The Degree Course in Biomedical Laboratory Techniques includes theoretical and practical teaching activities, making use of lectures, active teaching methods, seminars and tutorials, as well as professional and elective activities, and concludes with a final examination.
The aim of Humanitas University is to train laboratory technicians with high professional skills and strong methodological training.
Study plan
During the three years of the course, students will be trained to autonomously perform biomedical and biotechnological analyses for diagnostic and research purposes, through the acquisition of technical, teaching and management skills, functional to support the development of state-of-the-art laboratory pathways.
Teaching and assessment methods
The profit assessment methods (oral interview, written tests and practical tests) are defined by the lecturers responsible for each course. By passing the examination relating to each teaching activity, the student acquires a number of credits and a grade expressed in thirtieths.
At the end of each year of the course, students must undergo the annual internship examination, which, on passing, allows admission to the following year of the course.
The assessment of the internship is also expressed in thirtieths.
Core Courses – Integrated teaching
Core courses are held by one or more professors, depending on the specific objectives assigned to each course. For each course, a Coordinator is appointed annually by the Academic Board. The specific objectives of each course are outlined in the syllabuses provided annually by the professors.
Integrated courses are those that include different modules, held by more than one professor. Students can thus gain a complete insight into all the aspects related to each subject. For example, in the “Head and Neck” integrated course students will learn the anatomy and physiology of the head and neck, as well as the related diseases (otorhinolarynogological, odontostomatological and ophtalmological). Continuous assessment may be prescribed for such courses. The marks of continuous assessment converge into one final mark.
ECTS (European Credit Transfer System)
The ECTS is the unit of measurement of the study work, including individual study, required by students to complete ech training activity. Each ECTS corresponds to 25 hours of learning activity, divided as follows:
- 10 hours devoted to lectures or equivalent teaching activities; the remaining 15 hours for individual study;
- 8 hours of seminar; the remaining 17 hours for individual study;
- 20 hours of internship and practical activities; the remaining 5 hours dedicated to individual revision.
Curricular courses
Curricular courses or lectures may be spread over one or more semesters and may include, in addition to lectures and/or seminars, non-formal teaching methods.
Curricular lectures, even if spread over several semesters and/or taught by several lecturers, lead to a single examination with a single grade expressed in thirtieths.
Active teaching methods
The degree course in Biomedical Laboratory Techniques utilises active teaching methods, which integrate face-to-face teaching activities with alternative methods, in which the student is acitvely involved in his/her own learning process.
These involve interactive activities, addressed to small groups of students and coordinated by a tutor, with the aim of helping students acquire technical and behavioural knowledge and skills.
Teaching and learning take place mainly through the analysis of problems and the development of the methodological skills necessary for their solution, in the context of practical exercises and/or attendance in clinical departments, outpatient clinics, community facilities.
Tutors
- Didactic tutors
- Clinical tutors
Exercises
Practical workshops on the development of technical skills, including advanced ones, through virtual reality simulations.
Journal Club
In turn, students present a scientific article from the scientific literature in the classroom in the form of a conference speech.
Seminars
Thematic seminars aimed at improving specific technical skills, held by experts in the field and internal or external lecturers.
Professionalising Activities
Professionalising activities include workshops aimed at learning professional skills in simulated situations, as well as clinical internships aimed at achieving specific objectives for each individual year of the course.
The internship
A clinical internship is the best way to learn professional skills through practical experience and the integration of theoretical-scientific knowledge with professional and organisational practice, in order to acquire a progressive functional and managerial anatomy.
At the end of the internship there is an assessment in thirtieths which is based on an evaluation of the student’s compulsory attendance to the internship, and the outcome of the final exam at the end of each year of the Course.
Elective activities
Elective activities are training activities chosen by the student from a range of proposals. They may be individual or combined in “homogeneous training paths” and consist of lectures, conferences, seminars and other international training programmes, interactive courses in small groups, internships at research facilities or particular clinical contexts; summer internships abroad.
Over the three years, the student must acquire a total of 6 credits as part of the elective activities.
Assessment of the individual elective activities is not expressed in a numerical grade, but only in the acknowledgement of the corresponding credits, following certification of attendance at the activity.
Final examination
The final examination consists of
- a written thesis and dissertation;
- a demonstration of practical skills.
In order to be admitted to the final examination, it is necessary to have obtained all the credits in the training activities specified in the study plan, including those relating to internship and seminar activities.
The preparation of the thesis – to be written under the guidance of a supervisor – is awarded 6 ECTS.
