Biology is the study of living things and their vital processes, where at HKBU the academic staff teaching the programmes have a diverse range of expertise, supported by access to a wide range of state-of-the-art research facilities. Currently students can choose either Biotechnology or Environmental Science as their major within the programme.

The Department of Biology at HKBU offers a four-year undergraduate degree programme for BSc (Hons) in Applied Biology. The programme provides students with comprehensive training in biological sciences with specialties in biotechnology and environmental sciences. The courses are designed to assist students in understanding the theories of biology and to provide training in technical skills for research and applications.

The BSc (Hons) in Applied Biology programme provides professional training on two fields of biology.

• Biotechnology – Students in this concentration will develop an understanding of the theories of biology as well as biotechnology applications by taking courses in the fields of cellular/ molecular/ developmental biology, organismal biology, genetics, molecular biotechnology, and other biological fields. In addition, various laboratory courses in these fields are provided to equip students with technical skills for biological and biomedical research and biotechnology industry.
• Environmental Science – Students in this concentration will develop understanding of the theories of biology as well as environmental science by taking courses in the fields of microbiology, biodiversity, ecology, biochemistry, environmental health and toxicology, biological resources management and other biology related courses. Students will learn practical skills, such as the collection and analyses of water and soil samples from the field, and instrumental analyses in the lab, and various management tools and their applications to address current and topical environmental and human health-related issues and challenges.