Breed zoology with plant science and cross-pollinate with genetics and you've produced the Master of Science (BioSciences).

This uniquely collaborative course is yours to personalise. Select your area of specialisation and pair it with a choice of professional skill-building subjects.

The defining feature of the course is a major research project in your study area. You'll be supervised by one of our renowned researchers, who work on everything from sensory ecology to aquaculture technology and plant pathology.

Be research-ready

Your research experience might inspire you to continue to a PhD, or you can put your analytical and communication skills to use in the global workforce, alongside many of our alumni.

A course tailored for you

You can choose to focus on any of our bioscience disciplines: ecology, evolution, environmental science, genetics, genomics, development, or plant science.

You'll then complement your discipline-specific subject choices and research project with professional skills subjects.

Develop your skills with real-world problems

You’ll leave the course with a major research project to feature in your CV. In the research project, you’ll develop and apply scientific tools to real-world problems, in a lab, out in the field, or on a computer, working in the research team of one of our academics.

If you’d like to gain even more real-world experience, you can choose to complete an internship in a science or technology-related workplace for course credit.

More than just technical skills

We know that soft skills are important too, which is why we include a subject on scientific communication, to ensure you can speak and write effectively about your research.

The Master of Science (BioSciences) is a 200-point course, made up of:

• Discipline core subjects (25 points)
• Discipline elective subjects (25–37.5 points)
• A professional skills subject (12.5–25 points)
• A research project (125 points).

For full-time students, in your first-year, you will complete most of your coursework subjects, while also beginning work on your research project. In your second year, you will complete any remaining coursework subjects but your focus will be the research project.

For part-time students, in your first year, you will complete four coursework subjects which will prepare you for your research project. In your second and third years, you will conduct your research project. In your fourth year, you will complete the final semester of your research project, and then complete two final coursework subjects (including the communication subject) in your eighth and last semester.

All students take a subject on communication for research scientists, which ensures you’re able to speak and write about your research professionally and impactfully.

Your discipline elective subjects are selected in consultation with your research project supervisor and should be relevant to your research topic.

You can also choose to complete an 80–100-hour internship in a science and technology workplace.

Our graduates go on to work as: bioinformaticians, biotechnologists, ecologists, environmental scientists, food scientists, geneticists, marine biologists, medical researchers, plant breeders, policy analysts, research technicians, school teachers, and zoologists.

Employers in this field include:

• Medical research institutes such as WEHI
• Government organisations, such as the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and Museums Victoria
• Research hospitals such as the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
• Companies such as Thermo Fisher Scientific
• Universities and public research institutions such as the CSIRO.

Technical and professional skills

On graduating from the course you’ll have high level research skills in your specialist area.

Additionally, you’ll have strong professional skills in:

• Critical thinking and problem-solving
• Research planning, literature reviews and ethical considerations
• Scientific communication, both written and oral
• Time management.

Further study

At the end of the course, you’ll be well-placed to undertake a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy).

To be considered for entry into this course, you must have an undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a directly related discipline with a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of at least 65% (or equi

IELTS (academic English Only): 6.5 (no band less than 6.0)
TOEFL Internet-based test: 79 + ; Writing 21; Speaking 18; Reading 13; Listening 13;
Pearson Test of English Academic: 58 + no communicative skill below 50
Cambridge English: Advanced/ Certificate of Advanced English (CAE): 176 + no skill below 169.