Genetics and Molecular Biology

All information regarding student representation is available on the Charles Darwin Department of Biology and Biotechnology website: https://bbcd.bio.uniroma1.it/it/rappresentanti-degli-studenti 

 https://smfn.web.uniroma1.it/it/figure-di-garanzia

https://smfn.web.uniroma1.it/garante-studenti

Academic Secretariat
Contact details and office hours are available at the following link: https://bbcd.bio.uniroma1.it/en/teaching-secretariat-office

Student Office

Registration
Enrollment
Fees
Infostud Degree Application
Part-time
Degree Certificate
Transfers to other programs
24-CFU Program
Dropping out/withdrawing from studies

Email: segrstudenti.scienzemmffnn@uniroma1.it
Page link: https://www.uniroma1.it/it/pagina/segreterie-studenti

1. Admission Requirements

The knowledge required for admission to the Master's Degree in Genetics and Molecular Biology is intended to guarantee access to the program for all students who have obtained a degree in classes 1 (Biotechnology Degree Class) or 12 (Biological Sciences Degree Class) of Ministerial Decree 509/1999, or in classes L-2 (Biotechnology) or L-13 (Biological Sciences) of Ministerial Decree 270/2004.
Alternatively, to access the master's degree program, a bachelor's degree is required, provided that graduates have earned at least 90 credits from the following scientific-disciplinary sectors: FIS/01-FIS/08, MAT/01-MAT/09, CHIM/01-CHIM/03, CHIM/06, BIO/01-BIO/12, BIO/16, BIO/18-BIO/19, MED/04, MED/42.
When analyzing the knowledge acquired by candidates with qualifications obtained abroad, where necessary, the content of the individual exams taken and their correspondence with the disciplinary sectors required for admission to the master's degree program will be analyzed.

English language proficiency will be assessed for admission to the Master's Degree program through:
- Certification from a certifying body recognized by the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MUR) attesting English language proficiency at least at level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or equivalent, as defined in the admissions announcement.
- The candidate is deemed to have achieved English language proficiency if he or she has acquired at least 4 credits in the three-year program.
- Those who do not meet the above requirements will be required to take an English language proficiency assessment.

Students who have not yet graduated may also participate in the selection process, provided they have earned at least 156 credits in their degree program, including any credits awarded for internships or other training activities, provided they have earned the credits within the deadlines set out in the announcement for the relevant academic year.
Candidates who already hold: A) degrees in Biological Sciences from the old regulations listed in Table XXXV of Royal Decree 30.09.1938 no. 1652 and subsequent amendments (Ministerial Decree 26/05/1995 published in the Official Gazette no. 266 of 14/11/1995); B) specialist degrees in Class 6/S Biology, compliant with the regulations pursuant to Ministerial Decree 509/99; C) master's degrees in Class LM - 6 Biology, compliant with the regulations pursuant to Ministerial Decree 270/04.

2. Entry qualification assessment method

The assessment of personal preparation, which will qualify for inclusion in the ranking, will be assessed through interviews in the relevant biological disciplines (molecular and cellular biology, genetics, and biochemistry).
Those who meet both of the following requirements are exempt from the supplementary interview:
a) Curricular requirement: undergraduates/graduates in classes 1 (Biotechnology Degree Class) or 12 (Biological Sciences Degree Class) of Ministerial Decree 509/1999 or in classes L-2 (Biotechnology) or L-13 (Biological Sciences) of Ministerial Decree 270/2004, or those in possession of an Italian qualification and the 90 credits specified in the admission requirements (point 3.4b), distributed as follows:
- 12 credits in Physics and Mathematics (SSD from FIS/01 to FIS/08, from MAT/01 to MAT/09);
- 12 credits in Chemistry (SSD from CHIM/01 to CHIM/03, CHIM/06);
- 24 credits (ECTS) in basic biology disciplines (SSD BIO/01, BIO/02, BIO/04 to BIO/07, BIO/09 to BIO/11, BIO/18 to BIO/19);
- 42 credits (ECTS) in core biology disciplines (SSD BIO/01 to BIO/07, BIO/09 to BIO/14, BIO/16, BIO/18 to BIO/19, MED/04, MED/42);

b) weighted average requirement: a weighted average of higher than 24 in all exams declared during the application.

