Place yourself at the forefront of innovation with the ANU Bachelor of Biotechnology.
Biotechnology is about applying new technologies to agriculture, food and medicine production, and environmental problems in the context of research, industry and the applied health sciences.
In this cutting-edge degree, you’ll learn the foundations of biology such as molecular and cellular biology, biotechnology and microbiology, as well as contemporary topics such as societal and ethical issues of biotechnology and intellectual property.
Find out more about biotechnology, the degree structure, the university experience, career opportunities and student stories on our website.
Get the inside story on what it’s like to be an ANU student by visiting our student blog.
This program is not available for Semester 2 commencement.
Digital + Material
Innovation + Engagement
Combine cutting-edge digital practices with internationally-renowned art and craft studio disciplines in the Bachelor of Design.
Design students will benefit from deep immersion in digital, manual and theoretical studies and a wide overview of creative practices. From coding, to making, to manufacture, students apply hands-on design to digital and physical materials. Students delve into web design, data visualisation, and interaction design, and experiment in studios to develop expertise in the latest digital form and fabrication processes.
This degree prepares students with transferable knowledge and skills required to make their mark on a rapidly changing world.
Career Options
Graduates from ANU have been rated as Australia's most employable graduates and among the most sought after by employers worldwide.
The latest Global Employability University Ranking, published by the Times Higher Education, rated ANU as Australia's top university for getting a job for the fourth year in a row.
Employment Opportunities
Bachelor of Biotechnology
graduates are sought after by government and industry employers in chemical,
plant and agricultural, and medical biotechnology.
You may also find positions in hospitals, food and pharmaceutical industries, or continue on to a career in research.
See where a Bachelor of Biotechnology could take you: our career wheel will help you turn your interests into a career in science.Bachelor of Biotechnology
graduates are sought after by government and industry employers in chemical,
plant and agricultural, and medical biotechnology.
You may also find positions in hospitals, food and pharmaceutical industries, or continue on to a career in research.
See where a Bachelor of Biotechnology could take you: our career wheel will help you turn your interests into a career in science.Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program Science graduates will be able to:
- understand and evaluate the significance of biotechnological discoveries in educational and professional contexts
- apply a range of technological skills and laboratory techniques to addressing specific problems in the field of biological research;
- use a range of analytical techniques for the interpretation of biological data to address specific hypotheses;
- convey and relate professional and disciplinary information and ideas to diverse audiences in effective and appropriate ways;
- function in public and professional situations as an interpreter of biotechnological information in the public domain;
- exercise personal, professional and social responsibility as a global citizen.
Upon successful completion, students will have the skills and knowledge to:
1. Demonstrate skills and knowledge of the practices, languages, forms, materials and technologies in their relevant discipline.
2. Research, develop and evaluate design concepts and processes by thinking creatively, critically and reflectively.
3. Apply skills and knowledge to the creation, visualisation and production of design projects.
4. Work independently and collaboratively on design projects and respond to project demands.
5. Interpret, communicate and present ideas, problems and arguments in modes suited to a range of audiences.
6. Recognise and reflect on social, cultural technological, environmental and ethical issues of creative practice and design considering local and international perspectives.
Further Information
LAWS3104 will not be offered in 2015 and students in the Bachelor of Biotechnology will be required to take another 3000 level BIOL - coded science course.Want to learn more about the structure of the BSc or wish to map out your degree?
Click here to see a short program presentation video and access the study plan.LAWS3104 will not be offered in 2015 and students in the Bachelor of Biotechnology will be required to take another 3000 level BIOL - coded science course.
Want to learn more about the structure of the BSc or wish to map out your degree?
Click here to see a short program presentation video and access the study plan.
Admission Requirements
Admission to all programs is on a competitive basis. Admission to undergraduate degrees is based on meeting the ATAR requirement or an equivalent rank derived from the following qualifications:
• An Australian year 12 qualification or international equivalent; OR
• A completed Associate Diploma, Associate Degree, AQF Diploma, Diploma, AQF Advanced Diploma, Graduate Certificate or international equivalent; OR
• At least one standard full-time year (1.0 FTE) in a single program of degree level study at an Australian higher education institution or international equivalent; OR
• An approved tertiary preparation course unless subsequent study is undertaken.
Click HERE for further information about domestic admission.
