This academic programme is aimed at students who wish to develop a career or pursue further studies in science, particularly in fields related to Genetics and Molecular Biology. We wish to promote passion and enthusiasm for scientific thinking. We therefore encourage our students to be pro-active and autonomous learners, who constantly and constructively challenge the status quo. We particularly value the application of quantitative and stringent approaches to scientific experimentation and analysis. We provide a learning environment that will encourage students to work individually and as part of teams to develop expertise in what is currently known in the field of Genetics, but also to push the boundaries and explore potential future applications. We encourage students to obtain internship positions that increase their exposure to scientific research. The programme uses lectures, tutorials, and individual and team projects in the curriculum. A variety of assessment methods will be used, including essay writing, multiple choice exams, group projects, oral and poster presentations, and practical examinations. There will be a particular emphasis on experiencing scientific research,including planning and executing a research project, particularly in the final year.

1 - Demonstrate an integrated knowledge and understanding of the scientific principles underpinning genetics
2 - Understand the mechanisms of inheritance and of genotype-phenotype relationships
3 - Demonstrate a comprehensive and detailed understanding of the molecular basis of heredity, including inheritance in humans
4 - Understand the role of genetic mechanisms in evolution and in the generation of biodiversity
5 - Understand key genetic concepts that affect broad societal issues including health, disease, food and natural resources
6 - Acquire mastery of established tools and methods in the field of modern genetics
7 - Perform basic laboratory techniques used in molecular bioscience research
8 - Use and apply quantitative methods, especially the interpretation of graphical or tabular data
9 - Understand the mathematical, statistical and computational basis of genetic analyses that use genome-scale data sets
10 - Locate, retrieve and evaluate scientific information, including primary literature, and evaluate its value
11 - Apply their knowledge and understanding to formulate testable scientific hypotheses and to design experimental approaches to obtain data to test these hypotheses
12 - Accurately and precisely document own research results
13 - Plan and execute genetic experiments, demonstrating an understanding of the importance of positive and negative controls

Students who return failing grades in a trimester amounting to 15 credits, or more, will be identified under the UCD Continuation – Academic Progress policy. Students whose rate of progression and performance over two academic years is deemed unacceptable will be referred to the Governing Board to be reviewed for exclusion from the programme.

Students who fail to progress from the stage of the programme they are registered to for more than two academic years (except where a period of Leave of Absence has been granted for one of those years) will also be contacted under the Continuation – Academic Progress Policy.

As Stages 3 and 4 have the most dynamic components of the programme, and the material studied previously may no longer be relevant, a student who has been away from the programme for a significant period should be required to register again to Stage 3. The upper limit for completion of Stages 3 and 4 should be six years if they choose to do 120 credits with 20 in each year.

Students take 8 core modules.


If you are interested in doing an internship as part of Stage 4, you must indicate your interest now (in Stage 3). See full details at:


http://www.ucd.ie/science/careers/internships/students/


www.ucd.ie/science/careers/internships/student

Students must take 60 credits of modules (core and options) from within the BSc programme. Students take 6 core modules and one module from Set A.

Module ID	Module Title	Trimester	Credits
Stage 3 Core Modules
BMOL30030	Regulation of Gene Expression	Autumn	5
GENE30010	Genetics and Recombinant DNA	Autumn	5
MEIN30240	Bioinformatics	Autumn	5
STAT20070	Data Modelling for Science	Autumn	5
ZOOL30030	Evolutionary Biology	Autumn	5
BMOL30050	Genomics and Proteomics	Spring	5
GENE30020	Genome Structure and Evolution	Spring	5
GENE30030	Genetic Basis of Disease	Spring	5
Stage 3 Core Modules
Stage 3 Options - A)MIN2OF: Students select 2 modules
BMOL30040	Receptor-mediated cell signalling	Autumn	5
BMOL30090	Immunology	Autumn	5
GENE30060	Undergraduate Research 1	Autumn	5
BMOL30020	Molecular basis of disease	Spring	5
BOTN30130	Plant Biotechnology & Entrepreneurship	Spring	5
CELB30090	Advanced Cell Biology	Spring	5
CELB30100	Developmental Biology	Spring	5
CHEM30190	Chemistry of Biomolecules	Spring	5
GENE30040	Introduction to Programming for Biologists	Spring	5
GENE30070	Undergraduate Research 2	Spring	5
Stage 3 Options - A)MIN2OF: Students select 2 modules
Stage 4 Core Modules
GENE40070	Genetic Basis of Behaviour	Autumn	5
GENE40030	Advanced Mechanisms of Gene Regulation	Spring	5
GENE40040	Model organism genetics: a modern experimental approach	Spring	5
GENE40050	Human Genetics & Disease	Spring	5
GENE40080	Population Genetics	Spring	5
GENE40090	Epigenetics	Spring	5
Stage 4 Core Modules
Stage 4 Options - A)1 OF: Students taking BMOL40090 (Research Project, Erasmus, Copenhagen) OR BMOL40200 (Industry Research Project) are exempt from Trimester 1 core modules in their respective disciplines.
BMOL40090	Research Project (Erasmus)	2 Trimester duration (Aut-Spr)	25
BMOL40200	Industry Research Project	2 Trimester duration (Aut-Spr)	25
GENE40060	Genetics Research Project	2 Trimester duration (Aut-Spr)	20
BMOL40100	Biomolecular Sci Research Proj	Autumn	15
Stage 4 Options - A)1 OF: Students taking BMOL40090 (Research Project, Erasmus, Copenhagen) OR BMOL40200 (Industry Research Project) are exempt from Trimester 1 core modules in their respective disciplines.
Stage 4 Options - B)MIN2OF: Students taking GENE40060 must take 2 modules from Set B. Students taking BMOL40100 must take 3 modules from Set B. Students taking BMOL40090 or BMOL40200 must take 2 modules from Set B in the Spring trimester. Students who take CELB40190 in the Autumn trimester, cannot take BMOL40050 in the Spring trimester.
CELB40020	Developmental Plant Genetics	Autumn	5
CELB40190	Advanced Cancer Cell Biology and Genetics	Autumn	5
NEUR40080	Molecular and Cellular Biology of Neurodegenerative Proteinopathies	Autumn	5
ZOOL40040	Molecular Phylogenetics - Powers and Pitfalls	Autumn	5
BMOL40050	Advanced Cancer Biology and Pharmacology	Spring	5
BMOL40340	Regenerative therapeutics	Spring	5
CELB40180	Cell Biology & Genetics of Ageing	Spring	5
CELB40200	The RNA World	Spring	5
MICR40090	Systems Biology of Microorganisms	Spring	5
PHAR40040	Emerging therapies: Cloning, gene therapy and stem cells	Spring	5
Stage 4 Options - B)MIN2OF: Students taking GENE40060 must take 2 modules from Set B. Students taking BMOL40100 must take 3 modules from Set B. Students taking BMOL40090 or BMOL40200 must take 2 modules from Set B in the Spring trimester. Students who take CELB40190 in the Autumn trimester, cannot take BMOL40050 in the Spring trimester.

		Award		GPA
Programme	Module Weightings	Rule Description	Description
BHSCI001	Stage 4 - 70.00% Stage 3 - 30.00%	Standard Honours Award	First Class Honours	3.68	4.20
			Second Class Honours, Grade 1	3.08	3.67
			Second Class Honours, Grade 2	2.48	3.07
			Pass	2.00	2.47