Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Animal Behaviour)

To be read in conjunction with the program of study requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Specialisations). 

The Animal Behaviour (Honours) specialisation requires four years of full-time study (or the equivalent part-time). The specialisation is offered by the College of Science and Engineering.

Students who commenced prior to 2021 should refer to the previous course rule.

• Admission requirements
• Course aims
• Learning outcomes
• Program of study
• Combined degrees

Admission requirements

The minimum requirements for consideration for entry to all undergraduate courses are specified in detail in the University Entry Requirements.

Course aims

The program of study aims to provide students with a broad-based foundation in animal behaviour. The program will examine animal behaviour in captive and wild animals, and will promote an understanding of the role of animal behaviour for assessing animal welfare, survival, and evolution. The program also aims to develop a range of transferable research, analytical and communication skills including the capacity to:

• understand and apply relevant scientific principles in the area of animal behaviour
• retrieve and present information about animal behaviour effectively, communicate clearly with a variety of audiences in written and spoken forms
• critically analyse and evaluate information relevant to animal behaviour
• appreciate the multidisciplinary aspect of studies in animal behaviour and engage positively with people and ideas beyond the discipline
• work cooperatively and productively within a team
• work independently and take responsibility for updating and adapting their knowledge and skills
• appreciate the societal and ethical contexts of conservation biology, animal behaviour, and animal welfare issues.

The Honours year provides students with advanced skills that are required for planning, funding and carrying out research projects in a specific area. It also aims to develop a range of transferable research, analytical and communication skills including the capacity to:

• understand and apply relevant scientific principles
• retrieve and present information, including communicate effectively with a variety of audiences in written and spoken forms
• critically analyse and evaluate information and solve problems
• analyse and evaluate data, appreciate the multidisciplinary aspect of the science disciplines and engage positively with people and ideas beyond their own discipline
• use information technology, work independently and take responsibility for updating and adapting their knowledge and skills
• appreciate the role of science in society, the regulatory framework within which it operates and the ethical issues it raises

The program provides the foundations that will underpin ongoing professional development, preparing graduates for further study in biology or another science or non-science related discipline or for a career in a biology related field or in other areas where the range of skills and knowledge acquired is needed or desirable. 

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, students will be able to:

• demonstrate knowledge of and critically apply theories, subject content, professional methodologies and research procedures relevant to animal behaviour; for example focal sampling method, ethogram analysis, and experimental design
• understand and describe the processes through which current knowledge about the disciplines of animal behaviour, evolution, and sociobiology were developed
• analyse and critically evaluate ideas/information/data and apply relevant scientific principles to solve problems by, for example, creating hypotheses, testing theories and predictions, designing and carrying out experiments and analysing reported data
• design and carry out experiments using appropriate techniques, protocols and appreciation of ethics
• communicate their findings to lay, general scientific and specialised scientific audiences in written and spoken form
• appreciate that animal behaviour science is multidisciplinary and has connections to other science and non-science disciplines
• work and learn independently and appreciate the need for continuing professional development
• interact effectively as part of a team in order to achieve common goals.

In addition, graduates of the Honours year are expected to be able to:

• critically analyse the scientific literature and use this as a basis for planning research projects
• understand how scientific research is funded
• formulate hypothesises and design appropriate experiments to test them
• use appropriate methods, techniques, equipment and instrumentation to ethically collect scientific data
• use appropriate statistical methods to analyse scientific data
• communicate their findings to a variety of audiences in written and spoken form.

Program of study

To qualify for the Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Animal Behaviour) a student must complete 144 units, with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the study detailed below.

No more than 45 units of First Year level topics may be included in the 144 units for the degree. Topics designated 'any year' or with no year level specified are regarded as First Year level topics.

Elective topics to complete 144 units may be selected from any offered within the University or, with approval from the College of Science and Engineering, from outside the University, provided any course and prerequisite requirements are met.

Not all topics are necessarily available in a given year.

Upon completion of at least 103.5 units and with a GPA of 5 or more in the last 36 units of study, students may commence the Fourth Year Honours program. Students who do not meet the GPA requirement will exit with the Bachelor of Science (Animal Behaviour) on completion of 108 units.

Students who have completed 108 units according to the first three years of the program may choose to exit with the Bachelor of Science (Animal Behaviour).

