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Graduate Seminar in BioSciences (BIOL90040)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
To learn more, visit 2023 Course and subject delivery.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 |
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Fees | Look up fees |
This subject provides advanced critical appraisal of contemporary and controversial issues in the biosciences and, for some, how they may inform solutions to anthropogenic challenges. Topics are drawn from physiology, plant and microbial sciences, cellular and developmental genetics, ecology and evolutionary biology. Each week, students (in groups of 2-3) will provide a seminar of a particular issue (reflecting a fundamental idea or a controversy of competing ideas or empirical evidence), which will form the basis of subsequent critical discussion by the class. Students will attend 12 seminars, at least two will be common to all students, who will then choose from two concurrent series according to their research interests. The choice of specific issues within each series will be determined at the start of the subject according to the availability of individual academic staff that act as a ‘champion’ of the issue.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Clearly articulate a summary and critique, in both an oral and written format, for selected contemporary issues in biosciences;
- Actively engage, through both written and oral formats, in the critical evaluation of complex theoretical concepts in biosciences and their empirical tests;
- Discuss how complex issues may be applied to anthropogenic challenges; and
- Critically evaluate oral and written presentations of peers.
Generic skills
On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- define the breadth of knowledge gained in a particular discipline;
- apply critical judgement and rigorous and independent thinking;
- employ professional level oral and written communication and presentation skills;
- propose group discussions of complex issues, and construct persuasive intellectual arguments;
- conduct critical appraisals of draft documents; and
- demonstrate time management and self-management skills.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
This subject assumes higher-level undergraduate knowledge in biosciences.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
This subject requires all students to actively and safely participate in laboratory activities. Students who feel their disability may impact upon their participation are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Subject Coordinator and Student Equity and Disability Support.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Seminar presentations: each week on a single topic, comprising a group (2-3 students) presentation (20-30 mins), then individual presentations (15 mins)
| During the teaching period | 35% |
Written work: 'wiki-style' summary of the oral presentation, prepared by the group
| During the teaching period | 15% |
Written work: three peer reviews
| Two reviews due during the teaching period and the final review due during the assessment period | 30% |
Participation: social annotation of published papers using the Perusall platform, 50-100 words each week
| Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Participation: quantity and quality of oral commentary during class | Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Coordinator Mike Haydon Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 30 contact hours comprising one 2.5-hour seminar per week. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 27 February 2023 to 28 May 2023 Last self-enrol date 10 March 2023 Census date 31 March 2023 Last date to withdraw without fail 5 May 2023 Assessment period ends 23 June 2023 Semester 1 contact information
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Subject notes
Students undertaking this subject will be expected to regularly access an internet-enabled computer.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Science (BioSciences) Informal specialisation BioSciences Informal specialisation BioSciences - Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 31 January 2024