M.Sc. in Agricultural Biotechnology
Student Information Pack 2024/2025
Welcome
On behalf of all of the staff in the Department of Agriculture, Food & Animal Health DkIT, I would like to welcome you to the Institute and to the Department. Congratulations on progressing to the M.Sc. in Agricultural Biotechnology. We hope that you will enjoy the programme and develop an advanced level of knowledge and skills that will allow you to move into employment as a fully qualified scientist or progress to postgraduate studies, either in DkIT or elsewhere.
As you face the challenges that lie ahead in your year with us, it is important to remember that there is a lot of help available to you within the Institute and the Department. Your lecturers and I will help and guide you as much as possible but it is ultimately your responsibility to attend your programme and complete your assignments. If your attendance at classes is poor and you do not maintain a steady routine of study throughout the year, this will seriously affect your opportunity to be successful in this final stage of your programme.
If you encounter difficulties which may affect your ability to complete your course of study, whether they are academic, personal, or practical, it is important to speak with your programme director Dr. Caroline Gilleran Stephens, one of your lecturers and/or myself as early as possible. I can be contacted by calling to my office or by making an appointment with Francis in the Science office (francis.hutchinson@dkit.ie).
On behalf of the staff of the Department of Agriculture, Food & Animal Health, I wish you an enjoyable, fulfilling and successful year.
Kind regards,
Dr Siobhán Jordan Head of Department of Agriculture, Food & Animal Health
Departmental Rules & Policies
Department Policies below are in addition to the DkIT Code of Conduct which can be found at https://www.dkit.ie/assets/uploads/documents/Policies-and-Guidelines/Students/DkIT Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures.pdf
CLASS CONDUCT:
In lectures, tutorials and practical classes, you are expected to behave in a manner that is respectful of your lecturer and fellow students and does not jeopardise other students’ learning opportunities. You are expected to:
• Be punctual for class,
• Give your full attention to the learning tasks,
• Switch off your mobile phone (and other devices). Students causing significant disruption in a class environment may be asked to leave. If there are circumstances that will affect your ability to adhere to these policies, please inform your lecturer.
LABORATORY CONDUCT:
Laboratory classes are part of your learning activity and can be very stimulating and enjoyable. However, it is important that you follow these simple rules to ensure your safety and the safety of other students. Please see appendix for full list of DkIT laboratory rules. Some of the modules have visits to external laboratories or industry partners and their rules of conduct will apply in those cases.
• Smoking, eating, drinking and chewing gum are prohibited in all laboratories.
• Laboratory coats must be worn in the laboratories at all times.
• Safety glasses must normally be worn in all labs. You may be allowed to remove your safety glasses in some laboratories – this will be at the discretion of your lecturer.
• You must arrive on time for laboratory classes. These classes generally begin with an explanatory lecture and practical demonstration or skills training. If you are late, your lecturer may not allow you to join the class if there are safety implications.
• You must follow the instructions of your lecturer during laboratory periods. Your lecturer may ask you to leave the laboratory if you are behaving in a manner that compromises the safety of yourself or your fellow students.
• Open-toed footwear and rings should not be worn during laboratory classes.
• Students do not have access to the Science Preparation Room.
Laboratory classes/site visits
In order to attend the practical classes, you will need the following materials:
• ‘Howie’ style labcoat
• Laboratory safety glasses
Suggested suppliers:
• Labstore Limited
• Lab Pack with Howie Style Lab Coat (labstore.ie)
• Scientific Laboratory Supplies (Ireland) Ltd | Lab Supplies (scientificlabs.ie)
• School Science Supplies | School Supplies | Classroom Supplies (betterequipped.ie)
Laboratory classes and site-visits may have an element of assessment associated with them (e.g. report). The level of marks associated with each laboratory class or site visit can be found in the module descriptor for the module.
If you do not attend a laboratory class, you will be awarded a mark of zero for that class. If you attend the class but do not submit a report, you will be awarded 10% of the available marks. You should strive to attend all of your laboratory classes.
Normally, no marks will be deducted for missed laboratory classes where evidence of legitimate absence is provided (e.g. sick certs), but you will be asked to submit an alternative (equivalent) piece of CA work instead. Other valid reasons for missing classes, e.g. family bereavements, may also be considered at the discretion of the lecturer. Please provide original sick certs and other notes to the Science office and provide all of the relevant module lecturers with copies of these, within 10 days of the scheduled class.
