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Master of Science (BioSciences) (MC-SCIBIO)
Masters (Coursework)Year: 2022 Delivered: On Campus (Parkville)
About this course
Coordinator
Michael Murray
Coordinator
Michael Kearney
Contact
Main point of contact:
msc-biosciences@unimelb.edu.au
Overview
Award title | Master of Science (BioSciences) |
---|---|
Year & campus | 2022 — Parkville |
CRICOS code | 094593C |
Fees information | Subject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date |
Study level & type | Graduate Coursework |
AQF level | 9 |
Credit points | 200 credit points |
Duration | 24 months full-time or 48 months part-time |
The Master of Science (Biosciences) gives students the opportunity to undertake a substantive research project in one of the discipline areas available within the School of Biosciences: Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Science; Genetics, Genomics and Development; Plant Science.
The program offers students the flexibility to develop their own interests by selection from a broad range of coursework subjects, including core discipline study and a professional skills component that provides high-level training in the areas of communication, business and science application. The Masters of Science (Biosciences) is a pathway to PhD study or to the workforce.
Links to further information
Entry requirements
1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:
- an undergraduate degree with a major in a relevant discipline: biomedicine, computational biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, environmental science, genetics, physiology, plant science, veterinary science or zoology, with a weighted average mark of at least H3 (65%) in the best 50 points in appropriate discipline studies at third year.
Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.
2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:
- prior academic performance
3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.
4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for graduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 6.5 is required.
Notes:
- Quotas may be applied to the degree as a whole, or to an individual stream, and preference may be given to applicants with evidence of appropriate preparation or potential to undertake research.
- Entry into a stream of the Master of Science is subject to the capacity of the department(s) or schools(s) offering the program stream to provide adequate supervision in a research project appropriate to the interests and preparation of the individual student and may be subject to the agreement of a member of academic staff to supervise the project module.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to providingsupport to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website. http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/
Intended learning outcomes
At the completion of this course, students should have gained:
- a detailed understanding of selected contemporary issues in biological sciences and the kinds of data generated by biological research programs;
- the ability to critically evaluate and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories in the biological sciences;
- skills in planning, conducting and managing a laboratory or field-based research project, including effective skills in data collection, analysis and interpretation;
- the ability to communicate scientific concepts and results in oral and written form to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
Generic skills
- The ability to interact in a cross-cultural environment
- The ability to develop time and project management skills
- The ability to exercise critical judgement and operate in both a team environment and/or with a high level of personal autonomy and accountability
- the ability to exercise independent thinking and high-level problem solving skills
Graduate attributes
Graduates will:
- have the ability to demonstrate advanced independent critical enquiry, analysis and reflection;
- have a strong sense of intellectual integrity and the ethics of scholarship;
- have in-depth knowledge of their specialist discipline(s);
- reach a high level of achievement in writing, research or project activities, problem-solving and communication;
- be critical and creative thinkers, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning;
- be able to examine critically, synthesise and evaluate knowledge across a broad range of disciplines;
- have a set of flexible and transferable skills for different types of employment; and
- be able to initiate and implement constructive change in their communities, including professions and workplaces.
Course structure
Students must complete 200 points including:
- Discipline Core subjects (25 pts)
- Discipline Elective subjects (25 – 37.5 pts)
- Professional Skill subjects (12.5 - 25 pts)
- Research Project, undertaken consecutively in sequence (125 pts)
Core subjects (25 pts)
One of:
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
BIOL90002 | Biometry | July (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
MAST90044 | Thinking and Reasoning with Data | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
and:
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
BIOL90040 | Graduate Seminar in BioSciences | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Discipline Elective subjects (25 – 37.5 pts)
Students will complete 25-37.5 pts of the following Discipline Elective subjects:
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
ATOC90002 | Climate Science for Decision-Making | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
BIOL90001 | Microscopy for Biological Sciences | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
BMEN90011 | Tissue Engineering & Stem Cells | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
BOTA90005 | Flora of Victoria | Summer Term (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
BTCH90005 | Advanced Molecular Biology Techniques | Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
BTCH90009 | Genomics and Bioinformatics | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
BTCH90010 | Biotechnology Impacts in Society | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
EVSC90017 | Global Environmental Change | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
EVSC90014 | Environmental Risk Assessment | Winter Term (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
EVSC90015 | Environmental Impact Assessment | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
EVSC90020 | Environmental Modelling | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
EVSC90026 | Modelling Species Distributions & Niches | Not available in 2022 | 12.5 |
ENEN90028 | Monitoring Environmental Impacts | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ERTH90028 | Urban Soils, Substrates and Water | Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Burnley) |
12.5 |
FRST90015 | Landscape Ecology | Semester 1 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
FRST90032 | Forests, Carbon and Climate Change | September (On Campus - Burnley) |
12.5 |
GENE90018 | Advanced Topics in Genetics | Not available in 2022 | 12.5 |
GENE90020 | Current Topics In Developmental Genetics | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
GEOG90003 | Integrated River & Catchment Management | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
GEOM90008 | Foundations of Spatial Information |
Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
MAST90057 | Elements of Probability | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
NRMT90002 | Biosecurity: Managing Invasive Species | Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
NRMT90007 | Communities and Ecosystem Management | Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
SCIE90002 | Metabolomics and Proteomics | Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
SCIE90011 | From Lab to Life | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ANSC90001 | Wildlife Management | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Or another graduate level subject as approved by course coordinator.
