Admission requirements

The Postgraduate degree in Plant Biotechnology has unscheduled access.

Students who intend to enroll in the Postgraduate degree in Plant Biotechnology must have a Undergraduate degree or a three-year university diploma or other qualification obtained abroad, recognized as suitable according to the current legislation. Students must also be in possession of the curricular requirements specified in paragraph 3 and adequate personal preparation referred to in the following paragraph 4 of the Teaching Regulations, since enrollment with educational deficiencies is not allowed.

Minimum curricular requirements

To be eligible for the verification of the adequacy of personal preparation, the following minimum curricular requirements are needed: at least 60 CFUs in the basic and/or characterizing educational activities indicated in the ministerial table in the class L-2 (Biotechnology), L-13 (Biological Sciences), L-25 (Agricultural Sciences and Technologies) or in one or more of the following SSDs: AGR/01-04, AGR/07, AGR/11-16, BIO/01-07, BIO/09-19, CHIM/01-06, CHIM/08-11, FIS/01-08, INF/01, ING-INF/05, MAT/01-09, MED/01, MED/03-05, MED/07, MED/42, SECS-S/01-02. The Teaching Committee of the Course of Study may determine, on the basis of the teaching programs, the equivalence between subjects present in the curricula of Undergraduate Degrees of classes other than L-2, L-13 and L-25, in order to evaluate the eligibility of the candidates to the verification of personal preparation.

Verification of the minimum curricular requirements will be carried out by the Admissions Committee through the examination of the educational qualifications submitted by the individual candidate.

Verification of personal preparation

The verification of the adequacy of personal preparation will be carried out by the Admissions Commission through a written test and an oral exam. The basic knowledge subject to the verification of the adequacy of personal preparation are the following:

Biochemistry: Structure and function of biological macromolecules (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids). Photosynthesis. Biosynthesis of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids.
Molecular Biology and Genetics: Structure of nucleic acids. DNA replication. DNA mutation and repair. Transcription. RNA processing. Protein synthesis. Principles of regulation of gene expression. Recombinant DNA.
Botany: Structure and function of the plant cell - Distinctive characteristics of the plant cell (cell wall, plastids, vacuole) - General organization of plant organisms.
Plant physiology: Metabolism and transport of carbon compounds. Absorption, metabolism and transport of water and mineral substances. Biosynthesis and biological action of plant hormones. Metabolism and function of plant by-products.
Microbiology: Structure and function of the prokaryotic (bacteria, Archaea) and eukaryotic (algae, fungi) cells - Microbial metabolism. Microbial growth. Microbial genetics. Methods of cultivation and identification.
English language: Translation and understanding skills - Ability to communicate satisfactorily.

The test will consist of 50 questions (10 for each subject of the syllabus, excluding English). An example (in italian) of a test is published in the section Documenti - requisiti di ammissione.

Regardless of the result of the written test, an oral interview is foreseen to define the outcome of the test.

The tests to verify the adequacy of personal preparation will be held periodically, in classrooms open to the public, subject to notification on the website of the Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences, in the presence of at least three Postgraduate degree teachers; it will not be possible to take the admission test for more than n. 2 times for each academic year. For all information relating to enrolment, please refer to Enrolment procedure.