Sept 2027 Entry
4 years (including 1 year with common curriculum)
120 credits plus training credits
What's New
- Undergraduate
- Taught Postgraduate
- Undergraduate
All admitted students will embark on a Common Year One curriculum. Towards the end of year one, students can decide whether to continue with their initial choice or switch to another choice within the Faculty. Those who wish to change to another choice need to join a competitive process through a ranking assessment, which considers a combination of entrance qualification score, Year One GPA, and interview performance.
Programme Aims & Learning Outcomes
This programme aims to produce competent professionals in biotechnology to meet the needs of related sectors in Hong Kong, the nation and the world.
In this programme, students gain a thorough understanding of the principles, concepts and applications of biotechnology. Through learning the principles of modern biotechnology, students develop analytical, creative and problem-solving abilities. Graduates from the programme are well-prepared for careers in the rapidly expanding global bioscience/biotechnology industry. They also have opportunities to pursue further study in postgraduate programmes locally or overseas.
Programme Characteristics
The ABB Programme is the first international degree programme accredited by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB), a recognised professional body that promotes and supports the advancement of skills and education in the biosciences. Focusing on the application of biotechnology, the programme consists of core subjects including Human Physiology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biochemical Techniques, Molecular Biology, DNA Technology, Bioinformatics, and Immunotechnology & Recent Developments in Medical Biotechnology, as well as elective subjects, in which students can more deeply explore special topics such as Microbial Biotechnology, Metabolism and Diseases & Case Study in Biotechnology Companies. This programme integrates theory and practice, culminating in an individual in-depth scientific investigation in the final year. Students develop both local and global perspectives and have opportunities to experience practice in relevant industries, research centres and commercial organisations.
Professional Recognition
Graduates qualify for membership of the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) in the UK. Degree accreditation by the Royal Society of Biology acknowledges academic excellence in the biosciences and highlights degrees that educate the research and development leaders and innovators of the future.
Graduates can pursue postgraduate studies at universities and research institutes worldwide.
Students who have strong interest in clinical laboratory work can enroll in the Clinical Laboratory Module in their Year 3. The module consists of seven subjects, which offers them valuable experiences through lectures, practicals and clinical placement. All lectures are delivered by registered Medical Laboratory Technicians. Students who successfully enrolled to the module (subject to quotas available) and completed the seven subjects as their elective subjects are eligible to apply for registration (Part II) under section 12(1)(b) of the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance (SMPO) with the Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLT) Board of Hong Kong.
Career Prospects
Graduates are equipped to work in the rapidly expanding global biotechnology industry. They can pursue careers in the industrial, commercial, education and public sectors in technical, executive or managerial positions. Graduates can also enrol in postgraduate programmes locally or overseas.
Students are required to complete at least 120 credits which include:
A. 27 credits of the General University Requirements (GUR)
B. 93 credits of Major Study Requirement as follows:
(i) 66 credits of Major Subjects
| Subject | No. of Credits | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Science Professionals in Society | 3 | 1 |
| Fundamentals of Modern Science | 3 | 1 |
| Quantitative Skills and Experimental Design for Scientists | 3 | 1 |
| General Biology | 3 | 1 |
| General Laboratory Techniques and Safety | 3 | 1 |
| General Chemistry I | 3 | 1 |
| Biochemistry | 3 | 2 |
| Molecular Biology | 3 | 2 |
| Cell Biology | 3 | 2 |
| Human Physiology | 3 | 2 |
| Microbiology | 3 | 2 |
| Organic Chemistry I | 3 | 2 |
| Immunology | 3 | 3 |
| Commercialization of Biotechnology Products | 3 | 3 |
| DNA Technology | 3 | 3 |
| Biochemical Techniques | 3 | 3 |
| Biochemical Techniques Laboratory | 1 | 3 |
| Experimental Approach in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry | 3 | 3 |
| Immunotechnology | 3 | 4 |
| Protein Biotechnology | 3 | 4 |
| Recent Developments in Medical Biotechnology | 3 | 4 |
| Bioinformatics | 3 | 4 |
| English for Scientific Communication | 2 | 3 |
| Subtotal | 66 |
(ii) A Capstone Project of 6 credits
(iii) Major Elective Subjects and Free Elective Subjects
Students must complete at least 15 credits of Major Elective Subjects and 6 credits of Free Electives.
Major Elective Subjects are listed in the table below.
| Subject | No. of Credits | Level |
|---|---|---|
| General Chemistry II | 3 | 1 |
| Analytical Chemistry I | 3 | 2 |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 3 |
| Advanced Molecular Biology | 3 | 4 |
| Metabolism and Diseases | 3 | 4 |
| Pharmacology of Drug Therapy | 3 | 4 |
| Microbial Biotechnology | 3 | 4 |
| Synthetic Biology Project | 3 | 4 |
| Case Study in Biotechnology Companies | 3 | 4 |
| Principles of Quality Assurance | 3 | 4 |
| Medicinal Chemistry | 3 | 4 |
| Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), and Sustainability Principles for Science Students | 3 | 4 |
| Management and Organization | 3 | 2 |
| Consumer Behaviour | 3 | 3 |
| Chemical Pathology* | 3 | 3 |
| Haematology and Transfusion Science* | 3 | 3 |
| Anatomical Pathology* | 3 | 3 |
| Microbiology in Pathology Laboratory* | 3 | 3 |
| Molecular Diagnostics in Pathology Specialties* | 3 | 3 |
| Advanced Anatomical Pathology* | 3 | 3 |
| Laboratory Attachment (Clinical and Public Health)* | 0 | 0 |
* Elective subjects for students who enrolled in the Clinical Laboratory Module.
(iv) Work-Integrated Education (WIE)
Students are required to complete 2 training credits, each equivalent to 60 working hours. The grade for WIE component will be “Pass” or “Fail” and will not contribute to the GPA calculation.
120 credits plus training credits
Dr Chartia Cheung
BSc, MPhil, PhD
Please click here to view the entrance requirements for international applicants.
Other Information
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Applicants attaining good results in Biology are preferred.
For more information about the programme, please contact us via email: ls.prog@polyu.edu.hk.
The BSc (Hons) in Applied Biology with Biotechnology provided me with a comprehensive and in-depth knowledge. The programme includes many practical laboratory sessions, which allowed me to apply the knowledge gained from lectures and develop my critical thinking and laboratory skills through first-hand experience. My summer exchange at the University of Stuttgart in Germany opened my eyes to other perspectives as I visited automobile factories to understand the elements that led to the success of the automobile industry in Germany.
During my time at PolyU, I held the position of Financial Secretary of a Chinese cultural club. By getting involved in organising social events for other students, I was able to make friends from different backgrounds. The service-learning programme in collaboration with Peking University and Xi’an Jiaotong University, as well as the Global Youth Leaders’ Summit, where our teammates included students from Zhejiang University, Sichuan University and UCLA, were instrumental in building teamwork and friendships.
During my last year of study, I completed an internship as a sales and marketing assistant at a biotechnology company specialising in cancer genetic testing. Through this internship, I learnt the basics of how a company operates and how biotechnology products relate to the market.
To assess the suitability of candidates for the programme.
About 30 minutes
Only selected applicants will be invited for interview, if necessary.
Required
To assess the suitability of candidates for the Scheme
About 30 minutes
Only selected applicants will be invited for interview, if necessary.
Required
To assess the suitability of candidates for the scheme
About 30 minutes
- Only selected applicants will be invited for an interview, if necessary.
- Online interviews will be held for selected overseas applicants.
