Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Applied Biology - City University of Hong Kong

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We aim to give you a firm foundation in biological sciences and specialization in one of the following areas: biotechnology and molecular biology; environmental monitoring and pollution control; or industrial and food microbiology. You will develop the knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes required to achieve your personal development and find suitable employment in the industrial, commercial, government and educational sectors.

Careers

There is a wide range of career opportunities for graduates of this programme. You can seek employment in various government departments (e.g., Environmental Protection Department, Government Laboratory, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department), consultancy companies, laboratories, commercial, industrial, or educational sectors, or you can further pursue postgraduate studies.

Entry

To be eligible for admission, you must satisfy the General Entrance Requirements and the following specific entrance requirements:

• E in AL or AS Biology and Chemistry, one of which must be obtained in AL

and

• E in one of the following Mathematics subjects: HKCEE Mathematics; or AS Applied Mathematics, or Pure Mathematics, or Mathematics and Statistics; or AL Applied Mathematics or Pure Mathematics

or

C in GCSE Mathematics

OR

• A higher diploma or an associate degree in a science discipline, or an equivalent qualification

Course

We aim to train you to become a professional biologist who can work in either the scientific/industrial/education sector. Initially, we reinforce your fundamental knowledge and gradually introduce you to the various facets of modern biology. Our programme has the flexibility to enable you to develop expertise in either environmental science or biotechnology, with strong support from microbiology, molecular biology and chemistry courses.

In the first year, your biology and chemistry knowledge is reinforced in five core courses: Organisms and Environment; Cells and Microorganisms; Biochemistry; Principles of Organic Chemistry; and Principles of Inorganic Chemistry.

In the second year, we shall give you a more detailed coverage on Diversity of Life, Microbiology, Comparative Physiology and Genetics.

To ensure your competence in numeric skills and computing literacy, appropriate core courses (e.g., Fundamentals of Computing, Mathematical and Statistical Laboratory) are available for your choice.

In your second and third years, we also offer you a wide selection of elective courses covering specialized topics in microbiology (e.g., Microbial Physiology, Environmental Microbiology), molecular biology (e.g., Molecular Biology, Immunology and Biological Techniques) and environmental science (e.g., Environmental Impact Assessment, Environmental Pollution, Biological Treatment of Wastes).

Project and Directed Studies: these are courses whereby you will undertake an individual and independent scientific project under the supervision of an academic staff member. In the process, apart from gaining deeper understanding of the specific subject, you will acquire essential skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, organization and time management, which are essential for your career-building.

Professional Accreditation

Graduates of this programme are eligible for membership/associate membership of The Australian Society for Microbiology (Associate Membership) and The Institute of Biology, UK (Graduate Membership).

Bonus Features

Our courses are practical and based on examples from our own region. Many courses are augmented with laboratory sessions, field trips and field camps.

We aim to facilitate your learning, rather than to drive you to memorize information. We will use different strategies to help you learn. These include:

• Web-based software to enhance your discussion on course materials;
• Personal Response System - an electronic device used in the classroom to gauge your understanding during lessons;
• The problem-based learning format to stimulate you to apply subject knowledge to solve daily life problems related to biology;
• Open book examinations in some courses to encourage you to read widely and enhance your comprehension skills.

The Department also organizes some out-of-classroom learning activities to broaden your learning interest:

• The Project-Based Mentoring Scheme to enable first-year students to carry out a group project of their choice, while learning all the essential life skills for their career-building, in overseas locations such as Norway and Malaysia.
• The Industrial Attachment Scheme to let students acquire working experience in local, regional and international companies and organizations.