Undergraduate Program

Program Description

UNIVERSITY OF DHAKA
DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY

Syllabus for Bachelor of Science (Honours) Degree in Microbiology

Department of Microbiology

The Department of Microbiology was established in 1979 under the Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Dhaka and presently located in the Science Complex Building. It started the journey offering Master of Science (MSc) degree programme in Microbiology to a few competent students having a BSc (Honours) degree in Biochemistry/Botany/Pharmacy/Soil Science with Microbiology as core course. The Department steadily gained reputation in education and research at home and abroad, and the demand for trained Microbiologists gained a ground. It necessitated opening the Undergraduate (Honours) programme in the academic session of 1988-1989. From the academic session of 1994-1995, the traditional three-year BSc (Honours) programme has been upgraded to four-year BS (Honours) as terminal degree. Presently the Department not only offers the undergraduate BS (Honours) course but also offers specialized courses and research facilities in postgraduate levels such as MS, MPhil and PhD.

The Department provides modern systems for lectures and practical works with high quality teaching and research facilities. Teaching in the classrooms is facilitated with digital multimedia and other necessary supports. The Department has a rich seminar library with a large collection of reference books and journals. It possesses a number of practical and research laboratories with modern equipment, facilities and service systems. In addition, the Department trains new scientists and produces excellent research publications. The Department of Microbiology has been recognized as a centre of excellence in the field of Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology researches in Bangladesh. Various research groups are working in collaboration with the top research organizations at home and abroad.

Introduction to the Programme

Title of the Programme: Bachelor of Science (Honours)

Duration of the Programme: Four Years (4 Academic Sessions)

Level: Graduation

Type: Degree

Medium of Instruction: English

Eligibility for Admission: To be eligible for admission into the 4-year Bachelor of Science or BS (Honours) Course in Microbiology, the candidates must have Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics in their HSC or equivalent examinations in Science group or recognized equivalent examinations. The educational qualification and selection of the candidates for admission in the Department shall be decided as per the University admission rules and regulations.

The BS (Honours) Microbiology programme is designed to provide the students with a multidisciplinary approach to study the microbial world and to prepare for wide spectrum of areas including Healthcare, Food, Agriculture, Environment and Industry. The student will study the key concepts associated with microbes in both theoretical and practical contexts. The Graduate will qualify to recognize a specialist high level knowledge of an area of work or study to enable the use of an individual’s own ideas and research in response to complex problems and situations in microbiological fields. The graduate also involves the achievement of a high level of professional knowledge and is appropriate for people working as knowledge-based professionals or in professional management positions.

General Objectives of the Programme

Emphasis is given on developing knowledge and understanding such that the undergraduate students acquire the skills, qualities and attributes expected by employers or for postgraduate studies and research in applied microbiology. The trained graduates will play a vital role in the sustainable development in economic growth and would bring qualitative changes in the above mentioned areas in the country. The practical training and fieldwork in the curriculum will provide hands-on experience in different fields of microbiological and biotechnological sciences. It will also create awareness about public health and safety, and facilitate the establishment of liaison between Microbiologist with society and industry. The individual learning outcomes of Microbiology study are:

• students will be able to acquire, articulate, retain and apply specialized language and knowledge relevant to microbiological sciences;
• students will acquire and demonstrate competency in laboratory safety and in routine and specialized microbiological laboratory skills applicable to microbiological research methods, including accurately reporting observations and analysis;
• students will communicate scientific concepts, experimental results and analytical arguments clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing; and
• students will demonstrate engagement in the Microbiology discipline through involvement in research or internship activities, club and outreach or mentoring activities specific to microbiology.

General Regulations and Guidelines

The student admission, programme duration, credit assignment, evaluation of student performance, grading system and requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science with honors (BS Honours) in Microbiology shall be conducted as per the Rules and Guidelines of the Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Dhaka (Approved 23 August 2015).

Duration of the Programme

The BS (Honours) degree shall extend over four academic years (sessions) with the final examination after the end of each academic year. The duration of each session will be 44 working weeks which includes-

1. Contact in the Class and In-course Assessment 30 weeks
2. Preparation for the Final Examination (1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd Year) 4 weeks
3. Preparation for the Final Examination (4^th Year) 6 weeks
4. Course Final Examination 8 weeks
5. Tabulation of Results 4 weeks

Requirements for Graduation

A student must fulfill the requirements for a Bachelor’s degree within a maximum period of 6 (six) academic years, starting from the year of registration. To graduate with a Bachelor degree (BS Honours) a minimum total of 128 credits or more if approved by the University authorities, with no ‘F” grade in any course must be earned by the student during the programme. He/she must also have earned the minimum required CGPA 2.5 on a 4.00 scale. After successful completion of the requirements the degree will be awarded and conferred by the University authorities.

