Prospective Undergraduates - Internal
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The Faculty of Science has five intakes according to the disciplines selected at the A/Ls. These programmes contain a wide range of scientific disciplines such as biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, and more, that offer students a comprehensive and rigorous education in the field of science. This programmes equips students with a strong foundation in scientific principles, research methodologies, and critical thinking skills.
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- Dean/Faculty of Science – Prof. Upul Sonnadara
- Dr. Monika Madhavi – Derpartment of Physics
- Dr. Dilhari Attygalle – Department of Statistics
- Prof. S S Nishantha Perera – Department of Mathematics
- Prof. Rohini De Silva – Department of Chemistry
- Prof. Tara D Silva – Department of Plant Sciences
- Dr. Manuja Lamabadusuriya – Department of Nuclear Science
- Prof. Devaka Weerakoon – Department of Zoology & Environment Sciences
Physical Science
Who can apply for Physical Science intake?
Students who have done A/Ls with the subjects
- Combined Mathematics or Higher Mathematics,
- Chemistry or Physics and
- Agricultural Science or Combined Mathematics or Higher Mathematics or Biology or Chemistry or Physics
Programme Structure
After students enter the physical science intake, they must study Applied Mathematics as a compulsory subject for the first two years. Furthermore, they must select two subjects from Pure Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Statistics to study. Additionally, students can select either Computer Science or Nuclear Science as a subject to follow.
After following the selected subjects for the first to years of the degree, a student can either apply for a 4-year honours degree or opt to do a 3-year general degree. Note that students for the 4-year honours degree programmes are selected based on merit.
Applicable honours degree programmes
- BSc Honours in Applied Mathematics
- BSc Honours in Applied Statistics
- BSc Honours in Business and Environment
- BSc Honours in Chemistry
- BSc Honours in Computational Chemistry
- BSc Honours in Computational Mathematics
- BSc Honours in Data Science
- BSc Honours in Electronics & Information Technology
- BSc Honours in Engineering Physics
- BSc Honours in Finance & Insurance
- BSc Honours in Information Technology & Management
- BSc Honours in Mathematics
- BSc Honours in Nuclear Medical Science
- BSc Honours in Nuclear Technology
- BSc Honours in Physics
- BSc Honours in Plant Science
- BSc Honours in Science and Management
Biological Science
Who can apply for Physical Science intake?
Students who have done A/Ls with the subjects
- Biology,
- Chemistry and
- Physics or Agricultural Science or Higher Mathematics or Mathematics or Combined Mathematics
Programme Structure
After students enter the biological science intake, they must study Zoology, Plant Sciences, Environmental Science and Chemistry as compulsory subjects for the first two years. Additionally, students can select either Computer Science or Nuclear Science as a subject to follow.
After following the selected subjects for the first to years of the degree, a student can either apply for a 4-year honours degree or opt to do a 3-year general degree. Note that students for the 4-year honours degree programmes are selected based on merit.
Applicable honours degree programmes
- BSc Honours in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
- BSc Honours in Bioinformatics
- BSc Honours in Business and Environment
- BSc Honours in Chemistry
- BSc Honours in Computational Chemistry
- BSc Honours in Environmental Science
- BSc Honours in Horticulture and Sustainable Landscaping
- BSc Honours in Immunology & Integrative Molecular Biology
- BSc Honours in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
- BSc Honours in Nuclear Medical Science
- BSc Honours in Nuclear Technology
- BSc Honours in Pharmacy
- BSc Honours in Plant Biotechnology
- BSc Honours in Plant Science
- BSc Honours in Science and Management
- BSc Honours in Zoology
Industrial Statistics & Mathematical Finance
Who can apply for Physical Science intake?
Students who have done A/Ls with the subjects
- Combined Mathematics and
- Two subjects out of Higher Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry
Programme Structure
After students enter the physical science intake, they must study Industrial Statistics, Financial Mathematics and Management Science as compulsory subjects for the first two years. Additionally, students can select Computer Science as a subject to follow.
After following the selected subjects for the first to years of the degree, a student can either apply for a 4-year honours degree or opt to do a 3-year general degree. Note that students for the 4-year honours degree programmes are selected based on merit.
Applicable honours degree programmes
- BSc Honours in Applied Statistics
- BSc Honours in Business and Environment
- BSc Honours in Computational Mathematics
- BSc Honours in Finance & Insurance
- BSc Honours in Industrial Statistics
- BSc Honours in Information Technology & Management
- BSc Honours in Mathematical Finance
- BSc Honours in Mathematics
- BSc Honours in Science and Management
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Who can apply for Physical Science intake?
Students who have done A/Ls with the subjects
- Biology,
- Chemistry and
- Physics
Programme Structure
After students enter the biological science intake, they must study Zoology, Plant Sciences, Environmental Science and Chemistry as compulsory subjects for the first two years. Additionally, students can select either Computer Science or Nuclear Science as a subject to follow.
After following the selected subjects for the first to years of the degree, a student can either apply for a 4-year honours degree or opt to do a 3-year general degree. Note that students for the 4-year honours degree programmes are selected based on merit.
Applicable honours degree programmes
Medical Imaging Technology
Who can apply for Physical Science intake?