Continuous Assessment
In most of your subjects, some of the total marks for the module will be awarded for Continuous Assessment (CA) activities. These can take many forms including laboratory reports (see above), essays, projects, class tests and other assignments.
If you are unable to attend laboratory classes or continuous assessment tests, or you miss a deadline for submission of an assignment as a result of illness or any medical appointment (including a visit to the Nurse or Dentist) or another valid reason (e.g. family bereavement), you must complete a CA absence form (see appendix, also available from the Science Office) and attach a medical certificate or note. You should submit this to your lecturer and provide a copy to the Science Office, within 10 days of the continuous assessment activity or deadline.
If you miss a continuous assessment for a legitimate, verifiable reason (e.g. bereavement or illness), you may be allowed to an opportunity to recover the marks available for the assignment or have the deadline extended. Consult your lecturer(s) about whether the assignment is recoverable. (Please note, laboratory classes and field trips are not recoverable).
If you miss a continuous assessment for a reason that is not legitimate and/or verifiable and the assignment accounts for a considerable proportion of your total module mark, you may be allowed to repeat it as part of the Autumn Repeat Sitting. Consult your lecturer about whether the assignment is repeatable.
The attached CA Cover Sheet (see appendix) should form the cover of all submitted continuous assessment work. This sheet also outlines the penalties for late submission of CA material. If a student does not agree with the mark awarded for any CA component, they may request a review of the mark. Prior to this, the student should discuss the mark with their lecturer. The appeals process is online through the Examinations Office and is communicated to students with results at the end of each semester. For further information about continuous assessment policies, please consult the Continuous Assessment Procedures Document https://www.dkit.ie/registrars-office/academic-policies/continuous-assessment-policy-procedures which is available on the Institute website.
Academic Integrity
Plagiarism is the representation of the words or ideas of another as your own in any academic exercise (i.e. cogging and copying). Acknowledgment is required when material from another source stored in print, electronic or other medium is paraphrased or summarised in whole or in part in your own words. Direct quotes should be presented using quotation marks at the beginning and end of the passage. In the field of science, it is very unusual to quote another’s work verbatim and quotations should be used sparingly. A common example of plagiarism is cutting and pasting information directly from the Internet into an essay or project. You must present this information in your own words and reference the source of the information (in short: read,re-wordand reference).
Plagiarism is a breach of the Institute Academic Integrity policy and the penalties can be very severe. For example, you may lose all the available marks for an exercise, if it is discovered that a significant proportion of the material presented has been plagiarised from another source. Please note that your lecturers have access to plagiarism detection software called Turnitin, which can calculate the percentage of your document that has been directly copied from another source.
If you are unsure about what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it, click here or please consult your lecturer or Head of Department.
Dos and Don’ts of Plagiarism:
Do read the reference material (READ)
Do write it in your own words (RE-WORD)
Do reference correctly using the Harvard system
Do put quotations in inverted commas (and use quotations sparingly)
Do use the School CA Cover Sheet (see appendix) for all assignments and sign it
Don’t copy material word for word
Don’t copy material word for word and then change a few words
Don’t use too many quotations – use only where absolutely necessary
Don’t reference websites unless absolutely necessary and only if the information is from a reliable source (e.g. recommended by your lecturer).
Examinations
The rules governing examinations are detailed in the Student Handbook. Please read these very carefully before your examinations. If you are confused about any issue in relation to your exams, please consult your Head of Department. Some general information that may help you to interpret your examination results is as follows:
• The academic year is divided into 3 semesters: Semester 1 from September to December, Semester 2 from January to May and Semester 3 over the summer period (May to September)
• Your programme is of 1-year duration (3 semesters) and includes the summer for completion of your project thesis.
• During each semester you will take 4 mandatory modules and will be assessed in each one, either by continuous assessment or end-of-semester examination or in most cases, a combination of both of these. End of semester examinations occur in January and May. You will have an opportunity to repeat exams from both semesters in midAugust.
• During each semester and the summer period, you will have time to work on your elective project module.
• Each module is assigned a number of credits. You are awarded the credits associated with a module when you pass it. The total credits awarded for each semester is 30, with an additional 30 for the project module. The total credits awarded for the programme is 90. If you complete the programme, you will have all 90 credits.
