Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (BSBGE)
Overview of The Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (BGE)
UIU is going to expand its academic arena in the field of biomedical research and healthcare industries. The establishment of “The Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering” as a new department under the School of Life Sciences will be an excellent addition to contribute in biomedical research and education. Under the patronage of the United group, most reputed hospitals namely United Hospitals, United Medical College, and Hospitals and Nursing Institute have been already established. These institutions are producing graduates who are serving in health services with high reputations. UIU, another benefaction of United Group, wishes to open the “Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering” program to produce skilled graduates in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering to meet the demand of our beloved country and abroad. To run the program successfully, UIU has set up a new department named “Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering” following the guidelines of UGC, Bangladesh.
In the last few decades, the roles of Biotechnologists and Genetic Engineers have been diversified from basic science to applied science and utilization of these technologies for mankind and to discover lifesaving drugs. During the recent pandemic outbreak COVID-19 vaccine was developed based on using mRNA technology and hundreds of millions of people’s lives were saved. This was only possible by the rapid detection, and identification of the COVID-19 virus’s strain, its spike protein, and the subsequent design of mRNA vaccine based on the spike protein (genetic materials of the viruses). This discovery was directly and indirectly associated with the principle and practices of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering techniques and could have ended the pandemic
Moreover, beyond the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, there are various fields in the Biomedical and healthcare industries, that solely depend on the application of the Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering principles. The graduates will contribute to the field and move it forward for mankind, standing up during the crisis, and serving the nation and globally with their expertise. The graduates will play a pivotal role in advancing the field for the betterment of mankind, stepping up during times of crisis, serving the nation, and helping the global community with their expertise. Among the numerous breakthroughs in biotechnology and genetic engineering, some notable milestones include Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR-T) T cell therapy for cancer patients, monoclonal antibodies for cancers and autoimmune diseases, recombinant human Insulin for diabetic patients, wheat blast disease control and management, Jute whole genome sequences and many more. Considering the utmost importance and emerging area of biomedical research and development and, the professional role of Biotechnologists in the health care system, the Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering curriculum will be an excellent fit to build up the skilled and well-trained Biotechnology graduates by providing complete and comprehensive theoretical and practical knowledge.
Following the approval of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh, the Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (BGE) program has been designed for students so that they can acquire sufficient knowledge and understand the principles, practices, and techniques of the Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering. The program will include lectures along with laboratory classes, seminars, industrial, hospital, and research institutes-based training, research methodology, research projects, report writing, and publications of their scientific findings.
Admission Requirements
Every applicant, without any exception, must fulfil the admission requirements as laid down by the Uuniversity. Admission Test and Interview for admission into a semester will be held as decided by the University.
A Higher Secondary Certificate or its equivalent in Science with Mathematics and Biology or other fields of study are the basic educational requirements to get admission to this program.
Entry Requirements:
Following entry requirements will be considered for the students seeking admission to Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Program under the School of Science and Engineering.
- A minimum GPA of 2.5/2nd division/equivalent grade in SSC and HSC or equivalent public examinations. Students with GPA 2.00 in any examination either SSC or HSC, however, must have a minimum GPA of 6.00 totalling the GPA of both the examinations.
- O-level students must have completed a minimum of 5 subjects with Average Grade Point of 2.50 or above and A-level students a minimum of 2 subjects with Average Grade Point of 2.00 or above (scale A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, E=1)
- The students, who are children of freedom fighters, will be eligible for getting admission if they have a minimum GPA of 5.00 totalling the GPA of SSC and HSC Examinations. Such students, however, have to submit the copy of authenticated documents as the proof of his/her father/mother’s identity as a freedom fighter.
- Acceptable score in UIU Admission Test.
- Admission Test is not required for GPA 5.00 holders in H.S.C/equivalent level of exams and credit transferred students for getting admission to an undergraduate program.
- GED result will not be accepted.
Admission Test
Applicants will be required to sit for an Admission Test designed to judge their abilities and aptitude for the program. The Test will be held as arranged by the University. The Admission Test will be held on the following three areas:
- Language and Communication
- Biology
- Chemistry
To qualify in a Written Test, an applicant is required to obtain a minimum mark in all the three sections separately.
