points) the 15,000 - 20,000 word research dissertation (60 CATS points) and the requirements of the Year in Industry.
Exit qualifications are available - students may exit with a Postgraduate Diploma by successfully 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 through 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) with a final year spent on placement in a relevant industry.
Part-time students will take undertake these modules within a teaching delivery spread over three years.
Semester One modules
CHE7401 Medicinal Chemistry
CHE7402 Biopharmaceuticals & Upstream Processing
CHE7403 Chemical Engineering Principles
CHE7401 Medicinal Chemistry
The purpose of this module is to provide students with the knowledge of the inception of a biopharmaceutical product, what it is made from in terms of chemistry and how it will act in the body. The module is split into three lecture series: Drug Discovery, Proteins and Pharmacology.
Within each of these series there will be lectures which will look at each of the three areas in detail. This module will be delivered by staff from Chemistry and as such there will be key understanding and information imparted by leading medicinal chemists whose expertise has been instrumental in advancing the research intensity of our School.
The module is assessed on a 100% continual assessment basis - workshops, questions/problems and short essays on journals will be used.
CHE7402 Biopharmaceuticals & Upstream Processing
This module will begin the introduction of biopharmaceuticals to students, the need and context for biopharmaceutical products and also what form they may take depending on patient needs. The module is split into two lecture series (following its title) and will be assessed by a mix of formal examination (60%) and tutorials (40%).
CHE7403 Chemical Engineering Principles
The third of the first semester modules will look at the principles which are applied to chemical engineering in terms of kinetics, heat and mass transport and also thermodynamics. This module will provide students with an advanced understanding of the theory of Chemical Engineering and why these principles must be adhered to in a chemical process especially in the production of a biopharmaceutical product.
There will be a considerable mathematical element to this module and as such there is significant emphasis on the relevant workshops provided. These are assessed and will make up 75% of the available marks for the module. The remaining 25% is based on tutorial work.
Semester Two modules
CHE7404 Bioreactor Design and Bioprocess Control
CHE7405 Separations, Downstream Processing and Bioanalytical Science
CHE7406 Regulatory Affairs and Quality Systems
CHE7404 Bioreactor Design and Bioprocess Control
The content of this module will look in detail at the design of specific reactors for the carrying out of a chemical process with particular reference being made to the production of proteins in a biopharmaceutical setting. The theory which will be applied throughout this module will align with the previous module (Chemical Engineering Principles) and use the principles of chemical engineering to inform the decisions to be made when designing a reactor for a specific function. This module will be assessed through the use of workshop problems (40%) and a design project with presentation (60%).
CHE7405 Separations, Downstream Processing and Bioanalytical Science
This module looks in detail at the different methods which are employed for the purification of the crude protein following the upstream process. The module is split into four lecture series: filtration, separations, downstream processing and bioanalytical science.
The use of the state of the art analytical suite in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering will facilitate understanding and development of knowledge as students will be using the analytical pieces of equipment within the laboratory to perform their own separations. This will not only aid in reinforcement of the lecture content but will also give students hands-on experience in performing chromatography- a highly desirable skill in industry. CHE7405 has a formal examination which will form 60% of the final mark for the module; the remaining 40% will be derived from submitted tutorial work.
CHE7406 Regulatory Affairs and Quality Systems
The last taught module in the course is delivered in its entirety by staff from Eli Lilly. They will contextualize the key regulatory bodies in detail, as well as the range of global regulations which apply to biopharmaceutical products. One of the unique features of this module is the fact that the content is delivered by industry experts who work with biopharmaceutical products on a daily basis and are consequently fully conversant with the regulatory requirements. This module is coursework assessed through compulsory Eli Lilly run workshops.
Summer Semester
CHE7407 Research/Design Project in Biopharmaceutical Engineering
This module usually runs run throughout the summer semester and will typically last for 12 weeks. During this time students will be given a research topic by an academic supervisor and they will take the lead in delving into this research area and produce a thesis as a result. These research projects can be either desk or laboratory based depending on student preferences.
The project will include a strong emphasis on the development of critical thinking, analysis of data and independent research. The thesis produced at the end of this project will be assessed by an academic and the student will present their results to their peers and a panel of academics.
Industrial Placement students will also have the opportunity to complete their research project (60 CATS points) on return to QUB or during their placement, with this being dependent on approval from both the industrial supervisor and the research project module coordinator. In the latter case students can submit their thesis and other necessary components upon return to the University following completion of their placement, with these aspects, and others, being assessed as per the requirements of the research project module.
Year in Industry
In Year Two, Year in Industry students will experience a biopharmaceutical engineering industry-based work environment and will have the opportunity to analyse and critically self-reflect on the experience of working in that sector, communicating their conclusions in writing. They will develop an awareness and understanding of the structures, practices and ethos of the industrial workplace as well as developing a range of highly transferable skills which will maximize their future career prospects. Placements can be undertaken in any country (subject to visa requirements).
