Master of Science in Biotechnology (MS Biotechnology)

Introduction

Biotechnology is generally defined as application of living systems based technologies to develop commercial processes and products. It is a multidisciplinary field of activity, which heavily relies on integration of Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Chemical Engineering and Process Engineering, together with other disciplines, in a way that optimizes the exploitation of their potential. Over the last few decades, several fundamental discoveries in life sciences have given rise to Modern Biotechnology, which is now one of the fastest growing areas of science; hence this century has rightly been termed as ‘Century of Biology’, hoping that such advances in life sciences will yield changes more momentous than those of electricity and computers.

With the opening up of the country’s economy and liberalization, Government of Pakistan has taken many steps to reorient it, and to move towards a knowledge-based economy. Biotechnology has thus been included in the six priority areas of Science & Technology Policy of the country. In order to further develop this technology, a National Commission on Biotechnology was established with the objective of advising the Ministry of Science & Technology (MoST) and to help monitor new developments in the field of Biotechnology at national and international levels. For venturing into any Biotech project, it is essential to have appropriate skilled manpower. Therefore, the MS program in Biotechnology at the Department of Biotechnology, Qarshi University, Lahore is developed to provide a strong theoretical background and an exciting horizon for the students for acquiring modern day skills of Biotechnology and its associated fields. This program will provide skills for solving intricate issues of health sector through research and development. The program will provide awareness and impart knowledge by keeping the highest standards of professionalism along with ethical and social values of Biological Sciences.

Rationale

There is a dire need to develop MS program in Biotechnology at Qarshi University that will provide the graduates with opportunity to explore the latest trends in health research. With advance courses and research, the graduates will be acquainted with the evolving nature of Biotechnology and will create further avenues particularly in the health sector. Our MS program will not only lead to the strengthening of the industry and academia linkage but will also provide exciting platforms like technology incubation centers and other related applied research based enterprises. As Qarshi Group of Industries is already based on herbal products business wherein the applied research of Biotechnology can directly support the better product development, quality control and therefore, increased business opportunities and employment opportunities for the graduates.

Strengths of the MS Biotechnology Programme

• Master the concepts of biotechnology, molecular biology, genomics and proteomics.
• Get skills necessary to collect, interpret, and critically analyze chemical data from laboratory experiments and the scientific literature.
• Have the efficiency in oral and written presentation of scientific concepts.
• Gain knowledge from industry perspective in the biotechnology field.
• Be research and process development specialists.
• Meet the demands of doctoral programs.
• Gain core competencies in statistics and research methods
• High quality full time faculty, active in research
• Opportunity to work as research assistants with the faculty

Objectives of the Program

• The program will provide awareness and impart knowledge by keeping the highest standards of professionalism and values.
• The proposed MS program is intended to strengthen the liaison of industry and academia. The higher education is considered valuable when directly applied in the industries.
• Our objective will be to prepare the students for employment opportunities in the critically important and evolving biotechnology industry nation-wide but also provide skilled and problem-solving researchers for Qarshi Research International and Qarshi Industries.
• The MS program in Biotechnology at the Department of Biotechnology will provide a strong theoretical background and an exciting horizon for the students to acquire modern day skills in Bioengineering, Medicine, Agriculture and Environment & Energy.
• The purpose of the program is to produce high-caliber graduates of biotechnology having the strong knowledge of Nano-biotechnology, quality assurance and commercialization of herbs related business and other biotech startups etc.

Scope of the Program

There is an immense career scope as you can work on efficient medical equipment and technologies, healthcare innovations, pharmaceutical research and much more. Building a successful career in Biotechnology, students will be working at the forefront of research in food sustainability, agriculture, medical sciences and healthcare. Here are the most popular sectors where they can pursue a promising career in Biotechnology:

• Waste Management
• Drug and pharmaceutical research
• Bio-processing industries
• Agricultural Sciences
• Environment Control
• Public funded laboratories
• Energy Management
• Food Processing & Technology
• Dairy Technology
• Textile industry

Eligibility

Entry requirements for MS Biotechnology

• Majors in Biotechnology or any other relevant field of life sciences (16 years education). Candidate possessing atleast a second class in BS/M.Sc., or a CGPA of 2.00 out of 4.00 in BS (4 yrs.) degree or 60% in annual system or an equivalent qualification from any recognized University and having a good overall previous academic record will be eligible for admission.
• NTS (GAT-General) with a minimum score of 50% or QU Entry test.
• Short listed candidates will be called for the interview.

Selection criteria

• NTS (GAT- General) / QU Entry Test (90%)
• Interview (10%)

Duration

• Minimum duration 02 years (04 semesters) which can be extended to 01 more year.

Degree Requirements

To qualify for a MS degree the student must have at least 30 credits of graduate work and minimum CGPA of 2.5. There will be two options to achieve this target.

• 4 core courses (12 credits), 4 elective courses (12 credits) from Biotechnology that are listed and MS thesis (6 credits) earning for research.
• 4 core courses (12 credits) and 6 elective courses (18 credits) from Biotechnology that are listed.

List of Core Courses

At least four courses must be taken from the following

Semester Wise Break Down

List of electives for MS Biotechnology

The list of courses given below are for reference only. The institute reserves the right to add / remove courses from the given list as per resources available and/ or demand for a particular course or set of specialization.