Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology)

Course codes: 2006 (Gippsland); 3512 (Malaysia) + Course abbreviation: BSc(Biotech) + Total credit points required: 144 + 3 years full-time, 6 years part-time

Study mode and course location

On-campus (Gippsland; Malaysia)

Off-campus (Gippsland)

Course description

This laboratory-based program is, of necessity, an interdisciplinary course, with a core of basic science including principles of modern instrumentation, experimental design and data analysis, biochemical and microbiological techniques and recombinant DNA technology. At the Gippsland campus, two strands are offered: medical biotechnology and industrial biotechnology. In the medical strand, students consider the biochemical basis of disease, infectious disease, immunology, epidemiology and diagnostics. The industrial strand incorporates food microbiology, environmental microbiology and natural products chemistry. Links with regional industries enable final-year students to participate in directed biotechnological research in their applied research project. The generic strand offered at the Malaysian campus requires students to acquire skills and applications from a broader area of biotechnology. Emphasis will be given to molecular biology, genetics, genomics as well as plant biotechnology which are relevant to the rapidly emerging biotechnology industries in Malaysia.

Course objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will understand the interdisciplinary nature of biotechnology. Graduates who complete the medical biotechnology stream will have skills and knowledge of the biochemical basis of disease, infectious disease, immunology, epidemiology and diagnostics. Graduates of the industrial stream will have skills and knowledge of food and environmental microbiology and natural products chemistry. Graduates of the program offered at the Malaysia campus will have skills and knowledge relevant to the rapidly emerging biotechnology industries in Malaysia, including molecular biology, genetics, genomics as well as plant biotechnology.

Course structure

Students must complete the specified core units at each year level and, at stages two and three, the appropriate strand specific units as described below. Each program includes a combination of core and elective studies. No more than 60 points of level-one units can be included overall.

Course requirements

Stage one

BTH1802 Fundamentals of biotechnology
SCI1020 Introduction to statistical reasoning or STA1010 Statistical methods for science
12 points of level one biology units
12 points of level one chemistry units
12 points of elective units

Stage two

BTH2711 Introductory microbiology, or MIC2011 Microbiology: the microbial world
BTH2732 Recombinant DNA technology
BTH2741 Biochemistry
BTH2752 Cellular metabolism
CHM2741 Instrumental analysis
SCI2010 The practice and application of science
12 points of strand specific units

Stage three

SCI3716 Laboratory and workplace management
BTH3752 Molecular biology and biotechnology
one science elective unit (6 points)
12 points of electives
18 points of strand specific units

Strand specific units

Gippsland campus

Industrial strand

BTH2722 Microbial function and immunology and CHM2762 Design of molecules and macromolecules
BTH3711 Food and industrial microbiology, BTH3732 Environmental microbiology and CHM3730 Bioactive chemistry

Medical strand

BTH2722 Microbial function and immunology and CHM2762 Design of molecules and macromolecules
BTH3741 Medical aspects of cell biology, BTH3722 Medical microbiology and CHM3730 Bioactive chemistry

Malaysia campus

Generic strand

GEN2041 Foundations of genetics and BTH2820 Crop science
GEN3030 Genetics of development, GEN3040 Genomics and molecular genetics and BTH3820 Plant biotechnology

The maximum time for completion of the course is 10 years, including intermissions.

Contact details

Course coordinator

Ms Jenny Mosse (Gippsland); Dr Quah Soon Cheang (Malaysia)

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