The five-year integrated postgraduate programmes of Bharathidasan University have been serving the purpose of attracting bright Plus Two students. With six constituent departments — Plant Science, Animal Science, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, and Biochemistry — the School of Life Sciences that offers five-years Integrated M.Sc. programme was recently recognised as a ‘Centre for Excellence in Life Sciences' by the Government of Tamil Nadu with a Rs. 1 crore-grant.
The M.Sc. programme being offered successfully for over two decades now is recognised by the Central and State governments; candidates become eligible to appear for Civil service examinations of Central and State Governments, SLET, NET and TRB, M.V. Rao, Programme Co-ordinator, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, said. Attributing the success of the programme to competent teachers and a conducive atmosphere, Dr. Rao said the School was well equipped with the latest sophisticated instruments and other infrastructure.
The School of Life Sciences has produced many Ph.Ds, with the support of the departments of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, English and Tamil. The speciality of the semester-system and CBCS-pattern programme is that it includes as many as 53 courses of study, which are all taught at postgraduate level, and a project work done at the last semester.
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The core papers of the programme constitute Biodiversity of microbes, flora and fauna, Systems Physiology of microbes, plants and animals, Genetics and Breeding, Plant Tissue Culture, Animal Cell Culture, Cell and Molecular Biology, Molecular Genetics, Genetic Engineering, Biomolecules, Enzymology, Metabolic Regulation, Signal Transduction, Bioinstrumentation, Ecology, Endocrinology, Immunology, Microbial Diseases and Diagnostics, Clinical Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Computer Programing, Genomics and Proteomics, Molecular Modelling and Drug Design, Developmental Biology. Besides these core courses, advanced courses in biotechnological aspects of plant, animal and microbial systems such as genetically-modified organisms / products, Stem Cell Technology, Cancer Biology, Bioprocess Technology etc. are offered from Seventh semester onwards.
Students are admitted to the programme based on the total marks secured by them in Biology / Botany and Zoology in Plus Two and on their score in a national-level entrance test, conducted by the School.
Many students who went out of the portals of the School of Life Sciences are either well placed in highly-reputed educational or research establishments or pursuing higher studies or research abroad or in renowned institutions in India, Dr. Rao said. The School of Life Sciences has a separate library with more than 6,000 books catering to the requirements of the M.Sc. students. For more details, contact Dr. Rao at 954312407061 / 9442147460 or through email:
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mvrao_456@yahoo.co.in.
Integrated M.A. in History
Likewise, the university's Department of History has been offering five-year Integrated M.A. in History since last year for Plus Two students of any group. The newly-revised subjects introduced by the UPSC for preliminary and main examinations such as Indian Polity, Public Administration, Human Rights and Social Justice have been incorporated in the five-year Integrated Syllabus, N. Rajendran, Dean of Arts, and Head, Department of History, said.
The coaching in research methods and techniques as part of the course enables students to pursue Ph.D with ease after completing their M.A. An M.A. qualification in the Integrated five-year History course makes the candidates eligible for taking up jobs of Assistant Professors, archaeologists, museum curators, epigraphists, journalists, translators, and tour operators and guides, Dr. Rajendran said.
Students will have an opportunity to interact with renowned scholars and resource persons from various esteemed institutions like the IIT, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Osmania University, and ISRO, during the various national seminars and workshops. Along with the five-year course, students can pursue diploma, and certificate courses on Human Rights and Nehruvian Thoughts concurrently. The Department also offers two-year M.A. in History for candidates with any degree.