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Monash University: University handbooks: Undergraduate handbook: Units indexed by faculty
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Bachelor of Biotechnology with Honours

Course code: 3527 + Course abbreviation: BBiotech(Hons) + Total credit points required: 192 + 4 years full-time, 8 years part-time

Study mode and course location

On-campus (Clayton)

Course description

The course provides graduates with a strong foundation in the enabling science disciplines of biology, chemistry and mathematics as well as skills and techniques in molecular biology, microbiology and biochemistry. Students complete core units at each stage specifically addressing issues relevant to the biotechnology industry, including ethics, business and law. Students also complete a major sequence to specialise in an area of biotechnology. The area of specialisation is selected after stage one and is in one of the following areas: biomolecular processing, chemical biotechnology, medical biotechnology, materials and nanotechnology, or plant and animal biotechnology. At stage four of the course students either complete an honours year program involving independent research, analysis and a combination of coursework and project unit covering commercialisation aspects of biotechnology, or a program of advanced coursework.

Course objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will have advanced knowledge and skills in at least one of the scientific areas that contributes to the biotechnology industry and related research. The core units provide graduates with theoretical and practical knowledge of the biotechnology industry so that they will understand how research and development in that context differs from non-commercial research. During the course, students will also have developed generic skills and knowledge appropriate to employment in science including numeracy, data analysis and presentation, communication skills and teamwork skills. The fourth year provides students with a higher level of experience in independent analysis and research in the chosen field of expertise and brings together the science and industry perspectives.

Course structure

Core studies

In addition to the core science units, students must complete the core biotechnology units at each year level (stages 1-3), foundation scientific studies (at stages 1-2), units towards an approved scientific specialisation stream (at stages 2-3), as well as two approved elective units at stage 1. The fourth stage involves either a major laboratory research project along with project work specifically relating to commercial product development or advanced coursework.

Areas of study

Students must complete an approved specialisation stream in an area of biotechnology. Details of the requirements of each stream are described below. Although students are not required to select their specialist stream until the completion of stage 1 of the course some streams involve units that have specific level one prerequisite units. For example, biomolecular processing requires students to complete MTH1030 (Techniques for modelling), which in turn, may require students to complete MTH1020 (Analysis of change).

Course requirements

Over the first three stages of the course, all students must complete the following:

  • eight foundation science units at stages 1-2 (48 points)
  • a mathematics or biostatistics unit at stage 1 (6 points)
  • a biotechnology core unit at each of stages 1-3 (18 points)
  • ten specialist units in an approved biotechnology stream at stages 2-3 (60 points)
  • two elective units from any faculty (12 points).

At stage four of the course, all students must complete a final year program of study (48 points). The program of study at stage four will be determined by the course progression requirements and will comprise either:

  • an honours research project in biotechnology (36 points) and a commercialisation of biotechnology coursework and project unit (12 points)
  • or additional coursework units (48 points).

No more than 60 points of level-1 units can be counted towards the requirements of the course, and at least 36 points of relevant level-3 units must have been completed. The maximum time for completion of the course is 10 years, including intermissions.

Students who do not meet the progression requirement at the end of stage three to complete the honours year program will either apply to transfer to the Bachelor of Science in order to graduate, or complete advanced coursework units at stage four and graduate with a Bachelor of Biotechnology.

Overall students must have completed the following:

Stage one

48 points of units, comprising:

  • BIO1011 Biology I and BIO1022 Biology II
  • BTH1011 Biotechnology, science, business, law and ethics 1
  • CHM1011 Chemistry and CHM1022 Chemistry
  • either STA1010 Statistical methods for science or MTH1030 Techniques for modelling (some specialist streams require MTH1030 as a prerequisite for level two units)
  • two elective units from any faculty, subject to meeting any entry requirements of that faculty
Stage two

48 points of units, comprising:

  • BCH2011 Structure and function of cellular biomolecules
  • BTH2012 Biotechnology regulation, law and ethics II
  • MIC2011 Microbiology
  • MOL2011 Molecular biology: genes and their expression and MOL2022 Molecular biology: gene technology and its application
  • three units towards one of the approved streams
Stage three

48 points of units comprising:

  • BTH3012 Biotechnology regulation, law and ethics III
  • five units to complete the core component of one of the approved streams
  • two related ‘selective’ units as approved for that stream
Stage four

Students who satisfy the progression requirements at stage 3 to be eligible to complete the honours program (and graduate with a Bachelor of Biotechnology with Honours) (detailed below) complete 48 points of units comprising

  • BTH4100 Biotechnology research project (36 points)
  • BTH4200 Commercialisation of biotechnology (12 points).

Students who do not satisfy the progression requirements at stage 3 to complete the Honours program complete 48 points of advanced coursework and graduate with a Bachelor of Biotechnology, comprising the following:

  • BTH4011 – Biotechnology literature review (12 points)
  • BTH4012 – Biotechnology advanced laboratory skills and workplace management (12 points)

and an additional 24 credit points of approved elective units from the following (or as approved by the course convenor):

  • BTH4200 Commercialisation of biotechnology (12 points)*
  • SCI3090 Technology management for scientists (6 points)
  • SCI3094 Technology management for scientists II (6 points)
  • SCI3741 Biotechnology in action research project (6 points)
  • one additional level 3 ‘selective’ unit from the specialist stream (6 points)

    *Students must obtain an average of 65-69 per cent in at least five of their third-year specialist sequence units and the core unit BTH3012 (Biotechnology regulation, law and ethics III) to be able to undertake the unit BTH4200 (Commercialisation of biotechnology) as part of the pass degree program

