Explore the complex and fascinating world of genetics and unravel the mysteries of DNA with the ANU Bachelor of Genetics.

You’ll learn how genes hold our hereditary information, study classical genetics, molecular genetics, population genetics, and bioinformatics. You can even follow interests in areas as diverse as plant genetics, evolutionary genetics or medicine and health.

Studying at ANU means you’ll be exposed to ground-breaking research being undertaken by our academics in active research laboratories at the Research School of Biology and the John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australia’s national medical research institute.

Find out more about genetics, 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.

Are you interested in understanding political systems in Australia and in other parts of the world? Do you want to find out what drives citizens’ political attitudes and behaviour, and how these affect policy outcomes? The Bachelor of Political Science is the only dedicated political science degree in Australia. In it, students:

• study the identities, values and norms that underpin citizens' attitudes, drive political behaviour, and contribute to policy outcomes;
• examine and compare the institutions and political systems of Australia and other countries;
• acquire and apply a broad range of analytical skills that are highly sought after in today’s job market.

Located in the nation's capital, ANU enables students to be in the hub of Australian politics while they study politics. Internships, including in Parliament House, give students the opportunity to see see and experience policymaking firsthand.

Employment Opportunities

As a graduate of the Bachelor of Genetics, you can forge a career in medical and agricultural research institutes, hospitals, government departments, schools and universities, patent firms, genetic counselling services, forensics laboratories, and biotechnology companies.

See where a Bachelor of Genetics could take you: our career wheel will help you turn your interests into a career in science.

As a graduate of the Bachelor of Genetics, you can forge a career in medical and agricultural research institutes, hospitals, government departments, schools and universities, patent firms, genetic counselling services, forensics laboratories, and biotechnology companies.

See where a Bachelor of Genetics could take you: our career wheel will help you turn your interests into a career in science.

Learning Outcomes

1. understand and evaluate the significance of genetic information and discoveries in educational and professional contexts;
2. apply a range of skills and laboratory genetic techniques to addressing specific problems in the field of genetic research;
3. use a range of analytical techniques for the interpretation of genetic data to address specific hypotheses;
4. convey and relate professional and disciplinary information and ideas to diverse audiences in effective and appropriate ways;
5. demonstrate the application of genetics to real life, professional and societal contexts.

1. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the key areas of interest to political scientists, including citizen ideas/interests/attitudes/behaviour, policy actors and outcomes, and political/social/legal institutions;
2. apply political science theories and concepts to the key areas of interest to political science;
3. demonstrate knowledge of a specific region/historical era of relevance to political science; apply political science theories and concepts to that region/era; reflect critically on the theories'/concepts' utility and explanatory power;
4. apply analytical tools from political science and other social sciences to the evaluation of political phenomena across of a variety of issue-areas that are relevant toscholars and policymakers; and
5. communicate and debate both orally and in writing, and work with others, using a wide variety of media.

Further Information

What courses should you take in your first year of study?

• BIOL1003 Evolution, Ecology and Genetics (6 units)
• BIOL1004 Molecular and Cell Biology (6 units)
• CHEM1101 Chemistry 1 (6 units)

Additional advice:

• For students taking BIOL3023, BIOL3208 or BIOL3209 as part of this program, the research project must be in the field of genetics.
• Students seeking to take BIOL3194 should note this course has an enrolment limit. Please refer to the "Other Information" in the course entry in P&C.

How can I satisfy the Transdisciplinary Problem-Solving course requirements?

• Transdisciplinary Problem-Solving courses can be found using the Programs and Courses search engine.
• In this program, BIOL3178 is identified as a Transdisciplinary Problem-Solving course
• Many majors offered by the College of Science (not required for the Bachelor of Genetics may identify in the "Advice for students" section which courses listed in the major will contribute towards this requirement. This might also be of assistance in identifying courses.

Internship opportunities

Students interested in incorporating an internship into their degree can find out more from the College of Science website.

How can I get a study plan to help me map out my degree?

