FAO Applicants Resident in Ireland: Springboard+ Funding
This course has been funded under the Irish Government’s ‘Springboard+’ programme, for more information on the fee structure please head to the Springboard+ website here. To be eligible you need to be:
- Resident in Ireland - either with a valid social welfare claim in place for unemployed people; or, for employed people, proof of having been resident here for 3 out of last 5 years.
- Non-EU Irish residents must have ‘Stamp 4’ residency immigration status or above in order to be eligible.
- Recent Graduates of full-time level 8 degree programmes are not eligible for Springboard+ funding for one year after graduation date but may apply as fee-paying students.
- The funding is not open to people who are not resident in Ireland. Please see further information on Springboard+ eligibility.
- The Springboard+ application closing date is Wednesday, 17 June 2026.
Overview
The programme enables existing regulatory affairs personnel in the pharmaceutical regulatory industry to understand all current diagnostic and medical device regulations and develop the necessary skills to work successfully in the dynamic world of regulatory affairs.
What will I be able to do when I finish this programme?
On completion of this programme, students should be able to:
- Devise and implement global strategies for drug, biologic, and device development and evaluation;
- Apply principles of basic and applied pharmaceutical sciences in drug and biologics discovery and development.
Delivery
What subjects will I study?
- Lifecycle Management, Vigilance, Surveillance and Risk management
- Pharmaceutical Technology Regulatory Affairs
- Non Clinical and Clinical Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Technologies
- Principles of Discovery of Medicines and Development Planning
- Research Methods and Technical Report Writing
- Special Populations and Biologicals and Advanced Therapies
- Dissertation
Special Features of this programme
The primary objective of this Masters is to enable learners to expand their job responsibilities and opportunities in new areas after completing the programme. It will also enable learners to create an excellent network within the pharmaceutical industry, both by meeting other regulatory professionals during the course and by interacting with industry experts while completing their dissertation research.
Entry Requirements
A second-class honours degree in science, engineering, quality, pharmaceutical or regulatory affairs or cognate areas. Those failing to meet the classification requirement may be eligible for entry to the Postgraduate Diploma.
Candidates with significant experience in: pharmaceutical operations, quality engineering, device design, mid to senior management in industry, other professionals who wish to upskill in the regulatory affairs environment, regulatory affairs personnel themselves who want to upskill (as determined by the Institutes recognition of prior learning policy), in addition to an honours primary degree in another discipline area may also be considered for entry.
Study & Career Opportunities
Opportunities for graduates from this programme include progression to Level 10 (PhD) programmes in related fields of study.
According to a report from the Forfás Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, Ireland is emerging as a leading location for biopharmaceuticals with a mix of start-ups, high growth SMEs and large multinationals located here.
Industry leaders including Pfizer, EliLilly, Sanofi, MSD (biologics based in Carlow) and Alkermes plc. have significant investment in Ireland which has facilitated rapid growth and development of the industry.
These coupled with a strong generics industry (Wockhardt, Clonmel Healthcare both based in the South-East) provide prospective employment opportunities for graduates and key engagement partners for the programme.
More than 85 pharmaceutical companies (including nine of the top 10) operate over 100 facilities in Ireland. The industry exports around$85 billion worth of products each year and is now one of the largest exporters of pharmaceuticals in the world. This programme is designed to meet the growing demand for scientists to service the current and emerging biotechnology-based industries in Ireland in particular, the South-East, Mid-East and Midlands.
Course Leader
