Biological Sciences

Biologa al microscopio e al pc
Biological Sciences
Course sheet
A.Y. 2024/2025
Bachelor
L-13 - Biology
Bachelor
180
ECTS
Access
Limited enrolment with admission test
3
Years
Course location
Milan
Language
Italian
The bachelor programme in Biological Sciences (Class L-13 Biological Sciences) is designed to provide students with a sound basic knowledge of the main areas of Biological Sciences and a good mastery of methodologies and technologies related to the corresponding fields of scientific research, providing adequate preparation for assimilation of scientific and technological progresses and to know and properly treat living organisms.
The degree in Biological Sciences prepares for the profession of biologist and similar professions, biochemist, botanist, zoologist, ecologist.
Graduates of Biological Sciences will be able to work in teams with different degrees of autonomy and to readily enter the working world, both in European and non-European countries. They will possess adequate knowledge to perform professional activities and apply techniques, like: productive and technological laboratory activities (pharmaceutical, industrial, florovivaistic, veterinary, agroalimentary, public and private research centers); activities where is required to classify, manage and use living organisms and their parts, and to manage the relationship between development and quality of the environment; activities in professional multidisciplinary centers involved in assessment of environmenal impact, in development of projects for the conservation and restoration of the environment and the biodiversity; activities in the communication field, scientific information and promotion, scientific life science publishing.
The degree in Biological Sciences affords admission to the Biologists Professional Register (Section B, Junior Biologists), by passing the exam for the profession, to perform the activities recognized by the Italian law.

Employment statistics (Almalaurea)
Students of Scienze Biologiche are given the opportunity to spend part of their curriculum abroad, at a University within the European Union (EU) in the frame of the Erasmus+ program of the European Commission. Students can attend courses and take exams that can be included in the core curriculum and/or perform laboratory stage (6 CFU of the free choice CFU) in several European Universities localized in Denmark, Netherland, Norway, France, Germany, Spain and Portugal (see http://eng.dbs.unimi.it/ecm/home/erasmus/outgoing-students/biological-sciences). The admitted student will present a study plan including all the activities he/she intends to perform abroad, detailing the corresponding CFU: the number of proposed CFU should roughly correspond to those the student would achieve in the same time lapse remaining in his/her university. The study plan proposed by the student within the Erasmus+ program should be coherent with the Scienze Biologiche course and must be evaluated and approved by the Teaching Board. The Teaching Board, if necessary, will require the student to integrate the program of exams taken abroad. At the end of the Erasmus + program, according to the rules established by the Academic Senate, the approved exams will be recorded, possibly with the original denomination, as part of the student's curriculum upon conversion of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) into CFU. The contact person for the Biological Sciences area is Prof. M. Cristina Bonza ([email protected]).
Attendance is strongly recommended for all courses and compulsory for laboratories.
Enrolment
Qualifications and knowledge required for admission
Applicants to the Bachelor's degree programme in Biological Sciences must hold a high-school diploma or an equivalent international qualification pursuant to Ministerial Decree no. 270 of 22 October 2004.
The knowledge and skills required to sit the entrance test are detailed at https://www.cisiaonline.it/en/area-tematica-tolc-biologia/struttura-della-prova-e-syllabus/

Admission assessment
For academic year 2024/2025, admission to the degree programme in Biological Sciences is capped in order to meet high-quality teaching standards relative to available resources. Therefore, applicants will be required to sit a TOLC (Test On Line CISIA) admission test. There are 250 places available for the first year of the programme. You may sit for the TOLC test at the University of Milan or any other member university of CISIA (Consortium of Inter-University Integrated Access Systems). You can register for the TOLC test on the CISIA website (www.cisiaonline.it). The test providing access to the degree programme in Biological Sciences is TOLC-B, consisting of the following sections: Basic mathematics (20 questions - 50 minutes), Biology (10 questions - 20 minutes), Physics (10 questions - 20 minutes), Chemistry (10 questions - 20 minutes). Each question has 5 answer options, of which only one is correct. Score: +1 for a correct answer, -0.25 for a wrong answer, 0 for a no answer. The TOLC test includes an additional English section, consisting of 30 questions to be answered in 15 minutes. This section does not count toward the overall test score.
Ranking criteria for the purpose of admission to the programme will be based on the outcome of the test. If you take the TOLC-B test and apply for admission to the degree programme in Biological Sciences, you will be included in a merit ranking based on the test score. For more details on calls, deadlines and rankings, visit https://www.unimi.it/en/study/bachelor-and-master-study/degree-programme-enrolment/enrolment-first-degree-programme

