Program Overview

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Overview

Studying this major provides a deep understanding of the molecular functions of all living things, and opens up opportunities in biotechnology, food production, medical diagnostics and public health.

Course Details

• Course Code: MJD-BCHMB
• Duration: 3 years (BBiomedSc), 4 years (BBiomedSc[Hons])
• Attendance: Full-time, Part-time
• Delivery: On-campus
• Starting Dates: Semester 1, Semester 2
• Weekly Contact Time: 15-30 hours per week
• Level of Study: Undergraduate
• Honours Available: Yes
• Degrees Course is Available in: Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours), Bachelor of Biomedical Science

Career Pathways

A bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UWA is highly recognised amongst employers. Career opportunities may include biotechnology, drug development, food production and quality control, fermentation industries and chemical production. Biochemists and molecular biologists find jobs in diagnostic laboratories in hospitals, veterinary health, toxicology and in broader public health. Opportunities beyond the laboratory include education, patent law and policy-making, as well as in agriculture and the environment, sales and marketing for medical, research and pharmaceutical industries. With their specialist knowledge of living systems, biochemists can work as journalists and science communicators. A degree in biochemistry and molecular biology is a starting point for specialised courses such as bioinformatics, synthetic biology or forensics. Many biochemists and molecular biologists choose to follow further study towards a higher degree by research, so that they can reach more senior positions in research and development, whether in academia or in industry.

Further Study

By undertaking Honours in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, you will develop an understanding of the research process and your abilities to conduct independent research. You will acquire training and practice in skills such as experimental methods, problem solving, literature searching, data analysis, computing, team building, and written and oral communication.

Fees and Scholarships

• Domestic Student Fees: For Commonwealth-supported places, student contribution amounts are charged by unit, based on area of study. For a fee estimate, go to the Fee Calculator and select “I want to price my units”. Fees are subject to annual indexation.
• International Student Fees: Annual course fee (2025): $46,300.00. Onshore international students are charged an annual course fee, charged per credit point at a rate dependent on the course in which the student is enrolled. Annual course fees are calculated based on an annual study load.
• 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.

Admission Requirements

• Minimum Entry Requirements: Below you’ll find a list of admission equivalencies for this course's Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR).
  • All India Senior School Certificate (CBSE): 9
  • Canadian High School (except Quebec): 68
  • French Baccalaureate: 10
  • Gao Kao (PR China NCEE)/750: 507
  • GCE A-Levels: 8
  • German Abitur: 3.6
  • Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education: 14
  • Indian Senior School Certificate (CISCE): 45
  • Indonesian Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) - Pass of 65: 75.5
  • International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB): 24
  • Malaysian STPM: 10
  • Monash University Foundation Year: 254
  • NCUK Foundation Program: 8
  • Norwegian Vitnemål: 3.5
  • Singapore - Cambridge A Levels: 6.5
  • South African National Senior Certificate: 4
  • South Korean College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT): 324
  • Sweden Slutbetyg: 14.5
  • Trinity College Foundation: 280
  • Unified Examination Certificate (UEC): 14
  • University of Western Australia College (UWAC) Foundation Program: 61
  • US College Board Advanced Placements: 7
  • US College Board SAT: 1130
  • Western Australian Universities' Foundation Program (WAUFP): 56
  • Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) 2016 onwards: 75
• English Competency: Minimum overall IELTS score of 6.5, with no band less than 6.0.

Course Structure

• Level 1:
  • Core: CHEM1001 Chemistry—Properties and Energetics (6), SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell (6)
  • Core: BIOC1001 Introductory Cellular Biochemistry (6) or CHEM1002 Chemistry—Structure and Reactivity (6)
  • Core: SCIE1104 Science, Society and Data Analysis (6) or STAT1400 Statistics for Science (6)
  • Bridging: CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry (6), MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals (6), MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods (6)
• Level 2:
  • Core: BIOC2001 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Cell (6), BIOC2002 Biochemical Regulation of Cell Function (6)
• Level 3:
  • Core: BIOC3001 Molecular Biology (6), BIOC3002 Structural and Functional Biochemistry (6), BIOC3003 Omics—Global Approaches to Cell Function (6), BIOC3005 Cellular Biochemistry (6)

Student Exchange & Study Abroad

• Eberhard-Karls University, Tubingen: The Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen is one of Europe's oldest universities. Several hundred years of history in the sciences and humanities have been written here. Today, Tübingen remains a place of research and teaching. In addition to the nearly 85,500 inhabitants, there are some 28,300 German and international students. Some 4500 academic staff teach at the University's seven faculties. Teaching at the University of Tübingen reflects the broad, interdisciplinary spectrum of its research. More than 280 courses are on offer.
• Sungkyunkwan University: For more than six hundred years, Sungkyunkwan University has held a special place in the history of Korea. Since its establishment, the school's educational tradition has emphasised the four principles of benevolence, righteousness, propriety and wisdom. Sungkyunkwan University has also evolved to incorporate a modern educational paradigm that prioritises cutting-edge research and innovative education. This has led to important advances in the arts, sciences, medicine and technology in ways that allow greater synergy with other leading universities and institutions throughout the world.
• The Chinese University of Hong Kong: Founded in 1963, The Chinese University of Hong Kong is a forward-looking comprehensive research university with a global vision and a mission to combine tradition with modernity, and to bring together China and the West. Teachers and students hail from all around the world, and it has a total of 61 departments under the faculties of arts, business administration, education, engineering, law, medicine, science, and social science. Currently, it has about 21,000 students undertaking undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programs.