3. Transfers, Transfers, Course Shortenings, Credit Recognition

3.1 Transfers and Transfers
Transfer requests from students transferring from other Sapienza master's or specialist degree programs and transfer requests from students transferring from other universities, military academies, or other military higher education institutions are subject to a resolution by the competent bodies, subject to approval by the Degree Program Committee, which:
• evaluates the possibility of total or partial recognition of the study career followed up to that point, with the validation of some or all of the exams taken and any credits earned, along with the corresponding grades;
• indicates the year of the program in which the student is enrolled;
• formulates the educational path for obtaining the degree.
Requests for transfer to the master's degree program in Genetics and Molecular Biology must be submitted by the deadlines and according to the procedures specified in the University's study plan.

3.2 Course Shortenings
Those who already hold a four-year, five-year, or specialist degree obtained under a previous system, or a master's degree obtained under a current system, and intend to pursue a further qualification, may request enrollment in a course year subsequent to the first.
Applications are evaluated by the Degree Programme Board, which:
• assesses the possibility of total or partial recognition of the study career completed up to that point, with the validation of some or all of the exams taken and any credits earned, along with the corresponding grades;
• indicates the course year in which the student is enrolled;
• formulates the educational path for obtaining the qualification.
A student may not enroll in or register for a master's degree program belonging to the same class in which they already obtained their master's degree.
Requests must be submitted by the deadlines and according to the procedures specified in the University's study plan.

3.3 Criteria for Credit Recognition
All university credits (CFU) already earned may be recognized if they relate to courses whose content, as documented in the course syllabi, is consistent with one of the educational paths offered by the master's degree program.
Equivalence between Scientific-Disciplinary Sectors (SSD) for the awarding of CFU may be decided based on the content of the courses and in accordance with the regulations of the master's degree program.
CFU already earned for courses for which, even under different names, there is a clear equivalence in content with the courses offered by the master's degree program may be recognized as relating to the courses with the specific names of the master's degree program in which enrollment is requested. In this case, recognition will be decided according to the following procedures:
• If the number of CFU corresponding to the course for which recognition is requested coincides with that of the course for which it is being recognized, the award occurs directly;
• If the number of credits corresponding to the course for which recognition is requested differs from the number of credits for the course for which it is being recognized, the Degree Program will examine the student's CV and award the credits, possibly after supplementary interviews.
The Degree Program may recognize as credits professional knowledge and skills certified in accordance with applicable legislation, as well as other knowledge and skills acquired in post-secondary educational activities designed and implemented by the University. These credits count toward the 12 credits for the student's elective courses. In any case, the maximum number of credits recognized in these areas cannot exceed 18 credits for elective or optional courses.
Activities already recognized for the purpose of awarding credits within the bachelor's degree program cannot be recognized again within the master's degree program.

4. Educational Programs

A educational program contains a list of all courses scheduled for a student's academic career, including those for the 12 elective credits. These can be chosen from among all courses offered by Sapienza University.
Each student must obtain official approval of their entire educational program from the Degree Program before taking exams for courses that are not mandatory for all students, under penalty of invalidation of the relevant exam reports.
Students can enroll in a program only once per academic year, starting from the first year of the program.
Any deadlines for submitting the program will be indicated on the Degree Program website.

Students can obtain approval of their academic program through two different procedures, both managed online from their INFOSTUD page:
1. by enrolling in one of the educational programs established annually by the Degree Program;

2. by submitting an individual training program, which the Degree Program must evaluate to ensure its consistency with the objectives of the Master's Degree in Genetics and Molecular Biology.

4.1 Prescribed Training Programs
The application form for a training program offered by the Degree Program can be completed online from each student's INFOSTUD page. Once the form for the entire chosen training program has been completed, it must be submitted electronically using the appropriate button in the Infostud interface for approval by the Degree Program Evaluation Manager.
If approved, the system will notify the student of the authorization for the chosen training program and will immediately become an integral part of their academic record. If not, a communication will be sent.
The electronic action will require the student to modify the list of selected courses.
Students may enroll in a pre-arranged course only once per academic year, starting from the first year of the course.
Any deadlines for submitting the pre-arranged course will be indicated on the Degree Programme website.

4.2 Individual Courses
Should the student not wish to enroll in any of the proposed courses, they must submit an individual course using the appropriate form available online from each student's INFOSTUD page.
With the exception of courses related to the 12 elective credits, it will not be possible to include courses not included in the Course Offering in the individual course.
Students may enroll in an individual course only once per academic year, starting from the first year of the course.
Any deadlines for submitting the individual course will be indicated on the Degree Programme website.

