Introduction

Medical Physics is the application of physics in medicine. It generally concerns physics as applied to medical imaging and radiotherapy, a medical physicist may also work in many other areas of healthcare. Biomedical engineering is an interdisciplinary field of advanced knowledge of engineering and science to solve medical and healthcare related problems. The medical Physicist bridges Physics and Medicine and is a part of the Medical Team.  Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering cover a many common areas. The subject rewards:

• Challenge of applying the principles of physics to medicine
• Satisfaction of developing new technology for medical use
• Contribution to the well-being of patients

The syllabus of the course is based on DGMP, AAPM and IAEA documents, adapted to the need of Bangladesh. The course structure is designed to able the students to work in hospitals, health institutes and research in MPBME.

The department has a plan to develop strong and advanced Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering programs for education and research by incorporating the latest developments of imaging and radiotherapy and also to establish a further close collaboration with other foreign universities and research institutes. This is the one and only department in Bangladesh offering this course.

Entry Requirements

The basic prerequisite for admission to the B. Sc (Hons.) course in Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering the students should have GPA 2.5 in S. S.C and H.S.C (science) with mathematics and physics or diploma in electrical/ electronics/ mechanical/ electromedical from a polytechnic institute/bachelor in Technology  with minimum 2^nd class or equivalent. Every student must qualify in the admission test set by the university each time.

Collaboration

1. A cooperation agreement has been signed between Medical Center Manheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany and Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering Department (MPBME), Gono Bishwabidyalay, Dhaka, Bangladesh for 2014 to 2017. In 2014, three students for M.Sc degree, 3 hospital Medical Physicists for 3 months training, 1 faculty member for PhD practical work have got opportunity to do their work.
2. Collaboration with the North Bengal Oncology Centre (P) Ltd, Siliguri, India and Gono Bishwabidyalay, Bangladesh since 15 October, 2013, Till 2014, seven students have visited India under this collaboration for training and thesis purposes.

1. Collaboration between Cancer Centre Welfare Home and Research Institute, Thakurpukur, Kolkata, India and Gono Bishwabidyalay, Bangladesh.

Till 2014, eight students got scope under this collaboration for training and thesis purposes.

1. All practical classes are held in the public and private hospital of radiotherapy department across the country.

These cooperating institutions aim to enhance education, research, development and technology transfer in the fields of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering by collaboration and exchange.

The Programme

The program of study for bachelor degree will extend over a period of 4 (four) years and is divided into 8 (eight) semesters, each of 6 (six) months duration.

Semester final examination will be held at the end of each semester for completion the semester. The course of study of the program has to be completed by a student over a maximum period of 12 (twelve) consecutive semesters.

Duration of a Semester

Details of a semester over 26 weeks will be as follows.

Classes (lectures, tutorials, problem sessions, assignments, practical, tests, quizzes etc.): 18 weeks

Revision                                                                                                                            :               1 week

Exam preparation leave                                                                                                :               1 week

Exam and results                                                                                                            :               2 weeks

Course choice                                                                                                                   :               4 weeks

Admission to the Programme

Admission of the students to the degree programme will be guided by the admission rules of the University and as prescribed by the University Grants Commission from time to time.

Courses and Credit Hours

The courses of study for the degree in a discipline will be determined in terms of credit hours (abbreviated as “Credit”)

Theory Course Credit

1. a)4-Credit Theory Course:

A theory course with 4 hours class per week, one hour of which may be problem session/assignment/quiz/tutorial/class test etc. will constitute a 4-credit theory course. The total conducted hours over the semester for a 4-credit theory course will usually be between 72-80 hours class.

1. b)3-Credit Theory Course:

A theory course with 3 hour classes per week, one hour of which may be problem session/assignment/quiz/tutorial/class test etc. will constitute a 3-credit theory course. The total conducted hours over the semester for a 3-credit theory course will usually be between 54-60 hours class.

1. c)2-Credit Theory Course:

A theory course with 2 hour classes per week, one hour of which may be problem session/assignment/quiz/tutorial/class test etc. will constitute a 2-credit theory course. The total conducted hours over the semester for a 2-credit theory course will usually be between 36-40 hours class.

1. d)1-Credit Theory Course:

A theory course with 1 hour classes per week, one hour of which may be problem session/assignment/quiz/tutorial/class test etc. will constitute a 1-credit theory course. The total conducted hours over the semester for a 1-credit theory course will usually be between 18-20 hours class.

Practical/Field Work Course Credit

1. a)A 3-credit practical/field work course will constitute a minimum of 6 hours of practical/field work per week per semester with total conducted hours of 108- 120 hours during a semester.
2. b)A 2-credit practical/field work course will constitute a minimum of 4 hours of practical/field work per week per semester with a total conducted hours of 72-80 hours during a semester.
3. c)A 1-credit practical/field work course will constitute a minimum of 3 hours of practical/field work per week per semester with a total conducted hours of 54-60 hours during a semester.

