Course details

Summary

Extend your knowledge in your specialist area at postgraduate level with our honours programme.

The Bachelor of Science (Honours) programme involves one year of full-time study, or two years of part-time study, after you have completed the requirements for the Bachelor of Science.

Biotechnology

Biotechnology, in its broadest sense, is the commercial exploitation of living organisms or their components, such as proteins. Traditionally, these technologies have encompassed industrial microbiology, and dealt with ancient processes such as brewing or the microbial production of cheese and yoghurt, for instance. However, there has been an explosion of genetic, metabolic, and protein information now available that increasingly enables us to address major issues faced by society. In parallel it is also important for scientists operating within the life sciences to have knowledge of the business skills needed to translate scientific research into the commercialization.

Requirements:

• 15 points from BIOSCI 741, 759
• 15 points from BIOSCI 752, 755
• 30 points from SCIENT 701, 702, 704
• 60 points: BIOSCI 762, BIOTECH 788

Career opportunities

A BSc major in Biotechnology provides students with a strong foundation in biological sciences, biotechnology and entrepreneurship. The programme enables you to be taught by specialists from the Faculties of Science, Business and Economics and Medical and Health Sciences. You will be instructed in areas of fermentation technology, aspects of medical technology, down-stream processing and protein purification, managing technology and the appreciation of biotechnology’s social, legal and ethical place in society.

Graduates are likely to qualify for technical and research assistant positions within fundamental and applied research programmes in Crown Research Institutes, universities, biotechnology companies; the brewing, dairy and other traditional fermentation industries; pharmaceutical companies; and diagnostic facilities in medicine and agriculture. Employment in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies is especially buoyant in the United States and Europe, with significant growth expected in New Zealand.

Further study options

• Master of Information Technology
• Master of Energy
• Master of Science
• Master of Speech Language Therapy Practice
• Doctor of Philosophy
• Doctor of Clinical Psychology

Bachelor of Science (Honours) other subjects:

Applied Mathematics, Bioinformatics, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Exercise Sciences, Food Science, Geography, Geology, Geophysics, Logic and Computation, Mathematics, Medical Physics and Image Technology, Medical Statistics, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, Photonics, Physics, Physiology, Psychology, Statistics.

Entry criteria

The prerequisite is a major in Biotechnology and at least 90 points at Stage III.

English language requirements:IELTS 6.5; TOEFL (iBT) 90; TOEFL (paper-based) 575; CAE or CPE 176; PTE 58; MELAB 85.