Overview 2020
Location
This course may not be available to international students. Please see the list of distance courses (i.e. online and taken outside Australia) that are offered to international students
View archived years for this course
For years prior to 2015, please view the Course and Unit Handbook Archive
View the current year's course page
With an ever-growing population and a need to live in harmony with our planet and its resources, there is an immediate global demand for skilled biotechnology graduates that is only going to increase in the future.
Through the Bachelor of Biotechnology, you can make a positive impact on one person’s life or the lives of millions, in industries all around the world.
You could be solving problems related to gene therapy; identifying and potentially curing currently terminal conditions; creating vaccines for our deadliest diseases; generating sustainable sources of fuel; feeding an ever-increasing worldwide population; helping to make livestock less vulnerable to disease; making plants naturally resistant to pests; or using natural organisms to remove pollution and heavy metals from soil and waterways.
Course objectives
This course specifically aims to equip students with the knowledge, skills, competencies and awareness in preparation for employment in industry and research organisations working in the expanding biotechnology sector as well as for research in higher degrees.
The Bachelor of Biotechnology combines a range of scientific disciplines with advanced technology in order to naturally and ethically manipulate living organisms for the benefit of humanity and the planet.
As the application of biotechnology is deeply integrated with society, you will also cover ethics and social responsibility so that you can apply your scientific skills with a full appreciation of impact and benefits.
Practical experience
All of our biotechnology streams include a significant amount of hands-on experience through laboratory work, field trips, and experiences in external workplaces via industry engagement.
We let you get involved from day one, using the equipment yourself while supported by laboratory technicians, who supervise but do not do it for you. This will help make you job-ready, giving you practical skills that you will be using to create applied solutions on a daily basis.
As well as the facilities and equipment, teaching staff bring their cutting-edge findings and examples to the laboratory and classroom. Our well above world-class* research rankings in biotechnology related fields of analytical and inorganic chemistry, ecology, plant biology, zoology, agriculture, horticulture, clinical sciences, human movement and sport science and neurosciences mean that you will be learning from some of the best in the world in the same environment where they conduct their world-class research.
*2015 Excellent in Research Australia (ERA) rankings.
Tasmania as a Living Laboratory
Your physical location is also a major source of your practical experience opportunities. Tasmania is a living laboratory and your proximity to world-class, industry-standard facilities and pristine, diverse environments both in and outside the University will give you the practical experience you need to prepare you for a career in any stream you choose.
STEM Student Ambassadors
Undergraduates can also serve as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Student Ambassadors. The goals of the program are to provide exceptional STEM education, outreach and community engagement in schools and elsewhere. The program provides opportunities and experiences that will lead to personal and professional growth for participants, particularly improving public speaking skills.
Overseas Exchange
Our international exchange program offers opportunities for a semester of study at universities around the world. Exchange can allow students to have an affordable educational and cultural experience in a foreign country for a semester or a full year. To facilitate this, we offer a range of scholarships and financial assistance. Participants may be eligible for OS-HELP Loans or scholarship funding to assist with their airfares, accommodation and other expenses. Find out more about Student Exchange.
Career outcomes

"A new generation of skilled and innovative biotechnologists will develop the solutions to overcome the increasing pressure on our planet’s ecosystems from growing human populations, as well as providing a range of new products that greatly improve our lives."
Biotechnology is already a major contributor to a huge range of industries all around the world and will only prove to be more valuable as we need to increase outputs from ever-shrinking resources and adapt to an ever-changing environment.
Career Opportunities with Biotechnology
You could be developing new methods for detecting and diagnosing diseases, working in stem cell research to come up with new vaccines and treatments for crippling diseases, or developing cheaper and more effective drugs to combat a range of conditions.
Government agencies utilise biotechnologists for everything from research (CSIRO) to forensics (police). You could be drought and pest-proofing our future food supply, or inventing faster and more accurate DNA identification methods to solve crimes. The breakthroughs you make can have a beneficial effect on millions of people.
You might choose to take a more boutique approach to the application of biotechnology. Careers in the agricultural production sector may see you developing better beer and wines, making longer-lasting cheese and food products, or starting your own business by following an untapped niche market.
Career options in Biotechnology include the following specific jobs and industries:
- Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry
- Aquaculture, marine and freshwater industries
- Brewer
- Cheese technologist
- Food safety advisor to government
- Food safety auditor
- Pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmeceutical
- Plant and animal breeding
- Public service (department of primary industries, quarantine)
- Quality assurance manager/consultant (food industry)
- Research in Universities, CSIRO, and Industry
- Teaching
- Wine-maker
Course structure
Entry requirements
Fees & scholarships
Domestic students
Scholarships
Domestic Students
Each year, the University offers more than 900 awards to students from all walks of life, including: those who have achieved high academic results, those from low socio-economic backgrounds, students with sporting ability, students undertaking overseas study, and students with a disability.
For information on all scholarships available at the University of Tasmania, please visit the scholarships website.
Applications for most awards commencing in Semester 1 open at the beginning of August and close strictly on 31 October in the year prior to study.
International students
There are a huge range of scholarships, bursaries and fee discounts available for international students studying at the University of Tasmania. For more information on these, visit the Tasmanian International Scholarships (TIS) website.
How can we help?
Do you have any questions about choosing a course or applying? Get in touch.
- Domestic
- 13 8827 (13 UTAS)
- International
- +61 3 6226 6200
- Course.Info@utas.edu.au
- Online
- Online enquiries