What requirements educate a student in a broad range of areas and are required to complete a college major?

Gain real-world experience through internships and work placements. Work with leading business, community and government organisations on interdisciplinary projects that will expand your networks and help you get job-ready.

We have partnered with more than 60 organisations in Australia and internationally, including Adobe, IMB, Ernst & Young, KPMG, Subaru and Telstra.

We offer an exceptional diversity and depth of majors to match your career goals – with more than 40 areas of specialisation, from languages and psychology, through to economics and media and communication.

Course structure

First year

Your first year will begin with the Arts Discovery subject, which will introduce you to the diverse multidisciplinary approach which distinguishes Arts at Melbourne. The skills you’ll develop in this subject will establish a strong foundation for your study no matter which major you choose, and can be applied to help address major societal and cultural issues beyond graduation. You will also take Arts discipline subjects and breadth subjects.

Second year

By your second year, you will have a better understanding of the Arts disciplines offered and be able to finalise your selection of majors and minors. You will complete the second-year subjects in your major(s).

Third year

In third year, you will undertake a capstone subject in your major(s), designed to draw together your fields of specialisation and prepare you for life as a graduate. You will also take the remaining third-year subjects to complete your degree.

Honours is an optional fourth year of study for students who have achieved academic excellence that gives you the opportunity to draw together your previous studies and focus your knowledge, skills and intellect on an exciting piece of original research. Honours can further prepare you for employment, or graduate research.

Your breadth studies

Breadth is a unique feature of the Melbourne curriculum. It gives you the chance to explore subjects outside of arts, developing new perspectives and learning to collaborate with others who have different strengths and interests — just as you will in your future career.

Some students use breadth to explore creative interests or topics they have always been curious about. Others use breadth to improve their career prospects by complementing their major with a language, communication skills or business expertise. Many discover new passions through breadth and some even change their career plans!

'Breadth tracks' (groups of breadth subjects in the same sort of study area taken throughout your degree) may even qualify you for graduate study in a field that's very different to your major.

We’re enormously proud of the quality science education we provide to our students. That’s backed up by our ranking as the #1 university in Australia across a range of science fields.

Course structure

The Bachelor of Science is a 3-year degree, in which you’ll complete 24 subjects. Of the 24 subjects, some will contribute to your major (your chosen specialisation), some will be science electives (other science subjects), and some will be breadth (non-science) subjects.

From 2022, all Bachelor of Science students will complete the new discovery subject Today's Science, Tomorrow's World  in their first semester. Find out more in the video below.

Your major

Our Bachelor of Science gives you the choice of more than 40 majors across all areas of science, biomedicine, mathematics, engineering and IT.

If you already know what you want to study, you can focus in right away. Or, if you haven’t yet decided, you can leave your options open during your first year while you explore.

Tips for choosing a major

Your breadth studies

You can choose from hundreds of breadth (non-science) subjects on offer. Some students use breadth to explore a passion or interest – for example music or history. Others will improve their career prospects by studying a language or law, communication or business skills.

Breadth in the Bachelor of Science

Helping you plan

We know that planning your degree can feel both exciting and daunting. We'll work with you throughout your studies to make sure you're on the right track.

So you ™ve accepted your offer ¦ now it ™s time to choose your subjects. We know that choosing subjects can be a little tricky, so we ™re here to help. It ™s also a good idea to attend any academic advice or enrolment sessions on offer at your institution, as these will give you detailed information about your specific course. To get you started, read on for our top tips.

Consult course guides or handbooks

The first thing to look at when choosing subjects will be your course guide or handbook. This will tell you which subjects you need to complete as part of your degree (compulsory or core subjects) and which subjects you are free to choose yourself (electives). Each course requires you to complete a certain number of units per study period depending on your mode of study (for example, a full-time course usually consists of four subjects each semester). Some courses may consist of predominantly core subjects, with little choice in subject selection, while others are more flexible and allow you to explore your interests and choose electives. The latter is common in generalist degrees such as arts, business and science. For example, in an arts degree you might focus on a field like journalism but also study units as varied as criminology, history, anthropology and linguistics. In these types of degrees, you can usually select a major or minor in later years of study. In highly regulated fields, such as engineering, core subjects are completed to meet industry and government accreditation requirements. This means that subject choice may be limited.

Explore areas of interest to you

Depending on your course structure, you can usually achieve this through electives. Electives come in two forms: some electives are chosen from a particular list relevant to your course; others can be chosen from a wide range of subjects offered across different faculties or schools. In some courses, your subject choices may lead to a particular minor or major. Some institutions require you to select a number of subjects outside your chosen field of study (sometimes known as breadth subjects) to encourage you to expand your academic horizons. This is especially common at universities that have introduced the US-style Bologna model, where students complete a generalist undergraduate degree and use postgraduate study to pursue a specialist field or qualify for professional practice. You may find a science student studying creative writing, an arts student taking a chemistry course or even an engineering student studying African drumming! This is a great way to get out of your comfort zone and might even help you find your niche.

Think about prerequisites

Some subjects cannot be taken without completing other subjects first. These are known as prerequisites and will play a part in the subjects you can choose. This may not apply in your very first semester, although some course coordinators may prefer students to have studied a certain area at school. Luckily, you will have a broad range of introductory subjects at your disposal as a first-year student ” if you have a particular subject in mind for your second semester, you can choose to complete an introductory unit in semester one. It ™s important to look into subjects you want to complete in the future to see if they have any prerequisites, even if this means looking ahead a few semesters. If you want to major in a certain field, you will need to complete all the necessary subjects. Don ™t be afraid to contact a course adviser if you have any questions or issues.

Choose subjects for the right reasons

It ™s important that you choose subjects for the right reasons ” don ™t ignore your dream subject just because it ™s got an early morning lecture or choose a subject you know you ™ll hate only because you ™ve heard it ™s easy to pass. Choose subjects that will maintain your interest and keep you motivated, or that offer valuable skills that will help you with your intended career path. Finally, research your options carefully, as subject names might not always provide an accurate description of what you ™ll learn in class!