Welcome to the Department of Science Laboratory Technology
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Welcome Message

The Science Laboratory Technology is a multifaceted dynamic programme designed to equip students with broad and balanced foundation having the co-terminus objective of imparting theoretical knowledge as well as exposing them to captivating technical, entrepreneurial and practical skills in the various facets of laboratory technology. Department of Science Laboratory Technology (SLT) in Federal University of Technology, Owerri, is a five year programme, with option areas for now in Chemistry/Biochemistry, Geology/Mining, Microbiology/Virology and Physics/Electronics.

Our Curriculum is built on the major tenets of Science Laboratory Technology and in accordance with the National Universities Commission (NUC) Basic Academic Standards (BMAS). Through a combination of practical experience and academic rigour, our programmes in Science Laboratory Technology prepare graduates and equip them with the required knowledge and skills.

The objectives of the Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech) honours degree programme in Science Laboratory Technology are as follows:

  1. To develop and offer academic or professional programmes leading to awards of degrees and postgraduate diplomas which emphasize practical and productive skills in Science Laboratory Technology.
  2. To produce a balanced and broad based laboratory technology graduates possessing sufficient theoretical knowledge with versatile and innovative practical skills to face the challenges of our nations’ technical problems
  3. To provide and promote sound basic science technology training as a foundation for the development of applied sciences and technology taking into account our indigenous diversity and the need to enhance national unity
  4. To act as agents and catalysts of development through postgraduate training, research and innovation in Science Laboratory Technology for effective and economic utilization, exploitation and conservation of the country’s natural, economic and human resources.
  5. To encourage advancement of learning and to hold out to all persons without distinction of race, creed, sex or political conviction opportunity of acquiring higher education in Science Laboratory Technology.
  6. To identify scientific and technological problems and needs of the society and to find solutions to them within the context of overall national development.
  7. To offer to the general population as a forum of public service the results of training and research in laboratory technology and to promote the practical application of these results.

At successful conclusion of the B. Tech programme, graduating students are inducted into the profession by the Institute of Science Laboratory Technology of Nigeria. The induction makes them licensed professionals in the field of Science Laboratory Technology. Thereafter, they proceed for one year mandatory National Youth Service.

 

History of the Department

The Science Laboratory Technology Training Programme (SLTTP) was introduced in FUTO in 1986 as a part-time training scheme for our laboratory staff to acquire additional skills as laboratory assistants, supervisors and technologists. At the inception of the programme, FUTO applied for and obtained accreditation from the Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology (NISLT) for the award of the Laboratory Assistants Proficiency Certificate and the intermediate Diploma which is equivalent to the National Diploma (ND). By 1989, the programme had obtained full accreditation for the award of the Higher National Diploma (HND) in the following option areas:

  • Chemistry/Biochemistry
  • Geology/Mining
  • Microbiology/Virology
  • Physics/Electronics

As a result of the Federal Government stand on certificates and diplomas awarded by Universities, NISLT in the 1998/99 session subjected all courses in all her affiliate Universities to being evaluated and accredited by the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE). The result of the accreditation exercise was the award of National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) to our deserving students. Those who successfully completed the HND programme were formally called up to serve in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.

However, due to the policy decision of the National Council of Education, the Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology (NISLT) stopped organizing examinations for diploma students of Nigerian Universities. The Board recognized only diploma graduates of Monotechnics and Polytechnics. However, some Universities committed to training in Science Laboratory Technology were encouraged to mount full-fledged degree programmes in various Science Laboratory Technology disciplines.

Sequel to this, the Senate of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri at its 291st meeting on Tuesday, August 30, 2005, approved the offer of B.Tech degree programme in Science Laboratory Technology with five-year duration, inclusive of one-year industrial training exposure. The four areas of Science Laboratory Technology Training Programme (SLTTP) previously offered at the Higher National Diploma level were approved for the degree programme.

 

PREVIOUS DIRECTORS OF SLT TRAINING PROGRAMME

 

PREVIOUS COORDINATORS OF THE SLT TRAINING PROGRAMME

 

SUCCESSIVE HEADS OF THE SLT DEPARTMENT

 

Vision

The vision of the Department of Science Laboratory Technology is to contribute to the technological development of the nation by training professionals in laboratory technology management and administration with competence and expertise in any of the following options:

  • Chemistry/Biochemistry
  • Geology/Mining
  • Microbiology/Virology
  • Physics/Electronics

 

Our Mission

The mission of the Department is to create a conducive environment for the effective teaching, research and training of certified science laboratory professionals to meet the technological needs in the academia/research institutes/industries and hence contribute to national development. By forging a strong academic partnership with the regulatory body – the Nigerian Institute for Science Laboratory Technology (NISLT), the graduates produced will possess basic scientific training as a foundation for the development of technology and applied sciences.

