Introduction

The bachelor's degree in Biotechnology provides knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of living beings and their biotechnological, environmental sustainability and bioremediation applications. It also provides training in legal aspects, project management and entrepreneurship.

The bachelor's degree in Biotechnology provides multidisciplinary training in the areas of the biological sciences, chemical and industrial technology, and biocompany direction and management, with applications in a variety of fields, including chemistry, agriculture, healthcare, etc. The aim is to equip students with the conceptual, manual, and technical tools needed to improve existing industrial processes and develop new ones, based on knowledge and the improvement of transformations of living beings. Students learn the main experimental molecular biology methodologies for developing new processes related to healthy eating and biomedicine, and for scaling these processes to make them industrially feasible and profitable in the medical, pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries, as well as at the environmental level, with the aim of advancing society.

Basic information

TypeBachelor's degrees
Faculty or schoolFaculty of Biology
Branch of knowledge
  • Sciences
  • Health Sciences
Mode of delivery

face-to-face

Credits240
Number of places available

80

Length of course4 academic years
Language(s) of instructionCatalan 71,1%, Spanish 22,4%, English 6,5%
Admission grade

11,812 (July 2023, start of process, via official entrance examinations/vocational training)

 

Approximate price per credit18,46 €
Compulsory placementsNo
CoordinatorCARLOS BALSALOBRE PARRA
Course detailsIndicators
SpecializationsYes

Objectives and competences

Objectives

  • To become professionals with a profile that meets the demands of biotechnology companies, as well as to access a wide variety of postgraduate studies in the area.
  • To acquire skills in the applications of biotechnology to the sustainability of production systems, waste treatment and environmental decontamination.
  • To develop an entrepreneurial spirit by training in the basics of biotechnology project management (R&D), marketing of biotechnological products and services, and in the legal aspects.
  • To acquire training and skills in biotechnology research (frontier technologies and strategies) and their transfer.
  • To learn to ensure safety in laboratory work and to show an understanding of ethics and bioethics as they relate to biochemistry.

Competences

General competences

  • Capacity for learning and responsibility (capacity for analysis and synthesis, to adopt global perspectives and to apply knowledge in practice, and capacity to take decisions and adapt to new situations).
  • Ability to work in a team (capacity to collaborate with others and contribute to a common project, and capacity to work in cross-disciplinary and multicultural teams).
  • Creative and entrepreneurial skills (capacity to conceive, design and manage projects, and capacity to research and integrate new knowledge and approaches).
  • Concern for sustainability (capacity to assess the social and environmental impact of actions taken in a particular setting, and capacity to adopt integrated and systemic approaches).
  • Communication skills (capacity to understand and produce spoken and written Catalan, Spanish and a third language, including the comprehension and use of specialized terminology, and capacity to research and integrate information in these languages).
  • Commitment to ethical practice (critical and self-critical capabilities, and capacity to demonstrate attitudes consistent with accepted notions of ethical practice).
  • Capacity to work safely in a laboratory environment.

 

Specific competences

  • Understanding of the concept of life and its physical and chemical principles.
  • Capacity to study organisms at the cell and molecular levels in order to understand life processes.
  • Capacity to understand and explain the underlying chemical principles of biochemical reactions and techniques.
  • Understanding of the inheritance mechanisms and the genetic bases of biodiversity.
  • Ability to describe the molecular, cellular and tissue structure and functions of living beings and the regulation and integration of functions in organisms.
  • Knowledge of the applications of biological systems to human activities.
  • Ability to handle, analyse and characterize biological samples, including human samples.
  • Ability to isolate, analyse, identify and quantify biomolecules and evaluate metabolic activity.
  • Ability to prepare cell, tissue and microorganism cultures.
  • Ability to prepare bioessays and functional tests and to determine vital parameters.
  • Ability to carry out animal and plant production and improvement studies.
  • Ability to obtain, handle, analyse, integrate and communicate biological information from bibliographic sources and databases.
  • Ability to obtain information, design experiments and interpret experimental results.
  • Ability to implement, manage and report on processes, services and projects related to biology in a range of economic and service sectors.
  • Knowledge of the structures and processes that make up prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
  • Knowledge of the types and organizational levels of living beings.
  • Ability to design, interpret and safely carry out laboratory studies in the field of biotechnology.
  • Ability to combine disciplines such as genetics, microbiology, molecular biology, physiology and cell biology with technical disciplines such as chemical engineering, information technology or robotics in the development of biotechnological products and bioprocesses.
  • Ability to identify the role of biotechnology in the sustainability of resources and the circular economy.
  • Ability to research and interpret databases of biological and chemical data, compare data on integrated biological systems ('omic' disciplines), and understand the main concepts of bioinformatics.
  • Knowledge of basic mathematics and statistics tools for their application in the analysis of data from biotechnological studies and in the design and modeling of processes.
  • Ability to define new markets and opportunities for industrial businesses through biotechnological processes and products.
  • Capacity to understand the ethical, social, economic and environmental implications of professional practice in the field.

