BSc Biological Sciences (Biotechnology with Enterprise)

Year 3

(Award available for year: Bachelor of Science)

Learning outcomes

On completion of the year/programme students should have provided evidence of being able to:
- understand and demonstrate coherent and detailed subject knowledge and professional competencies some of which will be informed by recent research/scholarship in the biological sciences and biotechnology;
- be aware of up-to-date developments, hypotheses and controversies in biological sciences and biotechnology;
- critically appreciate forms of entrepreneurship and enterprising activity in relation to economic and societal outcomes on local and global levels;
- critically examine relevant enterprise development processes in relation to appropriate personal, industry and subject-specific issues;
- demonstrate understanding of a range of scientific and experimental techniques, including experimental design;
- appreciate the uncertainty, ambiguity and limitations of knowledge in the disciplines;
- conform to ethical, and professional boundaries and norms where applicable.

Transferable (key) skills

Students will have had the opportunity to acquire, as defined in the modules specified for the programme:
- apply their knowledge and understanding in order to initiate and carry out an extended piece of work or project;
- produce portfolios, written reports and give formal presentations to a standard acceptable to both employers and academic staff;
- deploy accurately skills in analysis, interpretation and presentation of quantitative and qualitative data within the disciplines of biotechnology and enterprise;
- effectively communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions in various formats to a range of audiences;
- demonstrate skills in information handling, making appropriate use of scholarly reviews and primary sources, critically evaluating particular aspects of recent research and/or scholarship, and using information to solve complex problems;
- demonstrate skills such as organisational and self-management skills necessary for the exercising of personal responsibility and demonstrate decision making skills in complex and unpredictable situations;
- demonstrate effective teamwork skills in a range of situations;
- demonstrate commercial awareness;
- demonstrate the ability to undertake appropriate further training of a professional or equivalent nature.

Assessment

Achievement will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year/programme and will include:
- demonstrating the ability to apply a broad range of aspects of both biotechnology and enterprise;
- work that draws on a wide variety of material;
- the ability to evaluate and criticise received opinion;
- evidence of an ability to conduct independent, in depth enquiry within the disciplines;
- work that is typically both evaluative and creative;

Assessment of core biological sciences/biotechnology modules is by in-course assessment, including assessment of practical skills, scientific paper in the Research Tools and Applications modules, group presentation, paper summary examination & mini-review in the Advanced skills module. Knowledge-based modules are assessed by essay-style examination. The Enterprise project module is assessed by reflective log, oral presentation, and written portfolio, and the Social Networking for Enterprise by group and individual reports, together with oral presentation.