• Length 4 years full-time
  • Minimum 192 Units
Admission requirements
  • Academic plan BBIOT / BDESN
  • CRICOS code 079093D
  • UAC code 120010

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

At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry.


In line with the university's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors.

ATAR:
80
QLD Band:
10
International Baccalaureate:
29

Domestic applicants

→ School leavers will be assessed on:
• the minimum Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) requirement or equivalent for this program,
• the co-curricular or service requirement, and
• any program specific requirements that are listed below.

→ Non school leavers:
a) will be assessed on:
• the minimum Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) requirement or equivalent for this program,
b) Non school leavers who:
• complete a recognised Australian (or equivalent) post-secondary qualification, or
• complete one standard full-time year (1.0 FTE) of an Australian (or equivalent) degree qualification, or
• complete an approved tertiary preparation course/program without undertaking any further study,
will be assessed on the basis of an equivalent selection rank that is calculated upon application. Non school leavers must also meet any program specific requirements that are listed below.

 

International applicants

Applicants who complete a recognised secondary/senior secondary/post-secondary/tertiary sequence of study will be assessed on the basis of an equivalent selection rank that is calculated upon application. A list of commonly observed international qualifications and corresponding admission requirements can be found here. Applicants must also meet any program specific requirements that are listed below.

Diversity factors & English language proficiency  
As Australia's national university, ANU is global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe. If required, competitive ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency.

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. Please note that Adjustment Factors vary and do not apply to a select few programs,  please visit the ANU Adjustment Factors website for further information.

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
$46,080.00

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

This double degree requires the completion of 192 units.

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:

DESN1002 Visual Communication: Design and Production
DESN1003 Contemporary Design in Context

12 units from completion of DESN3010 Design Practice: Engagement, Internship and Entrepreneurship, which must be completed twice with a different topic each time

A minimum of 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

12 units from completion of theory courses from the following list:

ANTH2005 Traditional Australian Indigenous Cultures, Societies and Environment
ARTH1006 Art and Design Histories: Form and Space
ARTH1007 Art and Design Histories: Making and Meaning
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
ENVS1001 Environment and Society: Geography of Sustainability
ENVS1008 Sustainable Development
GEND1001 Sex, Gender and Identity: An Introduction to Gender Studies
GEND1002 Reading Popular Culture: An Introduction to Cultural Studies
GEND2023 Gender, Sex and Sexuality: An Introduction to Feminist Theory
HUMN1001 Digital Culture: Being Human in the Information Age
HUMN2001 Digital Humanities: Theories and Projects
INDG1001 Indigenous Peoples, Populations and Communities
PHIL1004    Fundamental Ideas in Philosophy: An Introduction
PHIL1005    Logic and Critical Thinking
PHIL1007    What is Humanity?
PHIL1008    Introduction to Ethics
PSYC1003 Psychology 1: Understanding Mind, Brain and Behaviour
PSYC1004 Psychology 2: Understanding People in Context
SOCY1002 Self and Society
SOCY1004 Analysing the Social World: An Introduction to Social Psychology

A minimum of 12 units from completion of design courses from the following list:

DESN1001 Making Online: Context & Presence
DESN2002 Foundations of Creative Code
DESN2003 Creative Data Visualisation: Representing Data in Visual and Material Form
DESN2004 Dynamic Design and Generative Systems
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
DESN2012 The Ethics of Making: Design for Reuse and Repair

A minimum of 18 units from completion of studio courses from the following list:

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
ARTV1403 Jewellery & Object: Introduction to Precise Miniature Construction
ARTV1404 Jewellery & Object: Maker, Wearer, Viewer, User
ARTV1501 Painting: Introducing Painting
ARTV1502 Painting: Composition and Space
ARTV1601 Photomedia: Foundations of photography, printing and camera skills
ARTV1602 Photomedia: Colour Photography and Digital Skills
ARTV1803 Sculpture: Introduction to Conceptual Practices and Construction Methods (Metal)
ARTV1804 Sculpture: Introduction to Temporal Practices and Construction Methods (Wood)
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
ARTV2060 Contexts of Making: Globalisation and Change
ARTV2061 Contexts of Making: Materiality and Value
ARTV2117 Ceramics: Glaze & Colour Development
ARTV2119 Ceramics: Experimental Methods and Meanings
ARTV2120 Ceramics: Designing for the Table and Home
ARTV2124 Ceramics: Surface, Form and Connectivity
ARTV2125 Ceramics: Moulding, Casting & Digital Technologies
ARTV2206 Furniture: Bend/Curve
ARTV2207 Furniture: Support/Body
ARTV2208 Furniture: Contain/Display
ARTV2209 Furniture: Collect/Treasure
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
ARTV2401 Jewellery & Object: Making with machines
ARTV2402 Jewellery & Object: Utility as Context
ARTV2410 Jewellery & Object: Experimenting with process
ARTV2421 Jewellery & Object: Hollow Construction
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: Advanced Principles in Exposure and Printing
ARTV2606 Photomedia: Digital Photography and Studio Lighting
ARTV2607 Photomedia: Large Format Photography
ARTV2608 Photomedia: Experimental Processes
ARTV2609 Animation and Video: Visual Storytelling
ARTV2610 Animation and Video: Character development
ARTV2613 Animation and Video: Landscape and Environment
ARTV2614 Animation and Video: Non-linear Forms
ARTV2615 Animation: Creative Possibilities
ARTV2617 Video: Creative Possibilities
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
ARTV2723 Printmedia and Drawing: Screen Printing
ARTV2727 Printmedia and Drawing: Lithography
ARTV2808 Sculpture: Space and Shape Investigations with Soft Sculpture, Pattern Making and Armature
ARTV2801 Socially Engaged Art Practice: Authorship, Dialogue and Community
ARTV2802 Politics of Memory: Video Installation, Sculpture, Documentary and Monuments
ARTV2810 Politics of Bodies: Sculpture, Figure Modelling, Performance and Choreography
ARTV2820 Politics of Spaces: Installation, Sculpture and Spatial Practice
ARTV2821 Posthuman Sculpture Practice with Active Materials: Bronze Casting, 3D Modelling and Bio Art
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: field based research and studio practice in visual arts

 

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.

For Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)/Bachelor of Design
12 units from completion of courses from the following list required for the Bachelor of Design contribute towards the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) component of this double degree:

DESN2005 Form and Fabrication in Context
DESN2008 Design Thinking: Human-Centred Design Methodologies

 

Minors

Bachelor of Design Minors

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 30 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 30 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.

      Important things to keep in mind when choosing your 1000-level courses

      There are 4 compulsory 1000 level Science courses you must take in your first year:

      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

      Do you want to talk to someone before enrolling?

      Contact Science Enquiries at science.enquiries@anu.edu.au

      Back to the top

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