Students who have done A/Ls with the subjects
- Biology,
- Chemistry and
- Physics
Programme Structure
BSc Honours in Medical Imaging Technology is a focused 4-year degree that follows courses that are specialized in fields that are important for Medical Imaging Professionals (MIPs) in hospitals. Critical facets of radiography, such as patient handling, instrument use, picture creation, image interpretation, and report preparation, will be taught to students.
MIPs perform medical imaging utilising a variety of technologies, including plain X-ray imaging, computed tomography (CT) scanning, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear imaging, fluoroscopic imaging, and more, to help in the diagnosis of disorders.
For more course details, click here.
Grading System for Academic Courses
Academic courses may be evaluated by theory/practical examinations (mid semester, end of semester or continuous), assignments, reports, presentations and oral examinations or a combination of any of the above. The method of evaluation of courses will be announced by the relevant academic Departments at the beginning of each semester.
Unless otherwise approved by the Faculty Board, marks obtained for the academic courses are graded according to the standard grading scheme given below. For each course for which a student sits an examination, a final grade will be assigned. Each grade carries a Grade Point Value (GPV) as specified in the table below. The academic transcript of a student includes the grades obtained for all the courses taken by him/her together with their respective credit ratings but not the actual marks.
| Range of Marks | Grade | Grade Point Value (GPV) | Attainment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85 – 100 | A+ | 4.00 | Superior |
| 70 – 84 | A | 4.00 | |
| 65 – 69 | A- | 3.70 | |
| 60 – 64 | B+ | 3.30 | Meritorious |
| 55 – 59 | B | 3.00 | |
| 50 – 54 | B- | 2.70 | |
| 45 – 49 | C+ | 2.30 | Adequate |
| 40 – 44 | C | 2.00 | |
| 35 – 39 | C- | 1.70 | |
| 30 – 34 | D+ | 1.30 | Minimal |
| 25 – 29 | D | 1.00 | |
| 00 – 24 | E | 0.00 | Failure |
Grade Point Average (GPA)
When calculating the Grade Point Average (GPA), all courses are weighted according to their corresponding credit values. GPA is computed to the second decimal place. Grades of all registered academic courses in a study programme are taken into account when calculating the GPA, except the grade earned for the industrial training component in the 04-year BSc Honours degree programme with industrial orientation. The non-GPA credits of the industrial training component, however, will count towards the total number of credits earned by a student.
Completion of a Course
Students must participate in and complete all the assessment procedures for each course for which he/she has registered and obtain a final grade for it to be considered as complete.
If the student is absent for the final examination of a course, AB (Absent) shall be assigned instead of a grade. If a student does not complete any or all assessment procedures of a course and has not repeated them thereafter, the course shall be considered as incomplete, and NC (Not Complete) shall be assigned. This shall be changed to the “earned” grade once the student has completed the course.
Minimum Academic Achievement to Progress to the Next Level
A student should obtain C grades or better aggregating to a minimum of 15 academic credits per year in Levels I, II and III, to move to the next Level. If a student fails to obtain this minimum achievement, he/she will not be permitted to register for courses in the next Level until this requirement has been fulfilled.
Grading System for Enhancement Courses
Enhancement courses carry only a letter grade as specified below and do not carry a Grade Point Value. For non-sports courses the range of marks corresponding to various letter grades are given in the table below. For courses associated with various sports, the corresponding descriptors will be used.
| Marks range/ Descriptor | Letter grade | Attainment |
|---|---|---|
| 70 – 100 Exceptional performance including participation at national level | H | Honours |
| 55 – 69 Above-average performance including participation at inter-university level | M | Meritorious |
| 40 – 54 Minimum level of acceptable achievement or participation | S | Satisfactory |
| 0 – 39 Unacceptable level of achievement or participation | U | Unsatisfactory |
| Withdrawal | W |
For the 03-year and 04-year degree programmes a student is required to obtain a grade of S or better for a minimum of four credits from enhancement courses in order to complete the requirements of the degree.
Degree Awarding Criteria
BSc Degree (03-year duration)
To be eligible for the BSc Degree (03-year duration), a student must complete a minimum of 90 academic credits with at least 30 credits from each of Level I, Level II and Level III.
For students in the Physical Science stream, at least 48 credits of the 90 should be from the core courses, with a minimum of 06 credits each from the three main subjects (07 in the case of Chemistry) totaling 18 – 19 credits at each of Levels I & II, and 06 credits each from two of the main subjects totaling 12 credits at Level III.
For students in the Biological Science stream, at least 54 credits of the 90 should be from the core courses, with a minimum of 07 credits each from the three main subjects totaling 21 credits at each of Levels I and II, and 06 credits each from two of the main subjects totaling 12 credits at Level III.
Furthermore, a student must have
- obtained a grade not lower than C in courses aggregating to a minimum of 72 academic credits, with a minimum of 24 academic credits in each of Levels I, II and III.
- obtained no grade of NC (not complete). However, in the event of a candidate being unable to sit the final examination of a course for approved medical or other unavoidable reasons during his/ her final year only, an E grade may be assigned to such final examination at the request of the candidate and with the approval of the Faculty Board. This is applicable for courses totaling no more than 06 credits.
