Biotechnology study program for a MSc degree

The biotechnology study program is a study program towards a master's degree that is offered by the Faculty of Life Sciences at Bar-Ilan University. This study program was approved by the Council for Higher Education in Israel, out of recognition of the importance of training skilled and high-level manpower that will become integrated in the biotechnology industries in Israel, in order to be prepared to advance the growing development in this field in Israel and around the world in the third millennium.

The uniqueness of the biotechnology study program at Bar-Ilan University stems from the special composition of the courses, as detailed herewith. Furthermore, within the framework of this study program it is possible to carry out the master's degree research in the industry, i.e. in biotechnological plants. The research will be carried out under joint supervision of a researcher of the Faculty of Life Sciences at Bar-IlanUniversity and a scientist from the industry. This unique program is intended to train young researchers towards integration in the biotechnological industry.

The study program

When directing students to the master's degree in biotechnology, those who graduated with a bachelor's degree in the expanded life sciences are separated from those who graduated in biotechnology. Biotechnology graduates are directed to master's degree studies within the framework of the Faculty as well as within the framework of the biotechnological industry with collaboration with the Faculty of Life Sciences at Bar-Ilan University. Within this framework, the research work is carried out in a biotechnology company, where the student has one advisor who is a senior scientist in the biotechnology industry and another main advisor who is a scientist at the Faculty of Life Sciences. The student must meet all the study tasks of a master's student in the Faculty of Life Sciences. This study program affords the students up-to-date experience in basic research as well as in applied biotechnological research.

Bachelor degree graduates in expanded life sciences, who are continuing for a master's degree in biotechnology, are obligated to take a package of specialization courses in biotechnology as detailed below, in order to impart them with basic and up-to-date information in biotechnology. The research work will be carried out as described for graduates of a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology study program.

The requirements for graduates of a bachelor’s degree in the expanded life sciences study program are 12 credits that include a seminar and several courses out of the basket of courses in the study program (the courses include, among others, engineering, legal and economic, as well as basic biotechnological issues) as described herewith: