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.

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
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	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	Credit Hours
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	Credit Hours
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	Credit Hours
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	Credit Hours
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	Credit Hours
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	Credit Hours
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/-

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.