Teaching method

The overall structure of the programmes for the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Bioengineering) and the Master in Bioengineering clearly reflect the

concepts of specialization, gradual choice and individualization of the courses.
1^st cycle (Bachelor) :

• same programme for SC and AGRO in first year (BIR11BA),
• special programme in second year (BIR12BA) for all the BIR students
• distinct programme with 30 credits for option courses in third year (BIRC13BA, BIRA13BA, BIRE13BA) : three advanced subsidiary subjects available : chemistry (BIRC), agronomy (BIRA), environment (BIRE).

2^nd cycle (Master) :

• choice of three Masters in Bioengineering with a professional focus, together with twelve option courses which partly overlap, optional subjects (either free choice or from the lists) and a final individual dissertation.
  This overall structure gives students the opportunity to have a highly individualized programme whilst at the same time retaining both the  comprehensive nature of the training and the foundation elements of university education : independence, competence, open-mindedness and interest in research.

The twelve option courses, which partly overlap at the level of the three Masters in Bioengineering, correspond to fields of activity identified on the basis of a wide-ranging survey of graduates of the Faculty working professionally and of contacts with potential employers. 

The interdisciplinarity and the integrated approach are key dimensions in the training of bioengineers in agronomic science. This is reflected by :

• availability of courses organized by other faculties ;
• grouping of training activities : combined exercises, joint project, analysis of real situations, simulations ;
• the perception, analysis, diagnosis and content of the course specifications (management, design of new processes etc) combine different kinds of tools (field observation, laboratory analysis, databases, biometrics etc) and various scales in space (from the molecular to plots of land and farms, from an agricultural region to a sub-continent and beyond) and in time ;
• teaching teams with a wide range of expertise ;
• learning how best to work in groups of students to develop a real, independent capacity for intellectual work.

Training for research. through research, which is essential for conceptual and innovative awareness and developing intellectual rigour, is reflected by different types of activities :

• producing a final dissertation and taking part in dissertation seminars ;
• participation in subject seminars providing direct contact with young researchers working in the field of agronomic science (applied biology and agricultural production);
• presentation of seminars by students from an outside research group or groups and the production of a dissertation. 

The application of skills, knowledge and techniques that students have acquired and how they use them together is taken into account in an integrated project in agronomic science. This is an important learning activity supplements the dissertation which, in the view of the Faculty, remains the most important part of training for research. 

Through the close connection between the teaching and research, the development of new tools and new approaches is the subject of advanced training from the beginning of the 2^nd cycle and is therefore central to this Master programme (e.g. integrated fight, crop protection and bioinformatics). All this enables graduates of this programme to be able to make rapid use of new techniques and approaches in their early professional experience.

Students are assessed according to the activities in the programme : this can take the form of written and/or oral examinations as well as individual and/or group work.

Further details about how the assessment is done can be found in the course specifications.