- not obtained grades of E (including any from (2) above) in more than 06 academic credits
- obtained a grade of S (Satisfactory) or better in enhancement courses totaling a minimum of 04 credits
- obtained a minimum GPA of 2.00
- completed the relevant requirements within a period of 06 academic years.
Award of Classes
>> First Class
A student shall be awarded a First Class provided that he/she has,
- obtained grades not lower than C in academic courses aggregating to at least 80 academic credits,
- obtained a minimum GPA of 3.70,
- completed the relevant requirements within a period of 03 consecutive academic years.
>> Second Class (Upper Division)
A student shall be awarded a Second Class in the Upper Division provided that he/she has,
- obtained grades not lower than C in academic courses aggregating to at least 75 academic credits,
- obtained a minimum GPA of 3.30,
- completed the relevant requirements within a period of 03 consecutive academic years.
>> Second Class (Lower Division)
A student shall be awarded a Second Class in the Lower Division provided that he/she has,
- obtained grades not lower than C in academic courses aggregating to at least 75 academic credits,
- obtained a minimum GPA of 3.00,
- completed the relevant requirements within a period of 03 consecutive academic years.
BSc Honours Degree with Research Orientation and BSc Honours Degree with Industrial Orientation
To be eligible for the BSc Honours degree (four-year duration), a student must complete a minimum of 120 academic credits with at least 30 credits from each of Levels I, Level II, Level III and Level IV, including the research project (and where relevant the industrial training component).
For students in the Physical Science stream, at least 36 credits of the 120 should be from the core courses, with a minimum of 06 credits each from the three main subjects (07 in the case of Chemistry) totaling 18 – 19 credits at each of Levels I & II.
For students in the Biological Science stream, at least 42credits of the 120 should be from the core courses, with a minimum of 07 credits each from the three main subjects totaling 21 credits at each of Levels I and II
Level III and IV credits must be from the courses specified for the respective four-year degree programme.
Furthermore, a student must have
- obtained a grade not lower than C in courses aggregating to a minimum of 96 academic credits with a minimum of 24 academic credits in each of Levels I, II, III and IV.
- obtained a grade not lower than C in the research project and where relevant in the industrial training
- obtained no grade of NC (not complete). However, in the event of a candidate being unable to sit the final examination of a course for approved medical or other unavoidable reasons during his/ her final year only, an E grade may be assigned to such final examination at the request of the candidate and with the approval of the Faculty Board. This is applicable for courses totaling no more than 08 credits.
- not obtained grades of E (including any from (2) above) in more than 08 academic credits
- obtained a grade of S (Satisfactory) or better in enhancement courses totaling a minimum of 04 credits
- obtained a minimum GPA of 2.00
- completed the relevant requirements within a period of 06 academic years
- fulfilled any other requirements approved by the Faculty Board. E.g. Professional requirements*
Award of Classes
>> First Class
A student shall be awarded a First Class provided that he/she has,
- obtained grades not lower than C in academic courses aggregating to at least 80 academic credits,
- obtained a minimum GPA of 3.70,
- completed the relevant requirements within a period of 03 consecutive academic years.
>> Second Class (Upper Division)
A student shall be awarded a Second Class in the Upper Division provided that he/she has,
- obtained grades not lower than C in academic courses aggregating to at least 75 academic credits,
- obtained a minimum GPA of 3.30,
- completed the relevant requirements within a period of 03 consecutive academic years.
>> Second Class (Lower Division)
A student shall be awarded a Second Class in the Lower Division provided that he/she has,
- obtained grades not lower than C in academic courses aggregating to at least 75 academic credits,
- obtained a minimum GPA of 3.00,
- completed the relevant requirements within a period of 03 consecutive academic years.
Professional requirement for BSc Honours in Pharmacy
The BSc Honours in Pharmacy is a professional degree, which qualifies graduates to practice the profession of Pharmacy. To be eligible for this degree, a student must have obtained a C grade or better in each of the following courses, in addition to the criteria specified for the award of the BSc Honours degrees.
Level III
- CH 3071 – Pharmaceutics I
- CH 3024 – Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- CH 3074 – Pharmacology I
Level IV
- CH 4070, CH 3071 Pharmaceutics II
- CH 4071 – Pharmacology II
- CH 4075 – Pharmaceutical Law and Ethics
Option to Revert to BSc Degree from BSc Honours Degree
A student reading for a BSc Honours Degree (04-year) may request in writing for the award of the BSc Degree (03-year), upon satisfying the requirements for the award of the BSc Degree (03-year). This request should be made to the Dean of the Faculty after completing Level III or during Level IV or within 2 weeks of the release of the Level IV examination results.
Award of the Degree
A student should apply for the award of a Degree on satisfying the requirements. On completion of the BSc or BSc Honours Degree, a student is entitled to an official transcript giving grades in the respective courses after the confirmation of results by the University Senate.
Examinations
All examinations are conducted and completed within a given semester except courses having practical or research projects. No theory course in the 03-year BSc degree programme is conducted over two semesters.
