Honours Overview

Description

An honours student in Marine Biology will conduct research related to the structure and/or functioning of the marine ecosystem. Research projects are offered across a wide range of topics spanning marine conservation, fisheries management, biological oceanography, coastal management to physiology, behaviour and ecology of marine organisms. Depending on the project students may collect data or analyse previously collected data. In doing so students will acquire skills in critical thinking, experimental design and analysis, scientific writing and public presentation. This will equip students for entry into postgraduate research programs or workplaces such as environmental consultancies or local and national government agencies.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) undertake independent research, including design, data collection and analysis, into an aspect of the marine environment; (2) develop skills of critical thinking, problem solving and risk assessment as they plan and execute their research project; (3) communicate ideas, concepts and research findings clearly, effectively and appropriately via written, verbal and visual methods; and (4) develop expertise in a topic related to the research project by completing an optional unit.

Entry requirements

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

Intake periods

Beginning of year and mid-year

Courses

Honours in Marine 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
NS BIOL4400 Advanced Marine Mammal Science
Incompatibility
Enrolment in
BIOL3000 Marine Mammal Science
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
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
NS EART4415 Coastal Hazards and Adaptation
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
71590 Master of Oceanography
or 72530 Master of Environmental Science
or 62540 Master of Ocean Leadership
or HON-MARSC Marine Science
or 62570 Master of Offshore and Coastal Engineering
S1, S2 ENVT4411 Geographic Information Systems Applications
Incompatibility
Unit(s) GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems (ID 1384)
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
NS GEOS4413 Climate Geoscience
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
HON-GEOGY Geology
or HON-MARSC Marine Science
or HON-ENVSC Environmental Science
or 72550 Master of Geoscience
or 72540 Master of Hydrogeology
or 73540 Master of Petroleum Geoscience
or 71590 Master of Oceanography
or BH004 Bachelor of Science (Honours)
N/A PLNG5511 Climate Change Policy and PlanningNone
S1 SCIE5505 Global Change and the Marine Environment
Prerequisites
72530 Master of Environmental Science
or 72520 Master of Biological Science
or 71580 Master of Biotechnology
or 71570 Master of Geographic Information Science
or BH004 Bachelor of Science (Honours)
or 74540 Master of Marine Biology