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.
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 | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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 | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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 | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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 | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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 | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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 | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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 | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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 | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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/-
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.