Honours Overview

Description

As human pressures on our natural environment are at an all-time high, the need for experienced conservation biologists to attempt to reverse the declines in ecosystem functioning and health, and in species population sizes, is increasing. You will undertake rigorous scientific research related to the conservation of threatened flora, fauna or ecological communities. Research projects can vary from studying aspects of a rare species biology or ecology, to experiments investigating different threat mitigation strategies, or an economic analysis of the costs and benefits of different management techniques. You will develop your practical and theoretical skills in conservation-related research by conducting your own research project, and participating in units on conservation genetics, conservation planning, restoration ecology, and data analysis. Honours in Conservation Biology leads to many careers including (restoration) ecologist, conservation biologist, environmental impact assessor, DEC flora or fauna officer, government policy writer and consultant, consultant for mining companies, science journalist, laboratory technician or field research officer.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) critically identify gaps in knowledge in the field of conservation biology; (2) design and implement a research project that fills an identified gap in knowledge; (3) critically analyse results and draw evidence-based conclusions; (4) manage and analyse research data sets using appropriate statistical tests; (5) present research outcomes orally and in the form of a scientific paper; and (6) convey specialist knowledge in the field of conservation biology.

Entry requirements

The equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 65 per cent in the Level 3 units of the Conservation Biology major.

Intake periods

Beginning of year and mid-year

Courses

Honours in Conservation Biology can be taken as a specialisation in the following degrees:

No study plans found for this course. See study plans for more information.

Units

Key to availability of units:
S1
Semester 1
S2
Semester 2
N/A
not available in 2025 – may be available in 2026 or 2027
NS
non-standard teaching period
Take all units (42 points):
AvailabilityUnit codeUnit nameUnit requirements
S1, S2 BIOL4446 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Presentation Skills
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
BH004 Bachelor of Science (Honours) (ID 4) SPC-Botany
or SPC-Conservation Biology
or SPC-Zoology
or BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)
Co-requisites
Successful completion of
or Enrolment in
Unit(s) BIOL5445 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 4 (ID 6632)
S1, S2 BIOL5442 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 1
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
HON-BOTNY Botany
or HON-CONBI Conservation Biology (ID 1379)
or HON-MARSC Marine Science (ID 1400)
or HON-ZOOLY Zoology (ID 1393)
S1, S2 BIOL5443 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 2
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
HON-BOTNY Botany
or HON-CONBI Conservation Biology (ID 1379)
or HON-MARSC Marine Science (ID 1400)
or HON-ZOOLY Zoology (ID 1393)
S1, S2 BIOL5444 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 3
Prerequisites
or HON-CONBI Conservation Biology (ID 1379)
or HON-MARSC Marine Science (ID 1400)
or HON-ZOOLY Zoology (ID 1393)
or HON-BOTNY Botany
Co-requisites
Successful completion of
or Enrolment in
Unit(s) BIOL5442 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 1 Unit(s) BIOL5443 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 2
S1, S2 BIOL5445 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 5
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
HON-BOTNY Botany
or HON-CONBI Conservation Biology (ID 1379)
or HON-MARSC Marine Science (ID 1400)
or HON-ZOOLY Zoology (ID 1393)
Co-requisites
Successful completion of
or Enrolment in
Unit(s) BIOL5442 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 1 (ID 6627) BIOL5443 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 2 (ID 6629) BIOL5444 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 3 (ID 6630) BIOL5447 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 4
S1, S2 BIOL5447 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 4
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
or Major(s) HON-MARSC Marine Science
Enrolment in
or Major(s) HON-ZOOLY Zoology
Co-requisites
Enrolment in
Unit(s) BIOL5442 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 1
and BIOL5443 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 2
and BIOL5444 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 3
S1, S2 SCIE4402 Data Management and Analysis in the Natural Sciences
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
HON-CONBI Conservation Biology
or HON-ZOOLY Zoology
or HON-BOTNY Botany
or HON-AGSCI Agricultural Science
or HON-ENVSC Environmental Science
or HON-NRMGT Natural Resource Management
or HON-MARSC Marine Science
or 72510 Master of Agricultural Science
or 72520 Master of Biological Science
or 72530 Master of Environmental Science
or 72540 Master of Hydrogeology
or 73530 Master of Agricultural Economics
or 70550 Master of Bioinformatics
or 74230 Graduate Certificate in Bioinformatics
or 74540 Master of Marine Biology
and Successful completion of
any one STAT1400 Statistics for Science
or STAX1400 Statistics for Science
or STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics
or STAX1520 Economic and Business Statistics
or SCIE1104 Science, Society and Data Analysis
or SCIE4401 Data Use in Science
or ENVT4422 Research Methods in Environmental Science
Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
AvailabilityUnit codeUnit nameUnit requirements
S2 BIOL4407 Marine Conservation and Fisheries Management
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72520 Master of Biological Science (ID 165)
or 70630 Master of Science (ID 202)
or 71520 Master of Biomedical Science (ID 359)
or 71580 Master of Biotechnology (ID 389)
or 71570 Master of Geographic Information Science (ID 390)
or BH004 Bachelor of Science (Honours) (ID 4)
or 62540 Master of Ocean Leadership (ID 1432)
or 74540 Master of Marine Biology
NS BIOL4408 Marine Ecology
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72520 Master of Biological Science (ID 165)
or 70630 Master of Science (ID 202)
or or 74540 Master of Marine Biology (ID 1902)
and Successful completion of
SCIE3304 Field Techniques in Marine Science or equivalent
or BIOL4411 Marine Field Studies or equivalent
Successful completion of
SCIE4402 Data Management and Analysis in the Natural Sciences
N/A BIOL4410 Environmental Genomics
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
level 2 Unit(s) in genetics or equivalent
S2 BIOL5502 Managing Threatened Species and Ecological Communities
Prerequisites
enrolment in
Master of Biological Science (72520)
or Master of Science (70630)
or Bachelor of Science (Honours) (BH004)
S2 BIOL5542 Conservation Genetics
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72520 Master of Biological Science
or 71580 Master of Biotechnology
or 71570 Master of Geographic Information Science
or BH004 Bachelor of Science (Honours)
and Successful completion of
one Unit(s) GENE4002 Integrated Topics in Genetics I
or Unit(s) GENE2250 Principles of Inheritance
or Unit(s) BIOL3364 Evolutionary Processes
S1 ENVT4401 Advanced Land Use and Management
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72530 Master of Environmental Science
or 72510 Master of Agricultural Science
or 72540 Master of Hydrogeology
or 71570 Master of Geographic Information Science
or HON-CONBI Conservation Biology
or HON-ENVSC Environmental Science
or HON-AGSCI Agricultural Science
N/A ENVT4402 Analysis for Environmental Management
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
HON-CONBI Conservation Biology
or HON-ENVSC Environmental Science
or HON-NRMGT Natural Resource Management
or 42330 Graduate Diploma in Economics
or 42620 Master of Economics
or 72530 Master of Environmental Science
or 73530 Master of Agricultural Economics
S1, S2 ENVT4411 Geographic Information Systems Applications
Incompatibility
Unit(s) GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems (ID 1384)
NS ENVT5310 Biodiversity on Country
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72530 Master of Environmental Science
or 72520 Master of Biological Science
Incompatibility
Unit(s) ENVT3310 Biodiversity on Country
S1 ENVT5512 Ecosystem Biogeochemistry
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72520 Master of Biological Science
or 71580 Master of Biotechnology
or 70630 Master of Science
or 72510 Master of Agricultural Science
or BH004 Bachelor of Science (Honours)
or 72540 Master of Hydrogeology
or 72530 Master of Environmental Science