More information about ATAR requirements for individual programs can be found HERE.
The National Register of higher education providers is an authoritative source of information that will help you confirm your institution of choice is registered to deliver higher education in Australia.
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) website is HERE. Based on surveys done by thousands of students across Australia you can find out about universities that interest you, doing side-by-side comparisons.
The table below is a guide to the entry level required for domestic applicants. Exact entry level will be set at time of offer.
- ATAR:
- 80
- QLD Band:
- 10
- International Baccalaureate:
- 28
Domestic applicant entry requirements
Queensland Band equivalents are a guide only - selection is made on an ATAR equivalent that is not available to students.
International applicant entry requirements
International applicants may view further information on admissions requirements at Entry Requirements for International Undergraduate Applicants
The University reserves the right to alter or discontinue its programs as required.
Prerequisites
ACT: Chemistry (Major); NSW: Chemistry or equivalent. More information about interstate subject equivalencies can be found here.
Students who do not meet the chemistry requirement may be admitted into the program via a different pathway. Students who:
- Commence the Bachelor of Science program after completion of the chemistry bridging course available in February through the ANU Research School of Chemistry (or equivalent) and complete CHEM1101 and BIOL1003, may then apply to transfer to the Bachelor of Biotechnology.
Entry into the Bachelor of Design is based on ACT or NSW HSC equivalent and interview and portfolio. Australian and New Zealand applicants apply through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) and international applicants lodge an application directly with ANU. Once an application has been lodged, applicants are required to register for an interview and upload a portfolio on the ANU School of Art & Design website at: soa.anu.edu.au/how-apply/undergraduate-applications.
Adjustment Factors
ANU offers rank adjustments for a number of adjustment factors, including for high achievement in nationally strategic senior secondary subjects and for recognition of difficult circumstances that students face in their studies. Rank adjustments are applied to Bachelor degree applicants with an ATAR at or above 70. Points are awarded in accordance with the approved schedules, and no more than 15 points (maximum 5 subject/performance-based adjustments, maximum 10 equity-based adjustments and maximum 5 Elite Athlete adjustments) will be awarded. Subject and performance-based adjustments do not apply to programs with a minimum selection rank of 98 or higher. Visit the ANU Adjustment Factors website for further information.
Indicative fees
Bachelor of Biotechnology - Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
Bachelor of Design - Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
For more information see: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/costs-fees
- Annual indicative fee for international students
- $40,416.00
Scholarships
ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.
Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are. Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.
For further information see the Scholarships website.
Program Requirements
The Bachelor of Biotechnology double degree component requires completion of 96 units, of which:
A maximum of 36 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses
The 96 units must consist of:
54 units from the completion of the following compulsory courses:
BIOL1003 Evolution, Ecology and Genetics
BIOL1004 Molecular and Cell Biology
BIOL2161 Genes: Replication and Expression
BIOL2162 Molecular Genetic Techniques
BIOL3161 Genomics and its Applications
BIOL3191 Biology, Society and Ethics
CHEM1101 Chemistry 1
CHEM1201 Chemistry 2
CHEM2211 Chemical Biology I
6 units from completion of courses from the following list:
BIAN3014 Research Design and Analysis in Biological Anthropology
BIOL2202 Experimental Design and Analysis in Biology
ENVS1003 Introduction to Environmental and Social Research
PSYC2009 Quantitative Methods in Psychology
STAT1003 Statistical Techniques
STAT1008 Quantitative Research Methods
12 units from completion of courses from the following list:
BIOL2171 Biochemistry and Nutrition
BIOL2142 General Microbiology
CHEM2208 Chemical Biology II
6 units from completion of 3000-level courses from the subject area BIOL Biology
18 units from completion of 3000-level courses from the following subject areas:
BIOL Biology
CHEM Chemistry
NEUR Neuroscience
A maximum of 12 units from completion of 1000-level courses may contribute towards meeting the requirements of two Science majors with common 1000-level course requirements. In such cases, an equal number of units must come from the completion of additional courses from the Science course list.
