Master of Science (Advanced) in Biological Sciences

Do you want to make a career out of making new discoveries about the fascinating living world? The Master of Science in Biological Sciences (Advanced) is a flexible program that can be tailored to suit your specific educational goals. Our program allows you to specialise in a particular area of biology such as biomedical sciences, ecology and evolution, genetics, and plant sciences. This program offers a research component which provides the student an opportunity to conduct hands-on research in a laboratory of a research scientist/supervisor and complete a written thesis document detailing this novel research.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must present a Bachelor degree or international equivalent

The GPA requirement for this program must be met by both the program as a whole, as well as by the 8 courses in a cognate discipline. Where more than 8 cognate courses have been completed by the applicant, ANU will take the best 8 courses when assessing the cognate GPA.

The GPA for a Bachelor program will be calculated from (i) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades and/or (ii) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades other than those from the last semester (or equivalent study period) of the Bachelor degree. The higher of the two calculations will be used as the basis for admission.

Ranking and English language proficiency: At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry. In line with the University's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors. Applicants will first be ranked on a GPA ('GPA1') that is calculated using all but the last semester (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes. If required, ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of:

Prior to enrolment in this ANU program, all students who gain entry will have their Bachelor degree reassessed, to confirm minimum requirements were met.

Further information: English language admission requirements and post-admission support

Employment Opportunities

A postgraduate degree in biological science will provide you with a solid background to pursue career goals in a range of fields including plant and animal laboratory science, field ecology, industry, agriculture, public and environmental policy.

Our graduates find interesting careers in a range of areas including agricultural biotechnology and plant breeding, clinical or medical research, pharmaceutical companies, biosecurity, environmental policy and biological education

The Master of Science in Biological Sciences (Advanced) can also lead to a PhD.