MSc Plant Biology & Biotechnology
Academic Year 2020/2021
Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 90)
Government and private companies are working to develop new ways to improve existing food and animal feed crops, and to develop novel crops to meet future challenges. Graduates of this one-year MSc will be equipped with the knowledge and skills in these recent advances to rise to the future challenges in academia, industry and policy development. Innovation and entrepreneurship permeate the course as central themes and, in addition, a specific module on entrepreneurship in plant biology is delivered.
Download the course brochure (pdf)
- Outstanding diversity of topics and approaches in plant biology research, covering developments in genetics, cell biology, biotechnology and plant environment interactions.
- High-profile, research-oriented faculty and lectures.
Careers & Employability
Graduates will have a distinct advantage when applying for PhD studentships or other more advanced graduate training in the area of plant biology and biotechnology.
This MSc is ideal for graduates interested in pursuing scientific careers in academia, agriculture and plant-science based or biotechnology industries. Graduates will have opportunities to pursue postgraduate education and research and work in areas such as plant biotechnology, scientific journalism/publishing and for government agencies involved in governmental and non-governmental policy.
Curricular information is subject to change
Full Time option suitable for:
Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes
The UCD MSc Plant Biology & Biotechnology programme is suitable for the majority of life sciences graduates who wish to develop their skills in Plant Biology, particularly in recent developments in genetics, biotechnology, climate change, cell and molecular biology, physiology, biotic and abiotic stress responses.
This programme is aimed at graduates who wish to equip themselves with the knowledge and skills in advanced plant biology and biotechnology, including crop science, genetics, genomics, cell biology, physiology, ecology, and studies on climate change, in order to pursue future careers in plant biology-based industries and PhD research. We aim to provide a learning environment that encourages our students to be active, motivated, and autonomous learners, and to engage in innovation and entrepreneurship. Lectures, tutorials, and small group discussions are key elements in the programme’s design and are delivered by internationally recognised experts in the field. Our students are also given the opportunity to develop a business plan as part of our programme in innovation and entrepreneurship, and to also engage in a 3-month research project to gain advanced experimental skills.
- A clear understanding that scientific research can be taken to the marketplace
- Advanced knowledge of the variety of disciplines encompassed within Plant Biology, with emphasis on specific areas of research, which will provide the basis for the development and application of original ideas
- The ability to apply their knowledge to formulate hypotheses and test them using appropriate tools
- The ability to communicate to a specialist and non-specialist audience, in a clear and unambiguous way, the results of their investigations and/or rationale underlying them. Strong focus is put on writing (popular articles, scientific papers), and presenting orally.
- The ability to interpret a variety of different datasets generated in Plant Biology research
- The knowledge and appreciation of how plants/crops, and plant/crop-derived products can be used in wider applications in the biomedical, food and agricultural sciences
- The maturity to continue studying and critically appraise the scientific literature in a largely autonomous manner
MSc Plant Biology & Biotechnology (F080) Full Time
EU fee per year - € 7785
nonEU fee per year - € 25600
MSc Plant Biology & Biotechnology (F131) Part Time
EU fee per year - € 3880
nonEU fee per year - € 12800
***Fees are subject to change
Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.
- This programme is intended for applicants with a degree in an appropriate life science discipline. An upper second class honours or international equivalent is required.
- Applicants whose first language is not English must also demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 6.5 (no band less than 6.0 in each element), or equivalent.
- Students meeting the programme’s academic entry requirements but not the English language requirements, may enter the programme upon successful completion of UCD’s Pre-Sessional or International Pre-Master’s Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information http://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/
- These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes
Staff Profile
Dr Carl Ng,
UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, UCD
My research focuses on understanding the signaling processes underlying the responses of plants and crops to abiotic stresses. The aim is to understand plant cellular strategy for adapting to changing environmental conditions and how temporally dynamic gene expression systems can confer evolutionary advantages during the colonisation of land by plants.
- UCD Rosemount Environmental Research Station
- Controlled plant growth facility and bioreactors
- Plant Metabolomics Technology Platform
- Plant Cell and Tissue Culture Facility
The following entry routes are available:
MSc Plant Biology & Biotechnology FT (F080)
* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised
