Syllabus and Course of Studies

Our Department, in response to the scientific advances and the students’ academic aspirations, has undertaken an extensive curriculum reform, which was implemented in the academic year 2024-2025. The goal of the revised curriculum is to provide knowledge, develop skills, and cultivate students’ abilities.

The new features of the curriculum include:

  • Independent laboratory courses designed to develop and strengthen practical laboratory skills.
  • Updated scientific-area courses with renewed, updated content.
  • A modular structure that promotes teaching synergies and reduces content overlap.
  • An expanded and updated selection of elective courses for greater learning flexibility.
  • Courses focused on digital skills and entrepreneurship.
  • Revised pedagogical competence courses with updated content.

In the current academic year, first- and second-year students attend the reformed curriculum, while third- and fourth-year students continue with the previous curriculum. The studies are organized into eight semesters, two per academic year. Each semester includes at least 13 weeks of teaching and 3 weeks of examinations. An additional 3-week examination period is scheduled at the beginning of September of each academic year.

The winter semester lasts from September to January, and the spring semester from February to June.

The new curriculum includes 40 compulsory courses totaling 179 ECTS, while elective courses begin from the 5th semester. In total, 33 elective courses are offered, from which students must complete 36 ECTS. Most courses include mandatory laboratory and/or tutorial sessions.

There are no prerequisite courses. However, to enroll in the 3rd year, students must have completed courses equivalent to at least 75% of the ECTS credits from the 1st and 2nd year courses.

As part of their studies, students can obtain a Certificate in Teaching and Pedagogical Competence as well as a Certificate in Digital Skills.

Students can graduate upon completing 4 years of study and 240 ECTS, including an experimental Bachelor’s Thesis and an Internship, corresponding to 20 and 5 ECTS, respectively.

 Curriculum

ECTS: European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System | Th: Theory (hours/week) | Tu: Tutorials (hours/week) | Pr: Practicals (hours/week)