Viva Voce Course Credit

There will an oral examination at the end of each semester final examination and it will constitute a 1-credit/2-credit viva-voce course.

For project/dissertation/thesis work, there will be a separate viva-voce examination and separately credited by the departmental course curricula.

Distribution of Courses

1. a)The degree programme in a discipline will be an integrated programme of study which will include courses of the honours subject (core courses)  and other allied subjects (supporting courses) deemed essential for a comprehensive knowledge on the honours subjects.
2. b)The programme will comprise of courses over a range of 120-180 verdicts including the courses on practical/field work as well as oral examination of each semester. The supporting courses normally will be about 20-25% of the total credits offered over the entire course. The practical/field work courses shall between 20-35% of the total credits over the entire course of study as prescribed by the course curriculum for the discipline.
3. c)Each department will prepare a standard syllabus in the light of the subject matter to be taught in different courses. The syllabus has to be endorsed by the Committee of Courses of the department, the Faculty and the Academic Council of the university and if necessary by the UGC.

In the final year in 8^th semester the students should be assigned advanced academic work such as research project/review work through literature search/internship /laboratory work. The submitted report by the student has to be presented in a departmental seminar and the final viva-voce examination will be held on the work, where the members of the examination committee will evaluate the presentation and grade the students.

Distribution of Marks

The total marks allocated for a course will be on the basis of the course content. For example, 100 marks for 3-4 credit course and 50 marks for 2 and 1credit course, respectively.

Evaluation of Student’s Performance

Evaluation of students’ performance in a course will be determined on marks obtained in:

1. i)The Semester Final Examination (Written examination in the case of a theoretical course and practical examination in the case of a practical/field work course).
2. ii)Continuous Assessment (in the form of assignment, tutorial, class test, session and quiz.

iii)Midterm examination

1. iv)Class attendance

The distribution of marks for a course will be as follows:

1. a)Semester final examination                                                              70%
2. b)Continuous assessment                                                                      10%
3. c)Midterm examination                                                                        10%
4. d)Class attendance                                                                                 10%

Semester Final Examination

Semester final examination will be held after the completion of 20 weeks of classes and revisions in a semester. Students having less than 80% attendance in a course will not be eligible to sit for the examination in that course.

Students having less than 80% attendance, have to pay additional fee of Tk. 3,000.00 for each of the courses to sit in the exam which the required attendance is below 70%. However, prayers of students having attendance minimum between 50-65% in a course may be entertained by the head of the department and dean with additional fee of Tk. 5,000.00 for each of the courses. Fees are not refundable.

Midterm Examination

Midterm examination for a course will normally be held after completion of 50% of the course content. Results of the examination should be published within 7-14 days. The answer scripts for class tests and other evaluation works

shall be given to the students to assess for themselves and to rectify the mistake they have committed in the examinations.

Continuous Assessment

The minimum number of tutorial, class test assignment/problem session spread over the entire academic semester for each course will be as prescribed below.

1. a) For a 4-credit theoretical/practical/field work course    4 written/2practical tests
2. b) For a 3-credit theoretical/practical/field work course    3 written/2practical tests
3. c) For a 2-credit theoretical/practical/field work course    2 written/1practical tests
4. d) For a 1-credit theoretical/practical/field work course    1 written/1practical tests

Quizzes   

Course teachers may arrange quiz tests at the end of each chapter of section of a subject matter to assess the ability of the students in grasping the contents of the lectures delivered by the course teachers. Tests might be of MCQ type, fill in the blanks, selection of true or false statement. At the end of the semester, the marks of the quiz tests will be credited for continuous assessment.

Problem Session and Seminar Presentation

Problem session will be held once a month. In these sessions, students will present the problems they have faced in understanding any particular topic. The teacher will be to solve the problem faced by students in understanding a part or the whole of the lecture.

The teacher will also design specific problems and provide guide line for the solution of the problems so that the students can understand the problems and solve them at home and submit them back to the teacher on specified dates. The problems may involve some calculations, data processing, analyses of facts or issues of some interests, etc.

Students from 4^th to 5^th semester should be encouraged to present seminars on the topics decided by the department. The duration of presentation should be 30 minutes and 5 minutes should be left for discussion. In a semester, a day should be earmarked for seminar presentations. Members of the examination committee will evaluate the presentation of the students. Marks, allocated for the presentation of seminar is equivalent to one of the problem session of the semester and marks commensurable with presentation in the seminar will be awarded to the student to benefit his continuous assessment.

Class Attendance

A student with class attendance of less than 70% (in special cases, 55%-69%) in a course will not be allowed to appear at the semester final examination in that particular course. Credit in the form of mark will be awarded to students as follows.