The duration of the end of semester theory examinations vary from one hour (for one credit courses) to a maximum of three hours (for courses of three or more credits). The academic Departments decide the duration of practical and oral examinations.
The results of all examinations are released usually within two months of completion of examinations.
Completion of course units
The student must participate in and complete all the assessment procedures (i.e. Assignments, continuous assessments, mid-semester and final examinations, practical assessments, etc., whichever are applicable) for each course unit for which he/she has registered, and obtain a final grade for each course unit for it to be considered as ‘complete’. All course units for which the student has registered shall be considered for calculation of the final GPA and the awarding of the degree. If a student is absent for any or all assessment procedures of a course unit and has not repeated them thereafter, the course unit shall be considered as ‘incomplete’, and a provisional grade of NC shall be assigned. This grade shall be changed to the appropriate grade once the student has completed the course.
Repeating examinations
A student obtaining a grade below C may re-sit the course examination for the purpose of improving the grade. The grades obtained in the first and subsequent attempts shall all be listed in the academic transcript. The highest grade obtained is used for the calculation of the final GPA. However, the highest grade considered for the determination of award of a class, as well as for the determination of eligibility for the BSc Honours degree programmes, is a C.
Important Rules
1) A student shall be considered to have sat the first scheduled examination irrespective of whether he/she has actually sat or not, unless he/she has been prevented from sitting the examination due to illness or any other reasonable cause, which must be accepted as valid by the Faculty Board.
2) A student who fails to complete any course in the first attempt shall be eligible to repeat it in two more attempts only. In counting the number of attempts, (1) above shall also be taken into account.
Students should be aware that they can re-sit an examination only within the time limit specified to complete the degree programme (maximum of 06 academic years). Therefore, students are strongly advised to obtain good grades from the very beginning of their study programmes.
Medical Certificates
If a student has been prevented from sitting an examination due to illness, the student should submit a Medical Certificate (MC) to the Chief Medical Officer/University Medical Officer, within the stipulated period of time. Students are strongly advised to read the University guidelines for submission of MCs, since a MC can be rejected if specific requirements are not fulfilled. See pages 81 – 83 for details.
In the event that the medical certificate is accepted as valid, the student may sit the examination subsequently without a penalty, and the earned grade shall appear in the transcript. If a student fails to submit a valid medical certificate on being absent for an examination, it shall be recorded as “AB” in the transcript and subsequent attempts shall be considered as repeat attempts.
Examination Offenses
Examination offenses fall into any of the following misconducts that may be committed by students during the conduct of an examination.
- Possession of unauthorized documents and/or devices
- Removal of examination stationary from the examination hall
- Copying
- Obtaining or attempting to obtain improper assistance
- Cheating or attempting to cheat
- Impersonation
- Disorderly conduct
- Aiding and abetting the commission of any of the above offenses
When submitting reports/dissertations which will be evaluated (e.g., research projects, laboratory or field reports) committing plagiarism is considered a serious offense, equivalent to an examination offense. Plagiarism is:
- Submitting another person’s work as your own
- Including another person’s work (language, ideas, results, data, graphics, images etc.) in your submissions without proper acknowledgement or citation
- Copying another person’s paragraphs or sentences into your work without any changes, even when the sources are cited
- In cases where it is necessary to quote (copy word to word) a sentence or two of someone else’s language, failure to put such sentences within quotation marks
Any candidate who is found guilty of an examination offense or plagiarism is liable to any one or more of the following punishments:
- Removal of his/her name from the pass list
- Cancellation of his/her candidacy from the whole or part of the examination
- Suspension from any University examination for such period as the Senate may decide, or indefinitely
- Suspension from the University for such period as the Senate may decide, or expulsion from the University
Awards
Undergraduate scholarships, awards, medals and prizes are awarded to students on the basis of academic merit and other considerations. A brief outline of the awards offered to students in the Faculty of Science is given below. Details of specific requirements that are necessary to qualify for each award can be obtained from the Examinations Branch of the University and/or the relevant academic Department.
Department of Chemistry
Selection Criteria: The medal is awarded to the student who shows the highest competence in Chemistry at the BSc Honours Degree examination.
Established Year: 1983
Narrative: The Bhikaji Framji Khan Gold Medal for Chemistry was established at the Ceylon University College in 1938 by Mr. F P Khan
- Study of mechanisms
- Application of quan
Selection Criteria: This award is presented to the student with the best performance in Analytical Chemistry in the Chemistry BSc Honours Degree programme.
Established Year:
Narrative: This award was established by Professor H.D. Gunawardhana, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry and Mrs. P C Nanayakkara, in memory of their parents, Mr. H Dharmachandra Gunawardhana and Mrs. Tamarasa Podimenike Handinnapola Gunawardhana.
tum mechanics to calculate molecular properties and reaction mechanisms
- Sensor development
Selection Criteria: The gold medal is awarded for the best performance in Inorganic Chemistry in the Chemistry BSc Honours Degree programme.
Established Year: 2001
Narrative: The award was established in 2001 in honor of late Prof. R S Ramakrishna by his students.
