TCD follows the trail of the human genome

Following the big effort in the 1980s and 1990s to sequence the human gene, the department of genetics in Trinity College Dublin recognised how it would really become such a broad and all-encompassing area and established a BA in human genetics five years ago.

There is not one, but two, undergraduate degrees in genetics, BA (Mod) in genetics and the BA (Mod) in human genetics. Students taking the BA (Mod) in genetics degree apply initially for science on the CAO form specialise in genetics at the beginning of third year. Human genetics students, on the other hand, apply specifically to the course TR073 human genetics on the CAO form and study a particular combination of courses in the four-year programme, concentrating on human genetics.

According to Professor Kevin Devine, head of department, these students are guaranteed a place in the human genetics department in third and fourth year of the course. There has been an intake of 10 students a year over the last couple of years; however, the quota has been increased to 15 for entry in 2001.

Last year, 13 students earned their places on the course by achieving 520 points.

"There has been tremendous interest in the course," says Professor Devine, and considering the high level of competition, it is no surprise that the students on the course are "of the highest quality".

In first and second year human genetics students have one tutorial related to human genetics every week, in addition to the general science courses. The reason for this, says Professor Devine, is to introduce the students to the concept and ideas of human genetics, such as the human genome, for example. "It is a broad brush introduction to genetics as a whole, while training to be scientists," he says. Considering there have been substantial ethical problems raised as a result of the studies in human genetics, students explore the philosophical, ethical, social and psychological issues arising from human genetics.

The human genetics course contains "reasonable mathematical content", says Professor Devine - an element that is not the case for general genetics. Hence, a mathematics result of grade C on the ordinary or grade D on the higher Leaving Certificate paper is required. Two higher level grade C's from the following subjects: biology, chemistry, physics, physics/chemistry, mathematics and applied mathematics are required also.

One of the advantages human genetics students have over science students who may later specialise in genetics, is that they have access to the human genetics department for all of their four years. "We try to integrate them at that level," says Professor Devine, adding that it means the students are already familiar with the department.

"In third year we really introduce students to the fundamental core of human genetics topics," he says, adding that the "real specialisation is in fourth year.

"In third year they do a broad range of courses, and not just only on human genetics; bacterial population, gene expression and fundamental concepts are explored. Students also do practicals, like the genetics of the fruit fly, in third year.

"Genetics is an experiment science," says Professor Devine. "In that sense, there's a lot of practical work in genetics." In third year, there are 300 hours of lectures. Altogether, there are 42 units of eight hours each that have to be completed.

The course offers "a fair amount of experimental exposure as well as a research environment" and it is in fourth year that the advanced subjects rear their head. Students are in the human genetics department full-time. They have two lectures in the morning, every morning, and spend the rest of the day researching their project or studying. There are 19 lecture courses and the students have to focus on a core human genetics course. "They have to take a preponderance of human genetics subjects," says Professor Devine.

Two terms of fourth year are spent in the lab doing a human genetics project such as eyes and hearing, neuro-psychiatric genes and programmed cell deaths. Students finally do a review on a human genetics topics - for example, vision, development of humans or the genetics of a disease.

Some 70 per cent of graduates go on to research careers. According to, Professor Devine "the whole focus within the department is a research focus." Despite this, he believes "the degree itself fits the mouth for many more things. It is an excellent grounding for genetic counselling, biotechnology, diagnostics, forensic genetics and biotechnology patents."