Major Overview

Description

Botany is the scientific study of plants—from their structure and function to their indispensable roles in ecosystems and the intricacies of their cell function. Botanists study how plants evolve and adapt to changing climates and environments and have a proactive role in mitigating the loss of biodiversity. Botany is an ideal major if you are enthusiastic about Western Australia's unique native flora or agricultural crops, and are interested in addressing current and future threats to plant conservation and sustainability. It is envisaged that there will be up to three overnight field trips (there will be a cost of up to \$500 to cover food and accommodation for around 10 nights, to be borne by the student).

Outcomes

Students are able to:

  1. understand plant structure, function, diversity and evolution
  2. appreciate the pivotal relationship between plants and their environment
  3. demonstrate a knowledge of basic plant processes at different levels of organisation including cells, tissues, organs, organisms, populations and communities
  4. be conversant in the terminology, issues and practice of the core principles of botany—diversity, ecology, genetics and evolution, and physiology
  5. apply relevant employability skills for botany.
Broadening guidelines

All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to Broaden their studies by completing a minimum of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is your opportunity to explore other areas of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape your degree to suit your own aspirations and interests. Many of you will be able to undertake more than this minimum amount of broadening study and we encourage you to do so if this suits your aspirations. Over the next few months you will find here some broadening suggestions related to your degree-specific major. While we know that many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore that is afforded by your Broadening Choices. Advice can also be sought from your Allocated Student Advising Office.

Recommended broadening units for Botany

CHEM1001 Chemistry Properties and Energetics)

INDG1160 Boodjar Moort Katitjin: Introduction to Indigenous Heritage and Knowledge

ENVT1104 Environmental Science and Technology;

CITS1401 Computational Thinking with Python;

GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems; ANIM2001 Darwinian Revolution (Sem 1);

ENVT2221 Global Climate Change and Biodiversity;

BIOC2002 Biochemical Regulation of Cell Function; GENE3340 Molecular Genetics II;

BIOC3003 Omics—Global Approaches to Cell Function

BIOC3005 Cellular Biochemistry ;

BIOC2002 (Biochemical Regulation of Cell Function)

ENVT3060 Soil–Plant Interactions

Recommended Minors

Language and Culture minor

Data Science

Environmental Chemistry

Science Communication

Earth's Environmental Challenges

Science and Policy: Climate Change, Environmental Planning and Urban Environments

Do always remember, however, that there is no wrong way to broaden your studies as long as you complete at least four units not associated with your Degree Specific Major.

Prerequisites

Mathematics Methods ATAR or Mathematics Applications ATAR with a mathematics unit taken in the first year. Students without ATAR mathematics will take two first year mathematics units.

Courses

Botany can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

Example Study Plan

See study plans for more information.

Units

Key to availability of units:
S1
Semester 1
S2
Semester 2
NS
non-standard teaching period

Level 1

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (24 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology None
S2 BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology None
S1, S2 SCIE1104 Science, Society and Data Analysis
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
ATAR Subject(s) Mathematics Applications or equivalent
or Mathematics Methods or equivalent
or Unit(s) MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or MATX1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
Co-requisites
MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods
Or MATX1721 Mathematics Foundations
Or SCIE1500 Analytical Methods for Scientists
Incompatibility
Successful completion of
Unit(s) STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics
or STAX1520 Economic and Business Statistics
S1 SCOM1101 Communicating Science
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
ATAR Subject(s) ATAR Mathematics Applications
or ATAR Subject(s) WACE Mathematics 2C/2D or equivalent
Co-requisites
MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or MATX1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
Bridging units

Bridging units must be successfully completed within the first 48 points of study.
Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Mathematics Methods ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete MATH1721 or SCIE1500.
Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Mathematics Applications ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete MATH1720 and either MATH1721 or SCIE1500.

Note: MATH1721 should be taken if also considering majors or minors that require it for progression to level 2 (e.g. Maths, Physics, Chemistry or Computer Science):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1, S2 MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
Prerequisites
Mathematics Applications ATAR [with a scaled score of less than 50] or with permission
Incompatibility
Mathematics Applications ATAR [with a scaled score of 50 or greater] or Equivalent or higher
S1, S2 MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods
Prerequisites
Mathematics Applications ATAR
or MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or MATX1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or Mathematics Methods ATAR (with a scaled score of less than 50) or equivalent
Incompatibility
MATH1001 Mathematical Methods 1
and MATH1002 Mathematical Methods 2 and
MATH1011 Multivariable Calculus
or MATX1011 Multivariable Calculus
and
MATH1012 Mathematical Theory and Methods
or MATX1012 Mathematical Theory and Methods
and
STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics
or STAX1520 Economic and Business Statistics
S1, S2 SCIE1500 Analytical Methods for Scientists
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
ATAR Subject(s) ATAR Subject Mathematics Applications
or MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or MATX1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
Incompatibility
ATAR Subject(s) ATAR Mathematics Methods
and Unit(s) MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods (ID 5108)
or MATX1721 Mathematics Foundations

Level 2

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (24 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 ENVT2250 Ecology
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology
or BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology
or ENVT1104 Environmental Science and Technology
and
SCIE1104 Science, Society and Data Analysis
or STAT1400 Statistics for Science
or STAX1400 Statistics for Science
S1 GENE2250 Principles of Inheritance
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
any one BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology
or BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology
or ANHB1101 Human Biology I: Becoming Human
or ANHX1101 Human Biology 1 (Becoming Human)
or ANHB1102 Human Biology II: Being Human
or ANHX1102 Human Biology 2 (Being Human)
or SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell
or SCIX1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell
Incompatibility
Unit(s) GENE2204 Principles of Genetics
S2 PLNT2201 Plants in Action
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
any one Unit(s)
or BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology
or BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology
or SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell
or SCIX1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell )
S2 PLNT2204 Plant Diversity and Evolution
Prerequisites
Successful completion of any one Unit(s)
BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology
or BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology
or SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell
or SCIX1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell

Level 3

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (24 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 BIOL3364 Evolutionary Processes
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods
or SCIE1500 Analytical Methods for Scientists
and
BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology
or GENE2250 Principles of Inheritance
and
SCIE1104 Science, Society and Data Analysis
or STAT1400 Statistics for Science
or STAX1400 Statistics for Science
Incompatibility
ANIM3362 Evolutionary Processes
S2 ENVT3363 Ecological Processes
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) ENVT2250 Ecology (ID 1228)
or Unit(s) ENVT2221 Global Climate Change and Biodiversity (ID 1293)
or Unit(s) SCIE2204 Marine Systems (ID 1524)
S1 PLNT3301 Plant Physiological Ecology
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) PLNT2201 Plants in Action (ID 1255)
or Unit(s) ENVT2250 Ecology (ID 1228)
NS PLNT3306 Australian Vegetation
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) PLNT2204 Plant Diversity and Evolution (ID 1302)
or Unit(s) ENVT2250 Ecology (ID 1228)