Conservation Biology major
Human activity and population growth are increasing the pressure on natural ecosystems and many biologists believe we are currently experiencing the sixth global mass extinction. Conservation biologists work to prevent the extinction of the world's plant and animal species. According to Conservation International, the South West of Western Australia is one of the world's 25 'biodiversity hotspots' making WA an ideal living laboratory for your studies. If you are interested in field work and want to help mitigate this trend by actively participating in the management and research of threatened species and communities, and understanding the principles and policies behind their recovery, then Conversation Biology is the major for you.
Outcomes
Students are able to (1) understand global biodiversity and its distribution, the evolutionary history of biodiversity in Australia, and particular species and communities that are highly threatened; (2) appreciate the crucial relationship between species biology and ecology and vulnerability to environmental change; (3) discuss major threats to biodiversity, their causes, and management and research mitigating them; (4) explain the role of different stakeholders in shaping policy and decision-making; and (5) demonstrate the necessary analytical and communication skills to participate in modern conservation research.
Degree-specific major
Conservation Biology can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:
BP004 Bachelor of Science
BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)
Overview of unit sequence
Conservation Biology is a degree-specific single major comprising:
- two Level 1 units
- two Level 2 units
- four Level 3 units
- two Level 3 complementary units
- two Level 4 complementary units
| Key to availability of units: |
|---|
| S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; NS = non-standard teaching period |
Level 1
Take all units (12 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | BIOL1130 | Frontiers in Biology | |
| S2 | BIOL1131 | Plant and Animal Biology |
Take complementary units to the value of 12 points, including SCIE1104 and SCOM1101:
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | SCIE1104 | Science, Society and Data Analysis | |
| S1 | SCOM1101 | Communicating Science |
|
Level 2
Take all units (12 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | BIOL2261 | Conservation Biology | |
| S2 | ENVT2221 | Global Climate Change and Biodiversity |
Take all complementary units (12 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | ENVT2250 | Ecology | |
| S1, S2 | GEOG2201 | Geographic Information Systems |
|
Level 3
Take all units (24 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | ANIM3353 | Wildlife Conservation and Management | |
| S1 | ANIM3362 | Evolutionary Processes |
|
| NS | BIOL3360 | Saving Endangered Species | |
| S2 | GEOG3303 | Environmental Policy and Planning |
|
Choosing your degree-specific major
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 Conservation Biology degree-specific major can be included in the Bachelor of Science course.
- Perth
- Course Study Plan: CSP004-CONBI-1
- Albany
- Course Study Plan: CSP004-CONBI-2
There are more choices open to you. For more examples, search the study plans .
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. or Bachelor of Science course, giving you the opportunity to pursue your interests no matter how different they are.
The following example illustrates how the Conservation Biology degree-specific major can be combined with a second major in the Bachelor of Science course.
- Perth
- Course Study Plan: CSP004-CONBI-Generic-1
- Albany
- Course Study Plan: CSP004-CONBI-Generic-2
For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .
Conservation Biology can also be taken as a second major.
Second major
Conservation Biology can be taken as a second major in the following degree courses:
- BP001 Bachelor of Arts
- BP006 Bachelor of Biomedical Science
- BP002 Bachelor of Commerce
- BP003 Bachelor of Design Only available to re-enrolling students.
- BP004 Bachelor of Science
- BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)
Overview of unit sequence
The Conservation Biology second major is a 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; NS = non-standard teaching period |
Level 1
Take all units (12 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | BIOL1130 | Frontiers in Biology | |
| S2 | BIOL1131 | Plant and Animal Biology |
Level 2
Take all units (12 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | BIOL2261 | Conservation Biology | |
| S2 | ENVT2221 | Global Climate Change and Biodiversity |
Level 3
Take all units (24 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | ANIM3353 | Wildlife Conservation and Management | |
| S1 | ANIM3362 | Evolutionary Processes |
|
| NS | BIOL3360 | Saving Endangered Species | |
| S2 | GEOG3303 | Environmental Policy and Planning |
|
Choosing a second major
The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you the option of including a second major. You have the choice to either nominate your second major when you first enrol in the course or delay it until your second year. For a major to be recorded on your academic record it must be nominated before the requirements of the course are completed.
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 Conservation Biology can be included as a second major in an undergraduate degree course.
For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .
Conservation Biology can also be taken as a degree-specific major.