The Bachelor of Design flexible double degree component requires completion of 96 units, of which:
A maximum of 42 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses
The 96 units must include:
12 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:
DESN1001 Making Online: Context & Presence
DESN1002 Visual Communication: Design and Production
12 units from completion of DESN3010 Design Practice: Engagement, Internship and Entrepreneurship, which must be completed twice with a different topic each time
12 units from completion of foundation courses from the following list:
ARTV1020 Figure & Life
ARTV1021 Image and Object
ARTV1033 Hold Everything: Studio Foundation
DESA1021 Precise Drawing and Model Making
6 units from completion of an introductory art and design history course from the following list:
ARTH1006 Art and Design Histories: Form and Space
ARTH1007 Art and Design Histories: Making and Meaning
A minimum of 6 units from completion of art and design theory courses from the following list:
ARTH2043 Modernism and Postmodernism in Art and Design: 1850-2000
ARTH2162 Cyberculture
ARTH2164 Theories of the Object
ARTH2165 Theories of the Image
ARTH2167 Issues in Contemporary Craft and Design
ARTH2172 Costume, Fashion and Visual Culture
A minimum of 12 units from completion of design courses from the following list:
DESN2002 Foundations of Creative Code
DESN2003 Creative Data Visualisation: Representing Data in Visual and Material Form
DESN2004 Dynamic Design and Generative Systems
DESN2011 Your Practice / Your Brand
DESN2006 Front-End Web: Crafting Online Experience
DESN2001 Digital Form and Fabrication
DESN2005 Form and Fabrication in Context
DESN2007 Design Fiction: Speculative and Critical Design
DESN2008 Design Thinking: Human-Centred Design Methodologies
DESN2009 Typography in Context: digital typographic design
A minimum of 18 units from completion of studio courses from the following list:
ARTV1020 Figure & Life
ARTV1021 Image and Object
ARTV1033 Hold Everything: Studio Foundation
ARTV1101 Ceramics: Materials & Technology
ARTV1102 Ceramics: Throwing & Surface Decoration
ARTV1103 Animation and Video: The Digital Workspace
ARTV1104 Animation and Video: Digital Equipment and Studios
ARTV1201 Furniture: Shape/Structure
ARTV1202 Furniture: Elevate/Surface
ARTV1301 Glass Introduction
ARTV1302 Glass: Processes and Methods
ARTV1401 Gold and Silversmithing: Introduction to Precise Miniature Construction
ARTV1402 Gold and Silversmithing: Movement and Articulated Form
ARTV1501 Painting: Introducing Painting
ARTV1502 Painting: Composition and Space
ARTV1601 Photomedia: Black and White Photography and Camera Skills
ARTV1602 Photomedia: Colour Photography and Digital Skills
ARTV1701 Printmedia and Drawing 1: Introduction to Drawing
ARTV1702 Printmedia and Drawing 2: Relief Printing
ARTV1801 Sculpture: Constructed Form and Space , Through Investigations with Wood and Metal
ARTV1802 Sculpture: Plasticity, Observation and Abstraction Through Figure Modeling and Waste Moulding
ARTV1901 Textiles: Dye and Surface Manipulation
ARTV1902 Textiles: Print and Surface Design
ARTV2038 Workshop Atelier
ARTV2039 Craft and Design Practice-led Research
ARTV2057 Hands On: Material Language
ARTV2117 Ceramics: Glaze & Colour Development
ARTV2118 Ceramics: Kilns & Firing
ARTV2119 Ceramics: Working Large
ARTV2120 Ceramics: Public & Private Commissioning
ARTV2121 Ceramic Making and Surfacing
ARTV2122 Ceramics Exploration of a Thrown Form.
