Monash University: University Handbooks: Undergraduate handbook 2004: Units indexed by faculty
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Undergraduate handbook 2004
Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience

Course abbreviation: BBNSc + Course code: 2341 + Clayton on-campus study only

Student outcomes

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 units, determine which of these outcomes is to be achieved.

Admission and selection

Quota

In 2004, it is expected that the first-year intake into the course will be 45 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.

Selection

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 an internal transfer.

VCE prerequisites

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 25 in the following VCE units 3 and 4:

Selection procedure

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 an internal transfer form, which is to be returned to the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences by 1 December.

Admission to first year with equivalent qualifications

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 units 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.

Applications from non-school leavers

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 the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC), 40 Park Street, South Melbourne, Victoria 3205, telephone 1300 364 133 or on the internet at http://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 for a transfer to the Monash Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience course must complete an internal application form.

Transfer after first-year BSc to BBNSc

First-year BSc students must have a credit average overall and have completed the following units with at least a distinction average:

Hurdle requirement in second-year BBNSc

Students who have met the above criteria must undertake PHY2011 in the first semester following their transfer in order to gain credit for BMS1052. BMS1052 is an essential prerequisite for most second and third-year BBNSc core units. Students will also be required to undertake BNS1072 and BMS1062 during the second semester.
Students should note that overloading is not encouraged, and therefore successful lateral transfer students will normally take slightly longer than normal to complete all units required to graduate from the BBNSc degree.

Transfer from Bachelor of Biomedical Science to BBNSc

To be eligible to transfer, students will be required to have a credit average overall in first year and at least a distinction average in the following BMS units: BMS1011, BMS1021, BMS1052, BMS1062.
Students who have not completed BNS1072, PSY1011 and PSY1022 will be required to complete these core units in the first year following transfer into the BBNSc, but they will receive credit for BMS1011, BMS1021, BMS1052 and BMS1062.

Transfer from Medicine to BBNSc

Students who apply to transfer from Medicine to BBNSc will be considered on a case by case basis.

Transfer from other Monash bachelors degrees to BBNSc

Students studying Monash degrees other than the Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, or Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery will be required to apply for enrolment in first year of the BBNSc. Transfer into BBNSc degree will require at least a distinction average across all first-year units, and places will be competitive with VCE students.

Enrolling in individual BNS units

If students enrolled in other degrees wish to enrol in individual BNS units, in either second or third year, they must normally have gained at least a credit in either BMS1052 or PHY2011.

International students

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.

Course structure

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.

Core units and electives

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 seven compulsory behavioural neuroscience units (one at first year, two at second year and four at third-year level), six compulsory biomedical units (four at first year and two at second-year level), five compulsory psychology units (two at first year and three at second year level) and six elective units (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.

General considerations

The undergraduate course is normally taken in three years of full-time study.

Units for the BBNSc

First year

Students will be required to study seven core units and one elective unit in first year.

First semester
Second semester
Second year

Students will be required to study seven core units and one elective unit in second year.

First semester
Second semester
Third year

Students will be required to study two core units and two elective units in each semester of third year.

First semester
Second semester
Elective units

Elective units 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 choice of major will determine eligibility for entry into the various units being offered at honours level.

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