Want to learn more about the structure of the Bachelor of Biotechnology or wish to map out your degree? Click here to access the study plan.

Vertical Double Degree pathway UGRD-PGRD (not available in FDD)

• This program is part of the Vertical Double Degree pathway structure offered by the College of Science and the College of Health and Medicine. The Vertical Double Degree pathway presents students with the opportunity to complete a 3-year undergraduate single degree offered by the ANU College of Science or the College of Health and Medicine with a cognate 2-year Masters degree in 4 years (full-time) instead of 5 years (full-time). For more information on applicable combinations, benefits and how to apply, eligibility and conditions, please visit https://science.anu.edu.au/vertical-double-degrees or https://health.anu.edu.au/vertical-double-degrees
• Students who are interested in pursuing a Vertical Double Degree pathway with this program, are advised to contact the College of Science Student Services Office at students.cos@anu.edu.au and seek academic advice. Students who are already in an undergraduate degree offered by the College of Science or College of Health & Medicine should seek academic advice before completion of the first 72 units of their undergraduate studies.
• This pathway is not available to students in an undergraduate Flexible Double Degree.

Progression hurdle:

• Students in the Bachelor of Biotechnology who have opted for the Vertical Double Degree pathway must achieve a minimum GPA of 5.0 in the first 96 units attempted to commence the 24 units of Masters courses in their Bachelor degree. Students who do not achieve this GPA will be able to complete and graduate from their Bachelor degree but will not be able to undertake Masters courses.
• If the total number of units attempted exceeds 96 in the same teaching period in which the 96th unit is attempted, all courses attempted will be used in the calculation of the GPA.

Academic or enrolment advice:

If in doubt, please seek further advice from the academic contact for this program (details above), or the College of Science Student Services Team (students.cos@anu.edu.au).

What courses should you take in your first year of study?

• BIOL1003 Evolution, Ecology and Genetics (6 units)
• BIOL1004 Molecular and Cell Biology (6 units)
• CHEM1101 Chemistry 1 (6 units)

Additional advice:

• For students taking BIOL3023, BIOL3208 or BIOL3209 as part of this program, the research project must be in the field of genetics.
• Students seeking to take BIOL3194 should note this course has an enrolment limit. Please refer to the "Other Information" in the course entry in P&C.

How can I satisfy the Transdisciplinary Problem-Solving course requirements?

• Transdisciplinary Problem-Solving courses can be found using the Programs and Courses search engine.
• In this program, BIOL3178 is identified as a Transdisciplinary Problem-Solving course
• Many majors offered by the College of Science (not required for the Bachelor of Genetics may identify in the "Advice for students" section which courses listed in the major will contribute towards this requirement. This might also be of assistance in identifying courses.

Internship opportunities

Students interested in incorporating an internship into their degree can find out more from the College of Science website.

How can I get a study plan to help me map out my degree?

Want to learn more about the structure of the Bachelor of Biotechnology or wish to map out your degree? Click here to access the study plan.

Vertical Double Degree pathway UGRD-PGRD (not available in FDD)

• This program is part of the Vertical Double Degree pathway structure offered by the College of Science and the College of Health and Medicine. The Vertical Double Degree pathway presents students with the opportunity to complete a 3-year undergraduate single degree offered by the ANU College of Science or the College of Health and Medicine with a cognate 2-year Masters degree in 4 years (full-time) instead of 5 years (full-time). For more information on applicable combinations, benefits and how to apply, eligibility and conditions, please visit https://science.anu.edu.au/vertical-double-degrees or https://health.anu.edu.au/vertical-double-degrees
• Students who are interested in pursuing a Vertical Double Degree pathway with this program, are advised to contact the College of Science Student Services Office at students.cos@anu.edu.au and seek academic advice. Students who are already in an undergraduate degree offered by the College of Science or College of Health & Medicine should seek academic advice before completion of the first 72 units of their undergraduate studies.
• This pathway is not available to students in an undergraduate Flexible Double Degree.

