MSc in DevOps
Part-fundedBridge the digital divide, and lead on innovation.
As organisations increasingly adopt a DevOps culture, the demand for technologists with a combination of software development and IT operations skills has reached a critical point.
Despite growing opportunities in this field, there remains an acute shortage of professionals with recognised DevOps qualifications. Many specialists can lack the knowledge and understanding of the other cross-functional disciplines they now find themselves working with daily. Understanding not only the technical, but also the business and human factors at play during the high pressure demands of modern software delivery processes, is essential in the modern discipline of DevOps.
Developed in close collaboration with industry and academia, this 2-year part-time Level 9 Masters programme is specifically designed to teach real-world practical skills that organisations demand, while providing a recognised, industry-leading qualification.
Tailored for experienced professionals and aspiring DevOps practitioners, this programme will propel your expertise to new heights, elevate your career prospects, and help you to make a significant impact in your industry.
Who is this programme for?
With most technology organisations moving their delivery platforms to a DevOps approach, the shortage of people with cross sectional skills in DevOps is now acute. This course is for current and potential DevOps engineers who want to gain the necessary skills and recognition to develop in their role.
Award Level
There are two phases to the award. Candidates are registered for the full Masters of Science in DevOps Level 9 degree (90 credits) however candidates may opt to exit the programme on successful completion of the first three semesters with 60 credits and receive a Level 9 Postgraduate Diploma in DevOps (60 credits). Please note exit awards are at the discretion of the college and no refund of fees will be due.
The award structure will place greater emphasis on continuous assessment, practical and project work rather than on formal examinations. In fact there are only 2 modules that carry an actual exam.
Schedule
The programme will start with a 2-day workshop that will involve all participants being physically present. This is seen as important to facilitate networking, experience sharing and group learning.
Lectures are held online two evenings per week, from 6.30 to 9.00pm. The lectures are primarily on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Occasionally, classes may alternate between Wednesday and Thursday to facilitate guest speakers. Lectures will be streamed live and will be available for download and offline viewing.
Some optional additional on-campus events may also be held. There are 2x examinations which are generally held on campus over the period of the programme.
The programme will have six modules over Semesters 1, 2 and 3 and a major Research Project in Semester 4.
The Research Project provides an opportunity for students to carry out a piece of work that explores in-depth a feature or element of DevOps. If preferred, students can carry out their research project on a piece of work of direct relevance to their company or organisation.
Semester 1 – Introduction to DevOps
- Module 1: Human and Organisational Issues
- Module 2: Software Development Methodologies
Semester 2 – DevOps Fundamentals
- Module 3: Business Technology Strategy
- Module 4: IT Infrastructure Fundamentals for DevOps
Semester 3 – Advanced DevOps
- Module 5: Advanced IT Infrastructure for DevOps
- Module 6: DevOps in Practice
Semester 4 – DevOps Research
- Module 7: Research Methods
- Module 8: Research Project
This course will help you to develop the necessary professional skills to be able to balance the trade-offs between requirements and costs, to understand business needs, and how to effectively communicate to stakeholders.
Upon completion of this course, you will have an advanced understanding of:
- Systems security and how it must be pervasive.
- How a systems design can impact on quality, deliverability and maintainability.
- How to identify the specific requirements of different industries, such as banking, trading, security, healthcare.
- Best practice, and new and emerging technologies, in the area of DevOps.
If you missed our Virtual Open Event (December 2025), this webinar provided deep insights into the MSc in Software Solutions Architecture and the MSc in DevOps programmes, both Level 9, part-time taught Masters delivered by TU Dublin, and featured essential commentary on the industry’s direction from Cormac Keogh, Senior Solutions Architect at Amazon Web Services (AWS), who shared essential professional insights, including his experience building and architecting systems over 20 years.
Academic Eligibility
The minimum entry requirement for standard entrants to the course is a 2:2 (GPA 2.5 or equivalent), in a Bachelor of Science in Computing (Level 8) or a cognate discipline or equivalent.
For candidates who do not meet this minimum entry requirement, the college operates a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) scheme whereby applicants may be considered based on relevant work or other experiences.
For applicants whose first language is not English, please note the English language entry requirements.
Fees
The fees for this programme are part-funded by Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet.
