Faculty of Science : Guide to courses 10. Majors

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10. Majors
    10.1. Majors
    10.2. Planning a science major
        10.2.1. ANATOMY
        10.2.2. BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
        10.2.3. BIOTECHNOLOGY
        10.2.4. BOTANY
        10.2.5. CELL BIOLOGY
        10.2.6. CHEMISTRY
        10.2.7. COMPUTER SCIENCE
        10.2.8. CONSERVATION AND AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE
        10.2.9. EARTH SCIENCES
        10.2.10. ECOLOGY
        10.2.11. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
        10.2.12. GENETICS
        10.2.13. GEOGRAPHY
        10.2.14. HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
        10.2.15. IMMUNOLOGY
        10.2.16. MARINE BIOLOGY
        10.2.17. MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS
        10.2.18. MICROBIOLOGY
        10.2.19. NEUROSCIENCE
        10.2.20. PATHOLOGY
        10.2.21. PHARMACOLOGY
        10.2.22. PHYSICS
        10.2.23. PHYSIOLOGY
        10.2.24. PSYCHOLOGY
        10.2.25. VISION SCIENCE
        10.2.26. ZOOLOGY

10. Majors

10.1. Majors

All students commencing the BSc, BASc or a BSc combined course in 1999 and beyond are expected to complete a science major which will be included on an academic transcript.

A science major is defined as 50 points at 300-level in a discipline.

The psychology major is the clear exception to this rule. The biotechnology major is also comprised of less than 50 points at 300-level, but it can only be undertaken in conjuction with another life sciences major.

To major, students complete one of the science majors listed below. Students may not complete alternative combinations of subjects to major or co-major, unless written approval is obtained from the Associate Dean (Academic Programs), Faculty of Science.

10.2. Planning a science major

The 100-level and 200-level subjects included in the descriptions of majors listed below are suggested subjects only.

Students are not required to undertake particular subjects at these levels to complete a science major (except for psychology), but should be aware that these 100-level and 200-level subjects have been recommended by the contact department as subjects leading towards the science major. Please note: these identified 100-level and 200-level subjects do not always satisfy prerequisite requirements for the 300-level subjects.

The most appropriate way to plan a course of study towards a science major is to select a major, identify the core and elective subjects forming part of that major (ie. specific 300-level subjects), check the detailed subject descriptions of each of those 300-level subjects for their prerequisites, and select these 100-level and 200-level prerequisite subjects. Students should begin to consider a major when planning their 200-level subjects.

Students are permitted to complete more than one science major, however to do so requires completion of 50 points at 300-level in each discipline. Up to the equivalent of one 12.5 point subject at 300-level can be counted towards both science majors where applicable. Students must complete a minimum of 87.5 points at 300-level to be awarded two science majors. A maximum of two science majors will be identified on a student's transcript. Students qualifying for more than two majors will need to nominate the two science majors to appear on their transcript.

With one exception, students will only be eligible to be awarded a science major in biotechnology, environmental science or history and philosophy of science if they have already satisfied the requirement of a second appropriate science major. Students enrolled in a BSc combined degree with either the Faculty of Engineering or the Institute of Land and Food Resources are able to complete a single science major in environmental science. Science students in all other courses cannot qualify for a major in more than one of biotechnology, environmental science or history and philosophy of science.

Note: Students who commenced their course before 1999 do not need to complete a major.

Science majors available:

• anatomy, ANATOMY

• biochemistry and molecular biology, BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

• biotechnology (only available when completed in conjunction with an approved life sciences major), BIOTECHNOLOGY

• botany, BOTANY

• cell biology, CELL BIOLOGY

• chemistry, CHEMISTRY

• computer science, COMPUTER SCIENCE

• conservation and Australian wildlife, CONSERVATION AND AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE

• earth sciences, EARTH SCIENCES

• ecology, ECOLOGY

• environmental science (available as a single science major in specified combined degrees only; in other courses the environmental science major is only available when completed in conjunction with a second science major), ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

