Bachelor of Zoology and Animal Science

2023 Deakin University Handbook

Note: You are seeing the 2023 view of this course information. These details may no longer be current. [Go to the current version]

Year	2023 course information
Award granted	Bachelor of Zoology and Animal Science
Course Map	The course map for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2023. The course map for new students commencing from Trimester 2 2023. Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central.
Campus	Offered at Waurn Ponds (Geelong)
Online	No
Duration	3 years full-time or part-time equivalent
CRICOS course code	075365F Waurn Ponds (Geelong)
Deakin course code	S369
Approval status	This course is approved by the University under the Higher Education Standards Framework.
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 7.

Course sub-headings

Course overview

Through Deakin’s Bachelor of Zoology and Animal Science, you will explore the social and economic impact that human activity has on animals and their ecosystems. Investigate how animals respond and adapt to changes in the environment, including climate change, with a strong focus on Australian fauna and its unique importance in the global environment. Apply the latest research techniques to test hypotheses in the real-world and develop evidence-based decision-making skills valued by industry.

You will work with living subjects in the lab and field, giving you a first-hand understanding of the form and function of animals and the underlying mechanisms that influence their ecology and evolution. You will also learn broadly about how animals respond to changing environments over time. Best of all, your journey will be supported by teaching staff who share your passion for animals.

Interested in a career that cares for the future of our furry and feathered friends?

If you’re fascinated by the way animals behave, adapt, evolve and survive, you’re not alone. Animal enthusiasts choose Deakin to turn their passion into a rewarding career because of our research-informed teaching and practical approach to learning. This hands-on approach ensures you will develop the technical and practical expertise required, as well as the communication, teamwork and critical-thinking skills to equip you for future roles in the field.

As you advance through the course, you will be exposed to many unique aspects of zoology. These include physiological and behavioural adaptations to environmental change, disease ecology, animal sensory neurobiology and behaviour, as well as ecological and conservation genetics. The wide range of core units will broaden your skill set, expanding your career options across the growing zoology and animal science field.

How you will learn is as important as what you will learn. Start preparing for your future career by undertaking a discipline-specific industry work placement. Study animals working alongside academic staff who aren’t just teachers, but researchers at the forefront of their respective fields.

Indicative student workload

You can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include classes, seminars, practicals and online interaction. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time.

Career opportunities

Employers value Deakin graduates’ range of practical experience and evidence-based decision-making skills. You’ll be well-placed to explore opportunities in areas including:

zoological research
environmental monitoring and management
wildlife biology
private environmental consulting
government quarantine.

Graduates typically take on roles such as:

research assistants
environmental managers
pest management officers
collection managers of aquaria and zoological gardens
primary and secondary teachers (with relevant teaching qualifications).

Further postgraduate studies, including research training either in Australia or overseas, can also lead to becoming a research scientist in a specific field, museum curator or even a university academic.

Participation requirements

Students are required to complete units in Trimester 3.

Mandatory student checks

Any unit which contains work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a police check, Working with Children Check or other check.

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on your course, the type of fee place you hold, your commencement year, the units you choose and your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

Use the Fee estimator to see course and unit fees applicable to your course and type of place. Further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods is available on our Current students fees website.

Course Learning Outcomes

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities	Apply a broad and coherent knowledge of chemistry, zoology and their environment to demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of scientific concepts and methods in the study of zoology and animal science. Apply technical knowledge and skills and use them in a range of activities, in a professional setting; this application of technical knowledge and skills being characterised by demonstrable in-depth knowledge of scientific methods and tools; and demonstrable proficiency in the utilisation of scientific facts, principles and practices. Demonstrate an integrated knowledge, autonomy, well-developed judgement and responsibility to investigate, test, analyse, and evaluate scientific data and to argue about characteristics and aspects of scientific theories in the advancement of zoology and animal science.
Communication	Use oral, written, graphical and interpersonal communication skills to accommodate, encourage, and answer audience questions in a professional manner. Present details of scientific procedures, key observations, results and conclusions using appropriate scientific language and conventions to share and disseminate information and knowledge in a clear and coherent manner.
Digital literacy	Apply well-developed scientific information literacy skills to independently locate, interpret, evaluate the merits of, and synthesise information in a digital world using an advanced working knowledge of relevant bibliographic software applications. Reflect on, create and ethically share knowledge and information to a variety of audiences to demonstrate the ability to adapt knowledge and skills in diverse contexts.
Critical thinking	Locate and evaluate scientific information from multiple sources and use scientific methods and frameworks to structure and plan observations, experimentation or fieldwork investigations. Use critical and analytical thinking and judgement to analyse, synthesise and generate an integrated knowledge, formulate hypotheses and test them against evidence-based scientific concepts and principles in the field of zoology and animal science.
Problem solving	Use initiative and creativity in planning, identifying and using multiple approaches to recognise, clarify, construct and solutions to real world (authentic) problems in zoology and animal science. Advocate scientific methodologies, hypotheses, laws, facts and principles to create solutions to authentic real world problems in zoology and animal science taking into account relevant contextual factors.
Self-management	Take personal, professional and social responsibility within changing professional science contexts to develop autonomy as learners and evaluate own performance. Work autonomously, responsibly, ethically and safely to solve unstructured problems and actively apply knowledge of regulatory frameworks and scientific methodologies to make informed choices.
Teamwork	Work independently and collaboratively as a team to contribute towards achieving team goals and thereby demonstrate interpersonal skills including the ability to brainstorm, negotiate, resolve conflicts, managing difficult and awkward conversations, provide constructive feedback and work in diverse professional, social and cultural contexts.
Global citizenship	Apply scientific knowledge and skills with a high level of autonomy, judgement, responsibility and accountability in collaboration with others to articulate the place and importance of zoology and animal science in the local and global context.

