BSc Laboratory Biochemistry (180 ECTS)
The program is modeled on qualification objectives. The program refers to academic competencies, the ability to obtain adequate employment to meet the needs of the labor market, the ability to obtain adequate employment by combining the theoretical and practical aspects and the development of students’ personalities in areas of specialization.
The individual components of the program are combined to best achieve the specified qualification objectives and provide adequate forms of teaching and learning.
The disciplines within the curriculum are organized in a logical flow and complement the precise definition and determination of general and specific competencies, as well as the compliance with the study programs and curricula submitted to ZEAL.
The subject curricula offered in the BSc Biochemistry Laboratory study program offer satisfactory level according to the profile and field of the program. Course titles are similar to the international programs of this discipline.
One academic year corresponds to 60 ECTS credits. An academic year has 1800 teaching hours, including self-directed teaching hours. An ECTS corresponds to 30 hours of student workload, including self-directed learning. The program is designed in accordance with the Bologna Process, the first cycle of higher professional education, level 6 according to the NQF / EQF. The program is in line with Directive 2013/55 / EC and Directive 2005/36 / EC, of the European Union (EU), on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications. As such the program is comparable to the programs of European Union countries.
The disciplines within the curriculum are organized in a logical flow and complement the precise definition and determination of general and specific competencies, as well as the compliance with the study programs and curricula submitted to ZEAL.
The program is structured in a series of courses with different credits, some obligatory while others optional.
In general, the program consists of:
- basic courses (basic biomedical subjects – BBC Basic Biomedical Courses);
- courses in relation to laboratory biochemistry (BLC Biochemistry Laboratory related Courses)
- basic communication skills courses (CS Communication Skills Courses);
- elective courses (EC Elective Courses).
Basic courses, courses related to laboratory biochemistry and basic communication skills are all mandatory.
Elective courses are of three types:
– discipline specific elective courses (DSEC- Discipline Specific Elective Courses),
– improve skills elective courses (SIEC-Improve Skills Elective Courses) and
– general elective courses (GEC- General Elective Courses).
The study program is full-time, lasting 3 academic years, each with two semesters, a total of 6 semesters. Each semester has a normal duration of 15 weeks. In each semester are treated the courses which are evaluated with credits according to the European system (ECTS). The number of courses in each academic semester is 5-7 courses. According to semesters: in the first semester there are 6 courses, in semesters 2,3 and 4 there are 7 courses, while in the last two semesters there are 5 courses. In the sixth semester they receive the graduation project, which they defend publicly. After completing the individual courses, the student passes the final comprehensive exam.
At the end of the program, a Bachelor of Science in Laboratory Biochemistry diploma is issued.
The learning outcomes for the BSc program in Laboratory Biochemistry are:
- performing complicated analytical analyzes in medical diagnostic laboratory and in analytics;
- ability to implement and ensure quality control;
- have the necessary knowledge of laboratory safety, data reproduction and quality control, data retention and other aspects of conducting research responsibly.
- appropriate ethical and professional competencies to work with patients and human biological material and to work in biomedical research;
- organizing and receiving biological materials, their safe transportation, their processing and storage;
- organization of laboratory work for the analysis of biological materials;
- maintenance and calibration of various equipment and analyzers, preparation of reagents necessary for quantitative determinations;
- work on analyzers and check the results obtained, by applying the principles of work quality control;
- independently carry out complicated routine research in the field of clinical chemistry;manipulation with simple and sophisticated analyzers which work on the principle of: spectrometry, fluometry, polarimetry, nephelometry, turbidimetry, densitometry, atomic absorption spectrometry, gas chromatography, etc.
- methods of separation, isolation and identification of biomolecules, technical electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing: RIA, ELISA, IRMA techniques, chromatographic techniques with different sorbents;
- verification and determination of substrate, metabolites;
- determination of enzyme activity, level of hormones, trace elements and vitamins in biological material;
- work on introducing new procedures and advancing professional work methodology;
- provide services in the field of laboratory diagnosis of bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites – sampling, planting in nutritious terrains conducting a preliminary review of results;
- providing services in the field of hematology – work with automatic blood cell counters, preparation of peripheral blood smear and bone marrow, standard staining of preparations as well as cytochemical staining, differentiation of peripheral blood smear elements and rapid examinations of bone marrow smears.
- providing services in the field of cytodiagnostics – preparation of cytological preparations of tissues, body fluids, biopsy material, staining of preparations with relevant techniques and to make a quick review of the received preparations.
- application of immunological methods
- providing basic services in molecular biology laboratories using human materials;
- acquire the competencies and skills needed to grow cell, tissue and organ cultures
- to organize activities within the daily work program of the bachelor of laboratory biochemistry included in the work cycle;
- manage administrative tasks related to daily work and plans related to the work process;
- gain the ability to use modern library search tools to find and obtain primary literature and to critically evaluate literature;
- apply and communicate effectively scientific reasoning and data analysis in written and oral form;
- learn to work collaboratively in a team;
- prepare students to be involved in various fields of higher education or in professions related to different disciplines.
