Major structure
Overview
This major is available in the Bachelor of Science.
The Animal Health and Disease major will prepare you for a career in the wildlife, production, and companion animal industries.
Major structure
The Animal Health and Disease major is made up of seven subjects (87.5 credit points) taken in your second and third year. Each subject is worth 12.5 credit points. Level 2 subjects are usually taken in second year, and Level 3 subjects in third year.
- To complete this major, you’ll need:
- 25 credit points of Level 2 major core
- 12.5 credit points of Level 2 major elective
- 37.5 credit points of Level 3 major core
- 12.5 credit points of Level 3 capstone
The rest of your degree will consist of a Level 1 science core subject, your choice of elective subjects in science, and breadth (non-science) subjects.
Further information
You can find detailed information about your major – including structure, subject availability, and participation requirements – in the Handbook.
You can also explore your study pathway and sample course plans through My Course Planner.
Sample course plan
View some sample course plans to help you select subjects that will meet the requirements for this major.
Animal Health and Disease Start-year intake
Year 1
100 pts
- Foundational Biology: Life's Complexity – elective – BIOL10010 – 12.5 pts
- elective – 12.5 pts
- elective – 12.5 pts
- breadth – 12.5 pts
Year 2
100 pts
- Topics in Animal Health – major – ANSC20003 – 12.5 pts
- elective – 12.5 pts
- elective – 12.5 pts
- breadth – 12.5 pts
Year 3
100 pts
Explore this major
Explore the subjects you could choose as part of this major.
Students must complete all required core subjects
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Topics in Animal Health · 12.5 pts |
This subject explores major topics on animal health or relevance to the agricultural industries, domestic animal management and society in general. It focuses on the roles and perspectives of the personnel involved i.e. farmers, horse stud and stable workers, animal enterprise managers, laboratory workers and veterinarians. The topics include disease risks to humans (zoonotic diseases), organisational responses to disease outbreaks, bio-security, the epidemiology approach to eradication and control programs, evaluating diagnostic procedures, monitoring animal health, implications for animal enterprise management. |
| Animal Disease Biotechnology 1 · 12.5 pts |
This subject elaborates on the scientific basis of disease recognition in individual animals and populations of animals. It explores causes of disease in animal populations, the mechanisms of disease processes and their transmission, principles of biosecurity, and the scientific basis of technologies and procedures available for monitoring disease status (diagnostics). Students will acquire skills in a variety of techniques used to monitor the health of populations of animals (ELISA, PCR, microbiology), and will develop abilities in critical analysis of animal health related matters. |
| Animal Disease Biotechnology 2 · 12.5 pts |
This subject explores the control of diseases on a large scale and the role of animal health surveillance in maintaining the health of human populations. Students will learn about integrated approaches to infectious disease control in animal populations, as well as the epidemiological and biological basis of the methods that are used. |
| Production Animal Health · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to the major factors influencing the health of production animals. Students will learn the principles of health, understand how to analyse data to identify disease, and investigate significant infectious and non-infectious causes of disease in production systems. Students will develop an understanding of how the type of production system will influence disease risk and development in production animals, and begin to understand how management of the whole production system is key in maximising animal health and production. |
| Frontiers in Veterinary Science · 12.5 pts |
This subject will introduce students to the broad scope of animal health, and the role of veterinarians in addressing grand veterinary challenges of our time. Students will be introduced to the determinants of animal health, as well as the concept of the interconnectedness of the health of humans, animals and the environment. Key themes that will be explored during the course, with reference to contemporary challenges, will include:
|
| Health & Disease in Wildlife Populations · 12.5 pts |
The health of wildlife populations is determined by the presence and absence of diseases, and also by the population’s resilience in environments affected by climate change, habitat degradation and destruction, and direct conflict with human interest. This subject will discuss the factors that determine disease and health in wildlife populations, examine disease impacts on wildlife populations and how they are measured, consider case studies of some of the most significant current diseases of wildlife (including diseases of veterinary and human public health significance), and investigate the principles of managing health and disease in wildlife populations. |
Students select subjects according to the major requirements
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Biochemistry in Agricultural Systems · 12.5 pts |
An understanding of the chemical processes that occur in living organisms is essential to understanding how plants, animals and microbes function, and therefore the best management practices that will result in optimal health and productivity. This subject is designed to introduce students to the discipline of biochemistry, to allow them to develop a basic understanding of the biological chemistry underpinning function at the cellular and system levels. Topics covered will include: cellular structure and biochemical function, structure of biomolecules including proteins, lipids and carbohydrates, energy generating pathways, photosynthesis, metabolism, fixation and assimilation of nitrogen, transformation of metals, phosphorus and sulphur, comparative metabolism in ruminants and avians and the regulation of metabolism by hormones and isoprenoids. |
| Biochemistry and Molecular Biology · 12.5 pts |
This subject is an introduction to the field of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, building on 1st year chemical principles relating molecular structure to biological function. The content includes a detailed introduction to the structure of biological building blocks (amino acids, nucleic acids, carbohydrates and lipids). The subject covers the structure and function of proteins, including the properties of enzymes, their regulation and kinetic behaviour. How nucleic acids replicate information, are maintained and repaired and serve as a template for the synthesis of RNAs and proteins (i.e. molecular biology) is addressed. The structure of lipids is examined to show their major biological roles, particularly as components of cell membranes. Metabolic pathways (glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycogen metabolism, TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation) will complete this core coverage of essential biochemistry. The subject is designed to stand alone, but it complements the laboratory experiences in the subject BCMB20005 “Techniques in Molecular Science”, Each of these level-2 subjects can be taken independently, concurrently or in either order. |