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Courses
Courses
Choosing a course is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make! View our courses and see what our students and lecturers have to say about the courses you are interested in at the links below.
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University Life
University Life
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About NUI Galway
About NUI Galway
Since 1845, NUI Galway has been sharing the highest quality teaching and research with Ireland and the world. Find out what makes our University so special – from our distinguished history to the latest news and campus developments.
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Colleges & Schools
Colleges & Schools
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Research & Innovation
Research & Innovation
NUI Galway’s vibrant research community take on some of the most pressing challenges of our times.
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Business & Industry
Guiding Breakthrough Research at NUI Galway
We explore and facilitate commercial opportunities for the research community at NUI Galway, as well as facilitating industry partnership.
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Alumni, Friends & Supporters
Alumni, Friends & Supporters
There are over 90,000 NUI Galway graduates Worldwide, connect with us and tap into the online community.
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Community Engagement
Community Engagement
At NUI Galway, we believe that the best learning takes place when you apply what you learn in a real world context. That's why many of our courses include work placements or community projects.
Science & Technology Studies (Diploma)
Course Overview
The Diploma in Science & Technology Studies is a part-time course which focuses on the knowledge and skill requirements of high-tech industries. The modular structure is designed with flexibility in mind, enabling students to balance study with work and other commitments and to accumulate credits over a time frame that suits their lifestyle. Learning is delivered via a blend of distance and online resources, on-campus tutorials and labs, and company-based projects.
This course aims to:
- provide students with a comprehensive grounding in the theoretical foundations of Science and Engineering
- introduce students to areas of applied and specialist knowledge found in today’s high-tech environments
- develop important managerial skills such as problem solving, decision making and advanced communication skills
Applications and Selections
Online Applications open on March 1st, 2021.
Please visit our How to Apply page for Application tips and Supporting Documents information.
Who Teaches this Course
Requirements and Assessment
Assessment is through assignments, written exams and in some cases practical laboratory sessions. Exams take place at the end of each semester. All modules from the programme will be individually assessed.
The course is delivered by blended learning on a part-time basis. Candidates will receive learning materials in both online and in hard copy format for each module. Materials will be specifically designed for independent study and will be supplemented by supporting reading material and interactive learning resources where appropriate. The course requires attendance on campus for approximately 10 hours per module, mainly on Saturdays.
Awards: Diploma in Science & Technology Studies - on successful completion of 20 modules or 120 ECTS.
Notice: with the ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 coronavirus, we have decided to move classroom-based courses and blended learning seminars to a fully online teaching mode for the academic year 2020/21. The teaching schedule for the 2021/22 academic year will be reviewed over the coming months in line with government restrictions and social distancing guidelines. This decision has been made to ensure the safety of students & staff and our desire to continue to provide upskilling and professional development opportunities for all. If you have any queries regarding the format of online delivery mode, please contact your course administrator for further details.Key Facts
Entry Requirements
Applicants under 21 years of age on January 1 in year of entry must meet the following minimum entry requirements: A minimum of HC3 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at H or O level in the Leaving Certificate (or equivalent) including; English, Irish, Mathematics, a laboratory science subject i.e. Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Physics with Chemistry (joint) or Agricultural Science and any other subject recognised for entry purposes.
Applicants aged 21 years and older by January 1 in year of entry may enter as mature students. In this case a pass standard in Leaving Certificate Mathematics or equivalent is required. Apart from the requirement in Mathematics assessment of applicants will be on an individual basis to determine suitability to successfully undertake the course.
Applicants without a leaving certificate are encouraged to first complete the Foundation Course in Science, Engineering and Technology. Graduates of the Foundation Course are automatically eligible for entry to the Diploma.
Additional Requirements
Duration
2-4 years
Next start date
19th September
A Level Grades ()
Average intake
25-30
Closing Date
Closed
NFQ level
Level 7
Mode of study
Blended learning
ECTS weighting
120
Award
CAO
Course code
Course Outline
The Diploma consists of 20 modules to be completed over a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 years. The modules on offer include:
- Core modules which cover the foundations of Science, Engineering, Management and IT
- Electives which allow students to specialise in an area of particular interest to them
- Company-based projects to help students apply their learning in the workplace
Students who have successfully completed the Diploma can automatically progress to the Degree or the Specialist Diplomas.
Download Science and Technology Studies brochure.
Specialist Diplomas
Each specialist diploma consists of four inter-related taught modules and a project to allow individuals to upskill in a particular area or study in a highly focused area of interest.
Exemptions: Applicants who have completed accredited study in a relevant area may apply for exemptions. Credit may also be granted for demonstrable experiential learning. Exemptions may be granted up to a maximum of 5 modules in the Diploma cycle. Exemptions are considered by the programme board on a case-by-case basis.
Curriculum Information
Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Glossary of Terms
- Credits
- You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
- Module
- An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
- Subject
- Some courses allow you to choose subjects, where related modules are grouped together. Subjects have their own required number of credits, so you must take all that subject's required modules and may also need to obtain the remainder of the subject's total credits by choosing from its available optional modules.
- Optional
- A module you may choose to study.