Progression hurdle:

• Students in the Bachelor of Biotechnology who have opted for the Vertical Double Degree pathway must achieve a minimum GPA of 5.0 in the first 96 units attempted to commence the 24 units of Masters courses in their Bachelor degree. Students who do not achieve this GPA will be able to complete and graduate from their Bachelor degree but will not be able to undertake Masters courses.
• If the total number of units attempted exceeds 96 in the same teaching period in which the 96th unit is attempted, all courses attempted will be used in the calculation of the GPA.

Academic or enrolment advice:

If in doubt, please seek further advice from the academic contact for this program (details above), or the College of Science Student Services Team (students.cos@anu.edu.au).

Admission Requirements

Prerequisites

ACT: Chemistry (Major)

NSW: Chemistry or equivalent

VIC: Chemistry

QLD: Chemistry

TAS: Chemistry

SA / NT: Chemistry

WA: Chemistry

IB: Chemistry SL or HL

• More information about interstate subject equivalencies can be found here .
• Students who do not meet the chemistry requirement are advised to seek academic advice by contacting students.cos@anu.edu.au. A Chemistry bridging course is available in February through the ANU Research School of Chemistry - contact rsc.teaching@anu.edu.au for more information.

Adjustment Factors

Adjustment factors are combined with an applicant's secondary education results to determine their Selection Rank. ANU offers adjustment factors based on equity, diversity, and/or performance principles, such as for recognition of difficult circumstances that students face in their studies.

To be eligible for adjustment factors, you must have:

• achieved a Selection Rank of 70 or more before adjustment factors are applied
• if you have undertaken higher education, completed less than one year full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) of a higher education program
• applied for an eligible ANU bachelor degree program

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 Genetics 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:

42 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

BIOL1003 Biology 1: Evolution, Ecology & Genetics (6 units)

BIOL1004 Biology 2: Molecular & Cell Biology (6 units)

BIOL2151 Genetics (6 units)

BIOL2161 Genes: Replication and Expression (6 units)

BIOL3161 Genomics & its Applications (6 units)

BIOL3204 Genetics of Human Disease 1 (6 units)

CHEM1101 Chemistry 1 (6 units)

6 units from completion of a Quantitative Skills course from the following list:

BIOL2001 Introduction to Quantitative Biology (6 units)

BIOL2202 Experimental Design and Analysis in Biology (6 units)

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

BIOL3191 Bioethics and Society (6 units)

BIOL3194 Biological Science in the Work Place (6 units)

A minimum of 30 units from completion of courses from from the following lists, which must include a minimum of 12 units from 3000-level courses:

BIAN3113 Human Evolution (6 units)

BIOL1009 Diversity of Life (6 units)

BIOL2114 Evolution (6 units)

BIOL3002 Plants: Genes and the Environment (6 units)

BIOL3109 Developmental Biology (6 units)

BIOL3157 Bioinformatics and Its Applications (6 units)

BIOL3178 Recovering Threatened Species and Ecosystems (6 units)

BIOL3205 Genetics of Human Disease 2 (6 units)

BIOL3206 Evolution of Biodiversity (6 units)

BIOL3207 Data Science for Biologists (6 units)

 BIOL3213 Australian Wildlife (6 units)

COMP1730 Programming for Scientists (6 units)

A maximum of 12 units from completion of research project/topics courses from the following list, in which the project/topic must be in the field of Genetics:

BIOL3023 Special Topics in Biology (6 units)

BIOL3208 Biology Research Project (6 units)

BIOL3209 Biology Research Project (12 units)

A maximum of 12 units from completion of courses not previously taken from the following subject areas:

BIOL – Biology

MEDN – Medical Science

NEUR – Neuroscience

The Bachelor of Political Science flexible double degree component requires the 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:

12 units from completion of the following compulsory Introductory and Methods courses:

POLS1002 Introduction to Politics

POLS1009 Introduction to Data and Methods for Political Science and International Relations

