Entry Requirements
To be eligible for admission a candidate must have:
- BSc Honours Degree in any of the following disciplines: Biological Sciences, Agriculture, Environmental Sciences, Crop Science or any other relevant degree with at least a 2.2 grade or equivalent from this and other recognised institutions.
- Applicants without an Honours Degree or with passes lower than 2.2 may be considered for the programme if they have at least two years relevant experience.
Duration of the Programme
The programme shall consist of two academic years of full time study.
Structure of the Programme
In order to be awarded the Degree, students must have passed or be credited with all courses designated as core and at least two other taught courses in EITHER Microbiology OR Plant Pathology option.
| Part I: Semester 1 | |||
| Code | Course Description | Core | Credits |
| MPP 501 | Advanced Microbiology | Y | 4 |
| MPP 502 | Microbial Genetics and Molecular Biology | Y | 4 |
| MPP 503 | Plant and Animal Health Science | Y | 4 |
| MPP 504 | Microbial Pathogenesis | Y | 4 |
| Part I: Semester II | |||
| MPP 505 | Advanced Research Methods | Y | 4 |
| Applied Microbiology Option (choice of at least 3 including core courses) | |||
| MPP 506 | Microbial Biochemistry and Physiology | Y | 4 |
| MPP 507 | Microbial Genomics and Metagenomics | 4 | |
| MPP 508 | Food and Water Safety | 4 | |
| MPP 509 | Industrial Microbiology | 4 | |
| MPP 510 | Environmental Microbiology | 4 | |
| MPP 511 | Biology of Edible Fungi | Y | 4 |
| MPP 512 | Herbal Medicinal Products and Antimicrobial Drug Discovery | 4 | |
| Applied Plant Pathology Option (choice of at least 3 including core courses) | |||
| MPP 513 | Advanced Plant Pathology | Y | 4 |
| MPP 514 | Plant Disease Epidemiology and Management | Y | 4 |
Dissertation
Each student shall spend Part II on the Research Project drawn broadly from the areas of Microbiology or Applied Plant Pathology either within our laboratories, or a recognized external laboratory, or organization. A suitable Supervisor shall be appointed by the Department from amongst its staff while a co-supervisor shall be selected either from another relevant laboratory, faculty or organization where the student may choose to conduct his/her research, who will provide the student with the opportunity to learn a wide range of skills. The dissertation shall be presented both orally and in written form before a Board of Examiners.
The Dissertation must be submitted at least two months before the end of the second year of study.
Determination or results
The final degree mark shall be an aggregate of at least 8 taught courses including all core and elective courses (32 credits) and the dissertation (24 credits). The student shall therefore, require at least 52 credits to graduate.
