Science graduates are in demand and there is a huge variety of courses,writes Emmet Oliver Education Correspondent
If you take some of the more alarming headlines too seriously, you could be forgiven for thinking nobody in Ireland is interested in a science career any more.
Yet last year, 4,867 students put a science course top of their CAO degree list. This was down on the previous year, but it was still a relatively healthy total.
While there is a deep-seated problem at second level, the third-level scene is not so gloomy, with points coming down and new innovative courses starting every year.
Science is such a broad and vague handle it almost seems ludicrous using one word to describe the hundreds of different courses at third level. Making your way through these options is not easy.
In most schools, although far from all, three science subjects are offered: physics, chemistry and biology.
The majority of students take biology, with physics and chemistry failing to attract large numbers in many schools. The strange pattern of Leaving Cert marking in these subjects may explain why students steer clear of them.
It would be a pity if the reluctance of students to do these subjects at second level were repeated at third level. At third level, you are not interested in what points each subject can deliver and more interested in the intrinsic value and appeal of the subject.
So students who avoided physics and chemistry in school might consider them as third-level options, but you must be realistic; there is not much point tackling third-level physics or chemistry courses unless you have reasonable maths ability.
That goes for a lot of science courses, although the more general type of science degree does not require quite as much mathematical ability.
General science degrees or something more specialised?
Some students have very definite ideas about what they want. They want to do theoretical physics, computer science or zoology. Other students however just know they like science and want to continue in the area.
If you are still not sure, try the "omnibus" or general science degree. They are offered in several colleges; for example, there is one at NUI Maynooth (MH201) and one at NUI Galway (GY 301).
These courses let you sample a huge range of scientific disciplines, particularly in first year. As you progress through college, you drop some of the subjects and start to concentrate on a narrower group of subjects you find rewarding.
Some students prefer to throw themselves into a niche area. You must make this decision. The points have been falling for general science degrees in recent years, whereas there are fewer places on specialist courses so points can be a lot higher.
What areas are popular?
Jobs are not as plentiful in science as they were in the mid-1990s, but unemployment rates among graduates with science-related degrees are very low.
According to the last set of figures from UCD, for instance, less than 3 per cent of science graduates were unemployed nine months after graduating.
The pharmaceutical industry is now recruiting many students and not just those with degrees.
According to some estimates, Ireland is now host to 19 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies in the world. These companies need all sorts of engineers and scientists, particularly graduates with backgrounds in chemistry or chemical engineering.
The Wyeth Pharma plant (www.wyeth.ie) in Grange Castle, near Lucan, is in the process of recruiting 1,300 graduates and plenty of science graduates are filling the vacancies.
Areas such as biotechnology and chemistry (with pharmaceutical chemistry) are areas currently popular with employers. NUI Maynooth is for the first time offering 20 places on a chemistry (with pharmaceutical chemistry) course and demand could be high because of the close linkage between the course and industry.
The ITs are also strong in this area with the Institute of Technology, Tallaght, offering an applied chemistry option within its science course (TA003).
Two other areas have proven popular with students in recent years - food science and biomedical science. The first of these is self-explanatory, but students would need to have an interest in microbiology to succeed. The Dundalk Institute of Technology now offers a degree course in food science with an emphasis on new food product development and enhancement.
Another development at Dundalk worth mentioning in the science area is its intensive three-week pre-enrolment maths course for students who may be weak in the maths area. Last year half of the 40 students who took the special maths course and exam, which runs in late August, improved their standard sufficiently for entry to third level.
Another college worth considering here is DIT, with its food technology/pharmaceutical technology degree (FT 480). This course focuses intensively on food science and related disciplines, but also has a very industry friendly dimension. Graduates can either enter the food industry or the pharmaceutical industry.
Biomedical science is about how the human body and science interact. It is extremely popular, with multi-nationals like Boston Scientific setting up in Ireland. Many universities and ITs have courses, although a degree is needed for the top positions.
Physiotherapy: The University of Limerick yesterday pointed out that it also offers a physiotherapy course at the college.
Tomorrow: business courses