Selection Criteria: The gold medal is awarded for the best performance in Physical Chemistry in the Chemistry BSc Honours Degree programme
Established Year: 2001
Narrative: The award was established in 2001 in memory of late Professor Pearlyn Pereira by her students.
Selection Criteria: The Gold Medal is awarded to the student who obtains the highest aggregate mark for the course units in Organic Chemistry offered in the BSc Honours Degree programme in Chemistry.
Established Year: 2010
Narrative: The award was established in 2010 by the 2003/2004 batch of special degree students of the Department of Chemistry.
Selection Criteria: The award is for the best performance in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology course units in the BSc Honours Degree programme.
Established Year:
Narrative: This award was established in memory of Prof. Stanley Wijesundera, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Colombo, by his wife Mrs. Anoja Wijesundera.
Selection Criteria: Awarded to a student who has shown the highest competence at the BSc Honours Degree examination in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Established Year: 1999
Narrative: The award was established by Dr. Tuwab Fazleabas F R C S (England) in 1999.
Selection Criteria: Awarded to the student who has shown the highest competence at the BSc Honours Degree examination in Pharmacy.
Established Year: 1999
Narrative: The award was established by Dr.Tuwab Fazleabas F R C S (England) in 1999.
Department of Physics
Selection Criteria: The prize is awarded to the student who shows the highest competence in Physics at the BSc Honours Degree examination.
Established Year: 1951
Narrative: Two Prizes were founded in 1951 by Mrs. C A Hewavitharana. One prize is awarded for Sanskrit and one for Physics, in memory of her husband, the late Dr. C A Hewavitharana, FRCS (Eng.) LRCP (Lond), a member of the Ceylon University College Council.
Selection Criteria: The prize is awarded to the student who shows the highest competence in Physics at the BSc Honours Degree examination.
Established Year: 1951
Narrative: Two Prizes were founded in 1951 by Mrs. C A Hewavitharana. One prize is awarded for Sanskrit and one for Physics, in memory of her husband, the late Dr. C A Hewavitharana, FRCS (Eng.) LRCP (Lond), a member of the Ceylon University College Council.
Selection Criteria: The Gold Medal shall be awarded to the student placed first with a First-Class division in the BSc Honours Degree examination in Engineering Physics.
Established Year:
Narrative: This Medal was established in memory of Mr. A G W Perera.
Selection Criteria: The gold medal is awarded for the best performance in Physical Chemistry in the Chemistry BSc Honours Degree programme
Established Year: 2001
Narrative: The award was established in 2001 in memory of late Professor Pearlyn Pereira by her students.
Selection Criteria: This Gold Medal shall be awarded to the student placed first with a First-Class division in the BSc Honours Degree examination in Computational Physics.
Established Year:
Narrative:
Selection Criteria: Awarded to the student who has shown the highest competence in the research project in Physics with an “A" grade
Established Year: 1999
Narrative: The award was established by Dr.Tuwab Fazleabas F R C S (England) in 1999.
Department of Mathematics
Selection Criteria: The prize is awarded for the best performance, with either a First or a Second-class Upper Division, in the BSc Honours Degree examination in Applied Mathematics or Computational Mathematics.
Established Year: 1983
Narrative: The Prize was founded by Mr. & Mrs. G W Jayasuriya in 1983, in memory of Mrs. Jayasuriya’s father, the late Mr. Dharmadasa Punchihewa.
Selection Criteria: The gold medal is awarded to the student who has shown the highest competence in Mathematics at the BSc Honours Degree examination and having a First Class
Established Year: 2004
Narrative: This award was established in 2004 by Emeritus Prof. P W Epasinghe in memory of his parents.
Selection Criteria: Awarded to the best student with a First Class pass in the BSc Honours degree in Applied Mathematics programme with the highest GPA.
Established Year: 2018
Narrative: This gold medal was established in 2018 by Colombo University Faculty of Science Alumni Association of North America in memory of late Professor Valentine Joseph, former Professor, Department of Mathematics, University of Colombo.
Selection Criteria: Awarded to the student who performs best in the BSc Honours degree Pure Mathematics courses with at least a Second-Class Upper Division.
Established Year: 2004
Narrative: The prize was established in 2004 in memory of the late Douglas Amarasekera, former Professor of Mathematics, University of Colombo
Selection Criteria: Awarded to a student who has shown the highest competence at the BSc Honours Degree examination in Mathematical Finance.
Established Year: 1999
Narrative: The award was established by Dr. Tuwab Fazleabas F R C S (England) in 1999.
Department of Plant Sciences
Selection Criteria: The award is for the student who shows the best performance in the Plant Sciences or Plant Biotechnology BSc Honours Degree programmes.
Established Year:
Narrative: The Award was established in memory of the late Prof. B L T de Silva, Professor of Botany, University of Ceylon, by his colleagues and students.
Selection Criteria: The award is for the best performance in Plant Sciences in the BSc Degree programme (03-year duration)
Amount of Scholarship: 1000/-
Established Year: 1995
Narrative: This award was established in memory of Prof. P C Sarbadhikari by Prof. B A Abeywickrema. Prof. P C Sarbadhikari, MSc (Calcutta), PhD, DSc. (London) was appointed as a Lecturer in Botany at the University College in 1925 and the Professor of Botany in 1943 in the University of Ceylon.
