Department of Biological Sciences

GOAL AND OBJECTIVE OF THE PROGRAMME

The programmes are designed to produce Science Laboratory Technologist efficient enough to fabricate equipment and carry out practical in the field of microbiology and Environmental biology respectively, with the sole aim to solve practical problems in bio-sciences.

OBJECTIVES

It is expected that upon graduation from the programmes, the graduates of the SLT HND Microbiology and SLT HND Environmental Biology should be able to:

1. Operate and maintain laboratory equipment in microbiology and environmental biology laboratory respectively.
2. Supervise laboratory practical in microbiology and environmental biology respectively.
3. Fabricate novel and modify laboratory equipment related to microbiology and environmental biology respectively.
4. Repair laboratory equipment in microbiology and environmental biology respectively.
5. Prepare technical reports on laboratories practical and equipment.
6. Prepare laboratory practical plan and procedures

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants willing to join our programmes may be considered for admission into the Higher National Diploma (HND) Programme in SLT HND Microbiology or SLT HND Environmental Biology if he/she possess the following:

1. At least credit level passes in four subjects obtained in not more than two sittings in GCE ‘O’ Level, or Secondary School Certificates (SSCE). The four subjects include Mathematics, English, Physics, Biology, and Chemistry.
2. At least lower credit diploma in Science Laboratory Technology or any relevant diploma courses.
3. One (1) year mandatory Industrial Training (IT)

STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMME

The Higher National Diploma SLT Microbiology and SLT Environmental Biology programmes are terminal programme and are both structured to last for two years (four semesters) respectively.

CONDITION OF AWARD

The institution awards accredited programmes in Higher National Diploma (HND) to candidates who passed all the prescribed courses, examination and practical set by the institution and the supervised industrial experience. All final Higher National Diploma Examinations must be externally moderated. In grading the awards, the unified grading system is applied.

CURRICULUM

The curriculum of the HND programmes consists of three main components. These are i. General Studies/Education ii. Foundation Courses iii. Professional courses

The general education component shall include courses in arts and humanities – English Language, Communication, and history. These are compulsory. Mathematics and science (for non-Science based programmes) social studies – citizenship (the Nigerian Constitution) Political Science, Sociology, Philosophy, Geography, Entrepreneurship studies. The course in citizenship, Entrepreneurship, philosophy of Science and Sociology are compulsory. The general education component shall account for not more than 15% of total contact hours for the programme.

Foundation courses include courses in Economics, Mathematics, pure Sciences, etc. the number of hours will vary with the programme and may account for about 10 – 15% of the total contact hours.

Professional courses are courses which give the student the theory and practical skills he/she needs to practice his/her field of calling at the technologist level. These may account for between 60% - 70% of the total contact hours depending on programme.

Preview Curriculum on (PDF)

ACCREDITATION

All HND level programmes offered must be accredited by the NBTE before the graduates can be awarded the Higher National Diploma Certificates. Details about the process of accrediting a programme for the award of the HND are available from the Executive Secretary, Programmes Department, National Board for Technical Education, Plot B, Bida Road, P.M.B. 2239, KADUNA, Nigeria.

GUIDANCE NOTE FOR TEACHERS TEACHING THE PROGRAMME

The new curriculum is drawn in unit courses. This is keeping with the provisions of the national Policy of Education which stress the need to introduce the Semester credit units which will enable a student who so wish to transfer the units already completed in an institution of similar standard from which he/she is transferring. In designing the units, the principle of the modular system by product has been adopted; thus making each of the professional modules, when completed provides the student with technologist operative skills, which can be used for employment purposes. As the success of the credit unit system depends on the articulation of programmes between the institutions and industry, the curriculum content has been written in behavioural objectives, so that it is clear to all the expected performance of the student who successfully completed some of the courses or the Higher National Diplomats of the programme.

There is a slight departure in the presentation of the performance based curriculum which requires the conditions under which the performance is expected to be carried out and the criteria for the acceptable levels of performance. It is a deliberate attempt to further involve the staff of the department teaching the programme to write their own curriculum stating the condition existing in their institution under which the performance can take place and to follow that with the criteria for determining and acceptable level of performance. Departmental submission on the final curriculum may be vetted by the academic board of the institution. Our aim is to continue to see it that a solid internal evaluation system exists in each institution for ensuring minimum standard and quality of education in the programmes offered throughout the polytechnic system and similar post – secondary technical institutions. The teaching of the theory and practical work should, as much as possible, be integrated. Practical exercises, especially those in professional courses and laboratory work should both be taught in isolation from the theory. For each course, there should be a balance of theory to practice in the ratio of 50:50 or 60:40 or the reverse.