Degree Requirements
The degree requirements of B.Sc. in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering will be as follows:
(a) Completion of 140.0 credit hours, and
(b) Passing of all courses individually and maintaining a minimum CGPA of 2.00.
Number of Semesters in each academic year:
There will be two semesters: Spring (January-June) and Fall (July – December) semester in each academic year.
Number of Intake:
United International University will allow two intakes per year in the B.Sc. in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Program according to the semester and approved number of students/seats for admission by the regulatory bodies.
Selection of Teachers:
The faculty for teaching courses and guiding students in the program will be selected following the guidelines of University Grants Commission of Bangladesh. Selection of Teachers for B.Sc. in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Program will be done based on academic record, teaching skills and research experience. Specialist faculty from other universities and other institutions within and outside the country can be engaged to conduct courses and collaborative research activities in the Department. Faculty with Ph.D. degree in related fields may be given preference.
The Curriculum:
The degree of B.Sc. in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering will be conferred by the University when a student will satisfactorily complete all the required courses offered to him/her over a period of 4 (four) academic years. Each academic year is divided into two semesters.
Duration of Semesters:
The duration of a semester is 6 (six) months including Class Tests, Assignments, Mid-term and Final Examination. The duration of a semester is 20 (twenty) weeks which may be used as follows:
Classes (Theoretical and Practical) 7 weeks
Mid-Term Examination 3 weeks
Classes (Theoretical and Practical) 7 weeks
Final Examination 3 weeks
Total 20 weeks
Grading System:
The total performance of a student in a given course is based on a scheme of continuous assessment. For theoretical courses this continuous assessment is made through homework, assignment, attendance, quizzes, etc. The distribution of marks for a given course will be as follows:
I. Class Attendance 5%
II. Class Tests 20%
III. Assignments 5%
IV. Mid-Term Exam 30%
V. Final Exam 40%
Total: 100%
The assessment in laboratory courses will be made through observation of the student at work in class, viva voce during laboratory hours and quizzes. Minimum Attendance in the Class will be 80% as per existing UIU policy.
Each course has a number of credits, which describes its corresponding weights. A letter grade with a specific number of grade points is awarded to each course for which a student is registered. A student has to earn a minimum CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) of 2.0 to qualify for the next semester. A student will be on probation if he/she earns a minimum CGPA of less than 2.0.
Letter grades and corresponding grade points will be awarded in accordance with the provision shown below:
| Numerical Grade (%) | Grade | Grade Point |
| 90 – 100 | A (Plain) | 4.0 |
| 86 – 89 | A- (Minus) | 3.67 |
| 82 – 85 | B+ (Plus) | 3.33 |
| 78 – 81 | B (Plain) | 3.00 |
| 74 – 77 | B- (Minus) | 2.67 |
| 70 – 73 | C+ (Plus) | 2.33 |
| 66 – 69 | C (Plain) | 2.00 |
| 62 – 65 | C- (Minus) | 1.67 |
| 58 – 61 | D+ (Plus) | 1.33 |
| 55 – 57 | D (Plain) | 1.00 |
| F | 0.00 | |
| I | Incomplete | |
| W | Withdrawn |
Note: Grade ‘A’ will be considered as exceptional performance, Grade ‘B’ will be considered as very good performance, Grade ‘C’ will be considered as satisfactory performance and Grade ‘D’ will be considered as minimally acceptable performance, Grade ‘F’ will be considered as unacceptable performance, Grade ‘I’ will be considered as ‘Incomplete’ and Grade ‘W’ will be considered as ‘Withdrawn’.
Conduct and Discipline:
A student should conform to the highest standard of discipline and shall conduct herself/himself within and outside the premises of the university in a manner befitting the student of a university of national importance. He/she shall show due courtesy and consideration to the teachers and other employees of the university and render sincere co‑operation to his/her fellow students. The students must also pay due attention and courtesy to the visitors. A student who will be involved in any immoral activities or indiscipline activities, fanatic activities or subversive activities to the state he/she may be expelled from the University without prior notice.
