Course abbreviation: BBNSc
The Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience degree will provide several possible outcomes for its graduates. These are:
Students will, by the selection of elective units in second and third year, and their subsequent performance in these subjects, determine which of these outcomes is to be achieved.
In 2002, it is expected that the first-year intake into the course will be 40 students. In addition to these places, the faculty will offer a number of first-year places to suitably qualified local and international students on a full-fee-paying basis.
To be eligible for selection into the course, an applicant must apply through the VTAC system. Internal applicants who are currently enrolled in another Monash course must apply for a transfer and thus will be required to complete a Monash Behavioural Neuroscience application form.
The prerequisites for entry into the Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience include the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or its equivalent, with a grade average of at least C in the following VCE units 3 and 4:
Selection will be made on the basis of the ENTER score. Applicants should consult the latest VTAC guide for further details. Current Monash University students must complete a Monash Behavioural Neuroscience Application Form, which is to be returned to the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences by 1 December.
Students who have not achieved their entrance qualifications in Victoria must hold qualifications which, in the Faculty's opinion, are equivalent to those held by local candidates. The qualifications must include the same prerequisite subjects as those for local candidates outlined above. Such applicants must demonstrate at least the same level of academic merit as that which is required for local applicants.
Applicants
presenting with either partially complete or completed tertiary qualifications
will be considered for entry to the Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience
course. In considering such applications, the selection committee will take
account of an applicant's entire academic record.
Application for entry to the Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience is
through:
Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC)
40 Park Street
South
Melbourne, Victoria 3205
Telephone 1300 364 133
or on the internet at
www.vtac.edu.au
Applicants for later-year entry must clearly demonstrate to the selection
committee that the content of their previous studies is at least equivalent to
the Monash Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience course components for which
they are seeking exemption.
Current Monash University students applying solely for a transfer to the Monash
Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience course must complete the Monash Bachelor
of Behavioural Neuroscience Application Form. A VTAC application is not
necessary.
A
very limited number of places are available for lateral entry, and completion
for places in competitive.
Transfer after first year BSc. to second year BBNSc.
Current Monash University students applying solely for a transfer to the Monash
Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience course must complete the Monash Bachelor
of Behavioural Neuroscience Application Form. A VTAC application is not
necessary. First year BSc. students must have a distinction average overall and
have completed the following subjects:
+ CHM1011 or CHM1022 (or CHM1031 plus CHM1042) to gain credit for first year
BMS1011
+ BIO1011 or BIO1022 to gain credit for first year BMS1021
+ PSY1011 and PSY1022
Hurdle Requirement in Second Year BBNSc. Students who have met the above
criteria must undertake PHY2011 in first semester of second year in order to
gain credit for BMS1052. In this case, students will be required to complete
PSY2051 by Distance Education in second semester.
Students will also be required to undertake BMS1062 during second semester in
second year.
To
be eligible to transfer, students will be required to have a distinction
average overall in first year.
Students who have not completed PSY1011 and PSY1022 will be required to apply
for enrolment in first year BBNSc., but they will receive credit for BMS1011,
BMS1021, BMS1052 and BMS1062.
Students
will be required to have obtained a credit average overall in all first year
medical subjects, and a distinction average in the following subjects: MED1011,
MED1031, MED1052.
Credit for medical subjects will be given as follows:
MED1011 = BMS1011
MED1052 = BMS1062
MED1031 = BMS1021.
Enrolling in individual BNS subjects.
If students enrolled in other degrees wish to enrol in individual BNS subjects,
in either second or third year, they must normally have gained at least a
credit in either BMS1052 or PHY2011.
Places
are available in the first year of the Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience
course for international students. These students come from overseas to study
in Australia under student visas and return overseas upon completion of their
degree.
Selection of international students is determined on the basis of each
applicant's academic qualifications.
Prospective applicants should be aware that the fee charged for the course will
be set annually, taking into account inflation and other factors.
The course is designed as a series of interlinked and consecutive sequences of units aimed to permit students to readily acquire fluency and proficiency in the concepts, language and fundamentals of Behavioural Neuroscience. The development of such a flexible curriculum may be achieved as part of one or more orderly course sequences or knowledge streams. The distinctive feature of this educational approach is that students are allowed some flexibility in their choice of units so that they are able to construct a sequence of studies suitable to their own requirements. In this way, students choose the most appropriate studies for their own particular career aspirations.
All
students in the Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience course will complete a
program which is a combination of core and elective units. The degree involves
successful completion of six compulsory Behavioural Neuroscience subjects (two
at second year and four at third year level), six compulsory Biomedical
subjects (four at first year and two at second year level), five compulsory
Psychology subjects (two at first year and three at second year level) and
seven elective subjects (two at first year, one at second year and four at
third year level).
In third year, students will major in Behavioural Neuroscience plus Psychology,
Physiology, Anatomy, Biochemistry, Genetics, Immunology, or Pharmacology.
Successful completion of the degree plus appropriate choice of major at the
third year level will provide an opportunity of gaining entry into a fourth
year honours program.
Undergraduate students enrolled in the Behavioural Neuroscience course will
receive a handbook for the degree outlining policies regarding teaching,
assessment and acceptable conduct. In addition, students will receive more
detailed information about core units from unit convenors and individual unit
manuals. These manuals contain detailed information on teaching staff, contact
persons, timetables, textbooks, reading guides, supplementary lecture material,
details and weighting of assessment methods and procedures including some
specific assessment dates. Manuals are available at the commencement of each
semester.
The undergraduate course is normally taken in three years of full time study.
Students will be required to study three core units and one elective unit in each semester of first year.
Students will be required to study seven core units and one elective unit in second year.
Students will be required to study two core units and two elective units in each semester of third year.
Elective subjects in third year must be chosen from the following disciplines: Psychology, Anatomy, Biochemistry and molecular biology, Biological sciences, Pharmacology, Immunology. Note: students should select third year electives carefully as their choice of subjects may determine eligibility for entry into the various subjects being offered at Honours level.
The
fourth year level of study in Behavioural Neuroscience aims to extend research
training in specialised areas of behavioural neuroscience and to help students
acquire sophisticated research skills. Students can undertake honours in any of
the following subjects: BNS4000, PSY4000, ANT4000, IMM4000, BCH4000, GEN4000,
PHA4000, PHY4000. Further details are provided below.
Advanced Behavioural Neuroscience (BNS4000) is a new fourth year subject
offered within the Department of Psychology in 2002. To be eligible for entry,
students will be required to achieve a distinction average or better in the
four core third year behavioural neuroscience subjects. The other four elective
subjects can be selected from any of the other disciplines, and a pass or
better is required in those subjects.
If students major in Psychology they may be eligible to enter the Psychology
honours program (PSY4000), which is mandatory for students intending to gain
registration as a practising psychologist. To be eligible for entry, students
will be required to have successfully completed the appropriate undergraduate
accredited sequence in psychology (PSY1011 and PSY1022 in first year; PSY2031,
PSY2051, and PSY2042 in second year; PSY3032, PSY3041, PSY3051 and PSY3062 in
third year), with a 70% minimum average or better in psychology subjects at the
third year level.
BBNSc. graduates who do not wish to do BNS4000 or PSY4000 may be eligible to
obtain an Honours degree in Behavioural Neuroscience by successfully
undertaking honours in one of the following subjects: ANT4000, IMM4000,
BCH4000, GEN4000, PHA4000, PHY4000. In order to be considered for entry into
these subjects, graduates will have to meet the prescribed selection criteria
for these subjects, as determined by the relevant department. Students will be
required to undertake their honours research project on a topic that is
relevant to behavioural neuroscience.
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