Anatomy and Human Biology major

What is it that makes us human? The Anatomy and Human Biology major allows you to explore the fascinating concept of what it means to be human in an integrative way, combining studies of the education, behaviour and biology of human beings with current social and ethical issues. The units offered within this major cover topics as diverse as human functional anatomy; genetics, variation and evolution; reproduction, embryology and growth; microscopic structures of cells and tissues; structure and function of the nervous system; ecology, behaviour and biosocial interactions. Students explore all of these from the molecular to the population level and beyond.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) understand the structural, functional and genetic biology of humans to be able to (a) proceed to further studies in postgraduate professional biomedical courses (e.g. medicine, dentistry, sleep science); (b) make meaningful comparisons with other species; and (c) think about evolutionary processes in concrete, testable terms; (2) demonstrate familiarity with the current state of knowledge in a range of areas of human biology including genetics, functional morphology, histology and cell biology, evolutioniary ecology, biological anthropology, embryology, reproductive biology and neurobiology; (3) appreciate the relationships between human biology and other areas of science; (4) engage in the type of holistic, interconnected thinking required of human biologists; (5) demonstrate the possession of the generic scientific skills of library research, critical scientific reading, clear written and verbal communication, and effective data collection, analysis and interpretation; (6) demonstrate comfort in the use of electronic media; (7) demonstrate familiarity with the basic techniques and tools of both social and structural aspects of investigations in human biology; (8) engage in rigorous and critical approaches to experimental design and the validation, manipulation and interpretation of data; (9) communicate scientific ideas clearly and engagingly to a range of audiences; (10) work effectively as part of a team; (11) demonstrate faith in the experimental approach to furthering knowledge; (12) demonstrate an open and imaginative approach to problem solving; (13) appreciate the need to communicate openly and to share skills and knowledge; (14) appreciate the value of creative criticism, both offered and received; (15) appreciate the value of human diversity for its own sake and for the way in which it informs the discipline of human biology; and (16) apply relevant employability skills for anatomy and human biology.

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.

Prerequisites

ATAR Mathematics Methods or equivalent or higher

Anatomy and Human Biology can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

BP004 Bachelor of Science
BP006 Bachelor of Biomedical Science
BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)

Overview of unit sequence

Anatomy and Human Biology is a degree-specific single major comprising:

  • two Level 1 units
  • two Level 2 units
  • four Level 3 units
Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2021

Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2022 or 2023.

Level 1

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (12 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 ANHB1101 Human Biology I: Becoming Human
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 ANHB1102 Human Biology II: Being Human
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
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. 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 MATH1721.
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.
Co-requisites:
Nil.
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
Mathematics Methods ATAR (with a scaled score of less than 50)
or
equivalent .
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
WACE Mathematics: Specialist 3A/3B; MATH1038 Calculus and its Applications; MATH1045 Intermediate Calculus; Mathematics Specialist ATAR; MATH1001 Mathematical Methods 1; MATH1002 Mathematical Methods 2; MATH1011 Multivariable Calculus; MATH1012 Mathematical Theory and Methods;
or
STAT1520 Economics and Business Statistics.

Level 2

Degree-specific major units
Group A:

Take units in Group A, B, C or D to the value of 12 points.

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 ANHB2212 Human Structure and Development
Prerequisites:
6 Points Unit IMED1001 Form and Function (ID 5965)
Or
ANHB1101 Human Biology I: Becoming Human (ID 1090)
Or
ANHB1102 Human Biology II: Being Human (ID 1120)
Or
BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology (ID 1254)
Or
BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology (ID 1244)
Or
SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell (ID 1019)
Or
SSEH1101 The Musculoskeletal System and Movement (ID 1064)
Or
SSEH1102 Applied Anatomy and Athletic Performance (ID 930)
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 ANHB2216 Human Reproductive Biology
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
Degree-specific major units
Group B:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 ANHB2214 Human Organs and Systems
Prerequisites:
6 Points Unit ANHB1101 Human Biology I: Becoming Human (ID 1090)
Or
ANHB1102 Human Biology II: Being Human (ID 1120)
Or
BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology (ID 1254)
Or
SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell (ID 1019)
Or
IMED1001 Form and Function (ID 5965)
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 ANHB2216 Human Reproductive Biology
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
Degree-specific major units
Group C:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 ANHB2212 Human Structure and Development
Prerequisites:
6 Points Unit IMED1001 Form and Function (ID 5965)
Or
ANHB1101 Human Biology I: Becoming Human (ID 1090)
Or
ANHB1102 Human Biology II: Being Human (ID 1120)
Or
BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology (ID 1254)
Or
BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology (ID 1244)
Or
SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell (ID 1019)
Or
SSEH1101 The Musculoskeletal System and Movement (ID 1064)
Or
SSEH1102 Applied Anatomy and Athletic Performance (ID 930)
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1 ANHB2215 Biological Anthropology: Human Adaptation and Variation
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
Degree-specific major units
Group D:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 ANHB2214 Human Organs and Systems
Prerequisites:
6 Points Unit ANHB1101 Human Biology I: Becoming Human (ID 1090)
Or
ANHB1102 Human Biology II: Being Human (ID 1120)
Or
BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology (ID 1254)
Or
SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell (ID 1019)
Or
IMED1001 Form and Function (ID 5965)
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1 ANHB2215 Biological Anthropology: Human Adaptation and Variation
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil

