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life sciences bachelor progr amme the life sciences programme a springboard to a rewarding future the life sciences programme trains students for lab research positions at universities and in the growing pharmaceutical and biotechnical industry han bachelor of applied sciences graduates occupy key roles in research and development teams by executing the research work conferring with senior researchers and professors initiating and improving innovative lab methods and coordinating lab assistants in view of the global shortage of highly qualified lab personnel our graduates meet a growing demand www.han.nl/lifesciences

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life sciences a springboard to a rewarding future han university of applied sciences www.hanuniversity.nl offers students from both the netherlands and abroad a stimulating up-to-date and practice-based education its primary focus is to prepare them for the professional practice and give them the necessary knowledge skills and professional attitude han campuses in arnhem and nijmegen offer more than 80 bachelors and masters programmes to 28,300 students we have 2,100 international students from over 70 different countries worldwide life sciences is offered at the institute of applied sciences in nijmegen one of the 14 institutes at han university this institute offers state of the art bachelor study programmes in medical and biology laboratory research dutch chemistry dutch bioinformatics dutch and life sciences english with specialisations in the field of molecular plant biology and molecular biochemistry all the four year bachelor programmes comprise full time courses each with a course major of 210 ects and a course minor of 30 ects in addition this institute offers the master study programme molecular life sciences english a one year full time course life sciences for the more internationally minded the life sciences bachelor programme is currently the only course of its kind to be offered in english in the netherlands students come from the netherlands vietnam china indonesia thailand usa germany france italy cameroun and many other countries the bachelor programme provides many opportunities for students to study and work together as well as participate in the many jointly organised leisure activities such as sports excursions dinner parties and dutch celebrations like sinterklaas furthermore every year european students taking part in the erasmus exchange programme attend life sciences lectures the mix of dutch asian african caribbean and exchange students makes participating in the life sciences programme unique during their studies life sciences students can also take part in the exchange programmes at other universities in the netherlands the uk germany the czech republic the usa australia or south africa as part of the minor programme following its many years of experience in internationalisation the institute of applied sciences has acquired many contacts and recognition as a prominent international institute the life sciences study programme one of the distinguishing features of the life sciences programme is that it is based on the principle of competence based learning students directly apply their knowledge and skills to answer research questions relevant to professional practice the academic year is divided into four terms during each term students work on important research topics from life sciences current questions from professional practice such as deciphering causes of cancer or improving plant variety are presented to the students by applying the theory presented in lectures or in the literature conducting experiments in the lab and discussing with fellow students in project groups students try to find answers to these questions the programme focuses on the following research topics bio molecules cell biology genetics genetic engineering immunology carcinogenesis virology and molecular plant biology lectures in the subjects cell biology biochemistry microbiology molecular genetics molecular plant biology immunology and communication skills written and oral statistics physics and mathematics help answer the research questions exams at the end of each term give students insight into their progress and highlight areas for improvement.

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four years to become an independent professional the foundation year starts at the end of august providing an introduction to student life in nijmegen and a comprehensive overview of the academic contents of the life sciences programme during the first year students are guided through their research topics and receive extensive classroom and laboratory instruction to acquire the basic knowledge and skills required in the field thereafter students are increasingly challenged to answer research questions themselves they make detailed research plans conduct the experiments according to these plans draw conclusions and present the results of their research in a final report presentation congress or poster presentations as students carry out their project in small teams they become skilled team players the project work helps students expand their knowledge and skills and increases their independence in the lab an asset which is highly appreciated in the work field at the end of their study the students work on an individual basis on major thesis projects in industry research institutes or teaching hospitals in the netherlands or abroad the successful presentation of this project and appropriate responses by the student to questioning by a panel of faculty staff completes the bachelor life sciences programme coaching during their studies our students are coached and advised by staff at the institute a special mentor and a personal study coach guide students through their study we have an open-door policy for all our students and offer `buddies to foreign students to help them ease into life at han university double degree programme we also offer a double degree programme in partnership with the bonn-rhein-sieg university in germany students spend one year studying in germany also english taught and three years in the netherlands finally obtaining two degrees a german bachelor degree and a dutch bachelor degree no additional tuition fees are due when studying at the associate university fees students can opt for different packages non-eu students may choose a total package in the first year which includes all university fees living expenses accommodation costs visa insurance and books study materials students can also opt for a partial package for example when a student has relatives in the netherlands or prefers to arrange his/her own accommodation the board of governors at han university set the university fees every year students are advised to visit the han website for the latest changes to fees hands-on experience putting theory into practice is one of the main aims of the life sciences programme hands-on experience is achieved by spending at least one full day a week in the laboratory even in the first year during their external work placement one term and final thesis one term students work full-time in the laboratory they thus acquire excellent practical skills and experience in professional practice as a lab technician professional opportunities graduates work as lab technicians in research and development teams designing new drugs finding antiviral solutions altering bacteria to produce useful medicine changing dna in malaria parasites for vaccine development altering cultivated plants to increase crops analysing dna profiles for diagnostics or forensic applications diagnosing pathology samples etc other graduates continue studying for a master degree or enrol in academic phd programmes in reputable institutes and universities some return to their home countries to help set up academic training programmes research institutes or their own biochemistry companies under the auspices of local ministries scholarship programme in 2010 han university launched a prestigious scholarship programme talented non-eu students may qualify for a 2,500 scholarship each academic year up to 10,000 in four years scholarships are awarded on the basis of good study results.

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high-quality skills and knowledge for a career in laboratory research admission criteria the bachelor programme in life sciences is open to all students who have successfully completed their formal secondary education with high grades in biology chemistry physics and mathematics in addition students need good english communication skills toefl at least 550 or ielts at least 6.0 or for european students a secondary education exam mark in english of at least 7 satisfactory more information if you are interested in our life sciences programme please contact the internationalisation coordinators mrs hanny kuiper e hanny.kuiper@han.nl mr paul smeets e p.smeets@han.nl enrolment before being accepted the admission criteria and student s motivation may be evaluated during a telephone interview an academic panel reviews the enrolment application to ensure that all the requirements are fulfilled to enrol please contact the internationalisation coordinators or han information centre after receiving the admission letter students may enrol for life sciences through www.han.studielink.nl han university institute of applied sciences correspondence address po box 6960 6503 gl nijmegen the netherlands 7.11.0 realisation han-mcv design ter haar romeny ketel editing einder communicatie han-mcv photography rob gieling and others no rights can be derived from the content of this brochure publication january 2011 city of nijmegen han university of applied sciences is based in the city of nijmegen the oldest town in the netherlands situated on the banks of the river waal in the east of the netherlands you will soon feel at home in this lovely university city numerous sport facilities museums theatres and cinemas ensure there is something for everyone the surroundings include picturesque woods and nature reserves windmills castles and historic villages offering ample enjoyment to nature lovers skaters cyclists walkers and fans of `high culture historic nijmegen is situated close to the german border and annually hosts the international four-day marches which attract an international crowd of 30,000 besides its international orientation nijmegen has good rail and road connections to arnhem utrecht and amsterdam visiting address laan van scheut 2 6525 em nijmegen information days information days are held regularly throughout the year enabling students to visit the university and attend classes in the life sciences study programme for more information please contact the han information centre han information centre t +31 024 353 05 00 f +31 024 344 97 94 e info@han.nl www.han.nl/lifesciences

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