Assignment of Credits

The entire undergraduate programme is covered by a set of theoretical, practical (laboratory/field works/short project), seminar/workshop, and other relevant courses/activities. A minimum of 15-class per session will constitute 1 (one) Credit hour for the Theoretical courses. Credits for Practical and other courses will be determined by the Department. A student must have to earn a minimum of 128 credits for successful completion of his/her graduation programme. The distribution of marks and credits in four years will be as follows:

Evaluation of Student’s Performance

The total performance of a student in a given course will be evaluated on the basis of a scheme of Continuous assessment, In-course examinations and Course Final examinations.

1. Marks Distribution for Courses: The distribution of marks for theoretical and practical courses will be as follows:

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Class attendance/participation 5%

In-course assessment 35%

Course Final Examination 60%

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2. Continuous Assessment: The continuous assessment for theory courses will be made through a set of in-course examinations and class attendance/participation; and for practical course (laboratory/field works/short project), it will be made through class attendance/participation, assignments, evaluation of interactive skills and laboratory reports/project reports. The scheme of continuous assessment will be announced by the course teacher(s) at the beginning of the course.
3. Class Attendance/Participation: A student must attend at least 75% of the total classes held in an academic year to be eligible for appearing in the Course Final examinations. A student attending at least 60% classes but less than 70% classes will be allowed to appear for the examination after paying non-collegiate fees fixed by the University and student attending less

than 60% classes will not be allowed to appear for the Final examination for that year/session. Basis on the awarding marks for class attendance will be as follows:

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Attendance (% of the total class held) Marks (%)

95 and above 5

90 to less than 95 4

85 to less than 90 3

80 to less than 85 2

75 to less than 80 1

Less than 75 0

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4. In-course Assessment: In-course tests of minimum one hour duration shall be conducted and evaluated by the course teacher(s). There will be at least 2 (two) written tests for 3/4-credit courses and at least 1 (one) test for 2-credit courses. Additional assessment may be made by the course teacher(s) prior approval by the Academic Committee of the Department. The question patterns for in-course tests should preferably be of objective type. The Course teacher will show the assessed in-course scripts to the students and shall announce the results within two weeks of the date of holding the test.

Make-up test will be arranged for a student who fails to appear in in-course test/tests due to unavoidable circumstances like accident, medical surgery, parent has expired or such situations prior approval of the Academic Committee of the Department and the test must be held during the course period. Absence in any in-course test will be counted as zero for calculating the average marks for that in-course test.

5. Course Final Examination: The Course Final examination for theoretical course will be conducted centrally by the Controller of Examinations as per University Rules. The examination will be of 3 hours duration for 4-credit course and 2 hours for 2-credit course. The question patterns for Course Final tests should be defined by the Department.

For evaluation of the Course Final examination for theoretical courses there will be two examiners: one internal (will be course teacher or teachers) and the other external (will preferably be within the Department/University provided that he/she is not a course teacher for the course paper to be examined). Under the double examiner system and in case of difference more than 20% of marks, there will be a 3^rd examiner for evaluation and marks of the nearest two examiners will be calculated for average out as final marks.

6. Assessment of Seminar/Project/Internship: The mode of assessment of Seminar/Project/Internship will be determined by the respective Departmental Examination Committee approved by the University.
7. Viva-Voce: A regular student must appear at the Viva-voce/Oral examination at the end of the Course Final examinations and it will be conducted by the respective Departmental Examination Committee approved by the University.

Grading System

A basic four-point (4.00) grading scale will be followed and marks obtained for each course will be converted to grades. The following letter grades and corresponding grade-points will be used to determine the student’s grade point average (GPA).

A course in which a student has obtained “D” or higher grade will be counted as credits earned by him/her and obtained “F” grade will not be counted towards his/her earned credits.

Calculation of GPA and CGPA

Grade Point Average (GPA) is the weighted average of the grade points obtained in all courses passed/completed by a student in an academic year. The GPA is computed in the following manner:

GPA = ?PE/ ?Cr

Where, PE means Points Earned (i.e. Grade Points x Credits) and Cr means Credits attempted in the year.

The Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) for the 2^nd year, 3^rd year and 4^th year results is computed by dividing the total accumulated grade points earned up to date by the total credit points attempted.

