Extended Major Overview

Description

Western Australia's marine estate is unique globally. It features a vast array of marine and coastal environments, oceanographic conditions, and is a biodiversity hotspot with up to 80 per cent of its fish, invertebrates and other organisms found nowhere else in the world. This makes WA an ideal living laboratory for your marine studies. This extended major will expose you to the full breadth of the marine science discipline, allowing a deeper understanding of both the physical and biological components through the marine biology and marine and coastal processes majors. It combines knowledge of marine life with a solid understanding of the physical process across all coastal marine environments. Through experimental design and research, both in the field and in laboratories, you will learn to appreciate the complex interactions that occur between marine ecosystems and physical processes. During your studies, you will gain practical experience through field trips (several of which are overnight) and computer-based labs. This extended major is the ultimate multi- and interdisciplinary learning environment that will best place you to continue your studies as a postgraduate student or pursue a career in a marine-related discipline after graduation.

Outcomes

Students are able to:

  1. recognise the relationship between structure, function and process at all biological levels: molecular, cellular, organismal, population, community and ecosystem
  2. apply scientific principles, incorporating theoretical concepts, keen observation, sound experimental design, analysis and insightful interpretation, into marine research.
  3. demonstrate a knowledge of the diversity, life history strategies and functional traits of marine biota
  4. demonstrate a solid understanding of the physical processes that operate in marine and coastal environments
  5. demonstrate an understanding of complex interactions between the physical and biotic components of marine environments and the range of scales at which these interactions can occur.
  6. recognize how the interactions between the physical and biotic components can influence decisions about marine and coastal management
  7. develop skills in computational, mathematical, programming and statistical techniques commonly used in marine research
  8. conduct quantitative marine research in a safe, ethical and professional manner
  9. demonstrate competency in high-level critical thinking and communication skills suited to gaining employment in marine science.
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. 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. If you are completing this major in a Combined Bachelor's masters Course, you have elected to pursue a highly specialised and in-depth program of study in your chosen field. While you are encouraged to use the free elective units available in your course to study in other disciplines offered at UWA, your formal requirement to broaden your course will be met through the Honours and Postgraduate units which form an integral part of your course.

Prerequisites

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

Chemistry ATAR or an additional chemistry unit taken in the first year.

Incompatibilities

MJD-MARSC Marine Science (ID 1242) MJD-MBIOL Marine Biology (ID 4848) MJD-MARCP Marine Coastal Processes (ID 4849)

Courses

Marine Science can only 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

Year 2 Core — Students to choose CITS2401 or CITS1501

Level 1

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (36 points):

Students can take CITS1501 Introduction to Programming with Python OR CITS2401 Computer Analysis and Visualisation

Students can take CITS1501 Introduction to Programming with Python OR CITS2401 Computer Analysis and Visualisation

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology None
S2 BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology None
S2 CITS1501 Introduction to Programming with Python
Incompatibility
Successful completion of
CITS1401 Computational Thinking with Python
S1 EART1105 Dynamic Planet None
S1, S2 SCIE1104 Science, Society and Data Analysis
Co-requisites
MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods
or MATX1721 Mathematics Foundations
or SCIE1500 Analytical Methods for Scientists or equivalent
Incompatibility
Successful completion of
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).



Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Chemistry ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete CHEM1003.

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1, S2 CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry
Incompatibility
ATAR Subject(s) Chemistry or equivalent
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 (42 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 BIOL2204 Marine Biology
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
SCIE2204 Marine Systems and ATAR Subject(s) Chemistry
or Successful completion of
CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry or equivalent
or CHEX1003 Introductory Chemistry
S2 EART2204 Coastal Processes
Prerequisites
6 points Unit(s) EART1105 Dynamic Planet (ID 1247)
or Unit(s) GEOG1103 Urbanisation and Sustainability (ID 5929)
Incompatibility
Unit(s) GEOG3307 Coastal Environments
S2 ENVT2221 Global Climate Change and Biodiversity
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology (ID 1254)
or Unit(s) BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology (ID 1244)
or Unit(s) EART1105 Dynamic Planet (ID 1247)
or Unit(s) ENVT1104 Environmental Science and Technology (ID 5950)
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, S2 GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems
Prerequisites
36 points of prior study
S2 OCEN2001 Energy from Oceans None
S1 SCIE2204 Marine Systems
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) EART1105 Dynamic Planet
or Unit(s) BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology

Level 3

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (30 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 BIOL3305 Fisheries Science: Foundation and Application
Prerequisites
Successful completion of 48 points and
BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology
or BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology
and
SCIE2204 Marine Systems
or BIOL2204 Marine Biology
S1 ENVT3306 Coastal Conservation and Management
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
SCIE2204 Marine Systems
or GEOG2202 Reading Landscapes: People and Processes
or permission of the unit coordinator
S2 ENVT3307 Oceanography
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) SCIE2204 Marine Systems
S2 ENVT3362 Environmental Dynamics
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) ENVT2250 Ecology
or Unit(s) ENVT2220 The Climate System
or Unit(s) ENVT2251 Hydrology and Water Resource Management
or Unit(s) SCIE2204 Marine Systems
or Unit(s) EART2204 Coastal Processes
or Unit(s) SCIE2267 Quantitative Methods in Environmental Management
S1 SCIE3304 Field Techniques in Marine Science
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
72 points and one Unit(s) SCIE2204 Marine Systems
or ENSC3012 Data Collection and Analysis or equivalent