Undergraduate courses offered by the Faculty
Bachelor of Biological Sciences (Advanced Science) (SBBAS) – Melbourne (Bundoora)
This course is aimed at high-achieving students interested in pursuing a career in biological research and development in Universities, government or commercial research institutions. Students will meet each semester with the course adviser to plan a course of study. Students will be involved in biological research throughout the course and so will have much greater knowledge and experience in this area than other graduates. In this way, they will benefit from the research partnerships of La Trobe University with government and semi-government research agencies.
Course structure
The course is of three years full-time or equivalent part-time duration and requires the completion of 360 credit points. Students must complete subjects with a total value of at least 120 credit points in each of the first, second and third years of study, with a minimum of 60, 80 and 60 credit points in the first, second and third years respectively from subjects offered by the Biological Science departments (Biochemistry, Botany, Genetics, Microbiology and Zoology).
At each year of the course, a specified proportion of the laboratory work will be undertaken in the research laboratories under the supervision of research staff.
In 2009, students will undertake two research laboratory practicals per semester in BIO1OF (first semester) and BIO1GEN (second semester).
Articulation
Students in the Bachelor of Biological Sciences who achieve an average grade of 80% or more in a year will be eligible to transfer to this Advanced Science degree.
Interested students should consult the Course Adviser.
First year (120 credit points)
The first year consists of:
- 60 credit points of biology (see core subjects below)
- at least 15 credit points of chemistry (see core subjects below)
- 45 credit points from the Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering.
Core subjects (75 credit points)
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Animal Diversity, Ecology and Behaviour | BIO1AD | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Organisation and Function of Cells and Organisms | BIO1OF | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Genetics, Human Biology and Evolution | BIO1GEN | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Plant Science | BIO1PS | 15 |
Choose one first-semester chemistry subject. Students who have passed VCE Chemistry, Units 3 and 4 or equivalent, must choose CHE1GEN.
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Basic Chemistry | CHE1BAS | 15 |
| or | |||
| TE-SEM-1 | General Principles of Chemistry | CHE1GEN | 15 |
Electives (45 credit points)
The remaining 45 credit points must be selected from other subjects offered by the Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering. Students wishing to proceed to Biochemistry or Land and Soil Management at second year must include CHE1APL in their choice of subjects.
Recommended subjects
Please note: some subject combinations are not possible because of timetable clashes. Other subjects have prerequisite requirements; these requirements are listed in the full subject descriptions on the subject Database (see www.latrobe.edu.au/udb_public) and should be checked carefully. All subjects are worth 15 credit points.
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Calculus and Number Systems | MAT1CNS | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Discrete Mathematics | MAT1DM | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Information Technology Fundamentals | CSE1ITF | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Object-Oriented Programming Fundamentals | CSE1OOF | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Introductory Electronics | ELE1IEL | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Physics for Life Sciences A | PHY1LSA | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Principles of Physics A2 | PHY1SCA | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Processes that Shape the Earth | GEO1PRO | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Psychology 1A | PSY1PYA | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Statistical Science | STA1SS | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Statistics for Life Sciences | STA1LS | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Applications of Chemistry1 | CHE1APL | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Astronomy and Space: The Infinite Frontier | PHY1AST | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Biology and Philosophy | PHI1BAP | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Calculus and Linear Algebra | MAT1CLA | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Earth Structure, Resources and History of Life | GEO1ERS | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Intermediate Object-Oriented Programming | CSE1IOO | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Mathematical Applications in Biology | MAT1MAB | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Physics for Life Sciences B | PHY1LSB | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Principles of Physics B2 | PHY1SCB | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Psychology 1B | PSY1PYB | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Statistics for Life Sciences | STA1LS | 15 |
Key: 1 In order to proceed to second year biochemistry or Land and Soil Management, students must take CHE1APL in addition to either CHE1GEN or CHE1BAS.
2 Linked subjects, normally taken in the one academic year.
Second year (120 credit points)
The second year consists of:
- 80 credit points of biology (from the core subjects listed below) and
- 40 credit points from further biology subjects or from other science subjects (see list of recommended subjects below).
Core subjects (80 credit points)
Students must choose subjects to the value of 80 credit points from the list below.
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Australian Fauna and Ecology | ZOO2AFE | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology A | BCH2BMA | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Human and Molecular Genetics | GEN2HMG | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Introductory Microbiology | MIC2IM | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Plant Molecular Biology, Physiology and Nutrition | BOT2MPN | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Animal Physiology | ZOO2APH | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Australian Ecology and Systematics | BOT2AES | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology B | BCH2BMB | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Ecological and Evolutionary Genetics | GEN2EEG | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Medical and Veterinary Microbiology | MIC2MVM | 20 |
Electives (40 credit points)
The remaining 40 credit points must be selected from the above core subjects or from other second year subjects (see recommended list below) in the Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering.
Recommended subjects include:
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Biostatistics | STA2BS | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Fundamentals of Chemistry | CHE2FND | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Introduction to Land and Soil Management | AGR2ILM | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Issues in Conservation | CBE2IC | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Principles of Nutrition | AGR2PNU | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Psychology 2A | PSY2PYA | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 or TE-SEM-2 | Statistics for Life Sciences1 | STA2LS | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Chemistry of Water Quality | CHE2CWQ | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Developments in Chemistry | CHE2DEV | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Psychology 2B | PSY2PYB | 20 |
Key: 1 Incompatible with STA1LS
Third year (120 credit points)
The third year consists of:
- 60 credit points of biology chosen from subjects offered by departments in the biological sciences (see core subjects below) and
- 60 credit points from additional biology subjects or other science subjects, if no more than 60 credit points are taken from any one biological science discipline area.
Core subjects (60 credit points)
Students must choose subjects to the value of 60 credit points from the list below.
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Advanced Medical and Veterinary Microbiology | MIC3AMM | 30 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 3A | BCH3BMA | 30 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Field and Environmental Botany | BOT3FEB | 30 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Human and Molecular Genetics | GEN3HMG | 30 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Zoology A | ZOO3EPA | 30 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Ecological and Evolutionary Genetics | GEN3EEG | 30 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Ecology, Systematics and Evolution | BOT3ESE | 30 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Advanced Microbiology | MIC3AM | 30 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 3B | BCH3BMB | 30 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Plant Biotechnology | BOT3PB | 30 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Zoology B | ZOO3EPB | 30 |
Electives (60 credit points)
The remaining 60 credit points must be selected from the above core subjects or from other third year subjects in the Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering.
Honours
Honours degree students are selected based on their performance in the final year of the pass degree course. Students must obtain a minimum average of 60% across all of their third year subjects and obtain at least 65% in subjects germane to the Honours discipline to the value of 60 credit points. An Honours year may be taken in any of the departments contributing to the pass degree course for which they have the appropriate prerequisites.
For a full description of subjects, including the subject name, subject code, credit points, campus/location, subject coordinator, class requirements, assessment, prerequisites and readings, students should access the Subject Database at www.latrobe.edu.au/udb_public.