Postgraduate Handbook 2026-2027
Module BIOL40615: Agriculture and Biotechnology
Department: Biosciences
BIOL40615: Agriculture and Biotechnology
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tied | 4 | 15 | Available in 2026/2027 | None. | Durham |
Tied To
Pre-requisites
- None
Corequisites
- None
Excluded Combinations
- None
Aims
- To provide students with a clear view of the agriculture and biotechnology industrial sector.
- To create awareness of the benefits of agriculture and biotechnology for our society.
- To provide students links with industries in the agri-food and biotechnology sector.
- To provide students a framework for translating the theoretical knowledge to industrial applications
Content
- Seminars, workshops and offsite activities to generate a broad overview of the agriculture and biotechnology industry sector.
- Group discussion classes to elaborate critical thinking and develop communication, data management and problem-solving skills.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- Deep understanding of the agricultural and biotechnology industry.
- Understanding of strategies for the translation of fundamental science for the improvement of agriculture and biotechnology.
- Awareness of the technical, legal and ethical limitations associated to agricultural and biotechnological industrial sector.
Subject-specific Skills
- Ability to think critically within the context of agriculture and biotechnology.
- To implement students industrial view.
- To empower industrial networking abilities.
- Understand the challenges associated to the agriculture and biotechnology sector.
Key Skills
- Critical thinking
- Problem solving
- Group working
- Hypothesis building
- Address questions
- Ethical awareness
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- The teaching will consist of lectures and workshops distributed across the year (~ every 2 months), in preparation for the planned offsite industrial visits. The lecture and workshop activities will provide the theoretical knowledge and specific topic discussions for the student’s industrial visit preparation. The industrial visits aim to provide a direct interaction with the industrial sector and will illustrate the strategies used for the translation of fundamental knowledge into agricultural and biotechnological innovations.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 4 | 2 hours | 8 | ||
| Seminars | 4 | 2 hours | 8 | ||
| Workshops | 4 | 4 hours | 16 | Yes | |
| Offsite Activity | 4 | 8 hours | 32 | Yes | |
| Discussion Classes | 14 | Bi-weekly | 1 hour | 14 | |
| Preparation and Reading | 72 | ||||
| Total | 150 | ||||
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coursework | 100% | Report | 6000 words | 100% |
Formative Assessment
Formative verbal feedback on written report.
Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods
and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative
assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress
procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be
required to leave the University.