Handbook

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Overview

The three-year Life Sciences degree has been designed for students who seek a 'generalist' degree in which there is a large element of choice but with an emphasis on the life and health sciences. A student will select a major area of study and can combine courses from two or … For more content click the Read More button below. This program has been designed to: Develop and sustain an interest in and knowledge of Science with an emphasis on the life and health sciences;Develop a working knowledge of scientific methods of investigation;Encourage curiosity and creative imagination and an appreciation of the role of speculation in the selection and solution of problems, the construction of hypotheses, and the design of experiments;Develop an appreciation of scientific criteria and a concern for objectivity and precision;Develop confidence and skill in formulating problems and in treating both qualitative and quantitative data;Develop the ability and disposition to think logically, to communicate clearly by written and oral means, and to read critically and with understanding;Develop the habit of seeking and recognising relationships between phenomena, principles, theories, conceptual frameworks and problems;Promote understanding of the significance of science, technology, economics and social factors in modern society, and of the contributions they can make in improving material conditions;Provide opportunities for the development of students' motivations and social maturity, and an awareness of their capabilities in relation to a choice of career which will be fruitful to themselves and to society;Provide opportunity to study science in combination with other disciplines.

This program has been designed to:

Develop and sustain an interest in and knowledge of Science with an emphasis on the life and health sciences;
Develop a working knowledge of scientific methods of investigation;
Encourage curiosity and creative imagination and an appreciation of the role of speculation in the selection and solution of problems, the construction of hypotheses, and the design of experiments;
Develop an appreciation of scientific criteria and a concern for objectivity and precision;
Develop confidence and skill in formulating problems and in treating both qualitative and quantitative data;
Develop the ability and disposition to think logically, to communicate clearly by written and oral means, and to read critically and with understanding;
Develop the habit of seeking and recognising relationships between phenomena, principles, theories, conceptual frameworks and problems;
Promote understanding of the significance of science, technology, economics and social factors in modern society, and of the contributions they can make in improving material conditions;
Provide opportunities for the development of students' motivations and social maturity, and an awareness of their capabilities in relation to a choice of career which will be fruitful to themselves and to society;
Provide opportunity to study science in combination with other disciplines.

Learning Outcomes

display research, inquiry and analytical thinking abilities. â?¨Technical competence and discipline specific knowledge. Ability to construct new concepts or create new understanding through the process of enquiry, critical analysis, problem solving, research and inquiry.

Leaders
Scholars
Professionals

be capable and motivated for intellectual development. â?¨Capacity for creativity, critical evaluation and entrepreneurship. Ability to take responsibility for and demonstrate commitment to their own learning, motivated by curiosity and an appreciation of the value of learning.

Professionals
Leaders

understand Ethical, Social and Professional concepts. â?¨Ability to critically reflect upon broad ethical principles and codes of conduct in order to behave consistently with a personal respect and commitment to ethical practice and social responsibility. Understanding of responsibility to contribute to the community. Respect and value social, multicultural, cultural and personal diversity.

Professionals
Global citizens

display excellent Communication skills. â?¨Effective and appropriate communication in both professional (intra and inter disciplinary) and social (local and international) contexts.

Scholars
Leaders

demonstrate Teamwork, collaborative and management skills. â?¨Ability to recognise opportunities and contribute positively to collaborative scientific research, and to perceive the potential value of ideas towards practical applications. Demonstrate a capacity for self management, teamwork, leadership and decision making based on open-mindedness, objectivity and reasoned analysis in order to achieve common goals and further the learning of themselves and others.

Scholars
Global citizens
Leaders

demonstrate Information literacy. â?¨Ability to make appropriate and effective use of information and information technology relevant to their discipline.

Scholars

Graduate Capabilities

For more information on Graduate Capabilities please click on this link

Program Structure

Students must complete 144 UOC when taken as a standalone program.

Students in the Bachelor of Life Sciences are expected to complete the following requirements:

96 UOC of Science courses
- At least one approved Bachelor of Life Sciences major
- Science elective courses. Science courses are defined in 'Table 1' in the Additional Information section.
36 UOC of Free Electives. These courses can be taken from any Faculty of the University at any stage of your program.
12 UOC of General Education courses. Please see the rules regarding General Education below. These courses can be taken at any stage in your program.

Please click the Sample Programs link below to view a typical enrolment pattern for this program.

Disciplinary Component96 Units of Credit:

Students must complete 96 UOC of the following to satisfy the core requirements of this degree

Science Majors

Students must complete at least one and no more than 2 of the specialisations below.

Science Electives

Students need to complete 96 UOC to meet the core requirements for the Bachelor of Life Sciences. If your choice of specialisation(s) requires less than 96 UOC you are required to complete additional Science elective courses from the following list to meet the 96 UOC requirement.

MInimum and Maximum Level 1 UOC

Minimum Biological Science UOC

Minimum Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sci UOC

Free Electives

General Education12 Units of Credit:

Excluded General Education Courses

Course Information Rule

Program Constraints

Maturity Rule

Enrolment Disclaimer

Please note that this Handbook is a comprehensive catalogue of our offerings and includes courses that can be taken to satisfy program requirements irrespective as to their availability for a particular year. Availability of courses is best checked using filters on this site or on the class timetable site.

You are responsible for ensuring that you enrol in courses according to your program requirements and by following the advice of your Program Authority. myUNSW enrolment checks that you have met enrolment requirements such as pre-requisites for individual courses but not that you are enrolling in courses that will count towards your program requirements.