Promotion to Higher Class

1. Promotion from 1^st year to 2^nd year: A student must earn a minimum GPA of 2.00 and must have passed (minimum ‘D’ grade) all the courses taken for promotion. Students who failed in courses (maximum 8 credit hours) but have earned the required GPA 2.00 will be promoted on probation, and those on probation shall appear at the retake examination and must pass the failed course(s) to be allowed to continue studies in the 2^nd year.
2. Promotion from 2^nd year to 3^rd year: A student must have earned a minimum CGPA of 2.25 and must have passed (minimum ‘D’ grade) all the courses for promotion. Students who failed in courses (maximum 8 credit hours) but have earned the required CGPA 2.25 and students who earned CGPA less than 2.25 but equal to or more than 2.00 without ‘F’ grade will be promoted on probation. Those on probation shall appear at the retake examination and must pass the failed course(s) to be allowed to continue studies in the 3^rdyear.
3. Promotion from 3^rdyear to 4^th year: A student must have earned a minimum CGPA of 2.50 and must have passed (minimum ‘D’ grade) all the courses for promotion. Students who failed in courses (maximum 8 credit hours) but have earned the required CGPA 2.50 and students who earned CGPA less than 2.50 but equal to or more than 2.25 without ‘F’ grade will be promoted on probation. Those on probation shall appear at the retake examination and must pass the failed course(s) to be allowed to continue studies in the 4^th year.

Retake Examination

1. Student on probation for failing in the final examination course(s) must sit for Retake examination of the failed course(s) within 6 weeks after publication of results, conducted by the respective original Examination Committee of the year and expenses of the Retake examinations, as determined by the University authority, must be borne by the student(s). If a student achieves the required credits in the retake examination, he/she will be considered as promoted and his/her letter grade for that course will be preceded by the letter ‘P’ in the transcript. If any student fails to earn the required credits, his/her promotion on probation will be deemed cancelled.
2. Student on probation for failing to earn requisite CGPA without any ‘F’ will be allowed to sit at Retake examination for a maximum of 8 credits (including practical and viva-voce) under the same conditions mentioned above as determined by the University. If a student succeeded to earn the required CGPA, he/she will be considered as promoted and his/her letter grade for that course will be preceded by the letter ‘P’ in the transcript. If any student fails to achieve the required CGPA, his/her promotion on probation will be deemed cancelled.
3. Students who failed in maximum of 8 credits of the 4^th year, he/she must sit for Retake examination of the failed courses under the same conditions mentioned above as determined by the University. After the Retake examination, if a student achieves required credits, he/she will be considered for graduation and his/her letter grade for that course will be preceded by the letter ‘P’ in the transcript.

Improvement of Grade points

1. To improve GPA or CGPA, a student may appear at the final examination (theory course, practical course or viva-voce), only once, with the following next batch in a maximum 8 credits in each year and the student shall apply to the Chairman of the department for improving the grade at least 8 weeks before the start of the final examination. Improved grade point will be used for GPA and CGPA. The transcript will have a symbol “I’ identifying the improved course.
2. If a student desire to improve the grade point earned in a course of 4^th year, he/she must apply for such improvement examination before the award of the degree (i.e. before issuance of certificate). Improvement shall not be allowed once the degree is awarded.

Drop out

A student failing to earn the required minimum GPA/CGPA and/or to earn requisite credits after retake examination, he/she may take readmission with the approval of the Academic Committee of the department to appear in the course final examination with the next batch. If he/she fails again to earn the required minimum GPA/CGPA and/or to earn requisite credits, he/she will be dropped out from the programme.

Readmission

1. A student failing to earn the requisite credits and/or GPA/CGPA for promotion or graduation may seek readmission with the next batch. For readmission, a student will have to apply within one month after announcement of the results of the concerned year. Readmission will be allowed only after the approval of the departmental Academic Committee.
2. On readmission a student may choose, subject to approval of the departmental Academic Committee, to keep grades and credits earned earlier or choose to take all or any course again. Student must clearly indicate his/her choice on the allocation for readmission.
3. If a student succeeded after taking readmission his/her letter grade for the course will be preceded by letter ‘R’ in the transcript.

Other regulations

Respective statuary authorities of the University shall design the curriculum, allocate courses for teaching, constitution of examination committee and panel of examiners as per rules of the University. For any other matters including not covered in this general rules and guidelines, the existing rules and guidelines of the faculty and University of Dhaka will be applicable.

Dean’s Award

As a recognition of excellent performance, the names of the students obtaining CGPA 3.75 or above after successful completion of the 4-year graduation courses, will be eligible for the Dean’s Award with a maximum of 5candidates from each department. Candidates who have received ‘F’ grade or taken retakes/improvement in any course or taken readmission or failed to attend a minimum of 80% of the classes offered during the graduation programme will not be eligible for the Dean’s Award.