4.3 Curriculum Modifications
A student who has already enrolled in a curriculum offered by the Degree Program may, in a subsequent academic year, enroll in a different curriculum offered by the Degree Program or propose an individual curriculum.
Likewise, a student who has already had an individual curriculum approved may, in a subsequent academic year, opt to enroll in a curriculum offered by the Degree Program or propose a different individual curriculum.
In any case, exams already recorded cannot be replaced.
For full-time students, curriculum changes will be possible up to the second year outside the prescribed timeframe (fourth year from enrollment), i.e., curriculum changes will not be permitted starting from the third year outside the prescribed timeframe (fifth year from enrollment in the Master's Degree Program).

For part-time students, curriculum changes will not be possible beyond the year scheduled as the end of their part-time curriculum.

5. Teaching Methods

Teaching activities are conventional and distributed on a semester basis.
Courses are taught through lectures, classroom exercises, and laboratory activities. The schedule is organized to allow students adequate time for personal study.
The nominal duration of the master's degree program is four semesters, equal to two years.

5.1 University credits
University credits (CFU) measure the amount of work a student undertakes to achieve an educational objective. CFUs are acquired by students by passing exams or obtaining qualifications, where applicable.
The credit system adopted by Italian and European universities stipulates that one CFU corresponds to 25 hours of student commitment, distributed between institutionally mandated group learning activities (e.g., lectures, exercises, laboratory activities) and individual study.
In the Genetics and Molecular Biology degree program, in accordance with the University's teaching regulations, one credit corresponds to 8-10 hours of lectures, or 12 hours of laboratory or guided exercises, or 20 hours of professional development (with instructor guidance in small groups) or supervised study (independent student exercises in the classroom/laboratory, with teaching assistance).
The individual course descriptions, available on the degree program website, show the breakdown of credits and teaching hours for the various activities, along with prerequisites, learning objectives, and outline programs.
The total workload for the degree is 120 credits.
In the Genetics and Molecular Biology degree program, the portion of the total time commitment reserved for personal study or other individual learning activities is at least 50% of the total time commitment.

5.2 Academic Calendar
The academic calendar is as follows:
• Classes will take place from October to mid-January (first semester) and from March to mid-June (second semester).
• Exam sessions are scheduled in January-February, and from June to mid-October.
• Class and exam periods cannot overlap.

5.3 Exams
The assessment of the student's individual performance for each course is expressed through the assignment of a grade out of 30, in which case the minimum passing grade is 18/30, or a passing grade.
The following elements may contribute to the final grade:
• a written exam, generally divided into several written tests to be taken during and at the end of the course;
• an oral exam;
• the student's independent work.

6. Attendance, prerequisites, and progression to subsequent years

Exams for courses included in the curriculum do not require any prerequisites.

7. Part-time Program

The deadlines and procedures for requesting part-time program, as well as the related regulations, are set forth in the University Manifesto and are available on the Sapienza website. The master's degree program in Genetics and Molecular Biology has set the standard number of credits for its students requesting part-time programs at 40 credits or more per year.
Please note that some courses may be discontinued or modified during the years agreed upon for part-time programs. In these cases, the Degree Program will inform the student of the new curriculum.

8. Students who are not enrolled in the required program and the validity of earned credits

According to the current University Manifesto, a full-time student is considered to be enrolled in the required program if he or she has not passed all exams and has not acquired the number of credits required to graduate within two years. In these cases, the deadlines for obtaining the degree are regulated by the University's Study Plan.

9. Tutoring

Students in the Genetics and Molecular Biology degree program may take advantage of tutoring services by contacting the Program President and the designated tutors.

10. Excellence Programs and Minors in Science Teaching

The Degree Program annually reserves a number of places for the Excellence Program. The relevant call for applications is published on the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical, and Natural Sciences website, in accordance with the deadlines indicated by the University and approximately within the first semester of each academic year. Students who, having been admitted to an Erasmus program, complete part of their curriculum at a foreign university and are eligible for the Excellence Program may complete part of their Excellence Program at their host foreign institution.
The teaching structure can organize a study or internship period at another Italian or foreign university, institution, or higher education or research organization for students enrolled in the Excellence Program.

The Degree Program also offers the opportunity to undertake a Minor in Science Teaching, a program designed to fill the gaps in the educational knowledge of a bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences (MAT and GEO sectors) required for teaching mathematics and science in lower secondary schools (competitive class A28). This will allow graduates who have completed the Minor to pursue only the required qualifying programs (currently 60 credits in anthropological, psycho-pedagogical, and teaching and linguistic methodologies and technologies) without requiring additional skills. The call for applications for the Minor in Science Teaching is published on the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical, and Natural Sciences website, in accordance with the deadlines set by the University and typically within the first semester of each academic year.