Specialisation - Animal Behaviour - Year 1 topics

Core - Year 1 Topics

36 units comprising:

 BIOL1101  Evolution of Biological Diversity  (4.5 units)
 BIOL1102  Molecular Basis of Life  (4.5 units)
 BIOL1711  Introduction to Animal Behaviour  (4.5 units)
 STEM1001  Nature of STEM (4.5 units)
 STAT1122  Biostatistics  (4.5 units)

Option - Year 1 Topics

Plus one of:

 CHEM1101  Chemical Structure and Bonding  (4.5 units)
 CHEM1201  General Chemistry  (4.5 units)

Elective - Year 1 topics

9 units of elective topics^ from across the University where entry requirements are met

Specialisation - Animal Behaviour - Year 2 topics

36 units comprising:

Core - Year 2 Topics

 BIOL2701  Experimental Design and Statistics for Biology  (4.5 units)
 BIOL2702  Genetics, Evolution and Biodiversity  (4.5 units)
 BIOL2711  Ecology  (4.5 units)
 BIOL2712  Animal Diversity  (4.5 units)
 BIOL2721  Foundations of Animal Behaviour  (4.5 units)
 BIOL2722  Disease and Immunology  (4.5 units)

Elective - Year 2 topics

Plus 9 units of elective topics^ from across the University where entry requirements are met.

Specialisation - Animal Behaviour - Year 3 topics

36 units comprising:

Core - Year 3 Topics

 BIOL3701  Restoration Ecology  (4.5 units)
 BIOL3702  Marine and Freshwater Biology  (4.5 units)
 BIOL3711  Plant Biology  (4.5 units)
 BIOL3712  Integrative Physiology of Animals and Plants  (4.5 units)
 BIOL3721  Research in Animal Behaviour  (4.5 units)
 BIOL3722  Conservation and Ecological Genetics  (4.5 units)

Elective - Year 3 topics

Plus 9 units of elective topics#^ from across the University where entry requirements are met.

# Students are encouraged to enrol in STEM3001 Science Connect (4.5 units) as a third year elective.

Specialisation - Animal Behaviour - Year 4 topics

36 units comprising#:

Core - Year 4 Topics

  BIOL7710  Honours Critical Readings  (4.5 units)
  BIOL7720  Honours Statistics and Research Design  (4.5 units)
  STEM7001  Research Methods for Honours  (4.5 units)
  STEM7000A  Honours Research Project in STEM  (4.5/22.5 units)
  STEM7000B  Honours Research Project in STEM  (4.5/22.5 units)
  STEM7000C  Honours Research Project in STEM  (4.5/22.5 units)
  STEM7000D  Honours Research Project in STEM  (4.5/22.5 units)
  STEM7000E  Honours Research Project in STEM  (4.5/22.5 units)

# With the permission of the Course Coordinator a 7xxx level topic that is appropriate to the student’s program may be substituted.

^Specialisation - Animal Behaviour - Recommended Electives

While students are able to select elective units from anywhere across the University, these are recommended electives.

 BIOD1102  Introduction to Biodiversity and Conservation  (4.5 units)
 BIOD2701  Biodiversity and Conservation  (4.5 units)
 BIOL1112  Biology and Society  (4.5 units)
 BIOL1301  Introduction to Marine Biology  (4.5 units)
 BIOL3703  Vertebrate Palaeontology  (4.5 units)
 CHEM1202  Chemistry for the Life Sciences  (4.5 units)
 EASC1101  Earth and Environmental Sciences  (4.5 units)
 EASC1102  Marine Sciences  (4.5 units)
 PSYC1101  Psychology 1A  (4.5 units)
 PSYC1102  Psychology 1B  (4.5 units)
 SCME1000  Film Form and Analysis  (4.5 units)
 SCME2001  Television: History and Theory  (4.5 units)
 STEM1002  Introduction to Geographical Information Systems  (4.5 units)
 STEM1003  GIS Airborne and Ground Data Capture for all Disciplines  (4.5 units)
 STEM3003  Modelling in Space and Time, Geostatistics and GIS  (4.5 units)
 STEM3100  Research Project in Science  (4.5 units)
 SCME2102  Sex and Gender  (4.5 units)
 TOUR1101 Introduction to Tourism Studies  (4.5 units)
 TOUR1102 Interpretation for Tourism  (4.5 units)
 TOUR1103 Introduction to Events  (4.5 units)
 WMST2016  Indigenous Women’s Voices: Race, Gender and Colonialism  (4.5 units)
 WMST2017  Gender, Globalisation and International Development (4.5 units)

Combined degrees

The Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Animal Behaviour) may also be studied in a combined degree program with another Bachelor degree in the College of Science and Engineering where the combination meets the requirements of the credit transfer policy.