• genetics, GENETICS

• geography, GEOGRAPHY

• history and philosophy of science (only available when completed in conjunction with a second science major), HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

• immunology, IMMUNOLOGY

• marine biology, MARINE BIOLOGY

• mathematics and statistics, MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

• microbiology, MICROBIOLOGY

• neuroscience, NEUROSCIENCE

• pathology, PATHOLOGY

• pharmacology, PHARMACOLOGY

• physics, PHYSICS

• physiology, PHYSIOLOGY

• psychology, PSYCHOLOGY

• vision science, VISION SCIENCE

• zoology, ZOOLOGY

10.2.1. ANATOMY

Teaching departments: Anatomy and Cell Biology, Physiology, Zoology.

Note: the topic of the Research Project must be related to the major discipline.

10.2.2. BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Biochemistry and molecular biology is a useful major on its own, but it also complements many other fields of study particularly well. On the departmental web site http://www.biochemistry.unimelb.edu.au/ are example course plans describing how a major in biochemistry and molecular biology can be combined with study in other disciplines to create particular areas of specialisation including biochemical basis of disease, biochemistry of drug design and function, bioinformatics, functional genomics, metabolism and nutrition, molecular biotechnology, molecular cell biology, molecular immunology, neuroscience, and structural biology of macromolecules.

Teaching department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

10.2.3. BIOTECHNOLOGY

The biotechnology major is only available when completed in conjunction with a life sciences major in one of anatomy, biochemistry and molecular biology, botany, cell biology, chemistry, genetics, immunology, microbiology, neuroscience, pathology, pharmacology, physiology or zoology.

Teaching departments: Anatomy and Cell Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Botany, Chemistry, Genetics, Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology, Pharmacology, History and Philosophy of Science, Zoology.

To qualify for a science major in biotechnology, students must have completed 600-205 Biotechnology in Practice and be completing a life sciences major from the list above. In addition, students must take at least 37.5 points of elective 300-level biotechnology subjects from the lists on ( see 300-level). At least 25 points of these 37.5 points must be from a department different to that responsible for teaching the student's other major. Practical subjects totalling 25 points must be included, either within the life science major or the biotechnology major.

In accordance with Faculty of Science policy on the award of two majors, a minimum of 87.5 points of 300-level science subjects is required for the award of a life science major and the biotechnology major.

For additional detail on the structure of the biotechnology major, See Biotechnology (see Biotechnology).

10.2.4. BOTANY

Teaching department: Botany.

Note: Students may only choose one of 121-030 or 606-301; and only one of 600-311 or 600-312.

Note: the topic of the Research Project must be related to the major discipline.

10.2.5. CELL BIOLOGY

Teaching departments: Anatomy and Cell Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Botany, Genetics, Physiology, Zoology.

Note: Students may only choose one of 516-307, 600-311 or 600-3132 and the topic of the Research Project must be related to the major discipline.

10.2.6. CHEMISTRY

Teaching department: Chemistry

10.2.7. COMPUTER SCIENCE

This science major is not available to students enrolled in the software engineering stream of the BE/BSc or the BE(IT)/BSc. These students will be required to complete a major in an alternative science discipline.

Teaching department: Computer Science and Software Engineering.

10.2.8. CONSERVATION AND AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE

Teaching departments: Botany, Zoology.

10.2.9. EARTH SCIENCES

Teaching department: Earth Sciences.

Note: the topic of the Research Project must be related to the major discipline.

Note: the topic of the Research Project must be related to the major discipline.

10.2.10. ECOLOGY

Teaching departments: Botany, Zoology, Anthropology, Geography and Environmental Studies.

10.2.11. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Available as a single major only to students enrolled in a BSc combined degree with either the Faculty of Engineering or the Institute of Land and Food Resources.

For students enrolled in any other BSc program or the BASc, the environmental science major is only available when completed in conjunction with a second science major. The second science major cannot be biotechnology or history and philosophy of science. In accordance with Faculty of Science policy on the award of two majors, a minimum of 87.5 points of 300-level science subjects is required for the award of the environmental science major and a second science major.