Format of Bachelor of Science (BS) in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (BGE)
| Credit Distribution | |
| Credits for General Education (GED) Courses | 30 |
| Credits for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (BGE) Core Courses | 110 |
| Total Credits | 140 |
| Duration of the Program | |
| Total Years | 4 |
| Semesters | |
| Number of Semesters | 8 |
| Course Load per Semester | 15-21 |
| Number of Courses per Semester | 5-7 |
Name of the Courses for the Bachelor Program in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering
General Education (GED) Courses:
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit |
| ENG 1105 | Basic English | 3 |
| BDS 1201 | History of the Emergence of Bangladesh | 3 |
| MATH 1105 | Fundamentals of Mathematics | 3 |
| CHEM 1103 | Biophysical Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 2103 | Bioorganic Chemistry | 3 |
| PHY 1201 | Physics for Biologists-I | 3 |
| PHY 2101 | Physics for Biologists-II | 3 |
| CSE 2001 | Basics of Computing and Information Technology | 3 |
| CSE 3001 | Software fundamentals in Computation | 3 |
| MATH 3101 | Biostatistics | 3 |
| Total credit hours in GED | 30 | |
Core Courses on Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (BGE):
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit |
| BGE 1001 | General Biology | 3 |
| BGE 1002 | Basic Biochemistry | 3 |
| BGE 1003 | Introductory Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering | 3 |
| BGE 1004 | Basic Microbiology | 3 |
| BGE 2001 | Enzymes and Enzyme Kinetics | 3 |
| BGE 2002 | Basics of Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BGE 2003 | Protein Structure and Function | 3 |
| BGE 2004 | Molecular Genetics | 3 |
| BGE 2005 | Bioenergetics and Metabolism | 3 |
| BGE 2006 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| BGE 2007 | Human Physiology | 3 |
| BGE 3001 | Animal and Plant Tissue Culture | 3 |
| BGE 3002 | Basic Immunology | 3 |
| BGE 3003 | Genomics, Proteomic and Bioinformatics | 3 |
| BGE 3004 | Agriculture Biotechnology | 3 |
| BGE 3005 | Animal Biotechnology | 3 |
| BGE 3006 | Molecular Biology of the Diseases | 3 |
| BGE 3007 | Recombinant DNA Technology | 3 |
| BGE 3008 | Microbial Genetics | 3 |
| BGE 3009 | Developmental Biology | 3 |
| BGE 4001 | Fermentation Technology and Bioprocessing | 3 |
| BGE 4002 | Biotechnology of Microbial System | 3 |
| BGE 4003 | Computational Genomics and System Biology | 3 |
| BGE 4004 | Medical Biotechnology | 3 |
| BGE 4005 | Cellular Communication and Signaling | 3 |
| BGE 4006 | GMOs, Biosafety and Bioethics | 3 |
| BGE 4008 | Advanced Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BGE 4009 | Virology and Oncology | 3 |
| BGE 4010 | Methods in Biotechnology | 3 |
| BGE 4011 | Environmental Biotechnology | 3 |
| BGE 4012 | Aquaculture and Marine Biotechnology | 3 |
| BGE 4013 | Business Perspective of Biotechnology | 3 |
| Total credit hours in core courses | 96 | |
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit |
| BGE 1008 | Lab Experiments-I | 1.5 |
| BGE 1010 | Lab Experiments-II | 1.5 |
| BGE 2008 | Lab Experiments-III | 1.5 |
| BGE 2010 | Lab Experiments-IV | 1.5 |
| BGE 3010 | Laboratory Experiments-V | 1.5 |
| BGE 3012 | Laboratory Experiments-VI | 1.5 |
| BGE 4000 | Research Project | 2.0 |