Students enrolled on this module will be offered training and support in preparation for their placement applications as well as support during their industrial placement. Placements are competitively secured by the students and are not guaranteed by the University.
People teaching you
Senior LecturerSchool of Chemistry & Chem Eng
Dr Mark McLaughlin is a medicinal chemist.
Mark trained at The Institute of Cancer Research, London and the University of Oxford and currently teaches across the chemistry and medicinal chemistry degree pathways at QUB. His research group is actively engaged in structure-based design and synthesis of small molecules, and using these to validate new therapeutic targets in oncology, neurodegeneration, inflammation, and rare disease.
School of Chemistry & Chem Eng
Nathan has a multi-disciplinary background with a degree in Molecular Biology with Biosciences and a PhD in Chemical Engineering. His research focusses on reactor engineering development for both biological and chemical based systems for deployment in a range of applications.
School of Chemistry & Chem Eng
Seyed holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering, an MSc in Biotechnology and a PhD in Bioscience. His postdoctoral research in Materials Science focuses on developing engineered nanomaterials for biopharmaceutical applications.
Learning and Teaching
At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high-quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable student to achieve their full academic potential.
Field trips and placement year.
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.
Such on-site learning will be greatly extended in the course of the Year in Industry.VLE
Information associated with lectures and assignments is typically communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Canvas
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 from coursework elements in the form of tutorials, workshop problems and the research/design project. Students must also meet the requirements of the Year in Industry module.
Facilities
Investment continues to be made in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering extending our range of facilities. The well-equipped research laboratories are augmented by excellent computational facilities and some of the most modern instrumentation available. The School has recently invested in a lab containing 18 brand new analytical instruments, from HPLC, GC and mass spectrometers, to FT-IR, UV-Vis and Fluorescence spectroscopy, dedicated to the training of analytical techniques.
Investment continues to be made in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering extending our range of facilities. The well-equipped research laboratories are augmented by excellent computational
The current demand for personalised medicines in the form of biopharmaceutical products has resulted in major industrial investment throughout the world - this investment must be matched with highly skilled individuals who wish to contribute towards this fast-growing industry.
Dr Christopher Murnaghan
Course Director
Modules
The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2023/24). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.
PREV
Course content
NEXT
Entry requirements
Entrance requirements
Graduate
Normally a 2.2 Honours degree or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Biochemistry or closely allied subject.
Applicants with relevant work experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The University's Recognition of Prior Learning Policy provides guidance on the assessment of experiential learning (RPEL). Please visit http://go.qub.ac.uk/RPLpolicy for more information.
The deadline for applications is normally 30th June 2024. However, we encourage applicants to apply as early as possible. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal earlier than 30th June deadline. Notifications to this effect will appear on the Direct Application Portal against the programme application page.
Please note: a deposit will be required to secure a place.
International Students
Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.
English Language Requirements
Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.0, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required. *Taken within the last 2 years.
International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.
For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
- Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
- Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.
Career Prospects
Introduction
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 which 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.
Employment Links
Eli Lilly, Alexion and WuXi are among the employers who regularly recruit our Chemical Engineering graduates in RoI and locally we have good links with Almac, Norbrook, Eakin and Teva. There are many pharmaceutical companies throughout the world who will be interested in employing graduates with a postgraduate degree in Biopharmaceutical Engineering with a Year in Industry.
Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
PREV
Entry Requirements
NEXT
Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
| Northern Ireland (NI) 1 | £7,300 |
| Republic of Ireland (ROI) 2 | £7,300 |
| England, Scotland or Wales (GB) 1 | £9,250 |
| EU Other 3 | £25,800 |
| International | £25,800 |
1EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.
2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.
3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.
All tuition fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
More information on postgraduate tuition fees.
Additional course costs
All Students
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.
Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.
Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.
If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.
Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.
There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
How do I fund my study?
The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study. Tuition fee loan information.
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. Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.
More information on funding options and financial assistance - please check this link regularly, even after you have submitted an application, as new scholarships may become available to you.
International Scholarships
Information on scholarships for international students, is available at www.qub.ac.uk/Study/international-students/international-scholarships.
How to Apply
Apply using our online Postgraduate Applications Portal and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to apply.
When to Apply
The deadline for applications is normally 30th June 2021. In the event that any programme receives a high volume of applications, the university reserves the right to close the application portal earlier than 30th June deadline. Notifications to this effect will appear on the Direct Entry Portal (DAP) against the programme application page.
Terms and Conditions
The terms and conditions that apply when you accept an offer of a place at the University on a taught programme of study.
Queen's University Belfast Terms and Conditions.
PREV
Fees and Funding