• The pass mark in all Science modules is 40%. You may be in a position to pass by compensation if you have 35-40% in a module, have passed all other modules and have excess marks in them. See the Assessment and Standards Policy for details.
• If you are successful in your final examinations, your award will be made at one of three possible levels, depending on your credit-weighted average mark:
o Pass award: 40-60%
o 2nd class honours, 60-69%
o 1st class honours award: 70% or higher
• Please note that as you are in an award stage, your award grade must normally be obtained at one sitting (i.e. you can’t get an honours grade if you repeat a module). However, a student will be permitted to repeat a failed module(s) contributing to the award grade in order to achieve an honours classification subject to the following conditions:
o Only one repeat attempt will be permitted which must be at the next available examination sitting.
o A maximum of 10 ECTS credits can be repeated
o The calculation of the award classification will be based in the first attempt grades.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3 (Summer)
Year-long module (incl. semester 1, semester 2 and summer): Project Elective (pick one):
Total Credits for the programme: 90
Some information
Moodle is the Virtual Learning Environment used at DkIT. It is an online learning system where students and staff can interact with each other and with learning resources for modules and courses at DkIT. All course information will be posted and updated on Moodle.
All class timetables can be assessed here, please check back regularly as times and venues can change. It is important to remember that, although the programme will have on-campus class contact on Thursday and Friday only, this is a full time Masters programme and you will be expected to allocate additional time as required (preparation, self-study etc.).
The DkIT Academic Calendar can be accessed here and gives details of holidays etc.
DkIT has many support services available for students, check them out here
Appendices
1. Policy on Use of Electronic Devices
2. DkIT Laboratory Rules
3. Continuous Assessment Absence Form
4. Application Form for Deferral of Assessments
5. Induction timetable
6. Campus map
Policy on the use of Electronic Devices
The Department of Agriculture, Food & Animal Health has agreed the following on the use of electronic devices:
• Electronic devices can be used for displaying notes (e.g. from Moodle etc).
• Electronic devices must not be used in practical laboratory classes (wet-labs).
• Electronic devices must not be used for recording purposes (picture, sound or video), unless explicit permission is obtained from the lecturer. Permission should be obtained before every recording. Lecturers are under no obligation to grant permission for recording lectures or other resources used. All presentations, handouts and supporting materials are the intellectual property of the lecturer.
• No information or materials (from lectures, labs or materials provided, e.g. Moodle hand-outs) should be posted on the internet (including Social Media sites). This is a legal requirement and also governed by the Institute’s ‘Communicating Online and the Use of Social Networking Sites Policy’:
• If in doubt – ask your lecturer!
Pleasenotethefollowing:
• Failure to adhere to the above may result in you being asked to leave the lecture or lab and report to the relevant Programme Director or Head of Department.
• Electronic devices should not be plugged into the mains (unless PAT tested) as these may pose a potential electrical hazard.
Laboratory Safety Regulations
LABORATORY SAFETY
REGULATIONS
Ref: SWPS053
Assessed by: FASC Feb 2011
Person Exposed to Risk
Approved by: FASCFeb2011
Reviewed by FASC June 2017
Issued byEH: September 2017
Students Employees Public Contractors Visitors
Description
All persons working in a laboratory must adhere to these regulations. Students must follow the instructions of their lecturer during laboratory periods. The lecturer/demonstrator will ask them to leave the laboratory if they are behaving in a manner that compromises the safety of themselves or their fellow students.
General
1.Students must not enter the laboratory without supervision.
2.Students must arrive on time for laboratory classes. These classes generally begin with an explanatory lecture and practical demonstration or skills training. If a student is late, the lecturer/demonstrator will not allow you to join the class if there are safety implications.
3.Mobile phones should be switched off while in the laboratory.
4.Smoking, eating, drinking, chewing gum and applying cosmetics are prohibited in all laboratories.
5.Students who are suspected to be under the influence of a toxicant (i.e. alcohol or drugs) will be asked to leave the laboratory.
6.Students and staff must obey the practical procedures and pay attention to the warnings about dangerous chemicals and biohazards, taking care to follow any safe work procedures that have been outlined.
7.Entrances and exits must be kept free. Bags, coats etc. must be stored in lockers or under benches.
8.Working areas, fumehoods and equipment must be kept clean and tidy and free of clutter
9.Never work alone in the laboratory.
Personal Protection
10.Howie-style laboratory coats must be worn at all times and buttoned up properly (with the exception of the Physics laboratory).
