Want to make positive changes and help the Third World? The ANU Bachelor of Development Studies is the right degree for you.

ANU is a leader in the field of Development Studies and has established relationships with Australian and international aid and development organisations.

You will gain an inter-disciplinary understanding of theory and practice concerning the processes of development in the Third World, with special competence concerning one or two of four areas: Central Asia and the Middle East, China, Oceania, South and Southeast Asia, together with a solid background in one of the relevant social science disciplines.

Follow in the footsteps of Nobel Prize winner Howard Florey and kick-start your career in medical research with the Bachelor of Medical Science.

You’ll delve into genetics, immunology, nutrition, physiology, microbiology, biochemistry and anatomy to understand how the human body works.

Learn directly from biomedical scientists and health professionals, who are working to develop new cancer vaccines or ground-breaking treatments for autoimmune diseases.

Find out more about medical science, 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.

Employment Opportunities

Graduates have opportunities to work in a broad range of sectors. Some of these include aid agencies, multi-national companies, non-government organisations, government departments and international bodies, such as the United Nations.

Graduates have opportunities to work in a broad range of sectors. Some of these include aid agencies, multi-national companies, non-government organisations, government departments and international bodies, such as the United Nations.

Learning Outcomes

1. identify the theory and principles of development
2. analyse the practice of development through multilateral, bilateral, government and non-government agencies.
3. recall critical development issues in particular regions of the South
4. engage in one of the social science disciplines or a language other than English

Learning outcome Bachelor of Medical Science

Upon completion of this program, graduates will be able to:

• develop, apply, integrate and generate scientific knowledge in educational and professional contexts;
• use a range of skills and methods to identify, analyse and respond to problems and issues;
• convey and relate professional and disciplinary information and ideas to diverse audiences in effective and appropriate ways;
• work in both independent and collaborative ways with others to encompass diverse abilities and perspectives; and
• exercise personal, professional and social responsibility as a global citizen.

Learning outcomes Bachelor of Medical Science Honours Year

Upon completion of this program, graduates will be able to:

• Specific learning outcomes will depend on the nature of the research project. In general, on satisfactory completion of the program students will have the knowledge and skills to:
• Plan and engage in an independent and sustained critical investigation and evaluation of a research topic in the field of biomedical sciences
• Systematically identify relevant theory and concepts in the field of biomedical sciences, relate these to appropriate methodologies and evidence, and draw appropriate conclusions
• Engage in critical review of appropriate and relevant information sources
• Understand and apply principles of laboratory safety and relevant laboratory techniques.
• Communicate concepts and results clearly and effectively both in writing and orally
• Record original data and apply statistical or other evaluation processes to original data when appropriate

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.

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:

• Have an ATAR score of 90 or higher, and

• 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 with a minimum average of 65%, may then apply to transfer to the Bachelor of the Medical Science program.

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.

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 Development Studies flexible 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 include:

A maximum of 24 units from completion of undergraduate introductory courses from the following list:

ANTH1002 Culture and Human Diversity: Introducing Anthropology

ANTH1003 Global Citizen: Culture, Development and Inequality

ASIA1025 Asia and the Pacific: Power, diversity and change

ASIA1030 Asia and the Pacific in Motion

ENVS1003 Introduction to Environmental and Social Research

POLS1005 Introduction to International Relations: Foundations and Concepts

POLS1006 Introduction to International Relations: Contemporary Global Issues

SOCY1002 Self and Society

SOCY1004 Analysing the Social World: An Introduction to Social Psychology

18 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

ANTH2009 Culture and Development

POLS2011 Development and Change

SOCY2030 Sociology of Third World Development

A minimum of 24 units from completion of Development Studies courses from the following list:

ANTH2017 Culture, Social Justice and Aboriginal Society Today

ANTH2026 Medicine, Healing and the Body

ANTH2129 Crossing Borders: Migration, Identity and Livelihood

ANTH2134 States and Citizens: Anthropological Perspectives

ANTH2135 Vietnam Field School

ANTH3014 Indonesia Field School: Contemporary Change in Indonesia

ANTH3017 Indigenous Worlds: Challenges of Emergence, Recognition, and Change

ASIA2067 Economies of Emerging Asia

ASIA2090 Study Tour: The Political Economy of Myanmar

ASIA2516 Indonesia: Politics, Society and Development

BIAN2120 Culture, Biology and Population Dynamics

ECHI2006 The World Economy Since 1800 (P)

ECON2900 Development Poverty and Famine

ENVS2005 Island Sustainable Development: Fiji Field School

ENVS2017 Vietnam Field School

ENVS2023 Sustainable Agricultural Systems

ENVS2025 Indigenous Cultural and Natural Resource Management

ENVS3007 Participatory Resource Management: Working with Communities and Stakeholders