11. Thesis

To be admitted to the final exam, students must have earned all the credits required by their academic program for activities other than the Thesis and must have completed the administrative procedures set forth in the University Academic Regulations.
The final exam consists of the completion and defense of an experimental thesis on topics related to the program, which the student must develop in an original manner under the guidance of a supervisor. The final exam is worth 39 credits. For the Italian curriculum, the final thesis may be completed and defended in either Italian or English; while for the English curriculum, the thesis must be completed and defended in English.
The Degree Procedures (Deadlines), which summarize all the steps and related deadlines that must be followed from the assignment of the final exam to the thesis defense, are specified in the dedicated section of the teaching page on the Charles Darwin Department of Biology and Biotechnology website. The graduate student chooses a supervisor based on the topic they intend to explore in their thesis and agrees on the timing and methods of carrying out the work. The supervisor is one of the professors who are members of the Degree Course Council (CCDS) or of the Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin," to which the Degree Course belongs (internal supervisor). If the professor deems it useful, he or she may be supported by one or more co-supervisors. Students who intend to carry out a thesis in research laboratories of other faculties or outside the university must submit to the Dean of the Master's Degree a declaration from the researcher that he or she is available to assist the student in carrying out the experimental work and in preparing the thesis. The declaration must be drafted using a specific form and accompanied by the required documentation.
The Master of Science (MSc) Program Chair, if he or she believes the information provided guarantees satisfactory quality of work and solid experience in the field of biological sciences, will sign the approval. It is also possible to carry out the thesis work at foreign universities within the framework of Erasmus agreements, with Sapienza scholarships obtained following a selection process, or as a free mover. If the thesis is carried out at external institutions, the Master of Science (MSc) Program Chair will designate a biology faculty member as the internal supervisor. This faculty member will support the external supervisor throughout the experimental work and the preparation of the written thesis. This faculty member will be responsible for the thesis, along with the external supervisor. Once the assignment has been made, students and supervisors will agree on the timing and methods of carrying out the work.
The graduate must submit the degree application according to the procedures established by the University and by the deadlines set out in the Degree Program Academic Calendar.
The graduate student presents and defends his or her thesis before a degree committee composed of seven faculty members, selected from among the members of the Degree Programme and internal supervisors. Degree committees are approved at the beginning of the academic year, and any substitutions are approved by the President of the Degree Programme, upon delegation from the Council. If necessary, additional committees will be established during the academic year. The Committee may be divided into sub-committees during the presentation phase. Additional supervisors, if any, are added to the committee, who present and evaluate the candidate's work but do not have the right to vote. Internal supervisors who are not members of the committee and any external supervisors express an overall evaluation of the candidate's work; this opinion will be taken into account in the final evaluation. The degree grade is expressed out of 110 (minimum grade 66, maximum grade 110, with possible honors) and is the result of the sum of a series of addends, determined based on the student's academic record, according to the following algorithm:

Degree Grade = w1 * VM + VT + Bonus
Where:
● VM is the average of the exam grades taken, weighted by credits, normalized to 110, and rounded to the nearest tenth;
● w1 is the weight given to VM on the overall grade, and is equal to 0.7.
● VT is the grade given to the thesis, the corresponding paper, and its defense, for a maximum VT of 36 points.
● Bonus is a grade, from 0 to 3, that includes:
- 2 bonus points for a current degree;
- a score from 0 to Lmax based on the number of exams passed with a grade of 30/30 with honors (0.2 points for honors).

To achieve honors, the total score obtained, including the average of the exam grades, the evaluation by the examining committee, and any other bonuses listed above, must be greater than or equal to 111. In any case, honors can only be awarded with a unanimous approval by the examining committee.

If an international agreement is signed with the University of Paris Cité, students enrolled in the dual degree program will prepare an experimental thesis that will be defended as indicated in the agreement.

12. Application of Article 6 of the Student Regulations (Royal Decree 4/6/1938, No. 1269)

Students enrolled in the Master's Degree program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, in order to enhance their academic curriculum, may, as provided for in Article 6 of Royal Decree No. 1239 of June 4, 1938, students may take no more than two courses from other Sapienza degree programs of the same level and under the same academic program each academic year. These exams do not count toward the credits required for the degree and are not included in the average; they are simply added to the student's academic record.
The Degree Program will express an opinion upon request by the Student Affairs Office. Given the scientific and cultural significance of this provision, this request may only be made by students who have earned at least 18 credits in the Master's Degree program in Genetics and Molecular Biology.
Students wishing to take advantage of the opportunity provided for in this article must submit a written request to their Student Affairs Office at the Faculty of Sciences, according to the procedures set forth in Article 29 of the University Study Plan.