11.Safety glasses must be worn in all labs (with the exception of the Physics and Food Technology laboratories). Contact lenses should not be worn in laboratory areas. Wear safety glasses over prescription glasses or use prescription safety glasses. Students may be allowed to remove their safety glasses in some laboratories (e.g. Biology, Microbiology) – this will be at the discretion of the lecturer/demonstrator.
12.Sandals or open toed footwear must not be worn in the laboratory.
13.Long hair should be tied back and any dangling accessories and jewelry removed. Avoid over-use of hair spray and other hair products.
14.Protective gloves should be worn where necessary.
Accidents and Emergencies
15.All personnel must know the locations of the emergency exits, assembly points, first aid boxes, fire extinguishers, fire blankets, safety showers and emergency contacts.
16.All personnel must evacuate the building once the fire alarm has sounded. Comply with fire warden instructions.
17.All accidents must be reported to the lecturer/demonstrator or technician.
18.All equipment breakages must be reported to the lecturer/demonstrator or technician.
Hygiene
19.All personnel must always wash their hands after using any substances hazardous to health, on leaving the laboratory, and before and after visiting the toilet
20.No pipetting by mouth. Appropriate pipette pumps or automatic pipettes should be used.
21.Do not touch surfaces with your contaminated gloves if those surfaces may be touched by others (phones, door handles, etc.)
Storage and Disposal
22.Solvents should be disposed of in the relevant labelled disposal waste bottles provided. Do not mix chlorinated and non-chlorinated solvents.
23.Broken glass or sharp objects should be placed in the sharps bin.
24.Always return stock bottles/jars/dewar’s etc. of highly flammable liquids or acids to their correct store cupboard or shelf after work had finished.
Safe Handling of Microbial Cultures
1. The general safety precautions apply.
2. Appropriate immunisations should be obtained when handling mammalian tissue, blood, cells etc.
3. All cultures (cell and microbial) should be treated as potential pathogens.
4. All personnel should familiarize themselves with the hazardous properties of the organism they are using.
5. Aseptic technique must be employed.
6. Spills should be cleaned up, using a microbial disinfectant e.g. 70% alcohol and placed in a biohazard bag.
7. To avoid a fire; alcohol solutions must be covered when using a Bunsen. Extreme care should be used when near a Bunsen where a cotton bung is being used in a flask.
8. Care should be taken when opening freeze-dried ampoules; use protective gloves and swab with 70% alcohol.
9. Broken ampoules should be disposed of in a sharps bin.
10. The formation of aerosols should be avoided e.g. do not pour cultures, do not drop pipettes into disinfectant and flame loops carefully. When using a centrifuge to pellet cells allow 10 min after centrifugation to allow an aerosol to settle.
11. When skin contact of microorganisms, tissue, body fluids, etc. is unavoidable gloves should be worn.
12.Material at is contaminated with microorganisms, tissue, etc. Must be placed in an autoclave bag for sterilization.
13. Cultures must be sterilized by autoclaving before disposal.
Further Information
Follow all written and verbal instructions carefully. If you do not understand a direction or part of a procedure, ASK YOUR SUPERVISOR BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH THE ACTIVITY.
Other precautions
• Sanitise or wash your hands thoroughly before and after each laboratory class.
• Access to the practical is prohibited without your practical coat and safety glasses, these need to be worn at all times in the lab. You must have your own coat, mask, safety glasses and permanent marker, these cannot be borrowed or swapped under any circumstances.
• You will be allocated a bench space and seat, this will be your seat for every practical and you are not permitted to swap or move seats.
• You should use disinfectant wipes to clean your bench area and chair/stool on entering the laboratory and before leaving.
• You are not permitted to walk around the laboratory during class, if you need attention please put up your hand.
• Do not approach the lecturer. If you need assistance, please raise your hand.
• You will be assigned equipment, glassware and reagents. Sharing laboratory resources between groups should be avoided/minimised where possible.
• Where the sharing of laboratory equipment cannot be avoided, each piece of shared equipment should be cleaned/wiped between each use.
Continuous Assessment Absence Form
School of Health and Science
Continuous Assessment Absence Form
(See reverse side for information on the use of this form)
For Student Use
StudentDetails
Name: Programme: _________________________________________
Stage:
DetailsofAssessmentExercise
Lecturers Name:
Module Title: ________________________
Assessment Completion Date: ______________________
Have you consulted with your lecturer, if so on what date?
