Biology - Marine Biology Conversion Programme

Course Outline

The Postgraduate Certificate in Marine Biology (Conversion Programme) is a six month part-time programme running from September to March for graduates from non-biological or environmental disciplines unable to meet the entry requirements for direct entry onto the MSc in Marine Biology programme. Students successfully passing all modules will be awarded the Postgraduate Certificate in Marine Biology. Those wishing to progress onto the MSc in Marine Biology must obtain an aggregate of at least 60% to be eligible to transfer onto the Master’s programme in the following academic year and will hold exemptions in passed modules taken in the Postgraduate Certificate in Marine Biology if she/he applies for the Master's in Marine Biology within 5 years from the date of successful completion of the Certificate Examinations.

Students take four taught modules to the value of 30 credits as follows:

BL6012 Marine Megafauna (10 credits)

BL6016 Marine Ecology and Conservation (10 Credits)

BL6019 Ecological Applications of Geographical Information Systems (5 credits)

BL6026 Introductory Quantitative Skills for Biologists using R



Additional Teaching Mode Information

The part-time option will be taught during weekday working hours over 6 months.

Requirements

- Candidates must have at least a Second Class Honours Grade I in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) in any discipline.



For Applicants with Qualifications Completed Outside of Ireland

Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.



International/Non-EU Applicants

For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.



- In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.



- Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.



English Language Requirements

Applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements. Visit our PG English Language Requirements page for more information.

Closing Date: Open until all places have been filled or no later than 30 June. Early application is advised.



Non-EU Closing Date

Open until all places have been filled or no later than 15 June. Early application is advised.

6 months part-time.

Start Date: 8th September 2025.

Skills and Careers Information

As well as a number of professionally certified courses that will be provided throughout the course, students will also gain a variety of technical skills associated with research and computer skills (GIS in particular). Many transferable skills are also fostered through different learning approaches, including critical thinking, problem solving, report writing, oral presentations, statistical analysis, independent research and time management.