Postgraduate Diploma in Dairy Technology and Innovation

This programme represents the second stage in the stackable qualification pathway in Dairy Technology and Innovation.

About this programme:

The Postgraduate Diploma in Dairy Technology and Innovation is delivered every two years, with the next intake scheduled for September 2027.

This programme represents the second stage in the stackable qualification pathway in Dairy Technology and Innovation. It is designed for graduates of the part-time Postgraduate Certificate in Dairy Technology who wish to deepen their knowledge and further develop their understanding of the key principles that underpin dairy processing technologies and the innovations driving progress within the sector.

To accommodate the seasonal nature of the dairy industry, the programme is delivered primarily online and through block-release teaching. It runs over one academic year, with modules delivered from September to December and from January to March.

Aims and Objectives

This postgraduate Diploma in Dairy Technology & Innovation supports the further education and training requirements of applicants having completed the Certificate in Dairy Technology and Innovation and will enable participants to develop key skills to address the challenges facing the dairy industry . 

Learning Approach

The programme is delivered through blended learning, combining online teaching with in-person sessions.

In-person sessions, designed to encourage interaction and group collaboration, are delivered through block release. These take place over one week in late October/early November (Semester 1), with two additional sessions scheduled in February and March (Semester 2).

Assessment for the programme is based entirely on continuous assessment, with no final examinations.

Duration

This level 9 qualification is part-time and consists of 3 in-person modules (10 days) of face-to-face lectures and is supported by live tutorials and online lectures. 

Entry Requirements

The postgraduate Diploma in Dairy Technology and Innovation is only available to those students who have successfully completed the PG Certificate in Dairy Technology and Innovation.

Students take modules to the value of 30 credits as follows: 

Academic Director

Professor Seamus O’Mahony, School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, College of Science, Engineering and Food Science, UCC.

What are our students saying?

Sam Kingston explains how the nature of the part-time, online, Certificate in Dairy Technology and Innovation, helped him in his position as Plant Manager of Macroom Bufalo Cheese, and how moving onto the Diploma which included practicals in UCC,  proved very effective and very useful in his day to day working life.  The next step for Sam will be to come back and complete the Masters in Dairy Technology and Innovation, and he will have the honour of being the first student to do so!

Registration & Fees

To register for the Diploma please fill out an expression of interest form linked here - 

Expression of Interest PG Dip Dairy

or you can contact:

Úna Martin

Programme Manager

Food Industry Training Unit

School of Food and Nutritional Sciences

College of Science, Engineering and Food Science

University College Cork

email: umartin@ucc.ie

0214901417

Cost:

EU students: €5,200 plus €210 (capitation fee)

Non-EU students: €10,900 plus €210 (capitation fee) 

Taste 4 Success Skillnet funding may be available for member companies and other eligible participants.