Specialist stream requirements
Biomolecular processing (60 points)
  • BCH2022 Metabolic basis of human diseases
  • BCH3031 Advanced molecular biology: modern concepts and applications
  • CHE3171 Bioprocess technology
  • CHE4171 Biochemical engineering (to be introduced in 2008)
  • CHM2922 Instrumental and forensic chemistry
  • ENG1010 Process systems analysis
  • MTH1020 Analysis of change*
  • MTH2051 or MTH3051 Introduction to computational mathematics

plus two units from:

  • CHE3172 Nanotechnology and materials 1
  • CHE4172 Nanotechnology and materials II (being introduced in 2008)
  • CHM2180 Materials chemistry: biomaterials, macromolecules and smart materials
  • ECE3803 Clinical engineering management
  • ECE4804 Biomechanics
  • ECE4806 Medical imaging
  • ENE3603 Impact of engineering systems
  • ENE4506 Materials and the environment
  • ENE4601 Risk assessment, occupational health and toxicology
  • GES2420 Environmental policy and management
  • MIC2022 Microbiology: host and environmental interactions
  • MTE2541 Nanostructure of materials
  • MTE2544 Functional materials
  • MTE3545 Functional materials and devices
  • MTE4539 Biomaterials

    *Students who successfully completed VCE Specialist Mathematics must complete MTH1030 instead of MTH1020 as part of the specialist stream (if not already taken as part of the course core units).

Chemical biotechnology (60 points)
  • CHM2911 Molecular design and reactivity
  • CHM2922 Instrumental and forensic chemistry and one of CHM2962 Food chemistry or CHM2942 Chemistry of life
  • CHM3941 Synthesis 1: chemistry of bioactive compounds
  • CHM3922 Synthesis 2: understanding chemical reactions, and one of CHM3911 Spectroscopy, synchrotron and structure or CHM3952 Analytical and forensic chemistry.
  • two CHM elective units at level three
  • plus two level three units from one of the approved areas of study - units listed in this handbook with the prefix DEV, BCH, BIO, CEL, GEN, HUP, IMM, MIC, BNS, PHA, or PHY
Medical biotechnology (60 points)
  • BCH2022 Metabolic basis of human diseases
  • IMM2011 Function of the immune system
  • plus one of: BMS2042 Human genetics, CEL2012 Cell biology 1, MIC2022 Microbiology: host and environmental interactions, or PHY2032 Physiology of human health
  • BCH3031 Advanced molecular biology: modern concepts and applications
  • BCH3052 Advanced protein biology: from sequence to structure and disease
  • BMS3021 Molecular medicine and biotechnology

plus four level three units (two pairs) from the following combinations:

  • BCH3021 Cellular organisation: organelle structure and function in health and disease and BCH3042 Cell signal transduction: role in cancer and human disease
  • BNS3031 Brain chemistry and behaviour and BNS3052 Drugs, brain and altered awareness
  • CEL3011 Cell biology 2 and DEV3021 Stem cells and regeneration
  • GEN3040 Genomics and molecular genetics and GEN3051 Medical genetics and forensic biology
  • IMM3031 Molecular and cellular immunology and IMM3042 Clinical immunopathology
  • MIC3011 Molecular microbiology or MIC3022 Molecular virology and viral pathogenesis, and MIC3032 Pathogenesis of bacterial infectious diseases
  • PHA3011 Principles of drug action and PHA3042 Fundamentals of solid-state physics
Materials and Nanotechnology (60 points)
  • CHE3161 Chemistry and chemical thermodynamics
  • CHE3172 Nanotechnology and materials 1
  • CHE4172 Nanotechnology and materials II (being introduced in 2008)
  • ENG1010 Process systems analysis
  • MTE2541 Nanostructure of materials
  • MTE2544 Functional materials
  • MTE3544 Management and practice in materials engineering
  • MTE4539 Biomaterials

plus two units from the following (one of which must be level three):

  • CHM2911 Molecular design and reactivity
  • CHM2922 Instrumental and forensic chemistry
  • CHM3180 Materials chemistry: biomaterials, macromolecules and smart materials
  • CHM3981 Chemistry at the interface
Plant and animal biotechnology (60 points)
  • BIO2282 Plant structure and function
  • BIO3011 Research methods in biology
  • BIO3082 Plant responses to the environment
  • CHM2922 Instrumental and forensic chemistry or CHM2180 Materials chemistry: biomaterials, macromolecules and smart materials
  • GEN2041 Foundations of genetics
  • GEN3030 Genetics of development
  • GEN3040 Genomics and molecular genetics

plus:

  • one additional level three BIO-coded unit covering regulation, control and techniques in cell biology
  • two units at levels two or three from the units listed in this handbook with the prefix CHM, GEN, BIO, MIC, or BCH – the units must have the same prefix

Course progression requirements

Students must have completed all of the stage 1-3 requirements, and achieved an average mark of at least 70 in at least 24 points of level-3 units, including BTH3012 (Biotechnology regulation, law and ethics III), to be able to undertake the honours program of the course. Students who have completed all of the stage 1-3 requirements but do not meet this progression requirement will complete the coursework program at level four to be eligible for the award of Bachelor of Biotechnology, or can apply to transfer to the Bachelor of Science to graduate.

Students who transfer to the Bachelor of Science course after successfully completing all of the requirements for stages 1-3 are eligible to apply to graduate with either an untagged Bachelor of Science or a tagged Bachelor of Science (specialist stream) based on their program of study. For example a student who completes all of the level 1-3 requirements including the requirements for the specialist stream in Medical Biotechnology is eligible to graduate with the tagged degree qualification Bachelor of Science (Medical Biotechnology).

Contact details

Course coordinator

Dr Philip MacKinnon (Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Clayton)

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