ARTV2124 Ceramics: Surface Decorating & Application
ARTV2125 Ceramics: Design, Process & Mould Making
ARTV2206 Furniture: Bend/Curve
ARTV2207 Furniture: Support/Body
ARTV2208 Furniture: Hold / Contain
ARTV2209 Furniture: Collect/Display
ARTV2313 Glass: Kiln Casting
ARTV2314 Glass: Blowing and Finishing Techniques in context
ARTV2315 Glass: Kiln Forming
ARTV2316 Glass: Advanced Hot and Cold Glass Working Process
ARTV2406 Gold and Silversmithing: Forging Flatware
ARTV2407 Gold and Silversmithing: Utility as Context
ARTV2408 Gold and Silversmithing: Vessel Construction
ARTV2409 Gold and Silversmithing: Experimenting with Process
ARTV2505 Painting: Focus on the Figure
ARTV2506 Painting: Approaches to Abstraction
ARTV2507 Painting: Painting in the Photo Digital Age
ARTV2508 Painting: Taking Your Own Direction
ARTV2509 Painting: Approaches to Composition and Colour
ARTV2511 Painting: Concepts, Materials, Processes
ARTV2605 Photomedia: Medium Format Photography and the Fine Print
ARTV2606 Photomedia: Digital Photography and Studio Lighting
ARTV2607 Photomedia: Large Format Photography
ARTV2608 Photomedia: Experimental Processes
ARTV2609 Animation and Video: Video Camera and Storyboarding
ARTV2610 Animation and Video: 3D Animation and Character Development
ARTV2611 Photography: Creative Possibilities
ARTV2613 Animation and Video: Video Production
ARTV2614 Animation and Video: 3D and 2D Animation
ARTV2615 Animation: Creative Possibilities
ARTV2617 Video: Creative Possibilities
ARTV2705 Printmedia and Drawing: Introduction to Etching
ARTV2706 Printmedia and Drawing: Experimental Drawing
ARTV2707 Printmedia and Drawing: Advanced Etching/Relief
ARTV2708 Printmedia and Drawing: Project Drawing
ARTV2715 Printmedia and Drawing: Typography
ARTV2717 Printmedia and Drawing: Book Design
ARTV2721 Printmedia and Drawing: Drawing (General)
ARTV2723 Printmedia and Drawing: Screen Printing
ARTV2725 Printmedia and Drawing: Etching
ARTV2727 Printmedia and Drawing: Lithography
ARTV2729 Printmedia and Drawing: Life Drawing
ARTV2806 Sculpture: Bricolage Through Collecting, Collating and Construction with Found Materials
ARTV2807 Sculpture: Space and Reproduction Through Mould Making and Surface Replication
ARTV2808 Sculpture: Space and Shape Investigations with Soft Sculpture, Pattern Making and Armature
ARTV2809 Sculpture: Material Integration and Context Through Mixed Media and Advanced Processes
ARTV2813 Sculpture Reproduction and Simulacra Through Casting and Finishing Bronze
ARTV2814 Sculpture Advanced Methods Through Installation and Site Considerations
ARTV2815 Sculpture: Temporal Studies, making time in space
ARTV2818 Sculpture Advanced Construction
ARTV2819 Vision and Perception
ARTV2906 Textiles: Approaches to Drawing for Craft and Design
ARTV2907 Textiles: Embroidery and Hand Stitch
ARTV2908 Textiles: Constructed Textiles
ARTV2909 Textiles: Maker to Market
ARTV2911 Textiles: Experimental Practices
ARTV2921 Environment Studio 1
ARTV2922 Environment Studio 2
DESA1021 Precise Drawing and Model Making
DESA2017 Multiples and Production: The Unique Offering
DESA2018 Multiples and Production: Entrepreneurship for Designers
Unless otherwise stated, a course used to satisfy the requirements of one list may not be double counted towards satisfying the requirements of another list.
Specialisations
Bachelor of Biotechnology Specialisations
Study Options
Year 1 | BIOL1003 Biology 1: Evolution, Ecology and Genetics 6 units | CHEM1101 Chemistry 1 6 units | ||
BIOL1004 Biology 2: Molecular and Cell Biology 6 units | CHEM1201 Chemistry 2 6 units | |||
Year 2 | BIOL2161 Genes: Replication and Expression 6 units | CHEM2211 Chemical Biology 1 6 units | ||
BIOL2162 Molecular Gene Technology 6 units | B.Biotech elective from list 6 units | |||
Year 3 | BIOL3161 Genomics and its Applications 6 units | B.Biotech elective from list 6 units | ||
BIOL3191 Biology, Society and Ethics 6 units | B.Biotech elective from list 6 units | |||
Year 4 | 3000 level BIOL course 6 units | 3000 level BIOL/ CHEM/ NEUR course 6 units | ||
3000 level BIOL/ CHEM/ NEUR course 6 units | 3000 level BIOL/ CHEM/ NEUR course 6 units |
Honours
Students who attain a sufficient standard in the pass degree may be admitted to the Honours year to become candidates for the degree with honours. See the Honours Degree listed in the [Bachelor of Science].
