The programme
This section provides a comprehensive overview of the degree programme, including details on its structure, regulations, and additional resources. It also introduces the University’s Quality Assurance system and outlines the Student Orientation services available to prospective students, aimed at guiding them in selecting the most suitable course.
Course of study in brief
Molecular and medical biotechnology has enormous potential for developing new solutions to improve human health. Through the understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of diseases, biotechnology plays an essential role in developing drugs, vaccines, therapies and diagnostic tests.
The Master’s degree in Molecular and Medical Biotechnology aims to produce skilled researchers in the field of molecular and cellular biotechnology who are capable of performing biomedical analyses, research and development using experimental and computational approaches. These skills are developed through the study of cellular and molecular biology, genomics and diagnostics, pathology and pharmacology, and computational biology.
The postgraduate programme, which includes an integrated laboratory course based on a current topic in biomedical research, provides students with a solid technical background highlighting the impact of laboratory research on human health. The degree has a single curriculum, but its flexible approach enables students to tailor the programme to their own needs and interests.
This programme - which is completely taught in English, allowing you to earn a degree that will be recognised in Italy and abroad, - welcomes international students, combining knowledge and experience from various cultural backgrounds.
Graduates will be prepared to enter the workforce in either the public or private sector, or may choose to conduct their profession in consulting and design. Areas of possible employment include research and technological development for public bodies or in the industry (biotech, pharmaceutical, diagnostics, etc.); regulatory activities; the creation and management of biotechnology entities in the public and private sectors; performing directive, management and advisory functions in the pharmacological and biomedical fields; technical and scientific communication and information handling.
Applicants are expected to have basic knowledge and understanding of biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics. A good knowledge of English (at least European B1 level) is also required.
Supervisor: Prof. Alejandro Giorgetti
Degree programme annual factsheet (SUA-CdS)
As part of the Quality Assurance system, complete, updated and easily available information on objectives, study plan, resources used and results achieved for each degree programme is made available through the SUA-CdS - Scheda Unica Annuale del Corso di Studio (Degree programme annual factsheet). This includes an Overview and three public sections (Learning Objectives, Student Experience, Learning Outcomes) which together provide a wide range of information about each degree programme. The SUA-CdS also contains an administrative section (Administration and Quality Management) that is for internal use only.
The Degree programme annual factsheet (SUA-CdS), which is currently available only in Italian, is a valuable tool that can be used by the University to design, implement and reorganise, as well as to evaluate, each degree programme. However, the SUA-CdS factsheet is also useful for students, to help them choose the right programme of study.
- Degree type Corsi di laurea Magistrale
- Duration 2 years
- Part-time Study option available Yes
- Admissions Subject to entry requirements
- Degree class LM-9
- S.T.E.M. course Yes
- Administrative headquarters verona
- Locations for lessons and exams Map of the Locations
- Language English
The specific objectives aim at enabling the student to acquire, also through significant experimental work experience, in-depth skills and knowledge in
- methodologies aimed at the structural and functional characterisation of biological macromolecules and the cellular processes in which they intervene
- pathological processes of human interest, at the molecular and cellular level; current applications and prospects for the application of biotechnology in human pathology;
- organisation and expression modes of the human genome and analysis using bioinformatic tools and high-throughput experimental platforms;
- structural biology for the design of molecules with pharmacological activity;
- molecular modelling for the design of molecules of biomedical interest;
- bioinformatic methodologies for the organisation and access to databases, with particular reference to genomics and proteomics;
- medical genetics, pharmacogenomics and molecular pharmacology for the development of new drugs.
Through their choice of subjects, students define their own course of study that allows them to deepen their knowledge in the fields of molecular and cellular biology, genomics and diagnostics, pathology and pharmacology, or computational molecular biology.
For one semester of the first year, the course of study includes an integrated laboratory course inspired by a current topic in biomedical research. The format is designed to provide students with technical skills in biotechnology research while emphasising a clear connection between laboratory research and the impact on human health. The teaching is organised in such a way as to leave ample time in the second year to develop experimental work for the preparation of the thesis.
Professional roles and employment opportunities
• MOLECULAR BIOTECHNOLOGIST AND PHYSICIAN
Professional role in the work context
Graduates will be able to find employment opportunities requiring an autonomous, responsible and proactive attitude, in biomedical research laboratories and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. The graduate's tasks are to be framed in the field of research, innovation, development, design and management of systems and processes, with particular reference to the biomedical sector, by means of experimental and computational approaches. In addition, the molecular medical biotechnologist will design, develop and optimise new operational procedures, and carry out scientific reporting and communication.
Skills associated with the role
The skills associated with the role are: management, organisation and execution in research, quality control, diagnostics and scientific analysis in public and private laboratories. Master's graduates are expected to be able to use recombinant DNA technologies, high-processing technologies and other biomolecular techniques to provide an objective and critical interpretation of the data generated by the above technologies. Moreover, they should be able to: design and apply scientific and technological methodologies to solve problems in molecular diagnostics, cell therapy and for the identification of molecular targets useful for human health; design and develop biological systems for the production of proteins of diagnostic and therapeutic interest. In addition, graduates are expected to possess skills in the study of the biological bases of certain diseases and in the identification of innovative therapeutic methods. Graduates shall also acquire communication skills necessary to convey information, ideas, problems and solutions, both to specialists and the general public. They shall be proficient in written and spoken English in order to respond to the strong international mobility of the biotechnology sector.
Career prospects
This Master's degree will enable graduates to enter the world of work straight after their studies, either in private companies or in public bodies. Graduates will be able to carry out professional activities in public and private facilities related to the management of biomedical research or applied medicine and diagnostics laboratories. Graduates may also carry out consultancy and design activities as a self-employed professional, either independently or in association. The main career opportunities for graduates, in Italy and abroad, are to be found in the following contexts:
- Universities and public and private research organisations;
- National Health Service and private structures;
- biotechnology industries and services;
- pharmaceutical industry and supervision;
- multi-zonal prevention centres;
- medical and legal facilities;
- diagnostic and pharmaceutical industry;
- notified and certifying bodies;
- clinical trial monitoring;
- technology transfer companies;
- publishing and scientific communication companies;
- institutions (Ministry of Health).
