Duration

Full-time undergraduate degree programmes are offered over a minimum period of three years.

Description

“Biology is likely to become the greatest single driver of the global economy.”

It has become part of the accepted wisdom to say that the 20^th century was the century of physics and the 21st century will be the century of biology. The South African government has committed itself to the vision of making South Africa one of the top 10 nations in the world in terms of the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, flavour, fragrance and biopesticide industries by 2018. In order to achieve these goals, South Africa needs scientists, business people and entrepreneurs trained in the field of biotechnology.

MGI’s BSc in Biotechnology Management degree is grounded in a fundamental body of molecular biology knowledge in both a medical and an agricultural setting. The purpose of the programme is to help meet future human resource needs by training qualified scientists and scientific entrepreneurs.

Students will gain knowledge in molecular biology and its applications and will develop an understanding of the fundamentals of project management. Graduates will be able to work as members of a team, collect, analyse, and present information, use technology or other methods of presentation for communication purposes, identify and suggest possible solutions to problems, and organise work requirements to meet deadlines. They will understand the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problemsolving contexts do not exist in isolation.

Qualification structure

The syllabus comprises three levels:

Level 1

Students are introduced to the basic principles of biotechnology. 

• Science Skills
• Principles of Biology
• Quantitative Techniques
• Introduction to Chemistry
• Maths for Science Students
• Plant and Animal Diversity/ Human & Social Biology
• Biotechnology/Health Communication
• Project Management
• Computer Skills
• Physics for Science Students
• Applied Chemistry
• Bioentrepreneurship

Level 2

Students develop an intermediate level of knowledge and skills in the field. 

• Introduction to Microbiology
• Molecular Biology
• Biopharmaceutical Marketing
• Economic Botany
• Food and Water Microbiology
• Plant Propagation/ Nutraceuticals & Functional Foods
• Food Technology
• Personal Selling and Sales Management
• Plant Physiology
• Agricultural Economics
• Job shadowing a scientific representative 

Level 3 

• Intellectual Property and GMPs
• Medical Biotechnology and Criminalistics
• Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology
• Operations Management
• Enzyme and Analytical Chemistry
• Agricultural Biotechnology
• Internship 

Students who successfully complete all levels of study are awarded the Midrand Graduate Institute Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology degree.

Career options 

• Plant, agricultural, waste management, food industries
• Laboratory Technician
• Production Technician
• Technical Sales Representative
• Scientific Communication Officer