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La Trobe University

  • 24% international / 76% domestic

Bachelor of Biological Sciences

  • Bachelor

Turn your passion for biology into a diverse career. La Trobe's Bachelor of Biological Sciences gives you a strong scientific grounding plus the flexibility to specialise in an area that interests you.Start with the basics.

Key details

Degree Type
Bachelor
Duration
3 years full-time
Course Code
006171K
Study Mode
In person
Intake Months
Feb, Jul
Domestic Fees
$7,596 per year / $22,788 total
International Fees
$37,800 per year / $113,400 total
ATAR
92.25

About this course

Turn your passion for biology into a diverse career. La Trobe's Bachelor of Biological Sciences gives you a strong scientific grounding plus the flexibility to specialise in an area that interests you.

Start with the basics. Build foundational skills in biology, chemistry, ecology and biodiversity, and explore the impacts of infection, epidemics and pandemics.

This degree is all about getting your hands dirty. You'll start practical classes from your first year - both in our on-campus labs and facilities, and out in the field. Get a glimpse into your professional future in science with industry-led workshops and seminars, as well as opportunities for work placements.

Customise your course with a major of your choice. Select from a range of areas, including biochemistry, botany, ecology, genetics, human physiological sciences, microbiology or zoology. This degree also gives you the option to take a double major or choose an additional minor.

All the way through your degree, you'll be building fundamental skills in experimental design, analysis, data interpretation and reporting. At the same time, you'll develop your expertise in problem-solving, teamwork, written and verbal communication and data presentation - skills that will serve you throughout whatever career you pursue.

You'll learn:

  • Animal, plant and microbial biology
    • Understand the fundamentals of biology as well as the structure and function of living organisms, their life processes and diversity.
  • Data analysis and communication
    • Explore experimental design issues and statistics to analyse data from experiments. Learn to effectively present information and data to different audiences.
  • Foundations of chemistry
    • Understand atomic and molecular structures, chemical reactions and organic and physical chemistry and apply these principles to further study and employment.
  • Infections, epidemics and pandemics
    • Discover how infections can threaten human wellbeing and the strategies available to prevent and cure disease.
  • Professional conduct and professional identify
    • Learn about ethical conduct when working as a scientific professional and how to promote and communicate your professional identity to potential employers and peers

Students commencing their studies at Albury-Wodonga campus are required to transfer to the Melbourne campus from second year to complete this course.

The qualification awarded on graduation is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) as Level 7 - Bachelor Degree.

Sample course structure

Please note, the following course structure is indicative and subject to change depending on your course location, offer year or how you tailor your course with specialisations, majors, minors and electives. Structures for the following year are not normally finalised until October, so the sample provided is based on the most recently approved structure. For more information, please refer to the La Trobe University Handbook.

To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Biological Sciences, students must complete a total of 360 credit points across 3 years.

Year 1 requires the completion of 120 credit points including:

  • 90 credit points from chosen Core
  • 30 credit points from chosen Major

Year 2 requires the completion of 120 credit points including:

  • 30 credit points from chosen Core
  • 30 credit points from chosen Major
  • 30 credit points from chosen Electives or major or minor
  • 30 credit points from chosen Electives or major or minor

Year 3 requires the completion of 120 credit points including:

  • 60 credit points from chosen Major
  • 60 credit points from chosen Electives or major or minor
Study options

Core subjects are required subjects in your course. You need to complete these subjects to attain your degree.

Subject name Subject code Year Credit points ACADEMIC INTEGRITY MODULE LTU0AIM 1 0 WOMINJEKA LA TROBE: INDIGENOUS CULTURAL LITERACY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION ABS0WOM 1 0 ANIMAL AND PLANT LIFE BIO1AP 1 15 CHEMISTRY FOUNDATIONS CHE1CHF 1 15 ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION AND BIODIVERSITY BIO1EEB 1 15 INFECTIONS, PANDEMICS and EPIDEMICS MIC1IPE 1 15 MAKING SENSE OF DATA STM1001 1 15 MOLECULES, GENES AND CELLS BIO1MGC 1 15 CAREER OPTIONS AND PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY SHE2001 2 15 PRACTICE OF SCIENCE BIO2POS 2 15

A major is a sequence of related subjects studied in your course. To attain a major, this sequence must add up to 120 credit points. In some courses, you need to complete at least one major from your course's discipline to attain your degree. If there is room in your degree for more than one major, you may wish to complete an open access major from another discipline area.

Course majors Major code Biochemistry MAJOR-BCH-1 Botany MAJOR-BOT-1 Ecology MAJOR-ECO-1 Genetics MAJOR-GEN-1 Human physiological sciences StudyFlex major
A StudyFlex major, minor or specialisation is a specified subject sequence in your course that offers at least half of its subjects on campus or online.
MJR-HPS01 Microbiology MAJOR-MIC-1 Zoology MAJOR-ZOO-1 Open access majors View our open access majors

A minor is an optional sequence of related subjects studied in your course. To attain a minor, this sequence must add up to 60 credit points. A minor can be undertaken in a similar or different interest area in your course or major\'s discipline and, in some cases, taken from a different discipline. Up to two minors can be chosen in place of an optional second major or standalone elective subjects.

Course minors Minor code Biochemistry MNR-BCH-01 Botany MNR-BOT-20 Ecology studies MNR-ECO-20 Genetics MNR-GEN-20 Human anatomy StudyFlex minor
A StudyFlex major, minor or specialisation is a specified subject sequence in your course that offers at least half of its subjects on campus or online.
MNR-HNA-20 Human physiological sciences StudyFlex minor
A StudyFlex major, minor or specialisation is a specified subject sequence in your course that offers at least half of its subjects on campus or online.
MNR-HPH-20 Microbiology MNR-MIC-20 Zoology MNR-ZOO-20 Open access minors View our open access minors

A range of standalone elective subjects is available in this course. Some electives are recommended for your course, but you may also be able to choose from a range of University-wide electives or electives from other interest areas or disciplines. Note these electives may have their own prerequisites and other requirements. Please refer to the La Trobe University Handbook for the subjects available.

See La Trobe University Handbook for more details

The Handbook contains detailed course information designed for enrolled students, including course structures, electives and options. The delivery of this course can vary between campuses.

  • Melbourne (Bundoora)

To view other campus handbook course details, please select relevant campus in the drop down.

Study locations

Melbourne

Albury-Wodonga

Career pathways

La Trobe graduates have found work in lab and field-based settings, including private industry, research institutes, and local and state government organisations.

Possible roles include:

  • Biological scientist
    • Examine plants, animals and microbes to better understand their natural biological processes and impact on the environment.
  • Microbiologist
    • Investigate the growth, structure development and other characteristics of microscopic organisms such as bacteria, algae and fungi. Undertake laboratory analysis and monitor microbial cultures, samples and new drugs.
  • Environmental consultant
    • Provide expert assessment and advisory services to clients on matters related to the management of environmental issues.
  • Biosecurity officer
    • Develop and deliver robust legislation, policies, systems and processes to support our biosecurity system.
  • Geneticist
    • Research and study the inheritance of traits at the molecular, organism or population level.

Graduate outcomes

Graduate satisfaction and employment outcomes for Science & Mathematics courses at La Trobe University.
84.7%
Overall satisfaction
88.4%
Skill scale
73.1%
Teaching scale
50.6%
Employed full-time
$58k
Average salary