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
Honours in Conservation Biology can be taken as a specialisation in the following degrees:
Honours sequence
| Key to availability of units: |
|---|
| S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; NS = non-standard teaching period |
Take all units (36 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | Unit rules |
|---|
| 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) - Incompatibility:
- Nil
|
| 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) - Co-requisites:
- Successful completion of
Or
Enrolment in Unit(s) BIOL4441 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Development (ID 6625) - Incompatibility:
- Nil
|
| 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) - Co-requisites:
- Successful completion of
Or
Enrolment in Unit(s) BIOL4441 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Development (ID 6625) And BIOL5442 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 1 (ID 6627) - Incompatibility:
- Nil
|
| S1, S2 | BIOL5444 | Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 3 | - 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) BIOL4441 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Development (ID 6625) And Unit(s) BIOL5442 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 1 (ID 6627) And Unit(s) BIOL5443 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 2 (ID 6629) - Incompatibility:
- Nil
|
| S1, S2 | BIOL5445 | Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 4 | - 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) And BIOL5443 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 2 (ID 6629) And BIOL5444 Honours in Biological Sciences Research Dissertation Part 3 (ID 6630) - Incompatibility:
- Nil
|
| 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 one Unit(s) STAT1400 Statistics for Science
or
Unit(s) STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics
or
Unit(s) SCIE1104 Science, Society and Data Analysis
or
Unit(s) SCIE4401 Data Use in Science
or
Unit(s) ENVT4422 Research Methods in Environmental Science - Co-requisites:
- Nil
- Incompatibility:
- Nil
|
Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | Unit rules |
|---|
| 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 - Co-requisites:
- Nil
- Incompatibility:
- Nil
|
| NS | BIOL4408 | Marine Ecology | - Prerequisites:
- Enrolment in 72520 Master of Biological Science (ID 165)
or
70630 Master of Science (ID 202)
or
Of BH004 Bachelor of Science (Honours) (ID 4)
or
74540 Master of Marine Biology (ID 1902) - Co-requisites:
- Nil
- Incompatibility:
- Nil
|
| S1 | BIOL4410 | Environmental Genomics | - Prerequisites:
- Successful completion of level 2 Unit(s) in genetics
or
equivalent - Co-requisites:
- Nil
- Incompatibility:
- Nil
|
| 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) - Co-requisites:
- Nil.
- Incompatibility:
- Nil
|
| 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 - Co-requisites:
- Nil
- Incompatibility:
- Nil
|
| 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 - Co-requisites:
- Nil
- Incompatibility:
- Nil
|
| S1 | 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 - Co-requisites:
- Nil
- Incompatibility:
- Nil
|
| S1, S2 | ENVT4411 | Geographic Information Systems Applications | - Prerequisites:
- Nil
- Co-requisites:
- Nil
- 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 - Co-requisites:
- Nil
- 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 - Co-requisites:
- Nil
- Incompatibility:
- Nil
|