ENVS3033 International Environmental Policy

INDG3001 Public policy development and implementation and Indigenous Australians

MEAS2105 The Political Economy of the Middle East

PASI3001 The Contemporary Pacific: Society, Politics and Development

PASI3005 Pacific Islands Field School

POLS2055 Pacific Politics

POLS2070 Politics in Central Asia

POLS2094 Issues in International Political Economy

POLS2095 Politics in Latin America

POLS2101 Refugee Politics: Displacement and Exclusion in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries

POLS2113 Human Rights

SOCY2022 Environmental Sociology

SOCY2055 Social Inequality in Comparative Perspective

SOCY2162 Sociology of Health and Illness

A minimum of 6 units from completion of advanced-level courses from the following list:

ANTH3014 Indonesia Field School: Contemporary Change in Indonesia

ANTH3017 Indigenous Worlds: Challenges of Emergence, Recognition, and Change

ENVS3007 Participatory Resource Management: Working with Communities and Stakeholders

ENVS3033 International Environmental Policy

INDG3001 Public policy development and implementation and Indigenous Australians

PASI3001 The Contemporary Pacific: Society, Politics and Development

PASI3005 Pacific Islands Field School

Either

24 units from completion of one of the following complementary minors:

Advanced Arabic

Advanced Chinese Language

Advanced French Studies

Advanced German Studies

Advanced Italian Studies

Advanced Japanese Language

Advanced Korean Language

Advanced Persian

Advanced Spanish Studies

Anthropology

Arabic

Burmese Language

Chinese Language

Environmental Studies

French Language and Culture

Geography

German Language and Culture

Hindi Language

Human Ecology

Indonesian Language

Italian Language and Culture

Japanese Language

Korean Language

Mongolian Language

Persian

Political Science

Russian

Sociology

Spanish

Tetum Language

Thai Language

Tok Pisin Language

Vietnamese Language

Or:

24 units from completion of an internship

The Bachelor of Medical Science flexible double degree component requires completion of 96 units, of which:

A maximum of 30 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses

The 96 units must include:

48 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

BIOL1003 Evolution, Ecology & Genetics
BIOL1004 Molecular and Cell Biology
BIOL2142 General Microbiology
BIOL2161 Genes: Replication and Expression
BIOL2171 Biochemistry and Nutrition
BIOL3190 Medical Science in the Workplace
CHEM1101 Chemistry 1
CHEM1201 Chemistry 2

6 units of physiology from completion of courses from the following list:

BIOL3006 Human Physiology
MEDN2001 Medical Physiology and Pharmacology

6 units from completion of courses from the following list:

BIAN3014 Research Design and Analysis in Biological Anthropology
BIOL2001 Introduction to Quantitative Biology
BIOL2202 Experimental Design and Analysis in Biology
ENVS1003 Introduction to Environmental and Social Research
PSYC2009 Quantitative Methods in Psychology

12 units from completion of courses from the following list:

BIOL2117 Cell Biology
BIOL2151 Genetics
BIOL2162 Molecular Gene Technology
BIOL2174 Cell Physiology in Health and Disease

 24 units from completion of courses from the following lists:

A minimum of 12 units of core biomedical courses from the following list:

BIOL3108 Hallmarks of Cancer
BIOL3141 Infection and Immunity
BIOL3142 Parasitology
BIOL3144 Advanced and Applied Immunology
BIOL3186 Human Anatomy
BIOL3204 Genetics of Human Disease 1
BIOL3205 Genetics of Human Disease 2
NEUR3101 Cellular Neuroscience
NEUR3112 Systems Neuroscience

A maximum of 12 units of biomedical electives from the following list:

BIOL3107 Advances in Medical and Plant Biochemistry
BIOL3161 Genomics and its Applications
BIOL3191 Biology, Society and Ethics
BIOL3193 Bacteria and Health: An Ecological and Evolutionary Perspective
BIOL3203 Advanced Microscopy in Biosciences
BIOL3208 Biology Research Project
BIOL3209 Biology Research Project (12u)
POPH3000 Introduction to Population Health

Students must achieve a minimum 65% weighted average mark across all compulsory courses in the Bachelor of Medical Science component undertaken in each period (Summer/First Semester/Autumn and Winter/Second Semester/Spring) in order to continue in the Bachelor of Medical Science.

Students who do not achieve a minimum of 65% weighted average mark will be transferred from the Bachelor of Medical Science double degree to the equivalent Bachelor of Science double degree.

Minors

Bachelor of Development Studies Minors

Study Options