Approved by Faculty Board 27 June 2019

Course rules

To complete the Bachelor of Zoology and Animal Science, students must attain 24 credit points, which must include the following:

Eighteen (18) core units (18 credit points)
Six (6) credit points of elective units which may comprise of:
- A minor (4 credit points) in either Indigenous Studies or Applied Data Analytics plus 2 credit points of electives (can be chosen from any undergraduate units offered by the University); or
- 6 credit points of electives (can be chosen from any undergraduate units offered by the University)
Completion of STP050 Academic Integrity (0-credit point compulsory unit)
Completion of SLE010 Laboratory and Fieldwork Safety Induction Program (0-credit point compulsory unit)
Completion of STP010 Career Tools for Employability (0-credit point compulsory unit)
No more than 10 credit points at level 1
At least 6 level 3 units

Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.

Minor sequences

Refer to the details of each minor sequence for availability.

Course structure

Core

Level 1 - Trimester 1

STP050

Academic Integrity (0 credit points)

STP010

Career Tools for Employability (0 credit points)

SLE010

Laboratory and Fieldwork Safety Induction Program (0 credit points)

SLE117

Foundations of Zoology

SLE111

Cells and Genes

SLE103

Ecology and the Environment

SLE133

Chemistry in Our World or one elective unit*

*Students must complete at least one Chemistry unit -SLE133 Chemistry in Our World OR SLE155 Chemistry for the Professional Sciences. An elective may be taken in the alternative Trimester.

Level 1 - Trimester 2

SLE132

Biology: Form and Function

SLE123

Physics for the Life Sciences

SLE155

Chemistry for the Professional Sciences ^ or one elective unit*^

plus one elective unit (one credit point)

^Assumed knowledge: SLE133 Chemistry in our World or high achievement in VCE Chemistry 3 and 4 (or equivalent).

*Students must complete at least one Chemistry unit -SLE133 Chemistry in Our World OR SLE155 Chemistry for the Professional Sciences. An elective may be taken in the alternative Trimester.

Level 2 - Trimester 1

SLE204

Animal Diversity

SLE251

Research Methods and Data Analysis ^

SLE238

Marine Biology

plus one elective unit (one credit point)

Level 2 - Trimester 2

SLE205

Vertebrate Structure and Function

SLE254

Genetics and Genomics

SLE224

Animal Behaviour

plus one elective unit (one credit point)

Level 3 - Trimester 1

SLE301

Professional Practice ^

SLE341

Ecological and Conservation Genetics

SLE370

Evolution

SLE397

Sensory Neurobiology and Behaviour

Level 3 - Trimester 2

SLE354

Disease Ecology and Epidemiology

SLE355

Zoological and Wildlife Field Studies

plus two elective units (two credit points)

^ Must have successfully completed STP010 Career Tools for Employability (0-credit point unit)

Electives

Select from the range of elective units offered across many courses, including, in some cases, the option to choose elective units from a completely different field (subject to meeting unit requirements).

It is important to note that some elective units may include compulsory placement, study tours, work-based training or collaborative research training arrangements.

Work experience

The course includes a compulsory professional practice unit that requires you to undertake at least 80 hours of work experience in a course-related host organisation. deakin.edu.au/sebe/wil.

Elective units may also provide additional opportunities for Work Integrated Learning experiences.

Details of minor sequences

Applied data analytics

Campuses

Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Burwood

Unit set code

MN-S000023

Overview

No longer found solely amongst the big tech giants, skilled professionals capable of understanding, analysing and interpreting data to provide meaningful insights that inform business decisions are highly sought after across every industry. This minor sequence provides you with a solid introduction to data and information management, data science concepts, statistics and data analysis. You will also gain insight into the use of geographic information systems and their application in the field of environmental science.

Units

SIT103

Database Fundamentals

SIT112

Data Science Concepts

SIT191

Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis

SLE239 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems [No longer available for enrolment from 2024, alternate unit SLE245]

Indigenous Studies

Unit Set Code

MN-A000074 (minor)

Campuses

Online

Overview

This minor sequence of Indigenous Studies units will build understanding, recognition and validity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander's ways of Valuing, Being, Knowing and Doing. Completing this sequence of study will facilitate a deeper understanding of ourselves and Australia's multiple histories to foster productive and meaningful relationships in culturally diverse communities, especially with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Career Outcomes

Completion of the Minor sequence of Indigenous Studies will enable graduates to respectfully collaborate and work alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their communities. Culturally responsive graduates can apply these skills and practices to a wide range of services, including education, creative industries, and health and community services.

Units

To complete a Minor sequence in Indigenous Studies select four (4) credit points from the below.

Complete 1 unit from:

IND101

Introduction to Aboriginal Studies

IND102

Aboriginal Australian Stories and Songlines

Plus 2 units from:

IND203

Caring for Country

IND204

Australian Aboriginal Holistic Health and Healing

IND205

Global Indigenous Knowledges and Philosophies

Plus 1 unit from:

IND301

Politics of Resistance in Indigenous Australia

IND302

Working Alongside Aboriginal Communities

Other course information

Course duration - additional information

Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as accessing or completing work placements.

Further information

Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.

Contact Student Central

Other learning experiences

To broaden your experience of the world, you will have an opportunity to participate in overseas placements and study tours as an elective option in your course.