Access and admission

Applicant profile and access requirements

Recommended applicant profile

Successfully completed school-leaver studies in the fields of science and technology, especially biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics.
English language skills.

Access requirements and conditions

Admission for students with studies completed outside Spain.

Applicants holding higher educational qualifications from a university outside Spain should consult the page Admission with foreign qualifications to find out about specific admission requirements.
 

Pre-enrolment

Students that have studied abroad and who wish to study at the University of Barcelona may be admitted to EHEA bachelor's degree courses. Procedures for gaining admission will depend on the qualifications held by each applicant.

For further information about admission, consult the page Admission with foreign qualifications.
 

Enrolment

As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online via the Món UB portal. To find out the date and time you have been assigned, check the specific information for your course. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned.

Academic information

 

Welcome

Support and guidance

Pre-enrolment information and events

 

Course curriculum

Subjects and course plans

Distribution of credits

Type ECTS
Basic training 60
Compulsory 114
Optional 54
Compulsory placements 0
Compulsory final project 12
TOTAL 240

List of subjects

Subject Language Type Credits
Biology I 1st semester Basic training 6
Chemical Engineering 2nd semester Compulsory 6
Chemistry 1st semester Basic training 6
Mathematics 1st semester Basic training 6
Physics 1st semester Basic training 6
Biochemistry 2nd semester Basic training 6
Biology II 1st semester Basic training 6
Cytology and Histology 2nd semester Compulsory 6
Organic Chemistry 2nd semester Compulsory 6
Statistics 2nd semester Basic training 6
Subject Language Type Credits
Advanced Genetic Engineering 1st semester Optional 6
Advanced Techniques in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 1st semester Optional 6
Animal Production Technology 1st semester Optional 6
Animal Reproduction Technology 2nd semester Optional 6
Aprenentatge Servei, Compromís i Transformació Social 1st semester Optional 6
Aquaculture 2nd semester Optional 6
Bioactive Molecules extracted from Animals, Plants and Fungi 1st semester Optional 6
Bioethics 1st semester Optional 3
Biomaterials and Nanotechnologies 1st semester Optional 6
Bioreactors 2nd semester Optional 6
Biotechnological Processes 2nd semester Optional 6
Biotechnology of Plant Production 2nd semester Optional 6
BIP: A Practical CRISPR Course 1st semester Optional 3
Cancer Biology 1st semester Optional 6
Cell and Gene Therapy 2nd semester Optional 6
Design and Evaluation of Bioactive Molecules 2nd semester Optional 6
Diagnostic and Image Techniques 1st semester Optional 6
Economics and Company 2nd semester Optional 6
Food Safety 1st semester Optional 6
Functional Materials 2nd semester Optional 6
Genetic Principles of Diseases 1st semester Optional 6
Immune Response and Biotechnology 1st semester Optional 6
Inorganic Materials 1st semester
2nd semester
Optional 3
Introduction to Nanotechnology 2nd semester Optional 3
Microbial Ecology 1st semester Optional 6
Models for Physiological Integration 2nd semester Optional 6
Molecular Recognition and Interaction 2nd semester Optional 6
Neurobiology 1st semester Optional 6
Pest Control and Plant Diseases 1st semester Optional 6
Plant Matabolism and Development Control 1st semester Optional 6
Practicum I 1st semester
2nd semester
Practices 6
Practicum II 1st semester
2nd semester
Practices 6
Principles of Electromagnetism and Optics 1st semester
2nd semester
Optional 6
Processes and Bioreactors 2nd semester Optional 6
Quantum Physics 1st semester Optional 6
Virology 2nd semester Optional 6

Pathways and specializations

Specialization in Molecular Biotechnology
Specialization in Agrifood Biotecnology
Check the planning of the different pathways of the degree

Previous years

Placements

Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment.They are therefore included in the academic record.  There is also an option to complete non-curricular placements of up to 500 hours, which can be extended to 900 hours. For both curricular and non-curricular placements, an educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out.
 

Institutional information

Career opportunities

What can you work on ?

  • Industrial research, including the pharmaceutical, biomedical and veterinary sectors.
  • Research in new biotechnology-based processes.
  • Production of biological materials including enzymes, antibodies, protein engineering, antibiotics and vitamins.
  • The chemical industry, including chemical engineering-based processes and sustainable processes.
  • The food industry, including food production and the study of food conservation and processing.
  • The agriculture industry and exploitation of agricultural resources.
  • Optimitzation of biotechnology-based processes in private sector companies.
  • The biotechnology industry, materials manufacture and nanobiotechnology.
  • Primary production, including animal husbandry, cultivation, aquaculture, biomedicine and molecular therapy.
  • Environmental business networks, including bioremediation, pest control and environmental consultancy.
  • Plant identification pedigree analysis using map-based molecular markers.
  • R&D management, patents and independent private sector business.

Data from the university system in Catalonia

Contact us

Faculty of Biology

Diagonal, 643 - 08028 Barcelona

Secretary: 934 021 087
secretaria-biologia@ub.edu

 

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