State why you missed the exercise/deadline (attach supporting evidence/documentation where possible).
Lecturers
Name: _________________
I accept the above as a valid absence:
I do not accept the above as a valid absence:
Decision:
Signed:
Date:
Continuous Assessment Absence Form
UsingthisForm
➢ This form must be completed by any student who has been absent from a Continuous assessment or Course Work exercise, or has missed a deadline for submission of work and requests that their absence be given special consideration.
➢ The form must be submitted within 10 working days of the date of the exercise/deadline.
➢ Supporting documentation such as explanatory details or medical certificates etc., must be attached if possible.
➢ The student must apply directly to the module lecturer.
➢ A duplicate of the application must also be submitted to the relevant Department Office within the same deadline.
➢ Original medical certificates etc. must be attached to the relevant Department Office copy.
➢ This form refers to both Theory and Practical continuous assessment
Seeking a deferral
The purpose of this procedure is for learners to bring to the attention of the Examination Board any circumstances which could adversely affect their assessment performance, e.g. illness, bereavement, accident, independently vouched personal circumstances, etc. This information is considered by the Examination Board, whose members make a final decision as to the validity of the application and whether it is sufficient grounds for an assessment deferral. If an assessment is deferred this means that the next available submission is regarded as the first attempt of the submission. Learners should be aware that if a submission is deferred for consideration at the Autumn Examination Board, they will not have the opportunity of a 2nd attempt within the academic year and this may have implications for their progression. This procedure should not be used for situations where assessments are missed due to learners’ mismanagement of their assessment schedule (e.g. mixing up dates or venues, etc.), issues related to student disability which have already been dealt with through the Disability Office or issues covered by the Examination Appeals process.
How to apply for a deferral of assessment
1. Complete Section 1, Section 2 and/or Section 3 of the form, describing in as much detail as possible the grounds on which you are seeking a deferral of assessment(s) (please note the information provided will be treated in strict confidence).
2. Attach independent, authoritative documentation to support these grounds (e.g. letter from hospital consultant or GP, letter from DkIT counselling service, etc.).
a) The attached evidence must be presented on headed notepaper, signed and dated.
b) Submissions made on medical grounds should be in the form of a letter or detailed certificate provided by the health professional. It must include the following information:
• Dates affected by extenuating circumstances
• Medical reason for seeking deferral
c) Photocopies of evidence will not be accepted.
d) The evidence presented must demonstrate that the extenuating circumstances affected the student during the period in which the assessment was due.
3. Submit the application and evidence to the Department or School Office within 5 days of the last date of the examination period as indicated on the Institute academic calendar. The form should be addressed to the Head of Department (or Section) and marked ‘confidential’.
Note: Applications submitted after the examination results are issued will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.
4. The outcome of your application for deferral of assessment(s) will be evident in your examinations results If your application is successful an ‘I’ grade will appear in the relevant module(s). The deliberations of Examination Boards are strictly confidential.
5. If you are successful in obtaining the deferral, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are registered with the Examinations Office to facilitate submission of assessment(s) prior to the next Examination Board.
How to defer your place on the programme
A student who wishes to defer their place on a program, must seek the approval of the Institute. Such approval is not guaranteed and is totally at the discretion of the Institute. Such a deferral is conditional on the program/module continuing in subsequent years, as program/modules can be discontinued or altered from time to time, without prior notice. Please consult with your Head of Department before making your decision and filling out the appropriate paperwork.
Induction Timetable
Induction for new students will take place on Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th September 2023 ONLINE. Normal classes (Thursdays and Fridays) will commence on Thursday September 21st and Friday September 22nd and will take place on campus in NE231 (North Block).
Thursday 12/09/24
10.00-11.00 am Welcome
S. Jordan & C. Stephens
11.00–12.00 pm Academic Integrity
C. Stephens
12.00-1.00 pm Agricultural Biotechnology C. Stephens
Friday 13/09/24
Molecular Biology
C. King
1.00-2.00 pm LUNCH LUNCH
2.00-3.00 pm Protein Biochemistry
C. Stephens Recombinant Techniques C. King
3.00-4.00 pm Agriculture in Ireland J. Lynch
4.00-5.00 pm Excel Tips & Tricks C. King Introduction to Genetics
S. McCabe
Campus Map