Class Attendance                                          Marks Allocate (%)

95% to 100%                                                                 10

90% to 94%                                                                   9

80% to 89%                                                                   8

70% to 79%                                                                   7

60% to 69%                                                                   6

50% to 59%                                                                   5

40% to 49%                                                                   4

The average marks of quizzes/tests, class tests, problem sessions and seminar presentations will be added together by the course teacher. It should be sent along with the marks obtained by the students for class attendance to the chairman of the examination committee, head of the department and controller of examination at least two weeks

before the semester final examination, in sealed covers. Marks of continuous assessments should be submitted without rounding up the fraction. Fraction will be rounded up to a whole number for the entire course in the aggregate. Reactions equal to 0.5 and above should be rounded  to the next higher whole number , fractions less than 0.5 should be similarly rounded up to the next lower whole  number.

The chairman of the examination committee will hand over the marks of continuous assessments, midterm examination and class attendance along with the marks of Semester final examination to the tabulators for tabulation of the marks. The controller of examinations will verify the results computed by the tabulators with the copies of mark sheets sent to him.

Practical Classes and Examinations

Thirty percent of the marks allocated for practical examinations on a course will be evaluated through continuous assessment, depending on the number of credit for the course. Rest of the 70% marks will be awarded in the semester final examination of the practical course. Practical examination will be evaluation by the internal and external members of the examination committee together with the respective course teacher.

Script Evaluation

Each answer script of the core course would be examined by two examiners (one internal and one external). The course teacher will be the internal and the external will be selected by the examination committee, not below the rank of an assistant professor, preferably from a public university. Both the examiners will send two copies of marks to the chairman of the examination committee and one copy to the controller of examinations under separate sealed covers. The average of the two marks awarded to an examinee for any script will be credited for determining the grade.

Duration of the Semester Final Examination

The duration of the semester final examination of a theoretical course will be 4 hours for a 4, 3 hours for a 3, 2.5 hours for 2 and 2 hours for a 1 credit course. The department will decide as to the duration of the semester final practical examination.

Examination Committee

An examination committee consisting of at least two internal and one external member, the total number of members will not be more than four for each semester. External member should be a senior faculty member not below the rank of an assistant professor of the relevant subject of another university, preferably from a public university. This committee has to be approved by the faculty and by the academic council of the university as soon as possible.

Function of the Examination Committee

An examination committee will recommend the names of the internal and external examiners for the core courses for the semester final examinations from a panel of examiners constituted by the members of the department, to the controller of examinations for appointment. The examiners will, however, are asked to send the question for the core courses, type them and make the required number of copies. They will finally send the prepared question papers to the controller of Examinations under sealed covers at least 7 days before the examination. The examination committee will also conduct the semester final viva-voce examination.

Functions of the Tabulators

The tabulators will scrutinize the marks of continuous assessment. They will compile the marks of the internal and external examinations, determine the average and tabulate accordingly. If the tabulators observe any gross departure amounting to a difference of 20% or more in marking a script by the two examiners, it will bring to the notice of the chairman of the examination committee. The committee on thorough scrutiny will appoint a third examiner to evaluate the answer script. Of the three marks, the two marks closer to each other will be averaged to represent the marks of the answer script, giving advantage to the examinee.

Finalization of the Examination Results & Grading System

The total numerical marks obtained by a student in each course (theoretical as well as practical), covering semester final, continuous assessment marks, will be converted into letter grades and Grade points. A four point (4.00) grading scale corresponding to 10 letter grades will be followed for the evaluation of students. There will be leave an I (incomplete) category for those students who will leave a course incomplete at the end of a semester due to medical or other compelling reasons acceptable to the department. These students should clear the ‘Incomplete’ courses by the next two consecutive semesters; if not then the grade will be automatically changed to an ‘F’   grade in those courses by the controller of examinations.

The following letter grade and corresponding grade points will be used to determine a student’s grade point average (GPA)

W: indicates that a student was permitted to withdraw (drop) from a course without penalty. Withdrawals without penalty are not permitted after expiry of six weeks of the semester, except in cases of extenuating circumstances. Such cases must be documented and recommended by the head of the department and endorsed by the dean of the faculty.

