Diagnostics & Precision Medicine

You’ll study how diagnostics and therapeutics are revolutionising healthcare and medicine, as well as broaden your knowledge of new treatments like tailored cell-based therapies and gene modulation technologies. You’ll also learn how to build your critical and data analysis skills, as well as hone your academic writing skills.



Get set for a cutting-edge career

The blended-learning programme is a mix of face-to-face teaching and online modules, combined with hands-on experience in a research lab. This flexible approach means you can study wherever you are, whenever suits you.



Once you complete the course, you’ll be sought after for roles in biopharmaceutical and diagnostics industries, life science and clinical trial companies, as well as academic research centres.



The programme is delivered via a hybrid approach of face-to-face teaching and online delivery of modules, together with hands-on experience in a research laboratory.



All taught components from the classroom in DCU including lectures, tutorials and workshops are recorded and made available through DCU's online platform Loop to enable flexible learning (44.2% of the programme content).

Three modules on the programme are delivered online by our colleagues at Arizona State University (ASU) and are supported at DCU with tutorials (22.5% of the programme content), culminating in 66.7% of the programme available online.

The remaining 33.3% of the course is dedicated to the research project which consists of a 12-week laboratory-based project (Option 1) or Masterclasses in Precision Medicine (Option 2). The laboratory-based masterclasses run over 2-3 days per week over a 3-week period and also include computational approaches and online activities.

This approach was designed to:



Enable students to revise their curriculum by having access to their recorded lectures/tutorials and slides.

Enable industry, medical and healthcare professionals to attend the programme remotely while continuing to work in full-time employment. Professionals working in full-time employment may also be able to undertake their research project in their place of work if working in a relevant industry (subject to terms and conditions).

Assessment is through continuous assessment and primarily consists of submission of assignments and short assessments throughout the year. Formal written examinations are not used for assessment of student learning.

Requirements

• For admission to the MSc in Diagnostics and Precision Medicine candidates must have a primary degree that equates to an NFQ Level 8 Second-Class Honours, Grade 1 Award (H2.1) in a Life Science, Pharmaceutical, Medical or Chemical discipline.

• In addition, candidates who hold a primary degree (NFQ Level 8), with a Second-Class Honours, Grade 2 Award (H2.2) in one of the relevant degrees and with industrial experience will be considered.

• International candidates who are non-native speakers of English must satisfy the University of their competency in the English language.

Full Time 1 Year

Part Time 2 Years

The programme commences in September 2024

Careers

Graduates will find employment in industry, clinical, healthcare and academic environments. This includes the diagnostics and biopharmaceutical industries, life science and clinical trials companies, as well as academic research centres.



In addition, our graduates have also gone on to pursue further research (e.g. a PhD) as well as gaining entry to Graduate Medicine programmes.