Selection Criteria: The award is for the best performance in Advanced Plant Physiology and Plant Biochemistry in the BSc Honours Degree programmes of the Department of Plant Sciences.
Amount of Scholarship: 1000/-
Established Year: 1995
Narrative: This award was established in memory of Sir Nigel Ball, M A., Sc.D. (Dub.) by Prof. B A Abeywickrema. Sir Nigel Ball was appointed the Professor of Botany in the University College in 1924 and in 1942 in the University of Ceylon.
Selection Criteria: This award is for the best performance in Plant Systematics and Ecology related courses (as specified by the Department) in the Plant Sciences BSc Honours Degree Programme.
Established Year:
Narrative: The staff members of the Department of Plant Sciences established this award in recognition of the excellent service rendered by Prof. B A Abeywickrema, former Professor of Botany, University of Colombo.
Selection Criteria: The prize is awarded to a student in the BSc Honours Degree programmes in the Department of Plant Sciences, who performs best in the Genetics and Plant Breeding courses.
Established Year:
Narrative: The University of Colombo Science Teachers Association established this endowment in 1985 in memory of Dr. (Mrs.) Swarna Senathirajah of the Department of Plant Sciences.
Department of Statistics
Selection Criteria: The gold medal is awarded to the best student in the BSc Honours Degree programmes (with research orientation) of the Department of Statistics, University of Colombo. The best student is selected from among the eligible students who have obtained
− a First Class with an overall GPA of 3.70 or above (out of 4.00) and the highest weighted aggregate in the respective graduation year
AND
− at least A grades (in his/her first attempt) for all the course modules taken during Levels III and IV of the BSc Honours degree programme, including the final year research project (supervised by a senior staff member).
Established Year: 2018
Narrative: The award was by the Eminent Scientist and Mathematical Statistician Prof. Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao in 2018.
Selection Criteria: The award is made to the student with the highest GPA among those having a GPA of 3.30 and above in the BSc Honours degree programme in Statistics
Narrative: The award was founded by Professor V.K. Samaranayake, former Professor of Mathematics, University of Colombo, Mrs. V K Samaranayake and Mr. V A Samaranayake of the Department of Statistics, Kansas University, USA in memory of the late Mr. & Mrs. V W Samaranayake.
Selection Criteria: The award is made to the student who obtains the highest GPA among those having a GPA of 3.30 or above in the BSc Honours degree programme in Statistics with Computer Science.
Established Year:
Narrative: The gold Medal was founded by the Department of Statistics
Selection Criteria: The Gold medal is awarded to the student who obtains the highest GPA amongst those having a GPA of 3.3 or above in the Industrial Statistics BSc Honours Degree Programme.
Established Year:
Narrative: The gold medal was established by the staff of the Department of Statistics.
Selection Criteria: The gold medal is awarded for the best performance in the final year project with an “A” grade in the Statistics BSc Honours degree programme, having at least a GPA of 3.30.
Established Year:
Narrative: The Gold Medal was established by the staff of the Department of Statistics.
Selection Criteria: The gold medal is awarded to the student who obtains a minimum GPA of 3.30 and the highest marks for the final year project with an “A” grade in the Statistics with Computer science BSc Honours degree programme.
Established Year:
Narrative: The above Gold Medal was established by the Department of Statistics.
Selection Criteria: The Gold medal shall be awarded to the student who obtains highest marks for the final year project with a grade “A or above” amongst those having a GPA of 3.3 or above in the Industrial Statistics BSc Honours Degree Programme.
Established Year:
Narrative: The above medal was established by the staff of the Department of Statistics
Selection Criteria: The gold medal is awarded to the best student who has the highest GPA out of the students who complete the BSc Honours degree proramme (with industrial orientation) in “Applied Statistics” and obtains an overall GPA of 3.30 or above.
Established Year:
Narrative: Gold Medal was established by the Department of Statistics in 2018.
Department of Zoology & Environment Sciences
Selection Criteria: The gold medal is awarded for the best performance in Ornithology in the Zoology BSc Honours Degree programme
Established Year: 2001
Narrative: The Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka established the award in 2001 in memory of the late P B Karunaratne, field ornithologist.
Selection Criteria: The gold medal is awarded for the best performance in the BSc Honours Degree programme in Business and Environment (industrial orientation)
Established Year: 2001
Narrative: The Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka established the award for an environment related course in 2001.
Selection Criteria: TThe gold Medal awarded to the student who obtains the highest GPA from among those who fulfil the requirements for a First Class in the BSc Honours Degree pragramme in Environment Science.
Established Year:
Narrative: The above Gold Medal has been established by the Department of Zoology and Environment Science and Base for Enthusiasts of Environmental Science and Zoology (BEEZ).
Selection Criteria: Awarded to the student who has shown the highest competence in the research project in Zoology with an “A” grade.
Established Year: 1999
Narrative: The award was established by Dr. Tuwab Fazleabas F R C S (England) in 1999.
Selection Criteria: Awarded to the student who has shown the highest competence at the BSc Honours Degree examination in Zoology.
