TU Dublin’s Post Graduate Diploma in Brewing and Distilling
Co-creating the first taught postgraduate qualification in brewing and distilling in Ireland
Through Convene and the Enterprise Academy, the success of the Human Capital Initiative funding for the School of Food Science and Environmental Health, the individual lecturer, and brewing and distilling industry is clearly evidence through the development of TU Dublin's stackable Postgraduate Programmes in Brewing and Distilling.
Deep sectoral research and focus
Dr. Ciara Walsh is a lecturer in food regulatory affairs, food safety, and microbiology and a former member of the regulation and policy in the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). She has a primary degree in Food Science and a Ph.D in Food Microbiology. Dr. Walsh was a Convene Fellow at the Enterprise Academy in 2022 where her sector research discovered the obvious need for talent development and accredited programmes following the significant growth in the Irish drinks sector in the past decade, and led to the creation of TU Dublin's stackable Postgraduate Programmes in Brewing and Distilling Postgraduate Certificate in Brewing and Distilling.
“Today’s brewers and distillers face many challenges in developing and marketing new products. For instance, the growing market for low calories and alcohol-free products creates new technological and shelf-life challenges for the sector, requiring an innovative, entrepreneurial, and scientific skill sets to address them” Ciara explained.
The Irish Drinks Industry contributes >€2.6 bn p.a. to the economy and employs approximately 92,000 individuals (IBEC, 2019) with an estimated 23,000 jobs in the making. Ireland’s brewing and distilling companies are expected to create 23,000 new jobs in the coming years, highlighting a real industry need for educational programmes to support this growing sector (DAFM, 2021).
In Ireland today, there are up to 100 breweries and 45 distilleries, and their products are sold to 140 markets world-wide. This compares to only fifteen breweries and four distilleries in 2008. TU Dublin’s programme is the first taught postgraduate qualification in brewing and distilling in Ireland. Until now those in the industry had to travel abroad for training.
Programme design and accreditation
The first Post Graduate Certificate programme was designed and developed by Ciara as part of a fellowship offered by the TU Dublin Enterprise Academy, as an opportunity for motivated staff to contribute to transforming TU Dublin's relationship with enterprise.
The fellowship created an opportunity for me to work with stakeholders who had hands-on experience in the industry. It allowed me to capture data on the skills, knowledge and competencies needed to create industry ready graduates. It also highlighted many sector-specific challenges and opportunities, mechanisms to address them, and ways that TU Dublin can support industry and its growth into the future through university-industry engagement models.
Dr. Ciara Walsh TU Dublin Enterprise Academy
The part-time programme includes modules on the technical aspects of brewing and distilling, and the opportunity to acquire practical experience in these disciplines. The year-long course is delivered in a hybrid format, with one day each week in TU Dublin’s new Brewing and Distilling Simulator Space on the Grangegorman campus.
Students learn the process of product development and sensory analysis and make their own bespoke beverage from the initial concept through to final product. This is complemented with modules that deliver proficiencies in business such as innovation and entrepreneurship.
Semester 1
- Brewing & Distilling Work Practice (10 ECTS)
- Brewing, Fermentation & Distilling (5 ECTS)
- Brewing Operations (5 ECTS)
Semester 2
- Beverage Product Development (5 ECTS)
- Creation, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (5 ECTS)
- Brewing & Distilling Work Practice (10 ECTS)
TU Dublin’s Postgraduate Certificate in Brewing and Distilling received three years of funding through the Irish Government’s Springboard+ programme. which offers up to 90 percent fee support for eligible participants. The programme launched in September 2022 and was oversubscribed. Applications for the next cohort, starting in September 2023, will open in May, 2023.
The course is the first of several stackable programmes being developed by TU Dublin’s School of Food Science and Environmental Health that are flexible and accessible, and support sector growth.
For more on the programme see Postgraduate Certificate in Brewing and Distilling.
The learner experience
Stuart McNamara, a former Defence Forces officer and founding partner of Portmagee Whiskey said the programme was very accessible and allowed participants to engage with people in the industry who face the same challenges. “You attend the programme two days a week for a year. That is achievable, even for those running small businesses. Studying in small groups with a cross section of the industry also benefits those looking to join the sector."
I think the programme is going to serve me really well in the future because I now have a little be more of the science knowledge on brewing & distilling, but also, I think it’s opened up another career path in marketing or innovation or new product development. Something along those lines which I wouldn’t have had exposure to in my job previous to this.
Padraig Fox, Guinness Global Brand Ambassador Diageo & Graduate
Convene Fellowships at TU Dublin Enterprise Academy
“The fellowship helped to deepen the University’s relationship with companies in this sector and develop an industry engagement framework we can use in similar studies. Through surveys and interviews we now have a substantial dataset to support the development of future programmes,” says Dr Ciara Walsh.
“Enterprise Academy Fellowships provide Schools with a unique mechanism to allow motivated lecturers the time and space to engage deeply with industry to design, develop and validate excellent, fit for purpose education and training programmes that align with the School's disciplines and strategic plan,” said Julie Dunne, Head of the School of Food Science and Environmental Health. Through Convene, the success of the Human Capital Initiative funding for the School, the individual lecturer, and industry is clearly evidence through Ciara's development of the Post Graduate Diploma in Brewing & Distilling.
Through Convene, the success of the Human Capital Initiative funding for the School, the individual lecturer, and industry is clearly evidence through Ciara's development of the Post Graduate Diploma in Brewing & Distilling.
Julie Dunne, Head of the School of Food Science and Environmental Health
Some of the inaugural Post Graduate Certificate in Brewing and Distilling Class of 2023
