Major Overview

Description

This discipline concerns the testing, diagnosis, treatment, management and prevention of human disease. As a diagnostic specialty, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine can be considered the basis of modern scientific medical knowledge and plays a critical role in evidence-based medicine. This major will provide you with a thorough understanding of the scientific basis of diagnosing, treating and preventing human disease, as well as an appreciation of how medical research forms new insights into disease every day.

Outcomes

Students are able to:

  1. describe the fundamental processes of cellular growth and differentiation, cell injury, inflammation, repair, immunopathology and neoplasia
  2. explain how genetic, developmental, environmental and infectious factors contribute to initiation, perturbation, and resolution of human disease
  3. explain how changes in cells or tissues are measured to detect and monitor human disease
  4. integrate and apply the principles of pathology and laboratory medicine to specific human organ and body systems including cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary, reproductive, nervous, neuromuscular, immune and endocrine diseases
  5. perform assays to investigate the molecular and cellular drivers of, and response to, human diseases
  6. apply descriptive and quantitative statistical methods to analyse and interpret laboratory data
  7. identify, retrieve and critically evaluate evidence obtained and tested through use of the scientific method
  8. synthesise and communicate scientific knowledge for a range of audiences
  9. demonstrate skills in collaboration, leadership and collegiality.
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

Student who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in ATAR Chemistry or equivalent, are required to successfully complete CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry in their first 48 points of study in their course.

Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in ATAR Mathematics Applications or equivalent or higher, will need to successfully complete MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals in their first 48 points of study in their course.

Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in ATAR Human Biology or ATAR Biology or equivalent will need to successfully complete ANHB1101 Human Biology I or BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology or IMED1001 Form and Function in their first 48 points of study in their course. IMED1001 is only available to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Biomedicine or Biomedical Engineering [MJD-EBMEG].

Courses

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

Units

Key to availability of units:
S1
Semester 1
S2
Semester 2
N/A
not available in 2024 – may be available in 2025 or 2026

Level 1

Degree-specific major units

Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in ATAR Human Biology or ATAR Biology or equivalent will need to take ANHB1101 or BIOL11030 or IMED1001 in their first semester to meet prerequisites for SCIE1106. IMED1001 is only available to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Biomedicine or Biomedical Engineering [MJD-EBMEG]. Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in ATAR Chemistry or equivalent will need to take CHEM1003 in first semester to meet prerequisites for SCIE1106:

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 ANHB1102 Human Biology II: Being Human None
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 ANHB1101 Human Biology I: Becoming Human
or ANHX1101 Human Biology 1 (Becoming Human)
or ANHX1102 Human Biology 2 (Being Human)
or ANHB1102 Human Biology II: Being Human
or BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology
or IMED1001 Form and Function
and Successful completion of
ATAR Subject(s) Chemistry or equivalent
or CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry
or CHEX1003 Introductory Chemistry
Incompatibility
Unit(s) SCIE2225 Molecular Biology
Bridging units

Students are required to take up to three units, 18 points, as required.

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 Applications ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete MATH1720. Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Chemistry ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete CHEM1003 as a prerequisite for SCIE1106. Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Biology ATAR or Human Biology ATAR or equivalent are required to complete one of ANHB1101 OR BIOL1130 OR IMED1001 as a prerequisite for SCIE1106. IMED1001 is only available to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Biomedicine or Biomedical Engineering [MJD-EBMEG].

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 Applications ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete MATH1720. Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Chemistry ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete CHEM1003 as a prerequisite for SCIE1106. Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Biology ATAR or Human Biology ATAR or equivalent are required to complete one of ANHB1101 OR BIOL1130 OR IMED1001 as a prerequisite for SCIE1106. IMED1001 is only available to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Biomedicine or Biomedical Engineering [MJD-EBMEG].

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 ANHB1101 Human Biology I: Becoming Human None
S1 BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology None
S1, S2 CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry
Incompatibility
ATAR Subject(s) Chemistry or equivalent
S1 IMED1001 Form and Function
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
MJD-MEDSI Medical Science
or MJD-IMSCP Integrated Medical Sciences and Clinical Practice
or MJD-EBMEG Biomedical Engineering
or MJD-PHMSC Podiatric Health and Medical Sciences
or MJD-DENTS Integrated Dental Sciences
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

Level 2

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (12 points):

Students who commenced this major prior to 2024, complete the following units: PATH2220 Introduction to Human Disease; PATH2210 Fundamentals of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; PATH2211 Molecular Medicine; and MICR2209 Introduction to Infectious Diseases and Immunology

Students who commenced this major prior to 2024, complete the following units: PATH2220 Introduction to Human Disease; PATH2210 Fundamentals of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; PATH2211 Molecular Medicine; and MICR2209 Introduction to Infectious Diseases and Immunology

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
N/A PATH2221 Principles of Human Disease
Prerequisites
ANHB1102 Human Biology II: Being Human
and SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell
Incompatibility
PATH2220 Introduction to Human Disease
N/A PATH2222 Pathology of Body Systems
Prerequisites
PATH2221 Principles of Human Disease
Incompatibility
PATH2210 Fundamentals of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Level 3

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (24 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 MICR3305 Immunobiology and Immune Diseases
Prerequisites
MICR2208 Introductory Microbiology,
and MICR2209 Introduction to Infectious Diseases and Immunology.
or PATH2210 Fundamentals of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine,
and PATH2220 Introduction to Human Disease
Incompatibility
MICR3340 Infections and Immunity
and PATH3307 Pathology and Laboratory Medicine I.
S1 PATH3305 Medical Genetics
Prerequisites
completion of Level 2 of a major in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Biomedical Science
or Genetics.
for pre-2012 courses: GENE2230 Molecular Genetics I
and GENE2250 Principles of Inheritance
Incompatibility
GENE3320 Medical Genetics
S2 PATH3308 Biotherapeutics and Regenerative Medicine
Prerequisites
PATH2210 Fundamentals of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
and PATH2211 Molecular Medicine
and PATH2220 Introduction to Human Disease
and MICR2209 Introduction to Infectious Diseases and Immunology
Incompatibility
PATH3311 Biotherapeutics and Regenerative Medicine (ID 4721)
or PATH3304 Drugs and Disease B
S2 PATH3309 Cancer Pathology
Prerequisites
PATH2210 Fundamentals of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (ID 434)
and PATH2220 Introduction to Human Disease