Bachelor of Science in Zoology
The Bachelor of Science in Zoology program has been designed to prepare students for the rapidly changing world by providing them with a comprehensive understanding of animal biology. This subject plays a significant role in human resource development, food security, environmental conservation, sustainable development, and poverty alleviation.
The program is grounded in the basic sciences of general biology, chemistry, and mathematics, which are essential for understanding the latest research in animal biology. This foundation allows students to develop a solid understanding of the fundamental principles and concepts of animal biology.
The program offers a wide range of upper-level animal biology courses that students can choose from, allowing them to tailor their degree to their specific interests within zoology. This flexibility enables students to explore various areas of zoology, such as animal behavior, ecology, physiology, genetics, and evolution.
One of the unique features of this program is that students are only required to attend the university lab once a year for a period of three weeks. The rest of the time, they can study online from the comfort of their own homes. This format allows students to balance their academic studies with other commitments.
Objectives
- To equip students with a strong foundation in the basic sciences of general biology, chemistry, and mathematics, which are essential for understanding the latest research in animal biology.
- To offer students a wide range of upper-level animal biology courses that allow them to tailor their degree to their specific interests within zoology.
- To enable students to explore various areas of zoology, such as animal behavior, ecology, physiology, genetics, and evolution, and develop specialized knowledge and skills in these areas.
- To provide students with the flexibility to balance their academic studies with other commitments by allowing them to study online for most of the program and requiring attendance at the university lab for only three weeks per year.
- To prepare students for careers in fields related to animal biology, such as research, conservation, education, and agriculture, and to enable them to make a positive impact on society and the environment.
Eligibility
- 45% in Intermediate with Pre-medical (HSSC) or a comparable certification approved by IBCC is required.
- Limited seats are available.
- Candidates who have completed ‘A’ levels must provide an equivalence certificate from the Inter Board Committee of the Chairman in Islamabad from the link (http://www.ibcc.edu.pk/)
- Candidates with less than 45% marks are not eligible for the program.
- Applicants seeking admission to the mentioned programs through the BS entry route or course exemption will also be assessed on the basis of 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ZOO102
|
Principles of Animal Life-I |
Required |
|
4 (Theory:3, Practical:1) |
|
|
ZOO201
|
Animal Diversity: Invertebrates |
Required |
|
4 (Theory:3, Practical:1) |
|
|
ENG101 |
English Comprehension |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
CS101 |
Introduction to Computing |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3), Practical:0) |
|
|
PAK301 |
Pakistan Studies |
Required |
|
2 (Theory:2, Practical:0) |
|
|
VU001 |
Introduction to e-Learning |
Required |
|
1 (Theory:1), Practical:0) |
|
Semester 2
| Course Code | Subject Title | Type | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ZOO202
|
Animal Diversity: Chordates |
Required |
|
4 (Theory:3, Practical:1) |
|
|
BIO401
|
Biostatistics |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
|
MTH100 |
General Mathematics |
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) |
|
|
ZOO101 |
Biological Techniques |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:2, Practical:1) |
Content |
Semester 3
| Course Code | Subject Title | Type | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BIF101
|
Introduction to Bioinformatics |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
|
BT401
|
Genetic Resources & Conservation |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
|
CHE201 |
Physical Chemistry |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
|
ENG301 |
Business Communication |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
|
ZOO103 |
Principles of Systematics |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:2, Practical:1) |
|
|
ZOO403 |
Animal Behavior |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
Semester 4
| 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) |
|
|
ZOO301 |
Animal Form & Function-I |
Required |
|
4 (Theory:3, Practical:1) |
|
|
ZOO301 |
Animal Form & Function-I |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
|
BIF401 |
Bioinformatics I |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:2, Practical:1) |
|
|
BT101 |
Ecology, Biodiversity & Evolution-I |
Required |
|
2 (Theory:2, Practical:0) |
|
Semester 5
| Course Code | Subject Title | Type | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ZOO302
|
Animal Form & Function-II |
Required |
|
4 (Theory:3, Practical:1) |
|
|
ZOO404
|
Physiology |
Required |
|
4 (Theory:3, Practical:1) |
|
|
ZOO506 |
Applied Entomology and Pest Management |
Required |
|
4 (Theory:3, Practical:1) |
|
|
ZOO501 |
Developmental Biology |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:2, Practical:1) |
|
|
ZOO507 |
Principles of Animal Ecology |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:2, Practical:1) |
|
Semester 6
| 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) |
|
|
BIO203 |
Methods in Molecular Biology |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:1, Practical:2) |
|
|
BIO301 |
Essentials of Genetics |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:2, Practical:1) |
|
|
ZOO504 |
Wildlife |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
Semester 7
| Course Code | Subject Title | Type | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BT301
|
Introduction to Biotechnology |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
|
BT406
|
Research Methodology & Skill Enhancement |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
|
ZOO503 |
Final Year Project A |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
|
ZOO603 |
Principles of Fish Biology |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:2, Practical:1) |
|
|
BT102 |
Microbiology |
Elective |
|
3 (Theory:2, Practical:1) |
|
|
ZOO619A |
Final Year Project A |
Elective |
|
3 (Theory:0, Practical:3) |
|
Semester 8
| Course Code | Subject Title | Type | Pre Requisite | Credit Hours | Specialization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BT201
|
Ecology, Biodiversity & Evolution-II |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
|
BT403 |
Agriculture Biotechnology |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
|
ZOO510 |
Economic Zoology |
Required |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
|
BT302 |
Immunology |
Elective |
|
3 (Theory:3, Practical:0) |
|
|
ZOO619B |
Final Year Project B |
Elective |
|
3 (Theory:0, Practical:3) |
|
|
BT605 |
Biosafety & Bioethics |
Required |
|
2 (Theory:2, Practical:0) |
|
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 ( 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 the Zoology program, 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 Zoology 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.
Degree Awarded
- The minimum requirement for eligibility is the completion of the BS in Zoology, which must add up to at least 135 credit hours.
- A minimum CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) of 2.0 out of 4.0 is required to be considered eligible.
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.