Teaching departments: Botany, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Anthropology, Geography and Environmental Studies, Mathematics and Statistics, Zoology.

10.2.12. GENETICS

Teaching department: Genetics.

Note: the topic of the Research Project must be related to the major discipline.

10.2.13. GEOGRAPHY

Teaching departments: Anthropology, Geography and Environmental Studies.

10.2.14. HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

The history and philosophy of science major is only available when completed in conjunction with a second science major. The second science major cannot be biotechnology or environmental science.

Teaching department: History and Philosophy of Science.

The seven HPS subjects taken at second and third year must include a subject in two of the following areas: history of science, philosophy of science, and sociology of science.

In accordance with Faculty of Science policy on the award of two majors, a minimum of 87.5 points of 300-level science subjects is required for the award of the history and philosophy of science major and a second science major.

10.2.15. IMMUNOLOGY

Teaching department: Microbiology and Immunology.

Students who have been unable to obtain a place in 526-326 may be permitted, only with prior approval from the Immunology major coordinators, to replace 526-326 in the major with an alternative 12.5 point 300-level subject taught in the department.

10.2.16. MARINE BIOLOGY

Teaching departments: Botany, Chemistry, Anthropology, Geography and Environmental Studies, Zoology.

Note: the topic of the Research Project must be related to the major discipline.

Note: Only one of 600-311 and 600-312 can be counted towards this major. Only one of 610-360 and 121-071 can be counted towards this major.

10.2.17. MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

Teaching departments: Mathematics and Statistics, Physics.

Note: 620-331, 620-332 and 620-342 are prerequisites for honours-level studies in applied mathematics.

Note: 620-311, 620-312, 620-321 and 620-322 are prerequisities for honours-level studies in pure mathematics.

Note: 620-332 has the prerequisite 620-221 or 620-252.

10.2.18. MICROBIOLOGY

Teaching department: Microbiology and Immunology.

Students who have been unable to obtain a place in either 526-321 or 526-327 may be permitted, only with prior approval from the Microbiology major coordinators, to replace either 526-321 or 526-327 in the major with an alternative 12.5 point 300-level subject taught in the department.

10.2.19. NEUROSCIENCE

Teaching departments: Anatomy and Cell Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Botany, Pharmacology, Physiology, Zoology.

10.2.20. PATHOLOGY

Teaching department: Pathology.

10.2.21. PHARMACOLOGY

Teaching departments: Pharmacology, Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chemistry.

Note: approval from the Head of Department is required for 516-307 to count towards the pharmacology major and must be obtained prior to commencing the subject.

10.2.22. PHYSICS

Teaching departments: Physics, Mathematics and Statistics.

Students considering undertaking Honours in Physics should refer to the Physics honours program section of the BSc (Honours) entry for suggested 300-level subjects.

See description of mathematical physics course structure MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS.

10.2.23. PHYSIOLOGY

Teaching departments: Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Botany, Zoology.

Note: the topic of the Research Project must be related to the major discipline.

10.2.24. PSYCHOLOGY

Teaching department: Behavioural Science

A major study in psychology, accredited by the Australian Psychological Society (APS), consists of a minimum of ten subjects and 125 points. The 50 points at 300-level definition of a science major is waived in this instance. Science students will instead need to complete a minimum of 50 science points at 300-level. Refer to Psychology as a major for further information.

All subjects accredited as counting towards the psychology major are considered science subjects.

See description of psychology as a major course structure Psychology as a major.

10.2.25. VISION SCIENCE

Teaching department: Optometry and Vision Sciences.

655-311 will not be offered after 2005. In 2006 is will be replaced by the 200-level subject, 655-210. Student may only gain credit for one of these two subjects.

Students may only choose one of 600-311 or 600-312 to contribute to the vision science major. The topic of the Research Project must be related to the major discipline.

10.2.26. ZOOLOGY

Teaching department: Zoology

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