Our Team

ACADEMIC STAFF

 

Our Team

LIST OF TECHNOLOGISTS

 
ADMINISTRATIVE AND SECRETARIAL STAFF

 

Staff with other Responsibilities

Dr. A. M. Chidiebere     –       

  • Member, Committee on Examination Misconduct 2019 – Date
  • Member, SLT DTLC Committee 2019 – Date
  • Member, SLT Curriculum Review and Expansion Committee, 2019 – Date
  • CC E Coordinator, Jan 2020 – Date

 

Mr. C. J. Ofoegbu     –   

  • Member, SOPS Handbook   Committee, 2016 – Date
  • Member, SOPS 2019 Deanship Electoral Committee
  • Member, SOPS 2017 FUTO Exhibition Committee
  • Member, SOPS welfare Committee, SLT Departmental Rep., 2017 – Date
  • Chairman, SLT DTLC Committee 2019 – Date
  • Member, SLT Curriculum Review and Expansion Committee, 2019 – Date
  • Member, SOPS Facilities and NEEDS Committee, 2019 – Date       
 

Download Course Outlines

Click to View / Download

  • General Course Outline (PDF)
  • General Course Outline from other Schools and Departments (PDF)
  • Course Outline for Microbiology and Virology Option (PDF)
  • Course Outline for Geology and Mining Option (PDF)
  • Course Outline for Chemistry and Biochemistry Option (PDF)
  • Course Outline for Physics and Electronics Option (PDF)

 

Course Allocation

 

Undergraduate Courses

100 Level

 

200 Level

1st Semester
2nd Semester

300 Level

1st Semester
2nd Semester

400 Level

1st Semester
2nd Semester

500 Level

1st Semester
2nd Semester
 
 

Our Programme

The minimum duration of Science Laboratory Technology programmes is five years for candidates who entered by UTME while the maximum of four years and a maximum of six years to graduate provided that they satisfy all the other requirements of the Department. The first-year courses are common to all the programme options. Irrespective of the student’s option, the core departmental courses must be taken by all students of the Department. Each option allows the students within the Science Laboratory Technology professional area.

All students in the programme undergo a three-month Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) during the long vacation of their second year and a six months long vacation industrial attachment in their fourth year of study. Students are usually assessed using the logbook, the report and a seminar. The SIWES is administered through the University SIWES Coordinator, who arranges visits to establishments with students working under the supervision of academic staff explore and apply the knowledge which they have acquired to design and fabricate technological products and many of these projects are centred on industrial needs and problems.

 

1.1       COURSE CREDIT SYSTEM AND CREDIT UNITS

The course credit system is a quantitative system of organization of the curriculum in which subject areas are broken down into units courses which are examinable and for which students can earn credit(s) if passed. The courses are arranged in progressive order of difficulty or in levels of academic progress e.g. 100 level or year 1 courses are 100, 101 etc. which 200 level or year II courses are 200, 202 etc. The courses are assigned loads known as credit units which consist of a specified number of student-lecturer contact hours per week per semester. The credit units are used in two complementary ways: as a measure of course weighting, and the other, as an indicator of student workload e.g. a 3 – credit unit course may mean a three 1 – hour lectures per week, per semester (3, 0, 0) or two 1 – hour lectures plus one 3 – hour practical per week, per semester (2, 0, 1) or two 1 – hour lectures plus one 1 – hour tutorial per week, per semester (2, 1, 0).

These courses may be a core/compulsory course which every student must compulsorily take and pass in any particular programme at a particular level of study, a required course which a student takes at a level of study and must be passed before graduation, an elective course which a student takes within or outside the school (students may graduate without passing the course provided the minimum credit unit for the programme had been attained), an optional course which a student can take based on interest and may count towards the minimum credit unit required for graduation and the pre-requisite course which a student must take and pass before taking a particular course at a high level.

 

1.2       COURSE CODES AND CREDIT SYSTEM ADVANTAGES

A course is identified by its code and title and for completeness, course units are assigned to the course. Course code is a combination of three roman alphabets (signifying the subject or options area, e.g. PHY, GST, STC, etc) and a three-digit number (in Arabic numerals, e.g. 101, 201, 301, etc). The first digit represents the level of the course (e.g 1 for 100 level, 2 for 200 level, 3 for 300 level, etc). The second digit represents the special subjects areas in the Department while the third digit represents the semester in which course is given. All courses with odd number third digit course codes are offered in the harmattan semester while courses with even number third digit course codes are given in the rain semester. The course credit system has some advantages which allow the:-

Thematic structuring of the programmes of study i.e. ability to break courses into convenient and manageable modules.

Inter-departmental and inter-disciplinary collaboration in curriculum planning, formation and teaching and minimizes duplication of courses.

Students to move at their own pace within limits.

 

1.3       STUDENT ACADEMIC ADVISING

An academic adviser is assigned to every year of study to assist the students in their studies through proper guidance and counselling. The adviser ensures that the student’s problems are given attention and keeps full academic records and other relevant information on each student in his/her custody. It is pertinent to note that many students face academic problems when they avoid or ignore their academic adviser and are therefore strongly advised to regularly interact with their academic adviser for a hitch-free programme of study. The other procedures governing the handling of student academic grievances are set out in the University’s Academic Regulations but the Department ensures that these regulations are followed in each case. Generally, students’ grievances passing through the Department are considered by the Departmental Board of Studies before being sent to the Senate through the School Board of Studies with recommendations.