Level 3

Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 18 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 ANHB3315 Human Evolutionary Ecology
Prerequisites:
Unit ANHB2215 Biological Anthropology: Human Adaptation and Variation (ID 1171) And 66 Points completed in your chosen degree
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 ANHB3316 Human Reproduction
Prerequisites:
( 6 Points ANHB2216 Human Reproductive Biology (ID 1172)
Or
12 Points Units ANHB2212 Human Structure and Development (ID 1143)
Or
ANHB2214 Human Organs and Systems (ID 1151)
Or
ANHB2215 Biological Anthropology: Human Adaptation and Variation (ID 1171) )
Or
( 6 Points ANHB2212 Human Structure and Development (ID 1143) And 12 Points Units PHYL2001 Physiology of Human Body Systems (ID 160)
Or
BIOC2001 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Cell (ID 1746)
Or
MICR2209 Introduction to Infectious Diseases and Immunology (ID 741)
Or
PATH2220 Introduction to Human Disease (ID 318)
Or
PHAR2210 Foundations of Pharmacology (ID 251) )
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1 ANHB3321 Biological Anthropology: Genes and Society
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
N/A ANHB3322 Human/Primate Social Organisation
Prerequisites:
at least 66 points of credit in a bachelor's degree
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1 ANHB3323 Cells, Tissues and Development
Prerequisites:
6 Points Unit ANHB2212 Human Structure and Development (ID 1143)
Or
ANHB2214 Human Organs and Systems (ID 1151)
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 ANHB3324 Human Structure and Function
Prerequisites:
6 Points Unit ANHB2212 Human Structure and Development (ID 1143)
Or
Completion of 96 Points And Unit SSEH1101 The Musculoskeletal System and Movement (ID 1064) And 6 Points Unit ANHB1101 Human Biology I: Becoming Human (ID 1090)
Or
ANHB1102 Human Biology II: Being Human (ID 1120)
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 ANHB3310 Human Biology: Applications and Investigations I
Prerequisites:
Course Enrolment MJD-ANHBY Anatomy and Human Biology (ID 1343)
Co-requisites:
Unit ANHB3321 Biological Anthropology: Genes and Society (ID 1295)
Or
ANHB3323 Cells, Tissues and Development (ID 1177)
Incompatibility:
Unit ANHB3320 Human Biology: Applications and Investigations II (ID 1342)
S2 ANHB3320 Human Biology: Applications and Investigations II
Prerequisites:
Course Enrolment MJD-ANHBY Anatomy and Human Biology (ID 1343)
Co-requisites:
Any Units ANHB3315 Human Evolutionary Ecology (ID 1176)
Or
ANHB3316 Human Reproduction (ID 1175)
Or
ANHB3322 Human/Primate Social Organisation (ID 5525)
Or
ANHB3324 Human Structure and Function (ID 1174)
Incompatibility:
Unit ANHB3310 Human Biology: Applications and Investigations I (ID 1330)

Choosing your degree-specific major

General degrees

You must satisfy the requirements of a degree-specific major before you complete your course. The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you to try out a number of different subjects to see what interests you before nominating your degree-specific major. You have the choice to either nominate your degree-specific major when you first enrol in the course or delay nominating it until your second year.

To plan the first year of your study without nominating a degree-specific major, you are advised to choose units that will pave the way to two or more degree-specific majors that are of interest to you. For examples of the choice of units available in first year, search the first-year study plans .

To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.

The following example illustrates how the Anatomy and Human Biology degree-specific major can be included in the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Biomedical Science course.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSP004-ANHBY

There are more choices open to you. For more examples, search the study plans .

Specialised degrees – Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science (Honours), Bachelor of Automation and Robotics, Bachelor of Environmental Design, Bachelor of Music

You must satisfy the requirements of the degree-specific major in your degree before you complete your course.

Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics

This comprehensive degree does not require you to choose a degree-specific major.

Choosing a second major

You also have the option to choose a second major from those available in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design Only available to re-enrolling students. and Bachelor of Science courses, giving you the opportunity to pursue your interests no matter how different they are.

The following example illustrates how the Anatomy and Human Biology degree-specific major can be combined with a second major in the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Biomedical Science course.

Example 1:
Course Study Plan: CSP004-ANHBY-Generic

For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .