Faculty of Science

Duration: 3 years

Fee Paying: Yes

Admission Requirements

Students wishing to study Molecular Biology must fulfil basic university requirements, must have passed at least2 GCE Advanced Level subjects including Biology or chemistry or any equivalent certificate. The Baccalaureate series C and D are also acceptable. A pass in Ordinary Level Mathematics or equivalent and English is mandatory.

Objectives

This is a programme aimed at preparing graduates for careers in:

• Genetic engineering, bioinformatics and molecular biotechnology;
• Genetically modified crops (GMO’s), and improved seeds;
• The Pharmaceutical Biotechnology industry (dealing especially, with the discovery, development and manufacturing of new drugs, diagnostic tests and vaccines);

Graduates may gain employment in the medical/pharmaceutical, agricultural and environmental sectors.

Graduation Requirements

In order to graduate the student must pass all the core courses and must have a minimum credit of 180. To make up the total number of credits required for graduation, the student can choose courses in the structured electives categories (see BSc in BCH) as he/she wishes and under the supervision of the Department.

Outcomes

• Production of knowledgeable and skilful graduates with a thorough understanding of the basic principles and techniques of the molecular biosciences needed to meet the ever bustling biotechnology and pharmaceutical markets.
• Provision of in-depth knowledge and practical skills that can enable graduates create jobs and/or pursue research careers in the field of molecular biology, medicine, agriculture, biotechnology and/or other service industries.
• To equip graduates with the capacity and motivation for continued education.

Skills Acquired

The Molecular Biology degrees will enable the graduates to examine and understand all forms of life at the nucleic acid and protein levels. Thus skills to be acquired in this programme will include

• Skills in areas fundamental to many bioscience disciplines as well as an understanding of biochemistry, Molecular genetics and microbiology.
• Practical and industrial skills that permit graduates to excel in biomedical and allied laboratories, research laboratories and industries.
• Quantitative and qualitative analytical skills and skills to understand, interpret, and explain biological data.

Employment Opportunities

Career opportunities in the molecular biosciences and biotechnology, including pharmaceutical research and development, environmental studies, medicine and diagnostics, molecular epidemiology, molecular forensic sciences, etc.

Courses