Department of Applied Biochemistry
The philosophy of the Department is to train a work force amenable to the rigorous demands of industry and the challenges of research. The theme of the programme derives from the concept that application of theoretical knowledge provides required goods and services, creates avenues for enhancement of economic activity, employment opportunity and productive research.
Job Opportunities
Applied Biochemistry graduates are employed in a broad spectrum of scientific and managerial positions such as Biotechnology companies, Medicine, Agriculture, Pharmaceutical and Environmental management companies.
Department of Applied Microbiology and Brewing
The Department produces graduates who are well grounded in the science and application of Microbiology and Brewing. Aspects of Molecular Biology and Entrepreneurship studies are emphasized. The students will have the option to specialize in either Applied Microbiology or Brewing Science.
Job Opportunities
Training in Applied Microbiology aspects of the course gives the student the opportunity to work in the following areas: Food, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnological Industries and Medical and Research Laboratories.
Department of Parasitology and Entomology
Graduates are equipped with scientific understanding of the way parasites, vectors, intennediate and definitive hosts exist; their interactions and behaviours including their ecological and physiology requirements; their reactions to environmental changes under natural and laboratory conditions.
Job Opportunities
Graduates of the Department of Parasitology and Entomology are found useful in Pest management, Environmental sanitation and hygiene, Health education and advocacy, Communicable disease control and prevention. Graduates of the programme also serve as major sources of manpower for Government ministries and international organizations involved in livestock and industrial health; research and education.
Department of Zoology
The Department of Zoology offers courses leading to the award of a B.Sc. (Hons) in Zoology. There is also a deliberate design to inculcate the spirit of self reliance with a view to making them job creators and not job seekers at the conclusion of the programme. An Industrial Training Scheme (IT) which lasts for six months is built into the undergraduate programme. During this period, students are exposed to situations in institutions such as research institutes/laboratories, fish farms, zoological gardens/game reserves, museums, water resource management and environmental conservation concerns, hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, and agricultural industries. The objective of the scheme is to expose the students to real life situations in the various operational areas to augment their classroom experience.
Job Opportunities
Graduates of Zoology can be gainfully employed in the following areas: Fisheries and Aquaculture, Research Institutions, Bio-conservation and Wildlife Management, Human and Animal Parasitology, Product Processing and services.
Department of Botany
Botany had always been part of the curriculum of the Department of Applied Biology since the inception of the latter in 1982 in the former Anambra State University of Technology (ASUTECH), Awka/Enugu, the Awka Campus of which, in 1992, transformed into the present Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
The Department of Applied Biology had, however, gone through a number of name changes viz:
(1) Department 0fApplied Biology, 1982 — 1988
(2) Department of Parasitology and Entomology/Applied Biology, 1989 — 1994.
(3) Department of Biological Sciences, 1995 — 2001
Even before the emergence of Botany as a separate Department in 2002, the Botany curriculum had been part and parcel of the academic programme of the above Department on each occasion, with its full complement of staff and students. Botany Was even accredited as an option of the former Department of Biological Sciences when the NUC accreditation team visited the University in 1999. NUC re-visited for re-accreditation in 2005 and the Department got full accreditation also.
(4) Finally, in the 2001/2002 session, the sub-department of Botany was created by an act of Senate as a separate department out of the former department of Biological Sciences, along with the departments of Parasitology and Entomology and Zoology.
Since Botany became an option in the former department of Biological Sciences in 1995, students have been graduating in the option. And, now, the department even runs postgraduate programmes at the Postgraduate Diploma (PGD), Masters (M.Sc.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) levels.
Philosophy:
Botany being the scientific study of plants is aimed at training graduates who will have a better understanding of the mechanisms and processes involved in plant growth and development. This understanding equips graduates with the skills required for proper management of the crop products and forest economy of Nigeria. The graduate programme is designed to be broad-based so as to give practical and functional training to the graduate in the various areas of Botany. Knowledge of plants and of their environment, as well as inter-relationships among living organisms including humans is a vital tool for success in theglobal age. Life on earth depends basically on plants. Within the first 3-years of the training the students are progressively taught to understand the life forms and general information that will train them to be involved in job creation as in forest resources. We strive to train students in the techniques of Biotechnologies that will satisfy the yearnings of the people of our Agricultural zone and humans in general. In the final year each student carries out a project in one of the areas of specialization of the department-General Botany, Anatomy, Ecology, Genetics and Plant Breeding, Physiology, Pathology/Mycology, Taxonomy etc.
Paramount interest is to produce graduates with entrepreneurial capacity and who can use their training to successfully stand on their own and be self-employed.
Job Opportunities
A successful completion of the first degree programme exposes candidates to a wide range of career opportunities in:
– Food production Technology
– Food processing and storage technology
– Agronomy
– Agricultural Research Institutions
– Agricultural Consultancy
– Starch and Textile industries
– Wood Technology
– Pulp and Paper industries
– Dying industries
– Forestry
– Distillery industry
– Brewing
– Canning and processing industries
– Parks and Garden industries
– Wild life protection and conservancy Research industries
– Forensic Laboratories etc