BSc external degree programme in Biological Sciences was started in year 2010 after obtaining approval in 2009. The degree programme consists of three years of study and each year consists
of two Levels altogether six Levels in the programme. The number of credits required per year is 30 and a student needs a total of 90 credits to complete the programme. The subjects for the
programme are offered by three department of the Faculty of Applied Sciences viz. Department of Biological Sciences offers courses from the disciplines of Botany and Zoology, Department of
Physical Sciences offers courses from the discipline of Physics whereas the Department of Computing offers course under Information Technology. The students have the option of
selecting the three subjects for the degree programme including the subjects Botany and Zoology. From its inception the programme was delivered in English medium through a blended
mode viz. online delivery of course materials and discussion, and face-to-face practical sessions.
The degree programme is conducted by the Board of Study (BoS) of BSc in Biological Sciences under the CDCE established in order to bring all activities of the external degree
programmes and extension courses of the University. In order to promote greater flexibility, two exit points have been structured, namely certificate level and diploma level after the successful
completion of first year and first two years of the degree programme respectively, to enable the students to receive credentials at different points of their degree programme. The university
senate has delegated the authority to the BoS to maintain the academic standards and quality of degree programmes. It consists of Chairman, Director CDCE, Academic Coordinator of external
degree programmes, subject coordinators and a Senate nominee who is a senior academic
member.
Objectives of the Degree Programme
- To provide opportunities for youth in the country to seek global and national employment by providing proficiency in a wide range of skills and techniques suitable for their careers in the fields of Botany, Zoology, Statistics, Physics and Information Technology.
- To make opportunities available for learning and to train a large pool of geographically dispersed students in Biological Science.
- To provide high quality, interactive flexible learning so that students can learn at their own time, pace and place.
- To provide a well trained workforce that establishes a culture of quality in the country.
- To provide opportunities for professionals to update their knowledge and develop skills on the latest technologies and teaching methods.
- To provide access to high quality study material in a stimulating and supportive environment.
- To instill a culture of independent and lifelong learning in the student population.
Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
At the completion of the programme students shall be able to
- demonstrate the key concepts of the diverse areas of study in the field of Biological Sciences.
- develop specific knowledge and understanding of the applied areas of Botany, Zoology, Statistics, Physics and Information Technology.
- develop the personality from dependent to independent learning.
- acquire a range of abilities to observe factors critically, analytically and collectively.
- gain the ability to assess a biological issue, to be able to dissect the important components of a situation and make objective conclusions.
- approach a problem scientifically, the ways and methods to work and think through the solution.
- undertake scientific investigations and research studies.
COURSES
Courses offered under the Bachelor of Science in Biological
Sciences External Degree programme
Prerequisite course
| Year | Level | Credit
Rating |
Course Code | Course Title
|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | CMP 1101 | Basic Mathematics for Biological Sciences |
Subject: Botany
| Year | Level | Credit Rating | Course Code | Course Title |
| 1
|