Full course fee: €4,325 per year
Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet grant: €830 per year
Subsidised course fee: €3,495* per year
Subsidised fees are only available to eligible applicants.*
*Funding Eligibility
Applicants must be employed by, or operating as, an eligible business engaged in economic activity in the Republic of Ireland. This includes private companies, sole traders, commercial social enterprises and eligible commercial semi-state organisations. Additional eligibility verification may be required for certain organisation types to avail of grant-aided fees.
Public sector employees, non-profits, or charitable organisations that do not meet our funding criteria may apply privately for the full course fee once places are available.
Once you have received your offer of a place on the course, please be aware that we have a limited number of subsidised places available. Due to high demand, we cannot hold places without payment. To ensure fairness, priority for these places will be granted to those who have both completed full payment of the subsidised fee and are deemed eligible by the college or training provider.
If you have any questions on the course, please use the Make an Enquiry form found on this page.
Student Story
Proving Bigger Isn’t Always
Better in the Quest for Green AI
Modern AI development assumes that higher complexity equals better results. For Sian O’Briain, DevOps Manager and Product Owner at Merative, the future depends on proving that wrong. Her research shows that sustainability is no longer an afterthought – it’s a critical architectural variable for the modern software delivery lifecycle.
We spoke with Sian about how her capstone project on the MSc in DevOps in 2026 investigated how "Green AI" can reduce environmental costs by 300x. She demonstrated that strategic model selection can deliver high predictive accuracy while drastically cutting carbon emissions and operational waste.
Learn more about Sian's Capstone ProjectWhat do former students have to say?
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions our team are asked most often about this programme. If your question is not answered here, make an enquiry and we will come back to you.
The advantages of Development Teams and Operations Teams collaborating to improve the delivery of technology solutions have meant a rapid adoption of DevOps approaches to the Software Development Lifecycle. Most existing DevOps ‘specialists grow or develop into their role with no formal standards or certification, and a modicum of training in the actual practice of cross-functional DevOps practices.
They may already be experienced, highly skilled, competent, and high performers in their own field of Software Development, Computing, IT Management, or Quality Assurance but they may lack the knowledge and understanding of the other cross-functional disciplines they now find themselves working with daily.
This MSc in DevOps programme provides participants the opportunity to understand not only the technical but also the business and human factors at play during the high-pressure demands of modern software delivery processes, which is essential in the modern discipline of DevOps.
Lectures are held on two evenings per week. In the first year, the lecturers are normally on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6.30 to 9.00 pm. There will also be a requirement to attend one on-campus day at the end of each semester. Orientation takes place on Friday and Saturday within the last two weeks of January from 9am – 5pm.
Recordings of lectures are available after each lecture but students are advised to attend the lectures.
We offer payment plans starting three months prior to the course commencement. However, all fees must be settled in full before the course begins.
Semester 1 (2 subjects)
One is 100% continuous assessment-based, no exam.
One is a 50/50 exam and continuous assessment.
Semester 2 (2 subjects)
Both are 100% continuous assessment.
Semester 3 (2 subjects)
One is 100% continuous assessment-based, with no exam.
One is a 50/50 exam and continuous assessment.
Semester 4
Dissertation
The final award is a Level 9 NFQ qualification, equivalent to 90 ECTS credits.
The course is a mix of technical and non-technical material. If an applicant has an honours degree in a computing (or similar) area then they should be well prepared for the material. Candidates do not need to know about DevOps to do the Master’s.
Exams are held in May and January.
If the semester schedule allows. there is sometimes a reading week off in the middle of the semester.
Assignments are a mixture of both group and individual projects. Specifically, while some projects are completed within groups and entail technical aspects, all technical projects are completed individually.
You may be eligible to apply for tax relief; however, it is the responsibility of each applicant to contact the tax office for further information. A receipt for fees paid can be provided upon request.
Yes, there is a requirement to complete an English Language test for applicants, whose first language is not English. Please consult TU Dublin’s website.
Yes. The programme has been designed specifically for working professionals and is delivered on a part-time basis over two years.
Please note that neither TU Dublin nor Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet provide visa support services for this course. Applicants are responsible for ensuring they have the appropriate visa in place prior to applying.