Back to the Bachelor of Biotechnology page
Algal biofuels,
drought resistant crops and bionic eyes may sound like things of the distant
future, but these are just some of the projects our biotechnologists are
working on today.
Biotechnology is a fast moving field where scientists use living organisms and
their products, to solve real world problems facing modern society. This
exciting field has broad applications in medicine, biology, agriculture, manufacturing,
renewable energy and engineering.
You will learn the foundations of biology, from genes through to ecology, while
examining important questions about ethics and intellectual property.
An ANU Bachelor of Biotechnology gives you the knowledge to develop the fuel
sources, foods and medical treatments of the future, while teaching you to
think ethically about how they will change our society.
This program is not available for Semester 2 commencement.
The Bachelor of
Biotechnology can also be taken as a part of many double degrees.
Single degree
- This degree requires 144 units
- A maximum of 60 units of 1000 level courses
- A minimum of 36 units 3000 level Science courses
- Other courses from the Science course list or another ANU College (48 units maximum non-science courses allowed)
Double degree
- This degree requires 96 units Science courses
- A maximum of 36 units of 1000 level Science courses
- A minimum of 36 units 3000 level Science courses
- Other courses from the Science course list
About this degree
Single degree
In a Bachelor of Biotechnology single degree program you will study a total of 144 units. Typically you will take 4 courses per semester (total of 24 units) as a full time student giving you a total of 24 courses across your whole degree.
You will need to complete a minimum of 16 science courses (96 units) but will also get to choose eight courses (48 units) from other ANU Colleges. You can try a range of courses or take a major or minor in a non-Science subject, such as history or marketing. The choice is yours.
Double degree
In a Bachelor of Biotechnology double degree program you will study a total of 96 units. Typically you will take 4 courses per semester (total of 24 units) as a full time student giving you a total of 16 courses across your whole degree. However, for each semester you are likely to take 2 courses from your Biotechnology degree and then 2 courses from the other half of your double degree – still a total of 4 courses a semester.
Enrolment Status
It is possible to enrol in fewer courses per semester but it will take you longer to finish your program and get your degree. If you are an international student you must always be enrolled full-time in 24 units each semester.
- You need to enrol in courses for both First Semester and Second Semester.
- You can’t study more than four courses (24 units) per semester, eight for the year.
- You may take
1000-level courses later in your program.
But remember you can’t count more than ten 1000-level courses (60 units)
towards your single degree or six 1000-level courses (36 units) towards your
Biotechnology half of the double degree.
Electives
Remember you can choose up to 8
courses from another ANU College if you are undertaking the single Bachelor of
Biotechnology program.
Study Options
Bachelor of Biotechnology - single degree
This is a typical study pattern for the first year of a student undertaking a Bachelor of Biotechnology.Study Options
Year 1 48 units | CHEM1101 Chemistry 1 6 units | BIOL1003 Biology 1: Evolution, Ecology and Genetics 6 units | Science or non-science course 6 units | Science or non-science course 6 units |
CHEM1201 Chemistry 2 6 units | BIOL1004 Biology 2: Molecular and Cell Biology 6 units | Science or non-science course 6 units | Science or non-science course 6 units |
Bachelor of Biotechnology - double degree
This is a typical study pattern for the first year of a student undertaking a Bachelor of Biotechnology with another three year degree, such as the Bachelor of Arts. Please note that for some double degrees (e.g. with Bachelor of Engineering) you may only be able to take one course in semester 1 for your science degree. In these circumstances it is recommended that in your first year you take CHEM1101, CHEM1201 and BIOL1004. You can then take BIOL1003 in your second year of study.Study Options
Year 1 48 units | CHEM1101 Chemistry 1 6 units | BIOL1003 Biology 1: Evolution, Ecology and Genetics 6 units | Degree B Course 6 units | Degree B Course 6 units |
CHEM1201 Chemistry 2 6 units | BIOL1004 Biology 2: Molecular and Cell Biology 6 units | Degree B Course 6 units | Degree B Course 6 units |
Academic Advice
For further information, you can:
- Visit the Research School of Biology webpage here, or
- Download the Science first year course guide available here, or
- View our program presentation videos located on our New commencers & first year students page, or
- Email us at science.enquiries@anu.edu.au, or
- Come and talk to someone face-to-face. You can make an appointment with an academic advisor here or by calling Science Central on 6125 2809