1 | 2 | BOT 1121 | Plant Diversity – I |
|
2
|
2 | BOT 1222 | Plant Diversity – II | |
| 2 | BOT 1223 | Plant Physiology | ||
| 2 | BOT 1224 | Plant Anatomy | ||
| 2
|
3 | 2 | BOT 2321 | Economic Botany |
| 2 | BOT 2322 | Plant Systematics | ||
|
4
|
2 | BOT 2423 | General Microbiology | |
| 1 | BOT 2414 | Molecular Biology | ||
| 2 | BOT 2425 | Statistics for Biology | ||
|
3 |
5
|
2 | BOT 3521 | Plant Pathology |
| 2 | BOT 3522 | Postharvest Technology of Plant Products | ||
| 1 | BOT 3513 | Nitrogen Fixation | ||
|
6
|
2 | BOT 3624 | Soil Microbiology | |
| 2 | BOT 3625 | Bioinformatics | ||
| 2 | BOT 3626 | Molecular Biotechnology | ||
| 2 | BOT 3627 | Industrial Microbiology | ||
|
TOTAL = 30 CREDITS |
||||
Subject: Zoology
| Year | Level | Credit Rating | Course Code | Course Title |
|
1
|
1
|
2 | ZOO 1121 | Invertebrate Diversity |
| 1 | ZOO 1112 | Animal Histology | ||
| 2 | ZOO 1123 | Cell Biology and Biochemistry | ||
| 2 | ZOO 1124 | Genetics and Evolution | ||
|
2
|
2 | ZOO 1225 | Vertebrate Diversity | |
| 2 | ZOO 1226 | Animal Physiology | ||
| 2 | ZOO 1227 | Developmental Biology | ||
|
2 |
3 |
2 | ZOO 2321 | Fish Biology |
| 2 | ZOO 2322 | Animal Behavior | ||
| 4 | 1 | ZOO 2413 | General Entomology | |
| 2 | ZOO 2424 | Ecology | ||
| 3
|
5
|
2 | ZOO 3521 | Medical Entomology |
| 2 | ZOO 3522 | Biodiversity and Principles of Conservation | ||
| 2 | ZOO 3523 | Environmental Pollution | ||
| 6
|
2 | ZOO 3624 | Fisheries and Aquaculture Management | |
| 2 | ZOO 3625 | Environmental Impact Assessment | ||
|
TOTAL = 30 CREDITS |
||||
Subject: Information and Communication
| Year | Level | Credit rating | Course code | Course title |
|
1
|
1 |
2 | INT 1121 | Programming Concepts |
| 2 | INT 1122 | Introduction to Databases | ||
|
2
|
2 | INT 1223 | Introduction to Operating Systems | |
| 2 | INT 1224 | Introduction to Computer Architecture | ||
| 2 | INT 1225 | Implementation of Database Applications | ||
|
2
|
3 |
2 | INT 2321 | Data Structures and Algorithms |
| 4 | INT 2342 | Data Communications and Computer Networks | ||
|
4 |
2 | INT 2423 | Introduction to Simulation | |
| 2 | INT 2424 | Image Processing and Analysis | ||
|
3
|
5 |
3 | INT 3531 | Artificial Intelligence |
| 2 | INT 3522 | Document Markup Languages | ||
|
6 |
3 | INT 3633 | Human Computer Interactions | |
| 2 | INT 3624 | Web page Construction | ||
|
TOTAL = 30 CREDITS |
||||
Subject: Statistics
| Year | Level
|
Credit
Rating |
Course
Code |
Course
Title |
|
1 |
1 |
2 | STA 1121 | Introduction to probability theory |
| 3 | STA 1132 | Introduction to statistics | ||
|
2 |
3 | STA 1233 | Applied statistics | |
| 2 | STA 1224 | Introduction to statistical software | ||
|
2 |
3 |
3 | STA 2331 | Statistical inference |
| 2 | STA 2322 | Data analysis using statistical packages | ||
|
4 |
3 | STA 2433 | Analysis of variance and design of experiments | |
| 2 | STA 2424 | Non-parametric methods | ||
|
3 |
5
6 |
2 | STA 3521 | Regression analysis |
| 3 | STA 3532 | Statistical quality control | ||
| 3 | STA 3633 | Stochastic process and applications | ||
| 2 | STA 3624 | Time series analysis and forecasting | ||
|
TOTAL = 30 CREDITS |
||||
Subject: Physics
| Year | Level | Credit
rating
|
Course
code |
Course title |
| 1
|
1
|
3 | PHY 1131 | General and Thermal Physics |
| 1 | PHY 1112 | Waves and Vibrations | ||
| 2 | PHY 1123 | Practical Unit I | ||
|
2 |
2 | PHY 1224 | Modern Physics | |
| 2 | PHY 1225 | Fundamentals of Electromagnetism | ||
| 2
|
3
|
1 | PHY 2311 | Thermodynamics and Radiation |
| 1 | PHY 2312 | Electromagnetism | ||
| 2 | PHY 2323 | Electronics | ||
| 1 | PHY 2314 | Quantum Mechanics | ||
| 4
|
2 | PHY 2425 | Physical Optics | |
| 1 | PHY 2416 | Atomic and Nuclear Physics | ||
| 2 | PHY 2427 | Practical Unit II | ||
| 3 |
5 |
2 | PHY 3521 | Energy Resources |
| 3 | PHY 3532 | Structure and Properties of Materials | ||
|
6 |
2 | PHY 3623 | Physical Oceanography | |
| 1 | PHY 3614 | Physical Geology | ||
| 2 | PHY 3627 | Medical Physics | ||
| TOTAL = 30 CREDITS | ||||