 

1.4       RULES FOR PARTICIPATING IN EXAMINATIONS

In order to take an examination in any course and obtain a grade, a student is required to;

  1. register for the course(s) with the departmental course adviser assigned to handle that year of study as well as the department offering the course using the prescribed format.
  2. attend lectures for at least three-quarters of the lecture periods.
  3. participate actively in the practicals and projects (if any) and submit assignments.
  4. be in the hall not later than thirty minutes before the commencement of the examination

In addition, the student must fulfil other University requirements such as the payment of departmental dues, school fees/levies and such other conditions as may be directed by the University. It is the responsibility of the student to know the date, time and venue of any examination in the course(s) which he/she registered and to monitor amendments in the examination time table. The inability of a student to observe these rules may prevent him/her from sitting for an examination.

 

1.5       EXAMINATION RESULTS

The performance in any semester examination is given by the Grade point average (GPA). The letters A to F as shown in the table below is equivalent to the assigned grade point. However, the grade ‘E’ for scores 40 – 49 will cease to exist with the graduation of those with registration number up to 2013. The percentage scores are based on formal written examination y the student inclusive of tests, assignments and practical work and not mere attendance at lectures or the assessment by the lecturer without examination.

 

 

The NUC has again recently released a guideline for a return to a 4point grading system in Nigerian Universities. This becomes operational for students admitted in the 2016/2017 academic session. The grading system is shown in the table below.

 

 

The weighting for a course with the practical component is given as:

Examination             –   60%

Tests                           –   20%

Practical work           –  20%                                                     Total 100%

 

The weighting for a course without practical component is given as:

Examination             –   70%

Tests                           –  30%                                                     Total 100%

  1. The minimum pass mark in any examination is 40% (E) for all courses.
  2. The total grade point for each course is obtained by multiplying the number of units for the course by the grade obtained in that course. If a student scored B in a 4 unit course, A in a 2 unit course and C in a 3 unit course, the grade points are 16, 10 and 9 respectively. The total number of units (TNU) in this case is 9 while the total grade point (TGP) is 35. The grade point average (GPA) is therefore 3.89 and it is obtained by dividing the total grade point (TGP) by the total number of units (TNU) of the courses registered by the student. The cumulative grade point average (CGPA) is obtained by dividing the TGP for the courses taken throughout the programme by all the TNU for the courses offered by the student. It is an indication of the students’ overall performances and gives the class of degree of the student at the end of the programme.
  3. All degree courses (compulsory, required, elective, optional and pre-requisite courses) undertaken by a student as well as the compulsory participation in the SIWES count towards the evaluation of the class of degree obtained by a student as shown below:

 

Class of Degree

Cumulative Grade Point Average

First Class Honours

4.50 – 5.00

Second Class Honours (Upper) 21

3.50 – 4.49

Second Class Honours(Lower) 22

2.40 – 3.49

Third Class Honours

1.50 – 2.39

Pass

1.00 – 1.49

Fail

0.00 – 0.99

 

However, for those admitted in the 2016/2017, the table will change to the table shown below                    

Class of Degree

Cumulative Grade Point Average

First Class Honours

3.50 – 4.00

Second Class Honours (Upper) 21

3.00 – 3.49

Second Class Honours(Lower) 22

2.00 – 2.99

Third Class Honours

1.00 – 1.99

Fail

Below 1.00

Admission Requirements

  • ADMISSION THROUGH UNIFIED TERTIARY MATRICULATION EXAMINATION

An acceptable pass in unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME) and the post UTME screening test administered by FUTO with the subject combinations – English language, Chemistry and any two of biology, physics and mathematics, in addition to ordinary level credits in either May/June or November/December Ordinary level Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) or NABTEB or their equivalents in not more than two sittings in at least five subjects including English language, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and any other science subject.

 

  • ADMISSION BY DIRCT ENTRY
  1. At least two advance level passes not below grade C in chemistry and one of physics or biology.
  2. At least upper credit in the National Diploma (ND) in Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Biology, Geology, Microbiology, Physics and Science Laboratory Technology. Candidates must in addition meet the ordinary level requirements for admission into the programme. Candidates should note that FUTO does not accept first degree and NCE

 

  • ADMISSION BY TRANSFER

In some cases, admission placements in higher levels are offered to students who transfer from other universities after a careful review of their transcripts and the reason for the transfer by the Departmental Board of Studies, which is ratified by the School Board and approved by the Senate.

Cross-Checking Documents

 

Whenever a student comes for registration, the originals of students’ credentials as well as his/her passport photographs are carefully crosschecked and matched against the documents they submitted previously. It is at the discretion of University Registry to make further confirmation and authenticate the submitted certificates with the relevant examination bodies. Usually, cases of impersonation or certificate forgery are handled by the appropriate University unit and students found guilty are expelled and/or prosecuted by the relevant government agencies. In this regard, the University ensures that only qualified students are admitted into the various Departments.

Incubator
Technologist at work
Technologist

Dr Sylvia O. Anyadoh-Nwadike

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Email: sylvia.anyadohnwadike@futo.edu.ng; slt@futo.edu.ng

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