A student may complete a third-year level subject if no suitable alternative is available at the graduate level. Students wishing to take a second-year subject or more than one third-year subject will need the approval of the MSc Coordinators and the Associate Dean.
Professional Skills subjects (12.5 - 25 pts)
Students must complete:
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
SCIE90013 | Communication for Research Scientists |
Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Winter Term (Online)
Semester 2 (Online)
|
12.5 |
And may also complete one of:
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
SCIE90012 | Science Communication | Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
MAST90045 | Systems Modelling and Simulation | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
SCIE90005 | Ethics and Responsibility in Science | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
BUSA90403 | Business Tools: Money People & Processes | September (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
EDUC90839 | Science in Schools | Not available in 2022 | 12.5 |
SCIE90017 | Science and Technology Internship |
Summer Term (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
MULT90063 | Introduction to Quantum Computing | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
COMP90072 | The Art of Scientific Computation |
Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
Research Project (125 pts undertaken consecutively in sequence)
The Research Project involves laboratory or field-based experimental research in an area of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Genomics and Developmental Biology, and Plant Biology. The research projects cover a broad range of research from molecular to population and evolutionary biology in micro-organisms, insects, plants and animals.
The project will be based in the laboratory of an academic staff member in the School of BioSciences or an approved external supervisor, depending on the particular research project. The research project aims to develop a range of experimental and technical skills, a capacity to set goals and to design and plan experiments.
Apart from the help and guidance from their supervisor(s) each student also has a committee, which provides additional help and expertise. This committee is responsible for assessment of the research project subject. The subject also provides students with skills and knowledge for understanding original research and enhanced written and oral communication skills.
For full-time students, the project will be taken over four consecutive semesters and will begin on the Monday of the first semester (students can start either semester 1 or semester 2 for mid-year intake) and continue for up to 88 weeks until the end of the fourth semester, minus recreation leave of between 4 and 8 weeks (22 weeks per semester over the four semesters).
For how long and at what time within the enrolment the actual period of leave is to be taken needs to be negotiated with the student’s supervisor.
For part-time students, the project will be taken over five consecutive semesters. This will typically be from Semester 3 to Semester 7 of a 48 month MSc course.
Students will first enrol in BioSciences Research Project Part 1 in their first Research semester, and then progress through to Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
*Note: in the case of part-time studies, students will first enrol in BioSciences Research Project Part 1 and then progress through to Part 2, Part 3, Pt 4(Cont.) and Pt5.
Students may only progress through BioScience Research Project subjects upon successful completion of the earlier project component.
The entire research project for the Master of Science (BioSciences) consists of 125 points with assessments as follows:
- A 20 minute oral presentation due around week 8 of the first semester of the research project (5%)
- A 3000 word research proposal/literature review due around week 10 of the first semester of the research project (15%)
- A research thesis of between 10,000 and 20,000 words due at the end of the final semester of the research project (70%)
- A 25 minute final oral presentation due in the exam period after the final semester of the research project (10%)
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
BIOL90004 | BioSciences Research Project Part 1 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
BIOL90005 | BioSciences Research Project Part 1 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
25 |
BIOL90006 | BioSciences Research Project Part 1 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
37.5 |
BIOL90007 | BioSciences Research Project Part 1 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
50 |
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
BIOL90008 | BioSciences Research Project Part 2 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
BIOL90009 | BioSciences Research Project Part 2 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
25 |
BIOL90010 | BioSciences Research Project Part 2 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
37.5 |
BIOL90011 | BioSciences Research Project Part 2 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
50 |
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
BIOL90012 | BioSciences Research Project Part 3 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
BIOL90013 | BioSciences Research Project Part 3 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
25 |
BIOL90014 | BioSciences Research Project Part 3 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
37.5 |
BIOL90015 | BioSciences Research Project Part 3 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
50 |
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
BIOL90016 | BioSciences Research Project Part 4 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
BIOL90017 | BioSciences Research Project Part 4 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
25 |
BIOL90018 | BioSciences Research Project Part 4 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
37.5 |
BIOL90019 | BioSciences Research Project Part 4 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
50 |
For Part Time Course Enrolments:
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
BIOL90032 | BioSciences Research Project Pt 4(Cont.) |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
BIOL90033 | BioSciences Research Project Pt 4(Cont.) |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
25 |
BIOL90034 | BioSciences Research Project Pt 4(Cont.) |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
37.5 |
BIOL90035 | BioSciences Research Project Pt 4(Cont.) |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
50 |
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
BIOL90036 | BioSciences Research Project Pt 5 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
BIOL90037 | BioSciences Research Project Pt 5 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
25 |
BIOL90038 | BioSciences Research Project Pt 5 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
37.5 |
BIOL90039 | BioSciences Research Project Pt 5 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
50 |
Last updated: 12 November 2022