Bachelor of Science (Advanced) in Microbiology (Honours)

Honours is a widely recognised and highly regarded additional year of undergraduate study available to you after you complete your undergraduate course. It's a unique opportunity for you to explore your research potential and put the theory from your undergraduate studies into practice. An honours qualification is not only well regarded in academia, but also in industry where further, concentrated studies in a specialised area is highly sought after. Extend your knowledge of your undergraduate degree with a stand-alone Honours year in your subject area expertise. This course is available to students who have already completed their studies in this study area. Depending on your interests and the availability of honours projects, you might wish to undertake honours in anatomy, biochemistry, biology (genetics), cell pathology, histology and embryology, immunology, infectious diseases, microbiology, pharmacology or physiology. This course is also offered at the Westmead precinct. The Faculty of Science has an outstanding reputation for the quality of its postgraduate research programs across a wide range of science disciplines. With significant levels of funding from various research councils and bodies, and the provision of major research facilities, the Faculty is committed to providing leading education and research training to its students. There are a range of research programs available, depending on which stage you are at in your academic career. Whether at the doctoral or masters level, you undertake self-directed, supervised research in your specialised area of science, and produce a thesis considered to be a substantially original contribution to the subject concerned. The Honours year in Science provides a research training pathway to our higher research degrees, the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Master of Science (MSc). The postgraduate research programs offered by the Faculty attract a large number of domestic and international students each year.

Microbiology is the study of organisms that are too small to be seen by the unaided human eye. Such organisms include protozoa, algae, fungi, lichens, bacteria and viruses. Microbiology is one of the most important and exciting of the biological sciences. Not only is it a basic biological science, which has provided us with much of our understanding of the chemical and physical principles behind living processes, but it is also an applied biological science, dealing with aspects of medicine, agriculture, biotechnology, food technology and pollution control.

The microbiology honours course is strongly recommended for any student wishing to enter a research career or undertake further work leading to a higher degree. During honours, you will challenge yourself intellectually and practically, by conducting original research under the supervision of a member of our academic staff, culminating in the presentation of a thesis. With help from your supervisor, you will formulate a topic to be researched, and in carrying out your research, you will develop your laboratory skills and critical thinking skills. The School of Molecular Bioscience offers microbiology honours projects in a wide range of research areas including molecular microbiology, microbial genetics, applied and environmental microbiology, biotechnology, and virology.

To qualify for admission to the Bachelor of Science (Honours), you must



have qualified for or be a graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree or equivalent from the University of Sydney or equivalent qualification from another tertiary institution,
have completed a relevant major (i.e. minimum of 24 credit points of 3000-level units of study) relating to the intended Honours discipline,
have achieved a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of at least 65.00 or have a credit average (65.00) in 48 credit points of relevant* 2000-level and 3000-level units of study, and
satisfy any additional criteria set by the relevant Head of School or Discipline.
IELTS - A minimum result of 6.5 overall and a minimum result of 6.0 in each band
TOEFL IBT - A minimum result of 85 overall including a minimum result of 17 in Reading, Listening and Speaking and 19 in Writing