| BGE 4014 | Laboratory Experiments-VII | 3.0 |
| Total credit hours in lab courses and research | 14 | |
| Grand Total in Credit Hours | 140 |
Semester Wise Course and Credit Distribution
FIRST YEAR, FIRST SEMESTER
| Course No. | Course Title | Credits |
| ENG 1105 | Basic English | 3.0 |
| MATH 1105 | Fundamentals of Mathematics | 3.0 |
| CHEM 1103 | Biophysical Chemistry | 3.0 |
| BGE 1001 | General Biology | 3.0 |
| BGE 1002 | Basic Biochemistry | 3.0 |
| BGE 1008 | Lab Experiments-I | 1.5 |
| Total | 16.5 | |
FIRST YEAR, SECOND SEMESTER
| Course No. | Course Title | Credits |
| BDS 1201 | History of the Emergence of Bangladesh | 3.0 |
| PHY 1201 | Physics for Biologists-I | 3.0 |
| BGE 1003 | Introductory Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering | 3.0 |
| BGE 1004 | Basic Microbiology | 3.0 |
| BGE 1010 | Lab Experiments-II | 1.5 |
| Total | 13.5 | |
SECOND YEAR, FIRST SEMESTER
| Course No. | Course Title | Credits |
| CHEM 2103 | Bioorganic Chemistry | 3.0 |
| PHY 2101 | Physics for Biologists-II | 3.0 |
| BGE 2001 | Enzymes and Enzyme Kinetics | 3.0 |
| BGE 2002 | Basics of Molecular Biology | 3.0 |
| BGE 2003 | Protein Structure and Function | 3.0 |
| BGE 2008 | Lab Experiments-III | 1.5 |
| Total | 16.5 | |
SECOND YEAR, SECOND SEMESTER
| Course No. | Course Title | Credits |
| CSE 2001 | Basics of Computing and Information Technology | 3.0 |
| BGE 2004 | Molecular Genetics | 3.0 |
| BGE 2005 | Bioenergetics and Metabolism | 3.0 |
| BGE 2006 | Cell Biology | 3.0 |
| BGE 2007 | Human Physiology | 3.0 |
| BGE 2010 | Lab Experiments-IV | 1.5 |
| Total | 16.5 | |
THIRD YEAR, FIRST SEMESTER
| Course No. | Course Title | Credits |
| MATH 3101 | Biostatistics | 3.0 |
| BGE 3001 | Animal and Plant Tissue Culture | 3.0 |
| BGE 3002 | Basic Immunology | 3.0 |
| BGE 3003 | Genomics, Proteomic and Bioinformatics | 3.0 |
| BGE 3004 | Agriculture Biotechnology | 3.0 |
| BGE 3005 | Animal Biotechnology | 3.0 |
| BGE 3010 | Laboratory Experiments-V | 1.5 |
| Total | 19.5 | |
THIRD YEAR, SECOND SEMESTER
| Course No. | Course Title | Credits |
| CSE 3001 | Software fundamentals in Computation | 3.0 |
| BGE 3006 | Molecular Biology of the Diseases | 3.0 |
| BGE 3007 | Recombinant DNA Technology | 3.0 |
| BGE 3008 | Microbial Genetics | 3.0 |
| BGE 3009 | Developmental Biology | 3.0 |
| BGE 3012 | Laboratory Experiments-VI | 1.5 |
| Total | 16.5 | |
FOURTH YEAR, FIRST SEMESTER
| Course No. | Course Title | Credits |
| BGE 4001 | Fermentation Technology and Bio-processing | 3.0 |
| BGE 4002 | Biotechnology of Microbial System | 3.0 |
| BGE 4003 | Computational Genomics and System Biology | 3.0 |
| BGE 4004 | Medical Biotechnology | 3.0 |
| BGE 4005 | Cellular Communication and Signaling | 3.0 |
| BGE 4006 | GMOs, Biosafety and Bioethics | 3.0 |
| BGE 4000 | Research Project | 2.0 |
| Total | 20.0 | |
FOURTH YEAR, SECOND SEMESTER
| Course No. | Course Title | Credits |
| BGE 4008 | Advanced Molecular Biology | 3.0 |
| BGE 4009 | Virology and Oncology | 3.0 |
| BGE 4010 | Methods in Biotechnology | 3.0 |
| BGE 4011 | Environmental Biotechnology | 3.0 |
| BGE 4012 | Aquaculture and Marine Biotechnology | 3.0 |
| BGE 4013 | Business Perspective of Biotechnology | 3.0 |
| BGE 4014 | Laboratory Experiments-VII | 3.0 |
| Total | 21.0 | |
| Total Credit | 140 |