Additional learning requirements (OFA) and remedial activities
Additional learning requirements (OFA) and remedial activities First-year students who have not achieved at least 10 points in the Mathematics module will have to fulfil additional learning requirements (OFA) by attending remedial activities organized by the University and passing the final test.
Students who fail the remedial test will be deemed to have met their OFA upon passing the "General Mathematics and Computer Laboratory" exam. However, students may sit the exam only if they have attended the OFA remedial course and taken the final test. The "General Mathematics and Computer Laboratory" exam is a prerequisite for all second-year exams.
Learn more at https://scienzebiologiche.cdl.unimi.it/it/studiare/le-matricole

Admission of transfer or graduate students
Transfer students from a degree programme of the University of Milan, or another university, and graduate students will be waived from the test requirement only if admitted to years subsequent to Year I.
To this end, they will have to submit a specific request for prior assessment of their academic records using the online service as shown in the call for applications.
Applicants must submit a transcript of records, including subject areas (SSD), academic credits (CFU) and grades, as well as detailed course syllabi. The application for academic records assessment must be submitted online within the deadline stated in the call for applications. The outcome will be notified via e-mail. Admission to Year II is subject to passing equivalent exams (as number of CFU and course syllabus) to those listed below:
- Calculus (module, 6 CFU)
- General Chemistry with elements of Physical Chemistry (6 CFU)
- Cytology and Histology (6 CFU)
- English assessment B1 (3 CFU)
Students admitted to the first year will be required to take the test and register for the call. Please refer to the call for applications for details: https://www.unimi.it/en/study/bachelor-and-master-study/degree-programme-enrolment/enrolment-first-degree-programme

Places available: 250 + 10 reserved for non-EU citizens

Call for applications

Please refer to the call for admission test dates and contents, and how to register.

