How to Apply to Biology at the Australian National University: Biology Through the Bachelor of Science, a February-Only Bachelor of Biotechnology, a Bachelor of Genetics Not Admitting in 2027 and a Research-Only Biology Honours Year, with Admission and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The Australian National University (ANU) is in Canberra. Biology is taught at undergraduate level by the Research School of Biology (RSB) within the College of Science and Medicine. The website shows no stand-alone "Bachelor of Biology": the RSB bachelor-degrees page lists six degrees, the Bachelor of Biotechnology, Bachelor of Genetics, Bachelor of Medical Science, Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours), Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Science (Advanced). This guide sets out the main points for 2027 entry for domestic, international (including Chinese) and transfer students.

1. Degrees and options

• Bachelor of Science: described as the "most flexible science degree"; three years full-time with Semester 1 and Semester 2 intakes. The degree page does not list majors; a graduate testimonial on the website mentions a biology major with a plant sciences specialisation, so biology is one of the majors, but the course lists are on the university's Programs and Courses site; not given on the pages used for this guide, so check the website. It can be combined with a selected coursework masters in a Vertical Double Degree, which the website says can mostly be completed in 4 years. See the Bachelor of Science page.
• Bachelor of Science (Advanced) (Honours): four years full-time with Semester 1 and 2 intakes; the first three years are coursework with embedded Honours pathway courses and the fourth year is a research-intensive Honours year; up to a third of courses can come from other areas of the university. The RSB page also lists this degree. See the Bachelor of Science (Advanced) page.
• Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours): the RSB page lists it among the degrees through which biology can be studied, and describes undergraduate research with one-to-one mentoring. This guide read only its summary; check the website for admission details.
• Bachelor of Biotechnology: three years full-time with a Semester 1 (February) intake only. The website says students do not need to choose a major or minor; the degree teaches the foundations of biology from genes to ecology, with ethics and intellectual property, and leaves room to explore biology, chemistry and neuroscience; an Honours year can be applied for towards the end of third year. It can be combined with a selected coursework masters in a Vertical Double Degree. See the Bachelor of Biotechnology page.
• Bachelor of Genetics: the degree page states that this program is not available for admission in 2027, suggests similar options such as the Bachelor of Science, and gives student@anu.edu.au for advice. It was a three-year full-time degree with a Semester 1 intake only. See the Bachelor of Genetics page.
• Honours in Biology (Honours in Biology, course code BIOL4001): see section 6.
• Outside the scope of this guide: chemistry, physics and earth science majors, and medicine and health degrees such as the Bachelor of Medical Science (which brings genetics, immunology, nutrition, physiology, microbiology, biochemistry and anatomy into a single degree) and the Bachelor of Health Science. See the degree pages on the website.

2. Admission and prerequisites

• How you enter biology: you apply to the Bachelor of Science, the Bachelor of Science (Advanced) (Honours), the Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) or the Bachelor of Biotechnology, and take biology as a major during the degree. The pages used for this guide do not state the last date for choosing a major; ask the college.
• Prerequisites related to biology: the degree pages and the RSB pages used here do not state specific Year 12 biology, mathematics or physics requirements; not given on the pages used for this guide, so check the website. However, the Research School of Chemistry bridging-course page says a full year of first-year chemistry is a prerequisite for most biology majors, including the Medical Science degree. The minimum requirement for first-year chemistry at ANU is completion of a major in chemistry in the ACT, or Year 12 chemistry in other states and territories; students who have not met this can still enrol after successfully completing the chemistry bridging course (3 to 12 February 2027, eight days, cost shown $600, with 2027 enrolments opening in October 2026). How Chinese high-school, IB or A-Level chemistry counts as equivalent is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask the admissions office.
• Intakes: the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Science (Advanced) accept February and July; the Bachelor of Biotechnology accepts February only; the Bachelor of Genetics is not admitting in 2027.
• Minimum selection rank for each degree: ANU first computes an ANU Selection Rank out of 99.95. The minimum rank for the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Science (Advanced), and degree-level prerequisite details, are published on the university's Programs and Courses site; not given on the pages used for this guide, so check the website. The website says admission is competitive and meeting the minimum does not guarantee entry.
• Additional selection criteria: the "additional selection criteria" page lists Health Science, Music, Design and Visual Arts; it does not mention the Bachelor of Science.