Established Year: 1999
Narrative: The award was established by Dr. Tuwab Fazleabas F R CS. (England) in 1999.
Selection Criteria: Awarded to a student of the BSc Honours Degree in the Immunology & Integrative Molecular Biology Programme of the Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences, who obtains the highest mark (at least an ‘A’ grade) for the final year research project and has completed all other requirements for graduation.
Established Year:
Narrative: The award was established by Prof. Preethi Gunaratne in memory of her late parents.
Selection Criteria: The Gold medal is awarded to the student who has obtained a GPA of 3.30 or better at the level III examination in Science and is placed first in the order of merit in the ZL 3069, Fundamentals of Conservation Biology and Wildlife Management course and has obtained an “A" grade for this unit.
Established Year: 2015
Narrative: The field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka established the award for the Conservation Biology course in 2015.
Selection Criteria: Awarded to the student who has shown the highest competence in the research project in Zoology with an “A” grade.
Established Year:
Narrative: The award is established for the EN honours degree best research project.
Selection Criteria: The award is for the best student admitted to the Honours Degree programme in Zoology
Established Year:
Narrative: The Kirthisinghe Memorial Prize in Zoology was founded in 1981 by Dr. D Kirthisinghe and Mrs. L R Amarasuriya, in memory of their late father Prof. P Kirthisinghe who was on the staff of the University of Colombo.
Other Awards
Selection Criteria: The prize is awarded to the student who shows the highest competence in the BSc Degree Programme.
Established Year:
Narrative: The Coomaraswamy Prize was founded at the Ceylon University College in 1922 by the late Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam in memory of his uncle Sir Mutu Coomaraswamy.
Selection Criteria: The gold medal is awarded for the best performance in the BSc Honours Degree programme in Business and Environment (industrial orientation)
Established Year: 1979
Narrative: The Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka established the award for an environment related course in 2001.
Selection Criteria: This is awarded to the best student (based on the weighted average) either in the Biological Science or Biochemistry & Molecular Biology streams. The student will only be eligible for the award if he/she has obtained a BSc Degree with First Class Honours.
Established Year:
Narrative:
Selection Criteria: The award is made to the student who shows the highest (weighted average) and having a First Class, either in Physical Science or Industrial Statistics and Mathematical Finance streams in the BSc Degree.
Established Year: 1995
Narrative: Mr. Dhammika and the late Dr. Maya Gunasekara established this award in 1995.
Selection Criteria: The gold medal is awarded to the student who shows the highest competence in the final examination in Science.
Established Year: 1986
Narrative: Dr. (Mrs.) L G Arumugam established, in 1986, an endowment with the UGC in order to award five Scholarships and two Gold Medals to various universities in memory of her late husband Mr. Joseph Nalliah Arumugam, (CBS, CCS, BSc, and Barrister-at-Law).
Course Registration Period
Registration for courses for the entire academic year commences one week prior to the start of the first semester and continues during the first two weeks of this semester. Selection of courses must be done very carefully as students will not be permitted to change their courses once the period of registration is over.
Note: Elective courses with less than five registered students may not be conducted. This condition applies only to courses in the 03-year BSc degree programme. Students who have registered for such courses are permitted to register for other available courses during the registration period. No changes in courses are permitted after the registration period.
Mode of Registration
Registration for courses is done online through the Student Information System (SIS) of the Faculty of Science (https://sis.cmb.ac.lk/sci/). Students may visit the IT Unit of the Faculty for assistance if required.
The Add-Drop Period
During the first two weeks of the second semester students are given an opportunity to revise their course registrations for the second semester. During this time, they can add/drop a limited number of courses to/from the list that they have submitted at the beginning of the academic year. However, students are not allowed to change subject combinations or drop compulsory courses. Changes are only allowed on condition that the students maintain the prescribed number of main subjects and compulsory & core courses.
Attendance in Class
Students are strongly advised to attend all lectures and practical classes of all courses that they have registered for. For practical courses or courses with a practical component which are evaluated through a practical examination, a minimum of 80% attendance at practical classes and sitting the final practical examination are required to obtain a C grade or better in that course. Practical courses that are evaluated through continuous assessment require a minimum of 80% attendance at practical classes to obtain a C grade or better.
Students in the 04-year degree programmes must have 80% attendance in all lectures and practical classes. Students who do not fulfill this requirement shall not be allowed to sit the corresponding final examination/ assessment that year and will have to sit the final examination/assessment in the following year as repeat candidates after having fulfilled the attendance requirement.
Very Important
Although students are permitted to register for more than 30 academic course credits per year (up to 33) this option has to be used very cautiously as the performance in all the registered courses will be taken into consideration when determining the final result. Students will not be permitted to drop any course once the period of registration is over.
Students are also advised to register for the pre-requisites (if any) specified in their study programmes and to pay attention to the requirements of the eligibility criteria for BSc Honours degree programmes.
Some public institutions may not recognize a particular subject/discipline as part of a graduate’s BSc degree programme (03-year duration), unless he/she has completed a minimum of 24 credits in that discipline over Levels I, II and III. Students interested in keeping open the option of employment in the public sector (secondary education, banks, government ministries and institutions etc.) or in pursuing postgraduate education in a particular field, should take sufficient electives in their main subjects in order to meet this requirement.