Session: 1

Application for admission: from 14/03/2024 to 30/05/2024

Application for matriculation: from 06/06/2024 to 20/06/2024

Read the Call

Session: 2

Application for admission: from 24/06/2024 to 15/07/2024

Application for matriculation: from 18/07/2024 to 01/08/2024

Read the Call

Session: 3

Application for admission: from 05/08/2024 to 12/09/2024

Application for matriculation: from 18/09/2024 to 25/09/2024

Read the Call

Programme description and courses list
First semester
Courses or activities ECTS Total hours Language SSD
Compulsory
Calculus and Computer Laboratory 9 90 Italian INF/01 MAT/01 MAT/02 MAT/03 MAT/04 MAT/05 MAT/06 MAT/07 MAT/08 MAT/09
- Modulo: Laboratorio di informatica3
- Modulo: Matematica generale6
Cytology and Histology 9 78 Italian BIO/06
General Chemistry with Elements of Physical Chemistry 6 56 Italian CHIM/02 CHIM/03
Second semester
Courses or activities ECTS Total hours Language SSD
Compulsory
Organic Chemistry and Chemistry Laboratory 9 104 Italian CHIM/03 CHIM/06
- modulo: Chimica Organica6
- modulo: Laboratorio di Chimica (con Prevenzione e Sicurezza)3
Physics, Physics Lab, Lab of Mathematical and Statistical Methodologies 12 144 Italian FIS/06 FIS/07 MAT/06 SECS-S/02
- Modulo: Fisica6
- Modulo: Laboratorio di Fisica3
- Modulo: Laboratorio di metodi matematici e statistici3
Plant Biology and Systematics 9 80 Italian BIO/01 BIO/02
Open sessions
There are no specific sessions for these activities (e.g. open online courses).
Courses or activities ECTS Total hours Language SSD
Compulsory
English Assessment B1 (3 ECTS) 3 0 English
First semester
Courses or activities ECTS Total hours Language SSD
Compulsory
Animal Biology and Systematics 9 80 Italian BIO/05
Biochemistry 9 80 Italian BIO/10
Biological Evolution and History of Biology 6 48 Italian M-STO/05
Optional
Genetics 9 80 Italian BIO/18
Genetics 9 80 English BIO/18
Second semester
Courses or activities ECTS Total hours Language SSD
Compulsory
Comparative Anatomy 6 52 Italian BIO/06
Plant Physiology 9 80 Italian BIO/04
Optional
Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics 12 96 English BIO/11
Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics 12 96 Italian BIO/11
Study plan rules
1 - The student must choose one of the following courses
Courses or activities ECTS Total hours Language Lesson period SSD
Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics 12 96 Italian Second semester BIO/11
Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics 12 96 English Second semester BIO/11
3 - The student must choose one of the following courses
Courses or activities ECTS Total hours Language Lesson period SSD
Genetics 9 80 Italian First semester BIO/18
Genetics 9 80 English First semester BIO/18
year
Courses or activities ECTS Total hours Language SSD
Compulsory
Final Exam 3 0 Italian
Internship in University Labs 6 96 Italian
First semester
Courses or activities ECTS Total hours Language SSD
Compulsory
Developmental Biology 6 48 Italian BIO/01 BIO/06
Ecology 9 80 Italian BIO/07
Elements of Human Anatomy, Pharmacology and Immunology 9 72 Italian BIO/14 BIO/16 MED/04
Optional
Clinical Biochemistry 6 48 Italian BIO/12
Innovative Methods in Plant Biology 6 56 Italian BIO/01
Methods in Experimental Embryology 6 48 Italian BIO/06
Methods in Molecularbiology 6 56 Italian BIO/11
Second semester
Courses or activities ECTS Total hours Language SSD
Compulsory
General Microbiology 9 80 Italian BIO/19
Optional
General Physiology and Animal Physiology 9 80 English BIO/09
General Physiology and Animal Physiology 9 80 Italian BIO/09
Investigation Methodologies in Animal Cell Biology and Histology 6 48 Italian BIO/06 BIO/16 BIO/17
Methods in Applied Ecology 6 48 Italian BIO/07
Methods in Genetics and Human Genomics 6 48 Italian BIO/18
Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology 6 48 Italian BIO/14
Plant Genomics Approaches to Adapt Plants to a Changing Climate and Environment 6 56 Italian BIO/18
Study plan rules
2 - The student must choose one of the following courses
Courses or activities ECTS Total hours Language Lesson period SSD
General Physiology and Animal Physiology 9 80 Italian Second semester BIO/09
General Physiology and Animal Physiology 9 80 English Second semester BIO/09
4 - The student must acquire 12 CFU by selecting any of the courses offered by the University of Milan, provided that they are coherent with their educational plan.
6 out of the 12 free choice CFU can be spent on internship activities of proven quality.
For the Academic Year 2024/2025 the Biology Academic Board will offer these courses:
Courses or activities ECTS Total hours Language Lesson period SSD
Clinical Biochemistry 6 48 Italian First semester BIO/12
Innovative Methods in Plant Biology 6 56 Italian First semester BIO/01
Methods in Experimental Embryology 6 48 Italian First semester BIO/06
Methods in Molecularbiology 6 56 Italian First semester BIO/11
Investigation Methodologies in Animal Cell Biology and Histology 6 48 Italian Second semester BIO/06 BIO/16 BIO/17
Methods in Applied Ecology 6 48 Italian Second semester BIO/07
Methods in Genetics and Human Genomics 6 48 Italian Second semester BIO/18
Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology 6 48 Italian Second semester BIO/14
Plant Genomics Approaches to Adapt Plants to a Changing Climate and Environment 6 56 Italian Second semester BIO/18
Gli studenti dovranno rispettare i seguenti vincoli:
- per sostenere l'esame di «Chimica Organica e Laboratorio di Chimica» è necessario avere superato l'esame di «Chimica Generale con Elementi di Chimica Fisica»
- per sostenere l'esame di «Chimica Biologica» è necessario aver superato l'esame di «Chimica Organica e Laboratorio di Chimica»
Inoltre, per sostenere gli esami del II anno è necessario aver superato i seguenti esami:
· «Matematica generale e Laboratorio di informatica»
· «Chimica Generale con Elementi di Chimica Fisica»
· «Citologia e Istologia»
Per sostenere gli esami del III anno è necessario aver superato tutti gli esami del I anno.
Learn more
Location
Milan
Course locations
Classrooms and laboratories are located in the University buildings in: Via Celoria, 26 (Biology buildings); Via Celoria, 20 (Teaching Sector); Via Golgi, 19 (Teaching Sector); Via Venezian, 15 (Teaching Sector).
The Academic Services Office is located in the Department of Biosciences, Via Celoria, 26 - Milano (Tower A, II Floor).
Laboratory locations
The CdS is characterized by an intense laboratory activity. The laboratory courses, in particular, must normally be attended in the year of competence, with the exception of transfer students (from other courses of study or from other locations). During the practical lessons the necessary safety rules and correct behavior in the laboratory are provided.
Head of study programme
Academic guidance tutor
Erasmus and international mobility tutor 
Internship tutor
Seminar and workshop tutor
University and programme transfer tutor
Credit recognition tutor
Quality Assurance Delegate
Contacts

The tuition fees for students enrolled in Bachelor's, Master's and single-cycle degree programmes are divided into two instalments with different calculation methods and payment schedules:

  • The amount of the first instalment is the same for all students
  • The amount of the second instalment varies according to the ISEE University value, the degree programme and the student status (on track / off track for one year or off track for more than a year) 
  • An additional fee is due for online programmes

The University also offers:

  • Concessions for students meeting high merit requirements
  • Diversified tuition fees according to the student's home country for international students with assets/income abroad
  • Concessions for international students with refugee status

Scholarships and benefits

The University provides a range of financial benefits to students meeting special requirements (merit, financial or personal conditions, international students).

Learn more