Sample Programs

To access sample program(s), please visit:

Admission Requirements

Entry Requirements

Limitations on Recognition of Prior Learning

UNSW Students may be granted Recognition for Prior Learning (RPL) which may or may not reduce the amount of learning required to achieve a degree at UNSW. Generally, RPL is only granted based on the completion of tertiary-level studies, but in exceptional circumstances may also include non-formal or informal learning such as professional experience. RPL will not be granted based on partly completed tertiary courses. All applications for RPL at UNSW are subject to UNSW Recognition of Prior Learning (Coursework Programs) Policy and Procedures. Students seeking credit for courses completed at another university are required to submit documentary evidence (course outlines, academic transcripts) to support their application, and to nominate the course(s) for which they seek credit. In addition, the following conditions apply for all UNSW Science programs (including the Science component of dual award programs): Specified course credit, i.e. credit granted for an exact or near exact equivalence to a course at UNSW, will not be granted when more than 7 years has elapsed from the successful completion of the course (or other learning) and the student’s commencement in the Science program. Where this time period is shorter it will be stipulated in the individual rules for the relevant program. Unspecified course credit (e.g. General Education or free electives) will not be granted when more than 10 years has elapsed from the successful completion of the course (or other learning) and the student’s commencement in the Science program. Students may only receive credit of up to a maximum of 50% of the coursework component of their Science program, excluding Honours. For most undergraduate programs this will be 72 UOC. For dual award programs that include a Science component, it will be a maximum of 50% of the Science component of the dual degree, excluding Honours. Credit for the other program will be assessed by the Faculty that administers that program. Applications for RPL will only be assessed for students who have accepted a place to study in a UNSW Science program. Students must formally apply for RPL unless they become a UNSW student as part of a formal Articulation Agreement. Applications for RPL should be made as early as possible in the student’s program. Students who are readmitted into a Science program after a period of unapproved absence or deferment, or after exclusion, will not necessarily retain credit for all units completed at UNSW prior to the absence if the date of completion of the units of study is greater than the 7 and 10-year rules outlined in points 1 and 2 above. In these cases, the credit retained will be decided by the Associate Dean (Academic Programs) in consultation (when necessary) with the Program and/or Course Authority.

Special Admission Requirements

Other

Some Schools within the Faculty may grant students exemption from completing particular first year courses. Where an exemption is given this is not added to a student's academic record and hence does not reduce the total units of credit the student must complete for the program. The exemption merely grants a student the ability to undertake higher level courses (such as second year courses) that require the exempted course as a prerequisite. Students with an exemption will need to be manually enrolled in higher level courses by administrative staff.

For more information about admission requirements for various UNSW programs, visit the following website(s):

Program Requirements

Progression Requirements

Progression rules are in accordance with university policy.

For more information on university policy on progression requirements please visit Academic Progression

Associated Programs

Similar Program

Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) - BAdvSci(Hons)3962 - Advanced Science (Honours)

Bachelor of Environmental Management - BEnvMgmt3965 - Environmental Management

Bachelor of Science - BSc3970 - Science

Honours Pathway

Bachelor of Science (Honours) - BSc(Hons)4500 - Science (Honours)

Professional Outcomes

Career Opportunities

Pharmaceutical and medical research, work health and safety, environmental research and industry, wildlife management, patent law, cognitive science, oceanography; food manufacturing, processing and research; science journalism, meteorology, optics, the application of mathematics and statistics in the finance industry.

Recognition of Achievement

University Medal

Award of Pass with Distinction

The Award of Pass with Distinction is awarded when a weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 75% has been achieved and at least 50% of the requirements of the award completed at UNSW. All eligible programs will award Pass with Distinction except in special circumstances where approval of Academic Board has been given for a program to opt out.

For more information, please visit:

Additional Information

Definition of 'Science' courses

Courses that are classified as 'Science' can be found under Table 1 on the Science Terminology page.

Science Handbook Rules and Editions

Students must follow the program rules and requirements in the UNSW Handbook published in the year they commence their studies with the Faculty of Science.

Students who transfer from another UNSW Faculty into Science (for example, from a Bachelor of Arts into a Bachelor of Science) must follow the program rules and requirements in the UNSW Handbook published in the year of their transfer.

Students, who are readmitted to UNSW after a period of unapproved absence or deferment, or after exclusion, must satisfy the program rules in the Handbook published in the year of their readmission. In addition, these students may be subject to restrictions on which courses taken at UNSW may be counted on their return. In some cases, students returning from an unapproved absence may be required to repeat courses. See the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Advanced Standing section below for more details. Students who take approved leave or deferment will follow the Handbook for the year of their original commencement unless otherwise approved by the Associate Dean (Academic Programs).

Faculty of Science Rules

The Faculty of Science has some rules that relate to all students enrolled in programs offered by the Faculty in relation to recognition for prior learning, general education, course exclusions, study load, and cross-institutional study. All students should read the information contained on the Faculty General Rules and Requirements page.

Program Fees

At UNSW fees are generally charged at course level and therefore dependent upon individual enrolment and other factors such as student's residency status. For generic information on fees and additional expenses of UNSW programs, click on one of the following:

Pre-2019 Handbook Editions

Access past handbook editions (2018 and prior)

Faculty
Faculty: The primary academic unit in which related disciplines of teaching and research are conducted.

Campus

Sydney

Study Level
Study Level refers to the academic level of a program, specialisation or course.

Undergraduate

Typical duration:

3 Year(s)

Delivery Mode

Face-to-face (includes blended)

Intake Period

Term 1, Term 2, Term 3

Academic Calendar

Minimum Units of Credit

144

AQF Level

Level 7

Award Type

Bachelor

Award(s)
Award(s): Qualification upon completion (all awards offered by UNSW are accredited by UNSW and align with the Australian Qualifications Framework).

Bachelor of Life Sciences - BLS

UAC Code

429050

CRICOS Code

085129B

Life Sciences

3966

144 Units of Credit