 Grade Description

The grades (with numeric values) are described as follows:

1. a)A course in which a student has obtained ‘D’ or a higher grade will be counted as credit earned by him/her. Any course in which a student has obtained F’ grade will not be counted towards his/her earned credit.
2. b)A student who obtained ‘F’ grade will be allowed to improve the grade two times with the following batches with a condition that a student has to complete the Bachelor Honours programme within a period of 6 (six) year (12 semesters) from the date of first admission (subject to the approval of the Academic Council).
3. c)‘F’ grade will not be counted for GPA calculation but will stay permanently on Grade Sheet and Transcript. When a student will sit for the repeat examination for a course, in  which the student previously obtained ‘F’   grade he/she will not be eligible to get a grade better than ‘B+’ (grade point 3.25) in that course.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

Grade Point Average (GPA) is the weighted average of the grade points obtained by a student in all the courses in the examination in a semester. For example, if a student passes/completes, five courses in a semester having credits C1,C2,C3,C4 and C5 and his grade points in these courses are G1, G2, G3, G4 and G5 respectively, then:

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For example if a student takes 6 courses in one semester and obtains the following grades

Then the GPA for the semester, calculated to two digits after decimal point will be

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Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)

Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is the weighted average of the GPA secured over the total number of semesters for a course of studies.

The CGPA in this case will be:

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Improvement of Grade

1. a)If a student obtains a grade equal to or lower than ‘B’ in a course, he/she will be allowed to sit for the repeat examination of that course only once for the purpose of grade improvement but he/she will not be eligible to get grade better than B+ in that course.
2. b)A student will be permitted to repeat, for grade improvement purposes, a maximum of 12 courses in for year degree program.
3. c)If a student fails to improve his grade, then his/her earlier grade will be retained.
4. d)If a student likes to improve the grade earned in a course of 4^th year (8^th semester), he must apply for such improvement examination before the award of the degree. Improvement examination will not be allowed once the degree is awarded.

Promotion to Higher Semester

1. a)
2. I) A student must secure at least a CGPA of 2.00 in semester final examination for promotion to the next higher semester subject.
3. II) He/she has to be sure that he/she has not failed in more than two core course in that semester.

A student who fails to satisfy the above requirement for promotion will be deemed to have failed in that semester examination and will be retained in that semester.

2000. b)     If a student fails in two courses and GPA/CGPA 2, they will get promotion to nest semester and have to      pay full semester fee and 2000.00 taka for each course they failed in.
2001. c)       If the student wants to improve more than one theoretical courses they gave to pay course fee 2000.00 taka, Lab fee 2000.00 taka and Late fee 2000.00 taka for each courses
2002. d)      A student who has failed in the semester final examination will be able to repeat the failed courses of the semester after readmission

Re-admission

1. i)A student who (a) is debarred from appearing at the examination due to shortage in class attendance or (b) fails in a Semester Final Examination may seek readmission within two weeks after the announcement of the results of the semester. The student will have to pay prescribed fees for the semester and a readmission fee as prescribed by the University.
2. ii)Marks earned earlier in midterm/assessment examination of such students will be retained. The student has only to retake the semester final examination in the failed course.

iii)Readmission in a semester will not be allowed for more than twice and a student will not be allowed readmission in more than two semesters during the entire program.

Irregular Students

A student who appears at the 8^th semester final examination but fails to secure a minimum GPA of 2.00 will cease to be a regular student of the university.

Such a student will, however, be allowed to sit for examination in the following years an irregular candidate subject to the recommendation by the Head of the respective department with due endorsement by the dean of the faculty. The student has to bear the fees prescribed by the university before his/her sitting for the examination.

Marks that have been obtained by the student in tutorial/test/class attendance and others will be duly credited to the results of the student.

Eligibility for Bachelor (Honours) Degree

2. a)A successful candidate who has secured a minimum CGPA of 2.00 at the end of 8^th semester will be awarded a degree of Bachelor with Honours in the relevant subject of an appropriate faculty.
3. b)Students securing a CGPA of 3.75 and above will be awarded a Bachelor (Honours) degree with distinction and citation of such achievement will be recorded in the transcript and certificate.
4. c)A Student who has qualified for a degree program will be awarded a Provisional Degree by the University. Such Provisional degree will have to be confirmed by the Academic Council.
5. d)A student securing CGPA of less than 2.0 at the end of the 8^th semester, will be awarded a degree of Bachelor with Pass only.

Transcripts

Transcripts of the results of each semester will be provided to the students on payment of the prescribed fee as decided by the authority. However, such a fee will not be less than Tk. 2,000.00 (Two thousand) per semester.

Amendments

Addition, deletion, alteration, modification, change in the provision of  this ordinance may be effected from time to time to meet the demand of the day by the Academic Council and those have to be rectified by the Board of Trustees of the University.

Appointment of External Auditor/Assessor

A renowned reputed teacher of a public university or a member of the Board of Trustees of Gono Bishwabidyalay may be appointed by the Board of Trustees as an external Auditor/ Assessor to observe teaching methodology, examination procedure, seminar and problem sessions, selection procedure of external procedure, seminar examiner etc. and report the observations to the Vice Chancellor. Initial duration of such appointment which may be extended for another term, will be for two years.

External auditor will also receive student’s complaints in confidence and will report the finding directly to the Vice Chancellor for on ward transmission to the Board of Trustees. No public disclosure shall be made by the External Auditor.