Anatomy and Physiology, and Neuroscience (BH-BMED_INFSPC_13)

Overview

The Honours program in Anatomy and Physiology, and Neuroscience is an advanced and specialised one year course of study and practical skill development; it provides an opportunity to experience the life of a biomedical researcher.

The honours program consists of a combination of compulsory course work and a research project. The research component is carried out under the supervision in one of the research groups in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology. Students work nearly full time in the research group designing, executing and analysing experiments. The course year starts in February and ends in November and is only available full time.

There is a strong emphasis on learning to critically evaluate scientific publications and presenting your research findings to a wide audience. Therefore, the course provides valuable real-world skills that are relevant and valuable preparation for a diverse range of professions, not solely for biomedical research.

Intended learning outcomes

Graduates of the Physiology Honours program will be able to:

Interpret, synthesise and summarise advanced knowledge from the scientific literature in their field of biomedical science, and use that information to formulate experimentally testable hypotheses to advance that knowledge
Assess and evaluate the scope, power and limitations of different methodologies, techniques, and approaches in addressing scientific issues, and be able to design and implement experiments using appropriate methods and analyses to address specific research questions
Make evidence-based, critical judgements about the status of claims, hypothesis, experimental data and their interpretation
Synthesise and articulate advanced scientific concepts, theories and research findings, and demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate and defend these ideas in both written and oral formats
To plan and manage their own research projects and be able to articulate the purpose and value of their work to their peers and colleagues, and to their broader communities in which their work is conducted and utilised
Be effective members of scientific research enterprises by performing and documenting their experimental work in accordance with the regulatory frameworks, and to exercise the highest standards of research conduct and respect for the ethical standards for scientific experimentation.

Last updated: 19 November 2025

Structure

100 credit points

To be awarded Honours with a specialisation in Anatomy and Physiology, and Neuroscience, students must successfully complete 100 credit points over 12 months full time comprising of two (2) advanced coursework subjects and a research project. There are no elective subjects in this Honours program.

Subject Options

Coursework Component

Students must complete 25 credit points of advanced coursework subjects. This is achieved by enrolling in the following subjects in the appropriate semesters.

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
BIOM40001	Introduction To Biomedical Research	March (On Campus - Parkville) July (On Campus - Parkville)	12.5
PHYS90008	Advanced Seminars in Biomedical Sciences	Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)	12.5

Research Component

Students must complete a total of 75 credit points of research across the duration of the Honours program. This is achieved by enrolling in a combination of the following subjects in the appropriate semesters.

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
PHYS40005	Anatomy & Physiology Research Project P1	Semester 1 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Parkville)	25
PHYS40006	Anatomy & Physiology Research Project P2	Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)	50

Links

https://biomedicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/departments/anatomy-and-physiology

Last updated: 19 November 2025

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Anatomy and Physiology, and Neuroscience

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