Molecular Life Sciences major (MJD-MLSDM)

This extended major has been specifically designed to give an understanding of biological function at the molecular level and how this knowledge integrates into understanding how individual cells and entire organisms function. Emphasis is placed on developing and practicing the laboratory skills and technologies of cutting-edge molecular life sciences. Both theoretical and practical information is presented in the contexts of health sciences and agriculture. Critical thinking; developing and testing hypotheses; and analysing data, including big data, are integrated throughout the degree. Completion of this extended major opens the possibility of a Master in Biotechnology with a choice of specialisations such as Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Environmental and Agricultural Biotechnology, Genetics and Genomics, or Synthetic Biology. This degree will also serve as an excellent stepping stone into careers in synthetic biology, bioscience, medicine and allied health fields, industry, as well as post-graduate studies in multiple bioscience disciplines.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) demonstrate an understanding of the current theoretical basis of the molecular life sciences in animals, plants and microorganisms; (2) demonstrate an understanding of the dynamics of cellular environments, including biological systems and soils; (3) modify experimental protocols; (4) critically analyse and interpret experimental results; (5) apply techniques and technologies to solve problems in the molecular life sciences; (6) effectively communicate in the context of the molecular life sciences in both written and oral forms; and (7) apply high-level critical thinking, teamwork and communication and skills required for employment and further studies related to molecular life sciences.

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

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

Molecular Life Sciences can only be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

Overview of unit sequence

Molecular Life Sciences is a degree-specific double major comprising:

  • seven Level 1 units
  • five Level 2 units
  • seven Level 3 units
Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2

Level 1

Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points from this group:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
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
Co-requisites:
Enrolment in Unit(s) MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods
Or
SCIE1500 Analytical Methods for Scientists Successful completion of Unit(s) MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods
Or
SCIE1500 Analytical Methods for Scientists
Incompatibility:
Successful completion of Unit(s) STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics
S1, S2 STAT1400 Statistics for Science
Prerequisites:
Mathematics Applications ATAR
or
MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or
equivalent
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics
Degree-specific major units
Take all units (30 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 BIOC1001 Introductory Cellular Biochemistry
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of ATAR Subject(s) Chemistry ATAR
or
Unit(s) CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Successful completion of CHEM1004 Biological Chemistry
S1 BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1, S2 CHEM1001 Chemistry—Properties and Energetics
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of Unit(s) CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry (ID 1063)
or
ATAR Subject(s) Chemistry
or
ATAR Subject(s) WACE Chemistry 3A/3B
or
equivalent
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1, S2 CITS2401 Computer Analysis and Visualisation
Prerequisites:
ATAR Subject(s) Mathematics Methods
or
MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods
or
equivalent
or
Enrolment in ( MJD-AGTDM Agricultural Science and Technology
or
MJD-IEMDM Integrated Earth and Marine Sciences
or
MJD-MARDM Marine Science MJD-AGTEC Agricultural Technology MJD-MARCP Marine and Coastal Processes and SCIE1500 Analytical Methods for Scientists )
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
CITS1401 Computational Thinking with Python
S2 SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of ATAR Subject(s) Human Biology
or
equivalent
or
ATAR Subject(s) Biology
or
equivalent
or
Unit(s) ANHB1101 Human Biology I: Becoming Human
or
Unit(s) ANHB1102 Human Biology II: Being Human
or
Unit(s) BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology
or
Unit(s) IMED1001 Form and Function and Successful completion of ATAR Subject(s) Chemistry
or
equivalent
or
Unit(s) CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Unit(s) SCIE2225 Molecular Biology
Bridging units
Bridging units must be successfully completed within the first 48 points of study. Students without Mathematics Methods ATAR or equivalent or higher take MATH1721. Students without Mathematics Applications ATAR or equivalent or higher take MATH1720 and MATH1721. Students without Chemistry ATAR or equivalent or higher take CHEM1003.
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1, S2 CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
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
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:
MATH1011 Multivariable Calculus and MATH1012 Mathematical Theory and Methods and STAT1520 Economics and Business Statistics

Level 2

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (30 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 BIOC2001 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Cell
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of two Unit(s) SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell and Unit(s) CHEM1004 Biological Chemistry
or
Unit(s) BIOC1001 Introductory Cellular Biochemistry
or
Unit(s) CHEM1002 Chemistry—Structure and Reactivity
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Unit(s) BIOC2201 Biochemistry of the Cell and Unit(s) SCIE2225 Molecular Biology
S2 BIOC2002 Biochemical Regulation of Cell Function
Prerequisites:
Enrolment in Major(s) MJD-BCNDM Biochemistry of Nutrition
or
Major(s) MJD-MLSDM Molecular Life Sciences
or
Major(s) MJD-BCHMB Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Successful completion of two Unit(s) SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell and Unit(s) BIOC1001 Introductory Cellular Biochemistry
or
Unit(s) CHEM1002 Chemistry—Structure and Reactivity
Co-requisites:
Successful completion of
Or
Enrolment in One Unit(s) SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell
Incompatibility:
Unit(s) BIOC2202 Biochemical Regulation of Cell Function
S1 ENVT2236 Soil Science
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of one Unit(s) CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry
or
ATAR Subject(s) Chemistry and Successful completion of one Unit(s) EART1105 Dynamic Planet
or
Unit(s) ENVT1104 Environmental Science and Technology
or
Unit(s) BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology
or
Unit(s) BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology and Successful completion of one Unit(s) SCIE1104 Science, Society and Data Analysis
or
Unit(s) STAT1400 Statistics for Science
or
Unit(s) STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Unit(s) EART2222 Geomorphology and Soils
S2 GENE2230 Molecular Genetics I
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell (ID 1019)
or
IMED1003 Cell Survival and Communication (ID 5967)
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 PLNT2201 Plants in Action
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) SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell (ID 1019)
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil

Level 3

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (42 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 BIOC3001 Molecular Biology
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of two Unit(s) BIOC2001 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Cell and Unit(s) BIOC2002 Biochemical Regulation of Cell Function
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1 BIOC3002 Structural and Functional Biochemistry
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of two Unit(s) BIOC2201 Biochemistry of the Cell and Unit(s) BIOC2002 Biochemical Regulation of Cell Function
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 BIOC3003 Omics—Global Approaches to Cell Function
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of two Unit(s) BIOC2001 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Cell and Unit(s) BIOC2002 Biochemical Regulation of Cell Function
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 BIOC3005 Cellular Biochemistry
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of two Unit(s) BIOC2001 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Cell and Unit(s) BIOC2002 Biochemical Regulation of Cell Function
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 BIOL3305 Fisheries Science: Foundation and Application
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of 48 points and Unit(s) BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology (ID 1254)
or
Unit(s) BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology (ID 1244)
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 GENE3350 Evolution and Development
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of one Unit(s) GENE2230 Molecular Genetics I
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1 GENE3370 Genomics
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of one Unit(s) GENE2230 Molecular Genetics I
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil

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 Molecular Life Sciences degree-specific major can be included in the Bachelor of Molecular Sciences course.

Example Study Plan

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 allow you to choose a double major.