- Required
- A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
- Required Core Subject
- A subject you must study because it's integral to that course.
- Semester
- Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year, so a three-year course will have six semesters in total. For clarity, this page will refer to the first semester of year 2 as 'Semester 3'.
Year 1 (120 Credits)
Optional DS150.I: Statistics - Credits - Semester 1Optional DS128.I: Environmental Chemistry - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS127.I: Design of Engineering Systems - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS126.I: Database Applications - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS125.I: CAD Modelling - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS151.I: Physics II - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS152.I: Maths II - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS129.I: Science, Technology and Innovation - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS158.1: Operations Engineering - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS154.1: Introduction to Environmental Science - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS157.I: Organisational Behaviour - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS155.I: Project - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS124.I: Biology and Biotechnology II - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS105.I: Chemistry - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS104.I: Introduction to Operations Engineering - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS103.I: Physics 1 - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS102.I: Introduction to Learning - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS101.I: Introduction to Quality Management - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS106.I: Biology and Biotechnology I - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS107.I: Information Technology - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS123.I: Analytical Chemistry - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS120.I: Molecular Medicine I - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS110.I: Introduction to Management Science - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS109.I: Maths 1 - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS108.I: Introduction to Management - Credits - Semester 1
Optional DS129.II: Science, Technology and Innovation - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS150.II: Statistics - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS128.II: Environmental Chemistry - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS127.II: Design of Engineering Systems - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS126.II: Database Applications - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS125.II: CAD Modelling - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS151.II: Physics II - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS158.II: Operations Engineering - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS157.II: Organisational Behaviour - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS155.II: Project - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS154.II: Introduction to Environmental Science - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS152.II: Maths II - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS124.II: Biology and Biotechnology II - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS123.II: Analytical Chemistry - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS105.II: Chemistry - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS104.II: Introduction to Operations Engineering - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS103.II: Physics 1 - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS102.II: Introduction to Learning - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS101.II: Introduction to Quality Management - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS106.II: Biology and Biotechnology I - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS120.II: Molecular Medicine I - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS110.II: Introduction to Management Science - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS109.II: Maths I - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS108.II: Introduction to Management - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS107.II: Information Technology - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DS159: Project 2 - Credits - Semester 2
Optional DOE1101: Human Biology Fundamentals - 6 Credits - Semester 2
Year 2 (120 Credits)
Optional DS158.1: Operations Engineering - Credits - Semester 3Optional DS157.I: Organisational Behaviour - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS110.I: Introduction to Management Science - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS109.I: Maths 1 - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS108.I: Introduction to Management - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS107.I: Information Technology - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS106.I: Biology and Biotechnology I - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS105.I: Chemistry - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS104.I: Introduction to Operations Engineering - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS103.I: Physics 1 - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS102.I: Introduction to Learning - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS101.I: Introduction to Quality Management - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS120.I: Molecular Medicine I - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS123.I: Analytical Chemistry - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS124.I: Biology and Biotechnology II - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS155.I: Project - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS154.1: Introduction to Environmental Science - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS152.I: Maths II - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS151.I: Physics II - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS150.I: Statistics - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS129.I: Science, Technology and Innovation - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS128.I: Environmental Chemistry - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS127.I: Design of Engineering Systems - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS126.I: Database Applications - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS125.I: CAD Modelling - Credits - Semester 3
Optional DS158.II: Operations Engineering - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS120.II: Molecular Medicine I - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS110.II: Introduction to Management Science - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS109.II: Maths I - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS108.II: Introduction to Management - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS107.II: Information Technology - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS105.II: Chemistry - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS104.II: Introduction to Operations Engineering - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS103.II: Physics 1 - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS102.II: Introduction to Learning - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS101.II: Introduction to Quality Management - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS123.II: Analytical Chemistry - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS124.II: Biology and Biotechnology II - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS125.II: CAD Modelling - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS157.II: Organisational Behaviour - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS155.II: Project - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS154.II: Introduction to Environmental Science - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS152.II: Maths II - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS151.II: Physics II - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS150.II: Statistics - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS129.II: Science, Technology and Innovation - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS128.II: Environmental Chemistry - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS127.II: Design of Engineering Systems - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS126.II: Database Applications - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DS159: Project 2 - Credits - Semester 4
Optional DOE1101: Human Biology Fundamentals - 6 Credits - Semester 4
Why Choose This Course?
Career Opportunities
Management roles in the following sectors: medical devices, biotechnology, scientific services , high-end and specialist manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, food science, etc.
Who’s Suited to This Course
The course is primarily intended to support those seeking career advancement in a variety of high tech industries such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and manufacturing. It will also appeal to those with a personal interest in Science and Technology.
Learning Outcomes
Work Placement
Study Abroad
Related Student Organisations
Course Fees
Fees: EU
Fees: Tuition
Fees: Student levy
Fees: Non EU
*Next Level Skillnet funding (40% fee subsidy) is available for this course. You also may be eligible for the Adult Learning Tuition Scholarship, find out more...
Find out More
Centre for Adult Learning and Professional Development
NUI Galway
Tel: 091 494060
Email: sciencetech@nuigalway.ie
http://www.modularbsc.ie/