1st Year – 1st Semester

Introduction to Biology

ΒΒ0101 – ECTS:4 – Th:3

Lab Skills in Biological Diversity

ΒΒ0102 – ECTS:3 – Pr:3

Chemistry for Biosciences and Experimentation

ΒΒ0103 – ECTS:6 – Th:4 Pr:2

Organic Chemistry

ΒΒ0104 – ECTS:6 – Th:3 Tu:1 Pr:2

Basic Principles in Biochemistry

ΒΒ0105 – ECTS:5 – Th:4 Pr:3

Mathematics for Biosciences

ΒΒ0106 – ECTS:3 – Th:3

Informatics and Digital Skills

ΒΒ0107 – ECTS:3 – Th:3 Pr:1

1st Year – 2nd Semester

Cell Biology

ΒΒ0201 – ETCS:6 – Th:3 Pr:2

Bioorganic Chemistry

ΒΒ0202 – ECTS:6 – Th:3 Tu:1 Pr:3

Biochemistry of Proteins and Nucleic Acids

ΒΒ0203 – ECTS:5 – Th:4 Tu:2

Human Physiology

ΒΒ0204 – ECTS:6 – Th:4 Pr:2

Biostatistics and Research Methodology

ΒΒ0205 – ECTS:5 – Th:3 Tu:1

English Terminology

ΒΒ0206 – ECTS:2 – Th:3

2nd Year – 3rd Semester

Microbiology

ΒΒ0301 – ECTS:4 – Th:4

Lab Skills in Microbiology

ΒΒ0302 – ECTS:4 – Pr:3

Εnzymology

ΒΒ0303 – ECTS:6 – Th:4 Pr:3

Molecular Biology

ΒΒ0304 – ECTS:4 – Th:4

Genetics

ΒΒ0305 – ECTS:4 – Th:4 Tu:1

Lab Skills in Molecular Biology and Genetics

ΒΒ0306 – ECTS:4 – Pr:3

Cell Signalling and Transduction

ΒΒ0307 – ECTS:4 – Th:3 Tu:2

2nd Year – 4th Semester

Animal Developmental Biology

ΒΒ0401 – ECTS:4 – Th:3

Plant Physiology and Biochemistry

ΒΒ0406 – ECTS:6 – Th:4

Immunology

ΒΒ0402 – ECTS:4 – Th:3 Tu:3

Biochemistry of Metabolism

ΒΒ0403 – ECTS:6 – Th:4 Pr:3

Clinical Biochemistry

ΒΒ0404 – ECTS:5 – Th:3

Molecular Biophysics

ΒΒ0405 – ECTS:5 – Th:3 Pr:2

3rd Year – 5th Semester

Biochemical Toxicology

ECTS:5 – Th:3 Pr:2

Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology

ECTS:5 – Th:3

Developmental Biology

ECTS:5 – Th:4

Biochemical Pharmacology

ECTS:5 – Th:3 Tu:2

Evolution

ECTS:5 – Th:3 Tu:1

Optional courses

ECTS:5

Optional Courses 5th semester

Neural Science & Behaviour

ECTS:4 – Th:2

Biochemical Engineering

ECTS:4 – Th:2 Pr:3

Anthropology of Education & Modern Pedagogical Trends

ECTS:3 – Th:3 Tu:1

From Science to Business-Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Biotechnology

ECTS:3 – Th:2 Tu:1

3rd Year – 6th Semester

Biophysics

ECTS:5 – Th:3 Pr:2

From Genomics to Systems Biology

ECTS:5 – Th:3 Tu:1 Pr:2

Clinical Biochemistry

ECTS:5 – Th:3 Pr:3

Animal Biotechnology

ECTS:5 – Th:3 Pr:2

Optional Courses

ECTS:5

Vocational Training

ECTS:5

Optional Courses 6th semester

Immunology

ECTS:4 – Th:3

Specialized modules in environmental Microbiology

ECTS:3 – Th:2 Tu:1

Molecular Ecology

ECTS:3 – Th:2

Bioethics & Education

ECTS:3 – Th:2 Tu:2

Special Topics in Molecular Biology

ECTS:4 – Th:2 Pr:2

Food Biochemistry and Technology

ECTS:3 – Th:2

Synthetic Biology

ECTS:4 – Th:2

4th Year – 7th Semester

Environmental Biotechnology

ECTS:5 – Th:3 Pr:2

Plant Biotechnology

ECTS:5 – Th:3 Pr:2

Optional courses

ECTS:20

Optional Courses 7th semester

Analytical Biochemistry

ECTS:5 – Th:2 Tu:2

Nutritional & Metabolic Biochemistry

ECTS:5 – Th:2 Tu:1 Pr:2

Biochemistry of Cell Damage and Protection

ECTS:4 – Th:2

Structural Biochemistry

ECTS:5 – Th:2 Pr:2

Academic writing in Biochemistry & Biotechnology in English

ECTS:3 – Th:2 Tu:1

Applied Microbiology

ECTS:4 – Th:2

Instrumental Chemical Analysis

ECTS:4 – Th:2 Tu:1

Cell Culture Technology

ECTS:4 – Th:2 Pr:2

Insect genetic engineering and applications

ECTS:3 – Th:2 Tu:1

Theory of Teaching and Didactics of Biosciences

ECTS:3 – Th:3 Tu:1

Molecular Oncogenesis

ECTS:3 – Th:3

Introduction to Entrepreneurship*

ECTS:3 – Th:2 Tu:1

* Interdepartmental courses attended by students from different departments taking place both in Volos and Trikala.

4th Year – 8th Semester

Optional Courses

ECTS:6

Diploma Project

ECTS:24

Optional Courses 8th semester

Molecular Virology

ECTS:3 – Th:2

Waste Treatment Technologies

ECTS:4 – Th:2 Tu:4

Hormonal Regulation of metabolism

ECTS:4 – Th:2

Introduction in Programming

ECTS:4 – Th:3

Advanced Topics in Organic synthesis

ECTS:4 – Th:2 Pr:3

Drugs in sports-antidoping control, and WADA regulations

ECTS:3 – Th:2 Tu:2

Population Genetics

ECTS:3 – Th:2

Evolution of ideas in Biological Sciences

ECTS:3 – Th:2 Tu:1

Data Science & Biotechnology

ECTS:3 – Th:2