Overview
Biotechnology and its application to agricultural systems have been recognized as a frontier technology for achieving sustainability of the food production in the world. In Iran, biotechnology has been also identified as one of the key strategic technologies aimed at supporting sustainable crop production. Therefore, education in the field of agricultural biotechnology in Iran has been considered as an essential part of planning and performing modern agriculture.
The Department of Agricultural Biotechnology was founded in 1999 based on a recognition that the future of Iran's agriculture will strongly depend on the incorporation of biotechnology in this field. The department offers graduate and undergraduate study programs in agricultural biotechnology and has launched a PhD program in molecular genetics in collaboration with the Department of Plant Breeding. The overall aims of this department are to acquaint students with the latest techniques and advances in agricultural biotechnology with a strong emphasis on understanding the theories, principles, and techniques in different key areas of biotechnology.
Graduates with a Bachelor of Science degree (BSc) are prepared for a variety of careers in industrial R&D laboratories, research institutions, business, and public service areas. They have the ability to perform managerial or supervisory roles in a wide range of scientific and research oriented area of biotechnology. Distinguished students will also have opportunity to join the graduate programs in various universities.
The MSc. students are instructed to have a clear understanding of molecular genetics, plant cell and tissue culture, molecular markers and genetic engineering and proteomics. The overall aim for MSc program is to give the students experience in project management, written and oral presentation of scientific discoveries.
The interdepartmental PhD program in molecular genetics has recently been launched to train students who can work effectively in research teams for the improvement of agricultural crops. Graduates of PhD programs are usually qualified to be research scientists or academic staff.
 
Research Activities
The Department of Agricultural Biotechnology is nationally recognized for its excellence in both the basic and developmental research in agricultural biotechnology. The research activities at this department are focused on both basic and applied sciences including:

1.  Genetic diversity of plants
2.  Plant tissue culture and production of transgenic plants
3.  Plant- microbe interactions
4.  Genetic engineering
5.  Proteomics and protein engineering

The Center of Excellence for Biotechnology of Pome Fruits & Almond Diseases is related to this department.

Academic Programs

Department of Agricultural Biotechnology offers M.Sc. program.To obtain M.Sc. degree in Agricultural Biotechnology, graduate students must take a total of 30 credits from which 6 are taken toward their thesis. You can download the course description for this major from here.