Biotechnology spans a wide range of disciplines so students interested in the area should look carefully at the various science programmes on offer. For instance, UCD offers a specialism in industrial microbiology - students first opt for a science degree and then specialise as they progress through the four-year course, which includes a 12-week industrial placement.
UL offers a degree in industrial biochemistry designed to prepare graduates for careers in manufacturing or service industries or research establishments which use biotechnology or biochemistry. Carlow IT offers a one-year add-on degree in industrial biology.
So, you should research all of the science courses as biotechnology spans a number of disciplines such as process engineering, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology and industrial microbiology. Three colleges, DCU, NUI Galway and NUI Maynooth offer abinitio degrees in biotechnology. This year, the third-round cut-off points ranged from 380 to 495.
The enthusiasm of biotechnology proponents such as Dr Pat Morgan, dean of science in NUI Galway, is mirrored by her students. "There is nearly a 100 per cent retention rate at a time when people are worried about losing up to 35 per cent of their students . . . biotechnology may seem a very particular thing to choose but the graduates can work in any area from plants to the immune system to environmental science to pharmacology. If you were to take the breadth of biological sciences, you would find biotechnology people working in all of the areas."
In common with the other denominated biotechnology degrees, NUI Galway's students do a work placement. "That really is a very enriching experience. Students spend four months at the end of third-year from May to September in placement - you never have to explain the work ethic to a fourth-year student."
Muireann Ni Dhuigneain, DCU's careers and appointments officer, reports an extremely good uptake of graduates by the labour market last year. Of the 40 students who graduated in 1997, 35 replied to the survey. Of these, 80 per cent went directly into employment with the vast majority going into relevant jobs. Five graduates continued on to further study, one opted for a conversion course and a student was not available for employment.
Maynooth's biotechnology degree is still in its infancy with the first students due to graduate in the year 2000. The biology department has 13 staff members, 12 research fellows and 43 higher degree students.
Dr Sean Doyle is keen to emphasise the college's strong research programme. Immunology, applied immunology, agriculture and environmental science are among the very active areas. "We already have industrial collaborations up and running and in the past two years over £2 million has been raised in research grants."
The college's degree has a strong commercial bias with site visits built into the programme. However, students who wish to continue their studies will be in a position to apply for higher degrees.
