Undergraduate + Postgraduate
Bachelor of Marine Science and Master of Marine Biology
Contact us
Address
Student Central
The University of Western Australia (M355), 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, Western Australia 6009
Telephone
131 UWA (131 892)
International
(+61 8) 6488 1000
Hours
Frequently asked questions
Events you may be interested in
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Careers and further study
This course opens up a world of future study pathways and career options.
Career Pathways
Graduates can find a range of employment opportunities in areas such as:
- Marine environmental consulting
- State and local governments who manage coastal planning and infrastructure
- Government agencies that manage fisheries (e.g. DPRID), marine conservation (e.g. DBCA) or lead marine research projects (e.g. CSIRO,AIMS, Geoscience Australia)
- Resource industry
- Marine industry
- Marine Renewables
- Aquaculture
- NGOs
- Academia
Fees and scholarships
Undergraduate – Full Fee Paying (FFP) & Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP)
The Annual Fee is an estimate only based on a standard annual study load of 48 points. (Courses may teach up to 72 points in a year)
FFP
For Full Fee Paying places, students are charged an annual course fee. Visit the Fee Calculator select 'Postgraduate Coursework Fee-Paying' and chose your course to see the annual and total course fees.
CSP
For Commonwealth Supported Places, student contribution amounts are charged by unit. For an accurate fee estimate, go to the Fee Calculator select 'Postgraduate Coursework Commonwealth-Supported' and chose ‘I want to price my units’.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.
Cost of living
Undergraduate – onshore students
Annual course fees are calculated based on a standard annual study load of 48 credit points.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.
Cost of living
Admission requirements
The University of Western Australia welcomes applications from international and domestic school-leavers. If you’re interested in studying this major, find out the admission details below.
Admission requirements
Minimum entry requirements
- 90
English competency
English is the language of instruction and assessment at UWA and you will need to meet the English language requirements of the University to be eligible for a place.
Minimum overall score of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0 (must include Academic Reading and Writing modules).
Mathematics requirement
This major requires a certain level of Mathematics. If you do not meet this level, you may be able to take additional Mathematics units in your first year to satisfy this requirement.
WACE prerequisite: Mathematics Methods ATAR and Chemistry ATAR
How to apply
Ready for the next step?
Find out how to apply through our simple online application process.
We'll guide you through our entry requirements, admission pathways available to you and application deadlines for your chosen course.
We can’t wait for you to join us!
Course details
About the course
Quick details
- Available
- Perth (Crawley campus)
- Full-time
- Part-time
- On-campus
- Semester 1
- Undergraduate + Postgraduate
- CM010
- 106473H
Why study this course?
- UWA is ranked 2nd in Australia and 29th in the world for Earth and Marine Science (QS 2023)
- UWA is ranked 3rd in the Australia and 27th in the world for Oceanography (ARWU 2022)
- We have brand new nationally unique facilities and resources that are used across our marine studies
- Learning is richly embedded with internationally recognised research, often led by UWA’s global experts, encouraging research-based inquiry through cutting edge science
- Western Australia’s unique marine environment has led UWA to identify the understanding our oceans and marine environment as one of its grand challenges, and our extended major provides students with the knowledge required to develop solutions to the threats facing our marine and coastal environments
You'll learn to
- use a range of contemporary techniques and instrumentation to collect data in the field and in the laboratory
- analyse, synthesise and interpret data that varies in space and time
- interpret patterns and integrate knowledge of physical and biological processes to address real world problems
Course structure
In your first three years, you will complete the Marine Science (extended major) and a semester of postgraduate study. You will then complete your selected specialisation in the Master of Marine Biology. Refer to the example study plan for more information.
Course structure
Bachelor of Marine Science and Master of Marine Biology CBM
BMarSc (Marine Science Extended Major) and Master ofMarine Biology
Undergraduate (UG) specific units
Elective units
Postgraduate (PG) specific units
| YEAR | SEMESTER | UNITS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1ST YEAR | 1 | BIOL1130 | SCOM1101 | EART1105 | CITS1401 |
| 2 | BIOL1131 | CITS2402 | ENVT2221 | EART2204 | |
| 2ND YEAR | 1 | ENVT2250 | GEOG2201 | SCIE2204 | SCIE1104 |
| 2 | BIOL2204 | BIOL3305 | ENVT3307 | ENVT3362 | |
| 3RD YEAR | 1 | ENVT3306 | SCIE3304 | Elective | Elective |
| 2 | PG Specific* | PG Specific* | PG Specific* | PG Specific* | |
| 4TH YEAR | 1 | PG Specific* | PG Specific* | PG Specific* | PG Specific* |
| 2 | PG Specific* | PG Specific* | PG Specific* | PG Specific* | |
* Postgraduate units will vary depending on your chosen specialisation, a study plan will be provided later in your degree.
Unit Description
- BIOL1130 - Frontiers in Biology
- SCOM1101 - Communicating Science
- EART1105 - Dynamic Planet
- CITS1401 - Computational Thinking with Python
- BIOL1131 - Plant and Animal Biology
- CITS2402 - Introduction to Data Science
- ENVT2221 - Global Climate Change and Biodiversity
- EART2204 - Coastal Processes
- ENVT2250 - Ecology
- GEOG2201 - Geographic Information Systems
- SCIE2204 - Marine Systems
- SCIE1104 - Science, Society and Data Analysis
- BIOL2204 - Marine Biology
- BIOL3305 - Fisheries Science: Foundation and Application
- ENVT3307 - Oceanography
- ENVT3362 - Environmental Dynamics
- ENVT3306 - Coastal Conservation and Management
- SCIE3304 - Field Techniques in Marine Science
- PG Specific - Master of Marine Biology
A day in the life of a marine science graduate
Molly Moustaka is a UWA PhD candidate and research scientist in the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions’ Marine Science Program. Here, she shares her advice and explains what a typical day looks like in the field.
Read Seekers Space articleHear from Marine Science graduate Ashley Marino
Want to know where study in marine science could take you? Hear from Ashley Marino about her career path since graduating in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science - Marine Science (now known as Bachelor of Marine Science).
Read Seekers Space articleYour degree options
Bachelor of Marine Science
Fieldwork in Science
UWA Oceans Institute
The UWA Oceans Institute brings together the University’s multidisciplinary research strengths across areas including oceanography, ecology, engineering, resource management and governance to address key ocean challenges.
Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre
Purpose-built collaborative facility for marine science and ocean engineering research.