Undergraduate

Marine Biology

Marine biology is the study of marine organisms, and their behaviours and interactions with the environment.
75
ATAR
3
Years Full Time

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

8.30am - 5pm AWST, Monday - Friday

Frequently asked questions

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Careers and further study

This course opens up a world of future study pathways and career opportunities.

Career Pathways

You might pursue career opportunities in the following industries:

  • Marine environmental consulting
  • Government agencies that manage fisheries (e.g. DPRID), marine conservation (e.g. DBCA) or lead marine research projects (e.g. CSIRO and AIMS)
  • Resource industry
  • Marine industry
  • Marine renewables
  • Aquaculture
  • NGOs
  • Academia

You might pursue career opportunities in the following industries:

  • Marine environmental consulting
  • Government agencies that manage fisheries (e.g. DPRID), marine conservation (e.g. DBCA) or lead marine research projects (e.g. CSIRO and AIMS)
  • Resource industry
  • Marine industry
  • Marine renewables
  • Aquaculture
  • NGOs
  • Academia

Further Study

You might consider further studies in:

You might consider further studies in:

Fees and scholarships

Learn more about the fees that apply to you for this course. For fee type definitions and further assistance, see the Fee Calculator Help page. You can also search our database for scholarships that are relevant to you or this course

Domestic Student Fees

Indicative annual course fee
2025
Commonwealth Supported Place $10,248.76

Eligible Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) students can use the HECS-HELP loan program to pay their tuition fees. For Full-Fee Paying (FFP) places, students are charged an annual course fee.

Find out more information about tuition fees, or visit the fee calculator for a more accurate cost.

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

There are a few things to consider before applying to study at university. One could be your cost of living. This can depend on factors such as lifestyle, accommodation, tuition fees, medical insurance, textbooks and more. For an indication of expenses and average costs, see our Cost of living page.

International Student Fees

Indicative first year fee
2024
$46,600.00
2025
$49,200.00

Find out more about tuition fees or visit the fee calculator for the estimated total course fee.

Note, tuition fees are reviewed annually and are subject to increase up to 7.5 per cent per annum.

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

There are a few things to consider before applying to study at university. One could be your cost of living. This can depend on factors such as lifestyle, accommodation, tuition fees, medical insurance, textbooks and more. For an indication of expenses and average costs, see our Cost of living page.

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.

Minimum entry requirements

Below you’ll find a list of admission equivalencies for this course's Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR).

Admission requirements

For applicants with recent secondary education, information on admission criteria is available on our entry requirements page or on the UWA Handbook for course specific requirements and prerequisites.

Mathematics requirement

This major requires a certain level of Chemistry and Mathematics. If you do not meet this level, you can take additional Chemistry and/or Mathematics units in your first year to satisfy this requirement.

WACE prerequisite: Mathematics Methods ATAR and Chemistry ATAR

ADMISSION REQUIREMENT

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 IELTS score of 6.5, with no band less than 6.0.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENT

How to apply

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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!  

Apply now

Course details

Marine biology is the study of marine organisms, and their behaviours and interactions with the environment. If you’re fascinated by our amazing marine life and the coastal environments in which they live, then this major is for you. With complex issues such as climate change, growing populations, food production and depleting natural resources, the need for marine science professionals continues to grow.

About the course

Marine biology is the study of marine organisms, their behaviours and interactions with the environment.
Marine Biology

Quick details

Status
  • Available
Locations
  • Perth (Crawley campus)
  • Albany (Regional campus)
Attendance
  • Full-time
  • Part-time
Delivery
  • On-campus
Starting dates
  • Semester 1, Semester 2
Level of study
  • Undergraduate
Course Code
  • MJD-MBIOL
Full time/part time duration
  • 3 years (BSc), 4 years (BSc[Hons])
Marine Biology
Status
  • Available
Locations
  • Perth (Crawley campus)
  • Albany (Regional campus)
Attendance
  • Full-time
  • Part-time
Delivery
  • On-campus
Starting dates
  • Semester 1, Semester 2
Level of study
  • Undergraduate
Course Code
  • MJD-MBIOL
Full time/part time duration
  • 3 years (BSc), 4 years (BSc[Hons])
Honours Available
  • Yes
Degrees course is available in
  • Bachelor of Science
  • Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)

Why study this course

  • UWA is ranked 45th in the world in Marine Science and Oceanography (QS 2024)
  • 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

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
Ranked 4th in Australia and 45th in the world for Earth & Marine Sciences (QS 2024)
Ranked 1st in Australia and 32nd in the world for Biological Sciences (gras 2023)

Course Structure

Our undergraduate degrees offer you a broad range of options allowing you to combine subjects in a way that matches your career goals and personal interests.

Popular combinations

Student story

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Student story
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Alumni story
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Work Integrated Learning

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) helps bridge the gap between theory and practice by providing opportunities for students to gain hands-on, practical industry relevant experience and for employers to help shape the graduates of tomorrow.

Research

Rare pictures uncover diverse marine life at Ningaloo Reef

Marine researchers on a boat in the Ningaloo Reef
Centre

Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre

Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre

Purpose-built collaborative facility for marine science and ocean engineering research.

Centre
Institute

UWA Oceans Institute

Research boat on the ocean

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.

Institute