A minimum of 6 units and a maximum of 12 units from the completion of courses from the following Theory list:

POLS2102 Political Belief and Deceit

POLS2119 Ideas in Politics

POLS2130 Public Choice

A minimum of 6 units and a maximum of 12 units from the completion of courses from the following Australian and Comparative Politics list:

POLS2010 Comparative Politics

POLS2114 Australian Politics

A minimum of 6 units from the completion of courses in the following list:

POLS2044 Quantitative Methods in Politics and International Relations

POLS2045 Qualitative Methods in Politics and International Relations

POLS2137 Meaning in Politics: Interpretation, Method and Critique

A minimum of 6 units and a maximum of 18 units from the completion of the following Political Science and Social Science Enquiry courses, of which no more than 6 units can come from courses taken outside POLS:

DEMO1001 Global population challenges

ENVS1003 Introduction to Environmental and Social Research

HIST2110 Approaches to History

INDG1001 Country, Kinship and Continuities: An Introduction to Australian Indigenous Studies

INDG1002 Resilience, Responsibilities, Resurgence

POLS1005 Introduction to International Relations

POLS2002 Public Policy: Theory and Practice

SOCR1001 Foundations of Social Research

SOCY2038 Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods

SOCY2043 Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods

STAT1003 Statistical Techniques

 Or any other 2000 level POLS course with permission of the program convenor

24 units from the completion of the following 3000-level courses, of which:

A minimum of 18 units must come from the following Political Science Depth list:

POLS3002 Comparative European Politics

POLS3029 Comparative Federalism

POLS3043 Pressure Groups and Political Lobbying

POLS3095 Politics in Latin American

POLS3111 Elections, Political Behaviour and Public Opinion in Australia

POLS3113 Human Rights

POLS3125 Game Theory and Social Sciences

POLS3126 Democracy and Dictatorship

POLS3127 U.S. Politics

POLS3134 The Politics of Gender, Race, and Identity

A maximum of 6 units from the following Social Science Enquiry Depth list:

ANIP3003 Australian National Internships Program

ENVS3028 Environmental Policy

INDG3001 First Nations Peoples, the State and Public Policy in Australia

SOCR3001 Data for Decision Making

6 units from the completion of courses from the following Area Expertise list:

ASIA1025 Asia and the Pacific: Power, Diversity and Change

ASIA1030 Asia and the Pacific in Motion

ASIA1035 Introduction to Asian Politics

ASIA1999 The Origins of Political Order in Asia

ASIA2026 The Politics of China

ASIA2031 Japanese Politics

ASIA2065 Asia’s Changing Politics in Comparative Perspective

ASIA2070 Democracy in Southeast Asia

ASIA2096 North Korea: History, Culture, Politics

ASIA2222 Taiwanese Society and Politics

ASIA2516 Indonesia: Politics, Society and Development

DEMO2003 Migration in the Modern World

ECHI1006 The Australian Economy, Past and Present

EURO1004 Europe in the Modern Era

HIST2022 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History

HIST2128 Colonies and Post-Colony: 19th Century Australia and its Legacies

HIST2221 The Birth of Modernity: Britain 1688-1848 

HIST2226 Nazi Germany

HIST2227 Australian Political History

HIST2240 Democracy and Dissent: Europe Since 1945

HIST2242 The Soviet Union: From the Russian Revolution to the Collapse of Communism

INDG1002 Resilience, Rights and Resurgence

MEAS1001 Introduction to the Modern Middle East

MEAS1002 Islam: History and Institutions

MEAS2000 Iran: History, Politics and Culture

MEAS2001 New States of Eurasia: Emerging Issues in Politics and Security

MEAS2105 The Political Economy of the Middle East

PASI1011 Pacific Encounters: Introduction to Pacific Studies

PASI2001 Pacific Studies in a Globalising World

POLS2031 Politics of the Middle East

POLS2055 Pacific Politics

POLS2069 Politics of Russia

Study Options