Biological Science Major - Bachelor of Science

Study the Biological Science major in the Bachelor of Science, and become familiar with microbiology, biodiversity, cells and molecular biology, gene technology, and the ecological and evolutionary processes that drive biological variation.

Biology is at the heart of life on Earth, from the smallest microorganisms to entire ecosystems. In recent years, there have been remarkable discoveries in the biological sciences, from antibiotics and vaccines to disease-resistant crops and alternative fuels.

The Biological Science major is ideal for students who are interested in understanding the science of life, how everyday existence can be explained and how human activities can shape Earth’s future. In the face of climate change and population growth, the biological sciences have never been more important and there are many rewarding careers for biological science graduates.

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This is part of the Bachelor of Science.

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In the Biological Science major you explore the role of biological sciences across many areas - human health, industry, agriculture and the environment. There’s an emphasis on concepts relevant to issues and biological phenomena in Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific.

Apart from the courses below you also need to complete courses from your second major, your chosen minor(s) or electives.

Core courses

All Bachelor of Science students need to complete core courses that help you develop transferable skills and support your work in all other courses in the degree.

Choose one of:

And choose one natural sciences course

And one mathematical and computer sciences course

*Only available to students in the Analytics and Mathematical Modelling and Computation majors

And one course from either the natural sciences or mathematical and computer science courses above.

Complete the following course:

  • SCIE606 Vision Mātauranga: Science Practice in Aotearoa

And one of:

In Year 3, you complete a project in an area related to your major. This project gives you an important competitive edge for your career, and is good preparation for postgraduate study.

Courses you complete for this project:

  • SCIE707 Science Capstone Project A
  • SCIE708 Science Capstone Project B

Biological science courses

If you're majoring in biological science, this is the main subject area you specialise in. It makes up one third of your degree and consists of eight biology-related courses you study throughout your degree.

Year 1 courses

  • CONS500 Biodiversity
  • MICR501 Microbial Life

Year 2 courses

  • CONS600 Ecology and Evolution
  • GENE603 Cells, Genes and Molecules
  • MICR601 Environmental Microbiology

Year 3 courses

  • CONS701 Conservation Biology
  • GENE700 Gene Technology
  • MICR700 Decoding Life

    Build your degree

    Use our online tool to build your own degree and see what your three years of study could look like.

    Build your degreeBuild your degreehttps://www.aut.ac.nz/courses/bachelor-of-science/biological-science-major-bachelor-of-science

    Students who started at AUT before 2023

    If you started your studies at AUT before 2023, the courses you need to study to complete the requirements for your programme are a little different. You can find the old programme regulations you need to meet on Canvas. Simply log in with your AUT student ID number and password.

    View Canvas information for current science students

    • Microbiologist
    • Scientific laboratory technician
    • Research scientist
    • Agricultural researcher
    • Biosecurity officer
    • Environmental microbiologist
    • Conservation officer
    • Forensic technician
    • Geneticist
    • Science teacher*

    You could work in areas like environmental monitoring and management, water quality management, animal welfare, biotechnology and pharma industries or academic research.

    *After an additional year of teacher training

    Key features
    • A holistic education in biology
    • Diverse career opportunities in environmental health, human health and biotechnology
    • A focus on relevant issues and biological phenomena in Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific
    • Flexibility: tailor your degree with a second major, minor or electives of your choice
    • Complete an industry-related project in your final year
    See yourself as
    • Persistent, enquiring and innovative
    • Analytical, accurate, careful and patient
    • Able to communicate complex ideas simply
    • Interested in biology

    The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.

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