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La Trobe University

  • 24% international / 76% domestic

Diploma of Biological Sciences

  • Diploma

Build the foundations you need for further study in life sciences as you begin a lifelong journey of investigation, exploration and following your passion.

Key details

Degree Type
Diploma
Duration
1 year full-time
Study Mode
In person
Intake Months
Feb
Domestic Fees
$7,596 per year / $7,596 total
International Fees
$7,596 per year / $7,596 total
ATAR
56.55

About this course

Build the foundations you need for further study in life sciences as you begin a lifelong journey of investigation, exploration and following your passion.

La Trobe's Diploma of Biological Sciences gives you a supported pathway into a degree in biological sciences - the perfect start to potential careers in fields as diverse as life itself.

Explore the essential elements of life sciences, including biology and chemistry, and build the skills to write and speak about basic scientific ideas to a wide range of audiences.

As you get a taste of your future in science, you'll also be immersed in university life, studying alongside students of our Bachelor's degrees. This Diploma gives you up to one year's worth of course credit (also called advanced standing), which means you could progress directly into the second year of our Bachelor's degrees in biological sciences, depending on your degree and major.

At every step, we'll give you support to succeed. You'll receive personalised advice from a dedicated Senior Support Adviser and have access to peer mentors from your discipline. We'll be here to help you enrol, choose subjects and navigate university processes. And our careers service will empower you with skills that you'll carry throughout your life - including advice and assistance with resume building, interview preparation and career planning.

You'll learn about:

  • Molecules, genes and cells
    • Examine how molecules are organised into cellular structures across a range of organisms, as well as how cells perform functions that are stored and passed on to the next generation.


  • Infectious diseases
    • Discover how infectious diseases threaten our wellbeing by causing both epidemic and pandemic outbreaks. Investigate specific microorganisms, how they're transmitted and what strategies are used for prevention or cure.


  • Statistics in science
    • Strengthen your skills with an introduction to the statistical methods used across a wide variety of scientific disciplines.


  • Animal and plant life
    • Explore how structures within animals and plants have evolved to address key survival challenges and how these structures are used for energy, growth, movement, regulation and defence.


  • Chemistry
    • Build a solid base of chemistry skills, then develop knowledge of more advanced topics - from chemical thermodynamics to kinetics.

The qualification awarded on graduation is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) as Level 5 - Diploma.

Sample course structure

Please note, the following course structure is indicative and subject to change depending on your course location, offer year or how you tailor your course with specialisations, majors, minors and electives. Structures for the following year are not normally finalised until October, so the sample provided is based on the most recently approved structure. For more information, please refer to the La Trobe University Handbook.

To qualify for the award of Diploma of Biological Sciences , students must complete a total of 120 credit points across 1 year.

Year 1 requires the completion of 120 credit points including:

  • 60 credit points from chosen Core
  • 15 credit points from chosen Core choice
  • 45 credit points from chosen Electives
Study options

Core subjects are required subjects in your course. You need to complete these subjects to attain your degree.

Subject name Subject code Year Credit points ACADEMIC INTEGRITY MODULE LTU0AIM 1 0 WOMINJEKA LA TROBE: INDIGENOUS CULTURAL LITERACY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION ABS0WOM 1 0 ANIMAL AND PLANT LIFE BIO1AP 1 15 INFECTIONS, PANDEMICS and EPIDEMICS MIC1IPE 1 15 MAKING SENSE OF DATA STM1001 1 15 MOLECULES, GENES AND CELLS BIO1MGC 1 15

A range of standalone elective subjects is available in this course. Some electives are recommended for your course, but you may also be able to choose from a range of University-wide electives or electives from other interest areas or disciplines. Note these electives may have their own prerequisites and other requirements. Please refer to the La Trobe University Handbook for the subjects available.

Core choice subjects are one or more subject groups you need to select in your course. Core choice subjects may be specific to your course, major, minor, specialisation or other learning requirements.

Subject name Subject code Year Credit points CHEMISTRY 1A CHE1C1A 1 15 CHEMISTRY FOUNDATIONS CHE1CHF 1 15
See La Trobe University Handbook for more details

The Handbook contains detailed course information designed for enrolled students, including course structures, electives and options. The delivery of this course can vary between campuses.

  • Melbourne (Bundoora)

To view other campus handbook course details, please select relevant campus in the drop down.

Study locations

Melbourne

Career pathways

This Diploma offers you a pathway into our related Bachelor's degrees, where you can choose from an extensive suite of majors and electives to prepare for a career within a diverse range of industries.

After further study in biological sciences, your future careers could include:

You'll learn about:

  • Biological analyst
    • Prepare, conduct, monitor and report the results of lab tests.


  • Geneticist
    • Research and study the inheritance of traits at the molecular, organism or population level.


  • Biological scientist
    • Examine plants, animals and microbes to better understand their natural processes and impact on the environment.


  • Microbiologist
    • Investigate the growth, structure development, and other characteristics of microscopic organisms. Analyse and monitor microbial cultures, samples and new drugs.


  • Zoologist
    • Investigate the interrelationships between animals in their natural surroundings, in captivity and in laboratories

Graduate outcomes

Graduate satisfaction and employment outcomes for Science & Mathematics courses at La Trobe University.
84.7%
Overall satisfaction
88.4%
Skill scale
73.1%
Teaching scale
50.6%
Employed full-time
$58k
Average salary