Specialist Certificate in Biotechnology (Enterprise) (SC-BTCHENT)

You’re currently viewing the 2022 version of this course

Overview

Award title	Specialist Certificate in Biotechnology (Enterprise)
Year & campus	2022
Fees information	Subject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date
Study level & type	Graduate Coursework
AQF level	Non-AQF
Credit points	25 credit points
Duration	12 months part-time

The Specialist Certificate in Biotechnology (Enterprise) is designed to produce leaders in the exciting and ever-growing sectors of this vibrant industry. Biotechnology is the useful application of a biological product or process and represents an immense opportunity to improve the health, nutrition and well-being of the global population as well as make substantial contributions to the triple bottom line of companies in the area of sustainability and social good. The subjects proposed for this course adopt an interdisciplinary, international and holistic approach to respond to the complex and growing challenges of the emergence of new technologies such as cell therapies, gene editing and the intersection of engineering and biosciences. This is amongst the first course of its kind and deals with specific features of biotechnology as an enterprise which, when these features are combined make it very different to other industries. These features include:

Long lead times for new product development
Strong reliance on intellectual property
Stringent regulatory and quality standards
Long product lifecycles
Ethical, legal and political challenges for new technologies.

It is grounded in a material analysis of the ways in which medicine, agriculture, engineering, finance, the law, technology and design can support healthy individuals and populations.

This course provides specialised knowledge and skills to understand biotechnology as more than industrial challenges. The innovative subjects are taught by academics from across the University of Melbourne and external expert professionals with real- world, international experience in the various sectors of biotechnology. These professionals and academics have expertise in the technical areas of engineering; human and veterinary medicine; food science; agriculture; biosciences; and have expertise in the application of the areas of law; business; marketing and economics to biotechnology. The instructors bring outstanding pedagogical skills, substantive knowledge and practical experience.

Students from around the globe work together to address the worldwide implications of biotechnology, including increased demand on such areas as global food production and human nutrition; health care spending in the context of an increasing aged population, increasing demand from the developing world, continuing technological breakthroughs which will revolutionise the future of biotechnology as well as the business, ethical and legal challenges to innovation in this field. This new course opens up the possibilities of biotechnology with significant implications for companies in the biotechnology sector including pharmaceuticals, therapeutics and biologics; food and agriculture; and medical devices. It will also assist clinicians, health care administrators, innovators and entrepreneurs, policymakers, and researchers understand the multidisciplinary nature of this specialised sector.

The Specialist Certificate in Biotechnology (Enterprise) course requires completion of a total of 25 points of study and is structured to suit individual needs and study preferences. Students have the option of first enrolling in the Specialist Certificate (25 points of study) then the Graduate Certificate (additional 25 points of study to total 50 points of study).

This course is designed to be available to students at different stages in their careers, including career changers and career enhancers, along with those who currently work in a biotechnology-related sector and wish to further their qualifications. This course allows students to obtain core knowledge to underpin the working understanding of this significant industry sector. The approach taken is one which will broaden the view of those already working in biotechnology enterprises and allow them to assume wider management/leadership responsibilities or it will enable those working in the life sciences sectors to move into a biotechnology related role.

Entry requirements

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:

a bachelor Honours degree or equivalent in a cognate area AND at least two years of documented, relevant work experience; OR 
a three-year undergraduate qualification and at least 50 credit points, or equivalent, of graduatelevel study in a cognate area AND at least two years of documented, relevant work experience; OR
a three‐year undergraduate qualification AND at least three years of documented, relevant work experience; OR 
a Masters qualification in a cognate area AND at least two years of documented, relevant work experience; 
a PhD in a cognate area; OR 
a minimum of eight years documented, relevant work experience.
And
A one page CV or resume; and 
A personal statement, of up to 400 words, outlining why you wish to be considered for the course.
Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:


Relevant work experience, only considered for qualifications other than PhD; and 
Prior academic performance; and 
The personal statement; and 
The CV or resume;

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the University’s English language requirements for graduate degrees. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 7 is required.

Note: When considering relevant work experience, the direct relevance of the organisation and professional experience will be taken into account

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

The Faculty of Science welcomes applications from students with disabilities. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details can be found at the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

A prospective student with a disability is advised to discuss with Student Equity and Disability Support any issues related to his or her ability to successfully meet all the course requirements.

Appropriate adjustments will be made to enhance the participation of students with a disability. For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education, and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this course are articulated in the Course Description, Course Objectives and Generic Skills of this entry.

Inherent requirements are the abilities, knowledge and skills needed to complete this course that must be met by all students. For information on the inherent requirements specific to this course contact the course/program coordinator. In some circumstances reasonable adjustments may be available to enable students to meet these requirements while still preserving the academic integrity of the university's learning, assessment and accreditation processes. For more information on how to seek these adjustments refer to the Student Equity and Disability Support website: https://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this course, graduates will be able to:

Demonstrate an advanced practical understanding and knowledge of recent developments in the management of biotechnology enterprises from a multidisciplinary and global perspective;
Develop and manage clinical, prototyping and field trial programs to deliver products meeting market need;
Critically and creatively analyse the management of biotechnology enterprise through world best practice techniques;
Show initiative and autonomy in managing multifunctional groups creatively in delivery of commercial outcomes in biotechnology organisations.

Generic skills

Ability to demonstrate advanced independent critical enquiry;
A strong sense of intellectual integrity and the ethics of scholarship;
Have in-depth knowledge of their specialist discipline(s);
A high level of achievement in writing, project activities, problem-solving and communication;
The ability to critically examine issues, synthesise and evaluate knowledge across a broad range of disciplines;
Critical and creative thought, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning;
Flexible and transferable skills for different types of employment;
The ability to initiate and implement constructive change in their communities, including professions and workplaces;
A sound knowledge of the importance of values and ethics in the governance of organisations

Course structure

The Specialist Certificate in Biotechnology (Enterprise) consists of a 25-point program, to be taken part time over 1 year.

Students must choose two of the four listed subjects:

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
BTCH90011	Prototypes, Field & Clinical Trials	Not available in 2022	12.5
BUSA90528	Quality and Customer Driven Innovation	Not available in 2022	12.5
MKTG90038	Value Creation Strategies	Term 2 (Online) Term 4 (Online)	12.5
LAWS90195	Regulatory Affairs in Biotechnology	Not available in 2022	12.5

Further study

This course is not intended as a pathway to further or advanced higher education awards.

Last updated: 12 November 2022