Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology

The Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology is a degree program designed to provide students with up-to-date and practical knowledge of this multidisciplinary and emerging field. Biotechnology refers to applying scientific and engineering principles to the processing of materials by biological agents to deliver goods and services. This field encompasses a range of technologies that are focused on gaining a deeper understanding of biology at the cellular and molecular levels.

Biotechnology applications are vital in several industries, including health, agriculture, and the environment. Biotechnology is also instrumental in making human life more peaceful and comfortable by developing new products and processes that address various challenges.

For example, biotechnology has contributed to the development of new medical treatments, such as gene therapy and personalized medicine, and has helped improve crop yields and reduce the environmental impact of farming.

The primary aim of the BS in Biotechnology program is to produce experts in biotechnology who can help drive innovation and make novel achievements in this field. The program is designed to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to pursue a variety of career paths, including roles in educational institutes, scientific research and development, management in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors, and more. Graduates of the program are expected to be well-versed in the latest advances in biotechnology and to be able to apply this knowledge to solve real-world problems in a variety of contexts.

Objectives

To equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to apply scientific and engineering principles to the processing of materials by biological agents to deliver goods and services.
To help students gain a deeper understanding of biology at the cellular and molecular level, and the various technologies used in biotechnology.
To train students to apply their knowledge of biotechnology to solve real-world problems in various contexts, including in health, agriculture, and the environment.
To produce experts in biotechnology who can drive innovation and make novel achievements in this field.
To prepare students for a variety of career paths in educational institutes, scientific research and development, management in biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors, and more.

Eligibility

Intermediate with Pre-medical (equal to 12 years of education) with at least 45% marks.

Candidates who have completed ‘A’ levels must provide an equivalence certificate from the Inter Board Committee of the Chairman in Islamabad
Candidates with less than 45% marks are not eligible for the program.
There are a limited number of merit-based seats available.
Applicants seeking admission to the mentioned programs through the BS entry route or course exemption will also be assessed based on merit.

Course Exemption

Students who have already completed 14 years of education and those wishing to transfer their credit hours from other universities are eligible for course exemption.

Degree Duration

This program is a four-year full-time course, divided into eight semesters, each semester has at least 18 weeks for teaching and examinations.

Study Scheme

Semester 1

Course Code	Subject Title	Type	Credit Hours
BT101	Ecology, Biodiversity & Evolution-I	Required	3 (Theory:3), Practical:0)
BT102	Microbiology	Required	3 (Theory:2, Practical:1)
ENG101	English Comprehension	Required	3 (Theory:3), Practical:0)
CS101	Introduction to Computing	Required	3 (Theory:3), Practical:0)
BT511T	Introduction to Biotechnology (Theory)	Required	2 (Theory:2, Practical:0)
PAK301	Pakistan Studies	Required	2 (Theory:2, Practical:0)
BT511P	Introduction to Biotechnology (Practical)	Required	1 (Theory:0, Practical:1)
VU001	Introduction to e-Learning	Required	1 (Theory:1), Practical:0)

Semester 2

Course Code	Subject Title	Type	Credit Hours
BIO201	Cell Biology	Required	4 (Theory:3, Practical:1)
BIO202	Biochemistry-I	Required	4 (Theory:3, Practical:1)
BT201	Ecology, Biodiversity & Evolution-II	Required	3 (Theory:3), Practical:0)
ENG201	Business and Technical English Writing	Required	3 (Theory:3), Practical:0)
ETH202	Ethics (for Non-Muslims)	Elective	2 (Theory:2, Practical:0)
ISL202	Islamic Studies	Elective	2 (Theory:2, Practical:0)

Semester 3

Course Code	Subject Title	Type	Credit Hours
BIO302	Molecular Biology	Required	4 (Theory:3, Practical:1)
BIO303	Biochemistry II	Required	4 (Theory:3, Practical:1)
BIF401	Bioinformatics I	Required	3 (Theory:3), Practical:0)
BIO301	Essentials of Genetics	Required	3 (Theory:2, Practical:1)
CHE301	Analytical Chemistry & Instrumentation	Required	3 (Theory:2, Practical:1)
BIF401P	Bioinformatics I (Practical)	Required	1 (Theory:0, Practical:1)

Semester 4

Course Code	Subject Title	Type	Credit Hours
BIO203	Methods in Molecular Biology	Required	3 (Theory:1, Practical:2)
BIO204	Principles of Biochemical Engineering	Required	3 (Theory:2, Practical:1)
BT302	Immunology	Required	3 (Theory:3), Practical:0)
ENG301	Business Communication	Required	3 (Theory:3, Practical:0)
MTH100	General Mathematics	Required	3 (Theory:2, Practical:1)
BT512T	Microbial Biotechnology (Theory)	Required	2 (Theory:2, Practical:0)
BT512P	Microbial Biotechnology (Practical)	Required	1 (Theory:0, Practical:1)

