Prerequisites for admission.

Admission requirements
Admission to the Degree Programme in Medical Biotechnologies is subject to the possession of the following curricular requirements:

1. University degree in one of the following classes, or other study qualification obtained abroad and deemed suitable:
former D.M. 270:
- Class L-2 Biotechnologies
- Class L-13 Biological sciences
- Class LM-41 Medicine and Surgery
- Class LM-13 Pharmacy and Industrial Pharmacy
former D.M. 509/99:
- Class 1 – Biotechnologies
- Class 12 – Biological sciences

2. At least 60 credits (CFU) in the following SDS: BIO/06, BIO/09, BIO/10, BIO/11, BIO/13, BIO/14,
BIO/16, BIO/17, BIO/18, BIO/19, MED/04, MED/07.

Another access requirement is a suitable knowledge of the English language (at least B1). Failure to provide the certified documents, a board appointed by the Department Board will verify the possession of such requirement by assessing the reading and understanding skills.

Personal background
Students’ personal background will be assessed by means of a test with multiple answers on topics that are essential for a successful study programme in the master’s degree in Medical Biotechnologies and more specifically on:
Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Physiology, Genetics, Pathology.

The admission and assessment procedures are described in detail in the educational regulations of the Degree Programme and in the Call for Applications.

Skills associated with the function

Biotechnologist Physician
Graduates of the master’s degree in Medical Biotechnologies have high levels of expertise in the scientific and technical-manufacturing programming and developing of biotechnologies applied to the field of human and animal health and will therefore be able to operate with high responsibility functions.
They will use the skills learnt in the following fields:
- diagnostic, through the management of the technologies of molecular analysis and biomedical technologies applied to the medical and veterinary, medical and legal, toxicological, and reproductive-endocrine fields (including transgenic animals, molecular probes, cell systems, bio-artificial tissues, and cell systems, producers of biologically active molecules, and other advanced bio-sanitary techniques);
- bioengineering, with specific reference to the use of biomaterials or engineered organs and tissues;
- biomedical and animal experimentation, with specific reference to the use of in vivo and in vitro models for understanding the pathogenesis of human and animal diseases;
- therapeutic, with specific reference to the development and experimentation of innovative pharmacologic products (including genic therapy, cell therapy, and personalised medicine).

Function in a work context

Biotechnologist Physician
Master graduates in Medical Biotechnologies will be able to head laboratories with main biotechnological and pharmacological focus, and coordinate - also at managerial and administrative level - development and surveillance programmes of biotechnologies applied to humans and animals, taking into account the ethical, technical, legal, and environmental effects. Graduates of the programme carry out activities for which a high level of knowledge and experience in the scientific and technological field is required. Their tasks include:
- activities for promoting and developing scientific and technological innovation for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes.
- activities for designing and applying scientific and technological methodologies for solving practical issues in the field of molecular diagnostics, cell therapy, genic therapy, and personalised medicine.
- activities for designing and developing biologic systems for the characterisation of molecules of diagnostic and therapeutic interest.

Educational goals

The Master’s Degree Programme in Medical Biotechnologies is aimed at training graduates who can enter the job market with a curriculum that is original and oriented in terms of professional skills. Therefore, the training programme is aimed at providing students with the specific professional skills that are required for quickly entering the job market, also by promoting the skills that are relevant for a further university qualification.
The programme is divided in two stages:

a) a general training stage, mainly carried out as traditional lectures.
b) a specific internship stage in qualified research laboratories, aimed at providing students with the skills required to their proper integration in the research or manufacturing activities. Graduates shall acquire the skills useful to develop a project, by defining its scopes, techniques, and feasibility, and remodel it based on the results obtained. The laboratories authorised to offer this training activity are identified by the Department based on the competences available in the university.
The general objective is to provide students with the biotechnological skills aimed at protecting, promoting, and recovering the health, including the knowledge of the operating processes on the research, production, and use of biotechnological products for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. The specific objectives of the programme are set up in view of the current developments of biotechnologies in the fields of medical interest, also considering the need that the training programme stays in close relation with the scientific and professional activities that are actually carried out locally. Also through a significant experience of experimental work, the specific objectives aim at providing students with a modern and in-depth knowledge on:

- general aspects of physiology and pathology of organs and human apparatus, including the use of alternative experimental models.
- principles and techniques at the basis of the modification of proteins to be used in diagnostics, treatment, and prevention.
- biology of stem cells.
- principles and techniques for the therapeutic use of stem cells and for the transfer of therapeutic genes.
- principles and techniques of personalised therapy
- current applications and potential clinical applications of medical biotechnologies.
- structure and function of human genome and relevant analyses technologies.
- pharmacological and pharmacogenomics biotechnologies.
- advanced molecular diagnosis techniques, with specific focus on the applications of “omics” subjects (genomics, functional genomics, and proteomics).
- applications and potentials of genic therapy.
- bio-informatic analyses of genomic data.
- communication mechanisms between cells.
- principles and techniques of personalised medicine.
- ability to work independently also taking up roles of responsibility for projects, structures, and guidance of staff.

Communication skills

Admission requirements
Admission to the Degree Programme in Medical Biotechnologies is subject to the possession of the following curricular requirements:

1. University degree in one of the following classes, or other study qualification obtained abroad and deemed suitable:
former D.M. 270:
- Class L-2 Biotechnologies
- Class L-13 Biological sciences
- Class LM-41 Medicine and Surgery
- Class LM-13 Pharmacy and Industrial Pharmacy
former D.M. 509/99:
- Class 1 – Biotechnologies
- Class 12 – Biological sciences

2. At least 60 credits (CFU) in the following SDS: BIO/06, BIO/09, BIO/10, BIO/11, BIO/13, BIO/14,
BIO/16, BIO/17, BIO/18, BIO/19, MED/04, MED/07.

Another access requirement is a suitable knowledge of the English language (at least B1). Failure to provide the certified documents, a board appointed by the Department Board will verify the possession of such requirement by assessing the reading and understanding skills.

Personal background
Students’ personal background will be assessed by means of a test with multiple answers on topics that are essential for a successful study programme in the master’s degree in Medical Biotechnologies and more specifically on:
Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Physiology, Genetics, Pathology.

The admission and assessment procedures are described in detail in the educational regulations of the Degree Programme and in the Call for Applications.

Making Judgements

The broad part of the training programme dedicated to the laboratory practical activity gives students the opportunity to face the issues raised during the development of a specific project. Following that experience and the concepts learnt in the teachings, graduates of the master’s degree programme shall have acquired a working method that may be applied to different contexts of research or R&D activity, mainly based on the abilities below:
- analyse the issues arising from the research activity, by independently identifying the methodological approaches that are most suitable and effective to reach the objectives.
- know the criteria and limitations of use of the techniques learnt and therefore be able to evaluate their applicability in different contexts.
- critically assess the results obtained also in the English language.
The obtainment of these objectives will be assessed during both the individual teachings and the laboratory activities aimed at preparing the degree thesis.
The obtainment of these objectives regarding the independent judgement will be mainly assessed through the critical analysis of the results achieved during the laboratory activity, as well as when students prepare and discuss the degree thesis.

Learning skills

The learning skills gained during the training programme or developed through individual study are encouraged, monitored, and assessed by the professor by means of up-to-date teaching material in Italian and/or English, active participation in classroom discussion, integrating seminars, ability to independently organise specific tasks assigned. Special focus and value will be given to the critical contribution shown during the entire programme and the maturity and independence in drawing up, presenting, and discussing the final thesis.