Course details

Summary

Programme overview

If you have a mind for science and you’re keen to keep your options open, then the BSc is the degree for you. With many undergraduate majors in a wide range of subject areas, the BSc will allow you to incorporate different areas of interest and expertise. As well as strongly emphasizing transferable skills to improve your employment opportunities, this programme will expose you to cutting-edge technologies and provide a gateway to independent research. Throughout your undergraduate degree you’ll be taught by knowledgeable scientists, many of whom are major contributors in their field.

Ecology Major

Ecology is the study of the distribution and abundance of life and the interactions between organisms and their environment.

The BSc specializing in Ecology brings together material from a number of different areas including Biological Science, Environmental Science, Geography and Marine Science.

In the first and second year of this interdisciplinary programme you will focus on core ecology, environmental science, and environmental management and statistics courses.

In your third year you can branch off into one of the following study options:

• Conservation Ecology and Biosecurity
• Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour
• Marine and Coastal Ecology or
• Quantitative Ecology and Modelling

Studying ecology at the University of Auckland involves field trips to various North Island locations to collect data and/or carry out research-based projects.

Career opportunities

Graduates of the BSc in Ecology will possess:

• A mastery of the broad conceptual, theoretical and philosophical elements of ecology
• An understanding and appreciation of the methodologies involved and the current issues and debates in the field of ecology
• Skills in critical analysis, problem solving and independent judgment
• Effective written and oral communication skills

Further study options

• Bachelor of Science (Honours)
• Graduate Diploma in Science (GradDipSci)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Science (PGDipSci)
• Master of Science (MSc)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Structure

All students must take the following core courses at stages I and II:

75 points: BIOSCI 101, 104, ENVSCI 101, GEOG 101, STATS 101 or 108

45 points from BIOSCI 206, 209, ENVSCI 201

75 points from ANTHRO 349, BIOSCI 320-337, 347, 394-396, ENVSCI 301, 310, 311, GEOG 317-320, 330-332

Taking a suitable range of these courses will allow you to branch off into one of the following stage III study options (click for more course information):

• Conservation Ecology and Biosecurity
• Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour
• Marine and Coastal Ecology
• Quantitative Ecology and Modelling

Entry criteria

Secondary school qualifications

You need to have one of the following: International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum total score of 24. General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level. You must have completed a minimum of three A-Level subjects with at least a 'C' grade or higher. General Studies or similar general papers cannot be included.

GCE ‘A’ Level requirements apply to ‘A’ Level qualifications examined by bodies such as AQA, OCR, Edexcel, WJEC, CCEA, Pearson Education Limited and CIE taken outside of New Zealand.

English language requirements:

IELTS 6.0; TOEFL (iBT) 80; TOEFL (paper-based) 550; CAE or CPE 169; PTE 50; MELAB 80.