Educational Goals

The Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Biotechnology aims to train graduates who are able to work at different levels within the research and production processes typical of the biotechnology sector.

In line with the learning outcomes established for the degree class, the study programme is structured around different areas of biotechnology. In particular, it offers three distinct curricula, each of which builds on a solid common foundation while providing more in-depth training in one of the following fields: Agricultural Biotechnology, Biomedical Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology.

Depending on the chosen curriculum, students develop:

• knowledge of agricultural and livestock production systems, their characteristics and production requirements, and their interaction with other environmental components, particularly soil; specific expertise in herbaceous, vegetable and tree crops; the application of modern biotechnologies to the breeding and reproduction of these species; knowledge of crop protection issues related to pathogens and pests that may occur during cultivation, with particular attention to biotechnological approaches that contribute to sustainable plant protection; and expertise in food technologies and microbiology applied to the preservation and processing of agricultural products;

• knowledge of the morphological and functional aspects of the human body, through the systematic and topographical study of organs at both macroscopic and microscopic levels; skills in the application of basic techniques for the study of antibiotics, antibodies, and recombinant and non-recombinant vaccines; knowledge of basic biochemical and molecular diagnostic methods and genome- and proteome-wide analysis; medical genetics; the foundations of general pathology and immunology; the handling of biological samples and the main laboratory tests used to obtain information on metabolic conditions, biochemical and genetic characteristics, and pathological conditions relevant to the prevention, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of disease; and an understanding of host–parasite interactions from both pathogenic and diagnostic perspectives;

• knowledge of cellular and molecular mechanisms; pharmacological and pharmaceutical skills in drug design and drug delivery of biotechnological medicines; skills in bioinformatics, high-throughput technologies, including omics technologies, and fermentation biotechnology.

Teaching activities are organised over three years.

During the first year, which is common to all three curricula, students undertake basic training in computer science and bioinformatics, mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology, including general biology and microbiology. The programme also includes two core biotechnology subjects, genetics and agricultural genetics, as well as one course chosen from the subject area of regulation, economics and bioethics. The first year also includes ECTS credits allocated to other educational activities.

During the second year, common training continues with the remaining basic subjects, together with core biotechnology disciplines such as biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology and hygiene. At the same time, the three curricula begin to differentiate through courses belonging to their respective specialised subject areas.

During the third year, both common and specialised training are completed through courses in the agricultural, biological and industrial, chemical and pharmaceutical, medical and therapeutic areas. Students must also complete elective activities, undertake an internship for training and career guidance, and sit the final examination, which consists of the discussion, in Italian or English, of a dissertation based on experimental work.

The study programme has been designed to provide students with knowledge and skills that can be readily applied in the labour market. The courses have been specifically selected and structured to enable students to achieve the learning outcomes of the degree class, particularly the ability to apply innovative biotechnological methods in the main sectors in which biotech industries operate.

Particular importance is also placed on the ability to continuously update one’s knowledge and skills, which is essential in a field characterised by rapid scientific development. Graduates in Biotechnology can undertake technical, scientific, operational and managerial roles in areas including basic research, medical diagnostics, agriculture and the environment, the pharmaceutical sector, bio-industrial production and the related processing and transformation sectors.