Students are expected to obtain advice from Faculty appointed Academic Advisors if they have any queries regarding their study programmes.
Registration for Course Units – Level I and Level II
- Biological Science Stream and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Stream
All students in the Biological Science and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology streams shall offer core courses (a minimum of 06-07 core credits) from the three main subjects; Plant Sciences (BT), Chemistry (CH) and Zoology (ZL). Students, if they wish, may consider Computer Science (CS) or Nuclear Science (NS) as a fourth main subject, in which case they have to register for a minimum of 06 core credits from that subject. (Note: Both CS and NS cannot be selected as main subjects together). Furthermore, all courses marked “compulsory”. To make up the required minimum of 30 academic credits (maximum 33) per year, students can register for elective courses of their choice. It is also necessary to register for enhancement courses that add up to the required number of enhancement credits.
- Physical Science Stream
Physical Science students are expected to select one of the 06 subject combinations (P1 – P6) given below. Each subject combination consists of three main subjects from a pool of five subjects; Applied Mathematics (AM), Chemistry (CH), Physics (PH), Pure Mathematics (PM) and Statistics (ST). In addition, Computer Science (CS) may be considered as a main subject for the subject combinations P1 – P6. Nuclear Science (NS) may also be considered as a main subject for the subject combinations P1 – P5. Students must choose a subject combination, and a minimum of 06 core/ compulsory credits from at least three main subjects. (Note: Both CS and NS cannot be selected as main subjects together).
| Subject combination | Main subjects |
|---|---|
| P1 | Applied Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science / Nuclear Science |
| P2 | Applied Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, Computer Science / Nuclear Science |
| P3 | Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science / Nuclear Science |
| P4 | Applied Mathematics, Chemistry, Statistics, Computer Science / Nuclear Science |
| P5 | Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science / Nuclear Science |
| P6 | Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science |
To make up the required minimum 30 academic credits (maximum 33), students can select courses from within or outside their subject combination, provided it is permitted by the time table, space availability and other degree requirements. It is also necessary to register for enhancement courses that add up to the required number of enhancement credits.
- Industrial Statistics & Mathematical Finance Stream
Industrial Statistics & Mathematical Finance students shall offer Industrial Statistics, Financial Mathematics and Management Science as their main subjects. Computer Science is also available as an additional (fourth) subject. Students should register for a minimum of 06 core credits from each main subject and to make up the required minimum of 30 academic credits (maximum 33) per year, students should register for elective courses. It is also necessary to register for enhancement courses that add up to the required number of enhancement credits.
Registration for Course Units – Level III (BSc Degree Programme, 03-year duration)
- Biological Science and Physical Science Streams
Students who follow the 03-year BSc degree programme are required to register for at least 06 core credits from each of two main subjects of the three they followed in Levels I & II. To make up the required minimum of 30 academic credits (maximum 33), the remaining credits can be selected from any subject, provided time and space are available. In addition, students have the opportunity (provided the selection criteria are satisfied), to select either Internship Training or Service Learning in the sixth (final) semester of their degree programme.
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Industrial Statistics & Mathematical Finance Streams
Students in the two study streams, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Industrial Statistics & Mathematical Finance, must follow in Level III, the specified core courses given for their streams in Annexes 7 and 10 respectively. To make up the required minimum of 30 academic credits (maximum 33) per year, students should select and register for elective courses from those given in the respective Annexes. In addition, students have the opportunity (provided the selection criteria are satisfied), to select either Internship Training or Service Learning in the sixth (final) semester of their degree programme.
The BSc degree programme (03–year duration) will span a total of six semesters with 90-99 academic credits and at least 04 enhancement credits.
Students following the BSc Honours degree programme (research orientation) will be required to follow in Levels III & IV, the specified courses given under the relevant BSc Honours degree programme, including a research project. To make up the required minimum of 30 academic credits (maximum 33) per year, students should also register for elective courses from those given in the respective Annexes.
Students following the BSc Honours degree programme (industrial orientation) will be required to follow in Levels III & IV, the prescribed core courses of the specific programme including a research project and industrial training. They should also register for elective courses from that programme to make up the minimum 30 academic credit (maximum 33) per year requirement.
The 04-year BSc Honours degree programmes will span a total of eight semesters with 120-132 academic credits and at least 04 enhancement credits
Registration for course units – Levels III & IV (BSc Honours Degree Programmes, 04-year duration)
Students following the BSc Honours degree programme (research orientation) will be required to follow in Levels III & IV, the specified courses given under the relevant BSc Honours degree programme, including a research project. To make up the required minimum of 30 academic credits (maximum 33) per year, students should also register for elective courses from those given in the respective Annexes.
Students following the BSc Honours degree programme (industrial orientation) will be required to follow in Levels III & IV, the prescribed core courses of the specific programme including a research project and industrial training. They should also register for elective courses from that programme to make up the minimum 30 academic credit (maximum 33) per year requirement.
The 04-year BSc Honours degree programmes will span a total of eight semesters with 120-132 academic credits and at least 04 enhancement credits