Diploma of Bioscience

• Bachelor of Agriculture
• Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Biosciences*
• Bachelor of Biological Sciences
• Bachelor of Biomedicine*
• Bachelor of Science, with majors in:
  • Biochemistry
  • Botany
  • Chemistry
  • Genetics
  • Microbiology
  • Statistics
  • Zoology

*Students require a minimum weighted average mark (WAM) to progress into second year as listed on the Transferring to La Trobe University page.

**Second year of some Bachelor courses may require specific university subjects to be completed as elective units.

LTM1AIM does not count towards your study load and is a wholly online module. Completion (prior to week 4) is a requirement to pass your diploma; this module is expected to take about 1 hour.

Online, zero credit point module, all students must complete this unit in their first trimester. This module introduces students to the principals of academic integrity in the context of La Trobe University’s values and policy. Students learn what their responsibilities are in relation to maintaining ethical standards in all aspects of academic work and the potential ramifications for academic misconduct according to the Academic Integrity Policy. Activities and quizzes are provided which are designed to develop and understanding of the concepts of cheating, plagiarism and collusion. Topics include an explaining of how the text-matching tool ‘Turnitin’ is used at La Trobe, and where to get help and where to go to develop referencing skills.

SCHE1CHF completion is a prerequisite for SCHE1APL

Chemistry Foundations chemistry is a foundation module designed for students who have no or little previous experience or study in chemistry. The aim of the module is to instil concepts, knowledge and skills that will enable these students to apply chemical principles and practice during their university degree and future employment. The content of the one trimester module covers topics common to senior high school chemistry and also prepares students to advance to second trimester chemistry.

SBIO1MGC and SBIO1EEB are incompatible to be undertaken concurrently

Living organisms, with their many intricate and intriguing processes, are composed of lifeless molecules. SBIO1MGC takes a look at how those molecules are organised into the smallest unit of life, cells, across a range of organisms. SBIO1MGC also covers how those cells capture light energy, break down molecules to release energy, synthesise new molecules, communicate with other cells, and how the instructions to perform those functions are stored and passed on to the next generation.

This subject introduces students to modern data analytics, visualisation, and statistics. It equips students with the skills required to take advantage of powerful computing for the analysis and visualisation of complex data. These skills are used to solve problems in areas such as the biological sciences, medical sciences, agricultural sciences, nutrition, health sciences, education, and business. Students will become familiar with data visualisation and computing, descriptive statistics, statistical modelling, and data-based decision making. Using statistical computing packages is an integral part of this subject. This subject allows further study in second-year subjects in statistics and data science.

In this subject, students will be introduced to the anatomical organisation of the body and the basics of cell structure and function. The fundamentals of the nervous and endocrine systems will then be explored in the context of mechanisms of physiological control. This information will provide the foundation for the study of the major organ systems of the body which include the respiratory, cardiovascular, renal, digestive, reproductive systems and metabolism. Underpinning these studies will be the concept of homeostasis and how it is maintained by integration of organ system functions. In addition, students are required to engage in guided, independent learning throughout the semester to extend their level of knowledge in the topic areas described above.

SCHE1CHF completion is a prerequisite for SCHE1APL

This module aims to provide you with a further foundational concept and the knowledge of the first trimester chemistry units. It fully prepares you to advance to second year studies in chemistry or apply chemistry knowledge and skills within your chosen discipline. This module includes specific applications of chemistry to the manufacture of synthetic materials, identifying and alleviating chemical pollution, and the chemistry of living organisms. Chemistry Foundations is a pre-requisite to study this module.

SBIO1MGC and SBIO1EEB are incompatible to be undertaken concurrently

The evolution of life on earth is a product of the interaction between organisms and the environment. SBIO1EEB will explore the amazing diversity of life from a global and Australian perspective. How population genetics allows evolutionary changes of adaptation over both short and long periods of time will be discussed. SBIO1EEB will also explain ecological forces that determine the distribution of life forms, the flow of energy through ecosystems and the dynamics of natural populations.

Infectious diseases, both new and ancient, continue to threaten wellbeing by causing localised, epidemic or pandemic disease outbreaks. Selected microorganisms will be described and compared: the main focus is the natural habitat of the organisms (reservoirs of infection), the ways in which humans can encounter the organisms (routes of infection) and the strategies available at the individual, community and global levels to prevent disease and, in the diseased patient, to cure disease.

In this subject you will be introduced to key areas of psychology with a socio-cultural perspective. People share knowledge with others in society. The shared knowledge (i.e., culture) gives meanings to people’s lives as well as influencing their everyday behaviour, the sense of who they are, their personal relationships and psychological wellbeing. We will discuss psychology of individuals in diverse contexts to understand how personal experiences, including emotions, motivation, intimacy with others and health behaviours are shaped by cultural understanding and social expectations in those contexts.

This subject introduces you to the concept of sustainability, and a systems approach to understanding the complex interactions between the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability. The subject attracts students from a range of fields, bringing a multidisciplinary team perspective to the researching, analysis, and problem-solving aspects of creating positive change for sustainability. In teams, you are required to critique, design, and present an action plan aimed at resolving a sustainability issue that impacts current and future generations. This subject provides you with the opportunity to enhance, demonstrate and document work-ready skills appropriate to your chosen career path.

Students wishing to articulate into Bachelor of Biomedicine must complete Human Biosciences B

This is a basic anatomy module which concentrates on anatomical structures and their function and is a core module within the Health Sciences first year. It has 60 contact hours of teaching and includes both small group and computer-based activities as well as demonstrations of anatomical models. This will be occurring in the workshops as well as the scheduled lectures. In this module the concepts of human structure and function will be applied to a detailed study of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Anatomical principles and terminology will be applied to relevant body systems and the concept of integrated function of multiple systems in one body region will be introduced.