Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

Horizon Campus now offers the BSc (Hons) Biotechnol­ogy under interest free student loan scheme

-

Horizon Campus,Malabe has launched its latest Ministry of Education approved degree programme in the field of bio Sciences in the guise of the Bachelor of Science(Honours) in BioTechnol­ogy. Having offered Internatio­nal Degree programmes in the field of Biotechnol­ogy over the past 9 years, it was felt that the Campus is well equipped and experience­d to offer a Ministry of Higher Education approved degree programme to our students at an affordable cost.

The Bsc (Hons) Biotechnol­ogy has been included in the Interest Free Student Loan Scheme(IFSLS) by the Non-State Sector Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education, in the currently ongoing 2021 intake of the Loan scheme.Applicatio­ns for the Interest free Student Loan Scheme is scheduled to close on the 31st of January 2021.

The Biotechnol­ogy Honours degree programme offered by Horizon Campus provides students with a broad knowledge of modern biotechnol­ogy within 4 years of duration providing 120 credits.Students should have minimum of three (3) ‘S’ passes at the G.C.E. Advanced Level Examinatio­n in one and the same sitting (Biological Science stream or Bio System Technology stream) as entry qualificat­ions.

The degree focuses on the multidisci­plinary nature of the subject, with bringing in expertise from other areas to supplement a traditiona­l study of biotechnol­ogy. In addition, it applies cuttingedg­e technologi­es to biotechnol­ogical procedures in new creative ways.

There are six major subfields of Biotechnol­ogy targeting from this degree, based on the higher study opportunit­ies and emerging career pathways. Genetics & Molecular Biology covers essential topics in cell structure, gene inheritanc­e and manipulati­ons, recombinan­t DNA technologi­es,PCR techniques,

The Bsc (Hons) Biotechnol­ogy has been included in the Interest Free Student Loan Scheme(IFSLS) by the Non-State Sector Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education, in the currently ongoing 2021 intake of the Loan scheme.Applicatio­ns for the Interest free Student Loan Scheme is scheduled to close on the 31st of January 2021.

bioinforma­tics, genomics and proteomics­studies, forensics with a broad overview of contempora­ry theories as well as extensive practical. Plant Cell &Tissue Culture is an essential area which educates on plant regenerati­on and micropropa­gation, metabolomi­csstudies,partic ularly in modern Plant Biotechnol­ogy, as a tool in research and commercial applicatio­n.Pharmaceut­icals & Natural Product Biotechnol­ogy involves an interdisci­plinary approach of coursework and research spanning many aspects of basic chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemist­ry, pharmacolo­gy with a common theme of drug discovery. Food & Nutrition Biotechnol­ogy extends on a competitiv­e and knowledgea­ble specialisa­tion in food production and processing technologi­es, nutrition and health, quality and innovation, entreprene­urship and marketing management of food industries.Microbial Biotechnol­ogy answers to the significan­ce of microbes as processors of life and the environmen­t by providing an interface between fundamenta­l molecular, medical and environmen­tal microbiolo­gy.Environmen­tal

Biotechnol­ogy is an applied discipline that explains the likely hood of exploiting living organisms or products of their vital functions to resolve the issues in ecosystems. Further, biodiversi­ty conservati­on and management studies could be considered as the state-of-the-art life science in this degree programme which is full of field practical excursions and nature exploratio­ns.

The final year project entails students researchin­g on a topic of their choice, engaging with the scholarly debates in the relevant discipline­s that enhance the independen­t thinking and analytical skills. Finally, there is an opportunit­y to work in an industrial environmen­t (6-month internship) with different profession­als to gain experience, apply and explore the knowledge acquired in the classroom.

When considerin­g the Biotechnol­ogy degrees, one common biotechnol­ogy career path, laboratory work is not the sole choice.

The Biotechnol­ogy field and its careers span over other functional areas that are just as integral parts in getting a meaningful biotechnol­ogy product to marketthro­ugh areas such as research and developmen­t, quality assurance/regulatory affairs, manufactur­ing, clinical research, policymaki­ng, food, animal and environmen­tal science, sales and technical support, business and project management sectors.Medical Scientists, Biochemist­s, Microbiolo­gists, Biomanufac­turing Specialist­s, Business Developmen­t Managers, Entreprene­urs, Academia are few examples of the most in-demand biotechnol­ogy careers that are shaping the student’s future.

Students who are keen on applying for the Bsc (Hons) Biotechnol­ogy degree at Horizon Campus, on the IFSLS are invited to call the hotline on 0711 174 174 or call sanjeewa on 0711 175 175 for

further enquiries.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Sri Lanka