Semester 5

Course Code	Subject Title	Type	Credit Hours
BIO401	Biostatistics	Required	3 (Theory:3, Practical:0)
CHE201	Physical Chemistry	Required	3 (Theory:3, Practical:0)
MGT301	Principles of Marketing	Required	3 (Theory:3), Practical:0)
MGT501	Human Resource Management	Required	3 (Theory:3, Practical:0)
MTH101	Calculus And Analytical Geometry	Required	3 (Theory:2, Practical:1)
SOC101	Introduction to Sociology	Required	3 (Theory:3, Practical:0)

Semester 6

Course Code	Subject Title	Type	Credit Hours
BIO503	Biological Physics	Required	3 (Theory:3, Practical:0)
BT401	Genetic Resources & Conservation	Required	3 (Theory:3, Practical:0)
BT405	Nano Biotechnology	Required	3 (Theory:3), Practical:0)
BT406	Research Methodology & Skill Enhancement	Required	3 (Theory:3, Practical:0)
BT501	Health Biotechnology	Required	3 (Theory:3, Practical:0)
BT601	Virology	Required	3 (Theory:3, Practical:0)

Semester 7

Course Code	Subject Title	Type	Credit Hours
BT503	Environment Biotechnology	Required	3 (Theory:3, Practical:0)
BT505	Biosensors	Required	3 (Theory:3, Practical:0)
BT619A	Final Year Project A	Elective	3 (Theory:0, Practical:3)
ZOO507	Principles of Animal Ecology	Elective	3 (Theory:3, Practical:0)
BT611T	Food Biotechnology (Theory)	Required	2 (Theory:2, Practical:0)
BT612T	Fermentation Technology (Theory)	Required	2 (Theory:2, Practical:0)
BT502	Seminar-I	Required	1 (Theory:1, Practical:0)
BT611P	Food Biotechnology (Practical)	Required	1 (Theory:0, Practical:1)
BT612P	Fermentation Technology (Practical)	Required	1 (Theory:0, Practical:1)

Semester 8

Course Code	Subject Title	Type	Credit Hours
BT504	Genomics and Proteomics	Required	3 (Theory:3, Practical:0)
BIF604	Special Topics in Bioinformatics	Elective	3 (Theory:3, Practical:0)
BT619B	Final Year Project A	Elective	3 (Theory:0, Practical:3)
BT605	Biosafety & Bioethics	Elective	2 (Theory:2, Practical:0)
BT613T	Agriculture Biotechnology (Theory)	Required	2 (Theory:2, Practical:0)
BT614T	Industrial Biotechnology (Theory)	Required	2 (Theory:2, Practical:0)
BT602	Seminar-II	Required	1 (Theory:1, Practical:0)
BT613P	Agriculture Biotechnology (Practical)	Required	1 (Theory:0, Practical:1)
BT614P	Industrial Biotechnology (Practical)	Required	1 (Theory:0, Practical:1)

Assessment of Study Progress

The evaluation of students’ academic progress is based on continuous assessment throughout the semester, including assignments, online quizzes, Graded Discussion Boards (GDBs), and mid-term and final term exams. The mid and final-term exams are conducted at VU’s designated exam centers and typically account for 80-85% of the total marks for a course.

Practical

Participation in practical classes or courses will be required for a student to qualify for those courses. Each student will take practical classes in the VU-approved lab cities that were assigned to them at the time of admission, which is as under:

Lab Cities (For Biological Sciences Programs)
LAHORE	FAISALABAD	MULTAN	RAWALPINDI
PESHAWAR	KARACHI	GUJRANWALA	ABBOTTABAD
SAHIWAL	JALALPUR PIRWALA	BAHAWALNAGAR	BAHAWALPUR
JHELUM	MUZAFFARGARH	NANKANA SAHIB	D.G. KHAN
QUETTA	NAROWAL	HYDERABAD	PATTOKI
GUJJAR KHAN

Important note

The University follows a merit-based admission process for students applying to Biological Sciences programs, with seats allocated based on the available capacity of each laboratory city. Once a student is admitted to a particular lab city, they cannot change their allocated laboratory city post admission.

Project

To fulfill the requirements of the BS in Biotechnology program, students must complete a 6-credit hour project during their 7th and 8th semesters, according to the prescribed scheme of studies. The topic of the project is chosen by the student, but they are required to consult with their student advisor. Upon completion, students must submit a detailed write-up of the project and may also be asked to give a presentation.

Fee Structure

Degree Program	Admission Fee	Registration Fee	Security Fee	Admission Processing Fee	Semester Enrollment Fee	Per credit hour fee	Fee of Convocation	Fee payable at admission
BS	3,000	2,500	2,000	500	1,000	850	2,000	11,650

Semester fee within Pakistan

Semester fee Approximately Rs. 17,000/-

Fee structure for Overseas

Disclaimer

The courses are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up to date with those taught at top universities, considering the needs of local industry and the job market.
The University may alter its fee structure from time to time.