Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical and Industrial Chemistry Careers
Employability skills from this degree
- Analysing and problem-solving
- Monitoring/maintaining records and data
- Working in teams
- Communicating (verbal and written)
- Excellent laboratory techniques
- Specific knowledge in the traditional fields of chemistry, inorganic, organic, physical, analytical and materials
- Strong mathematical and numerical ability
- Time management
- IT skills
Further Study Options
- GradDip in Chemical Engineering
- Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (Graduate Entry)
Job titles for graduates with this degree
Graduates progressing directly into employment take up a wide variety of roles. The following provides a sample of initial roles listed on the Graduate Outcomes Survey by graduates approximately one year after graduation:
- Graduate Research & Development Chemist
- Teaching Assistant
- Operations Associate
- Product Design Lead
- Production Engineer
- Regulatory Affairs Specialist
- Research Chemist
Student profiles
Emily Hill
In 2018 Emily started in the Biological and Chemical Sciences common entry course and later chose one of the four exit routes. Emily completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmaceutical and Industrial Chemistry in the University of Limerick in 2022. During her time in UL she carried out her eight month co-operative placement in Regeneron as a manufacturing intern.
Later Emily decided to go on to further study after her undergraduate course. She was awarded an Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship and joined the O’Reilly research group as a 1st year PhD student in September 2022. Her PhD titled ‘Next generation pharmaceutical processing: Bridging clinical practice with predictive modelling tools and continuous manufacture methods’, will focus on the continuous manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients and in particular on spray drying.
Claire Rooney
I chose the BSc in Pharmaceutical and Industrial Chemistry because I liked chemistry in school and was always interested in the pharmaceutical industry. The course offered a wide range of chemistry modules and UL???s tutoring programme meant that support was available to help me do well in what I found to be the tougher modules.
My work here at Abbot is primarily project based. It is very varied and some of my daily tasks include: performing testing on raw materials and finished goods, dealing with representatives from contract labs, statistical trending of results, design of experiments, investigative work, presenting to management and many others.
My four years at UL equipped me with many of the necessary skills I use at work everyday, such as planning, technical writing, communication and presentation skills.
Claire's tip
If I was to give one piece of advice to school leavers it would be to do a course that you think you will like over one you think you will be good at. It is a lot easier to spend time working in college on something that is of interest to you. Enjoy your time in UL - it is a brilliant campus and would still be my choice of college if I were doing the leaving cert this year.
Claire is currently employed as a Chemist on the graduate programme of Abbot Ireland
Killian Stokes
If you have a keen interest in chemistry, this is the degree for you! This course initially deals with the fundamentals of chemistry. Throughout the years it then adds to this with more detail on the subjects through interesting lectures and enjoyable practical laboratories. It also incorporates some basics of process engineering which in the current age is a necessity in industry.
As well as the interesting laboratory work, the course offers refreshing, new ways of learning. I enjoy the fact that we study topics which are at the forefront of the chemical industry including various analytical methods and nanotechnology. Also, through the final year project, the course will give you the opportunity to find out if you might be interested in research through a postgraduate course after your final degree.
Co-Op at UL offers a fantastic opportunity to get first-hand industrial experience as part of your degree. On my placement, I worked at Bristol-Myers Squibb Cruiserath in Dublin where I was assigned many varied tasks and projects. I thrived on the level of responsibility given to me as a student on Co-Op and felt I gained excellent experience in this field of pharmaceuticals. Some of the work I was assigned called for analytical skills and I had the opportunity to present my results and findings to management, which further improved my organisational and communication skills.
Killian is currently completing his Ph.D. in Nanotechnology at the Bernal Institute, in the University of Limerick.