3. How international students apply

• How to apply (international applications page): through the ANU online application portal, with an AUD 150 application fee per application; up to three preferences, with an offer to the highest eligible one (the website suggests not listing three preferences with the same entry requirements). Conditional offers may be considered if documents are missing. International students completing the Australian Year 12, the International Baccalaureate or the New Zealand NCEA apply through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC); others apply directly to ANU, optionally through an education agent.
• Dates for 2027 entry: Semester 1, 2027 applications close on 15 December 2026, with an acceptance deadline of 15 January if overseas or 31 January if in Australia; Semester 2, 2027 applications close on 15 May 2027, with acceptance by 30 June if overseas or 10 July if in Australia. Degrees with additional selection criteria may have different deadlines. Most applications are assessed within ten business days; acceptance extensions can be requested.
• Predicted results (assessment page): students currently completing A-Levels, the IB or the Hong Kong Diploma can apply directly with predicted results, for Semester 2 (July) entry only and only for degrees with a minimum requirement of 94 or below; predicted results must be on official school letterhead in the same format as final results, signed by the principal or registrar, and final results must be used once available. Whether this applies to the Bachelor of Science is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask the admissions office.
• Documents (documentation requirements page): proof of English proficiency, academic records with a grading scale (a transcript showing completed secondary studies for undergraduate applicants) and any degree-specific documents; official ID may be provided at application and is required if you receive an offer. Documents must not be altered and must be in colour and not resized. Translations must come from NAATI-accredited translators, Multicultural NSW, Australian diplomatic missions or other listed bodies; the page also lists "a government or other recognised translation authority, e.g. a Notary Office in China", and says to contact the Admissions Office to confirm whether an authority is approved. Self-translations are not accepted.
• Genuine Student requirement: all applicants must be assessed as Genuine Students before a Confirmation of Enrolment is issued; ANU contacts you if more information is needed.
• English (English language requirements page): required of domestic and international students alike. You can show it through prior secondary or tertiary study in English, an accepted test (popular ones are IELTS, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1 Advanced and PTE Academic), or citizenship of certain English-speaking countries with education there. The score levels are in the university's English language policy; not given on the pages used for this guide, so check the website. Some degrees add further requirements.

4. Chinese applicants

• Gaokao: ANU has a dedicated China gaokao page that converts the ANU selection rank a degree requires into a gaokao score. It applies to tests taken from 2017 onwards; for Yunnan and Jiangsu tests from 2021 with a 750 total, the "Other provinces" column applies; students who sat the gaokao earlier with different totals (Shanghai 600, Zhejiang 810) are assessed under the university's previous requirements, so contact the Admissions Office. The page also says all applicants must meet degree-specific and English requirements, and that meeting the score does not guarantee entry.
• Conversion table (extract): the figures below are from the "Other provinces", "Shanghai 2017 onwards" and "Hainan" columns; the page also has Jiangsu (before 2021), Yunnan (before 2017) and Zhejiang (before 2017).

• What rank the Bachelor of Science needs: see section 2; not given on the pages used for this guide, so check the website and then use the table above.
• Other Chinese qualifications: A-Level, IB and AP each have their own pages, and IB and Australian Year 12 international students apply through UAC. The "tertiary preparatory and foundation programs" section also has an international page listing approved Chinese Pre-Bachelor Programs with their own conversion table; this guide does not reproduce it, so see the page.
• College partner institutions: the College of Science and Medicine lists Chinese institutions with articulation arrangements: Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing University of Technology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Shanghai Normal University and Southwest University. Students from these may receive credit or admission pathways; see the college partnership page.

5. Australian domestic applicants

• How to apply (domestic applications page): domestic Year 12 and IB applicants apply through UAC, and ANU releases offers in several UAC rounds. The date block on that page shows 2023 and 2024 dates, which cannot be used for 2027 entry; check the UAC website.
• Adjustment factors (ANU adjustment factors page): added to your ATAR (or equivalent) to form the selection rank for a particular preference, to a maximum of 15 in total; you need a rank of at least 70 before adjustment; they do not change your school results and do not guarantee a place. Under the Subject Adjustment Scheme for study commencing in 2027, Year 12 Chemistry (NSW HSC Band 5) earns 2 factors, Physics 2, English (except ESL) and languages other than English 3 each, and Mathematics Extension 1 3; up to 3 subject factors can be received for 2027 entry, within a combined cap of 5 with the Elite Athlete scheme. The scheme is applied automatically and the page says it will be discontinued from 2028 entry. For other states' subject equivalents see the UAC website.
• Domestic minimum rank and fees: the minimum rank for the Bachelor of Science is not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website. Fees are in section 7.

6. Honours year and transfers

• Honours in Biology (Honours in Biology, course code BIOL4001): the website describes Honours as a one-year program after a three-year science degree; in biology it is entirely research-based, covering experimental design, data collection, statistical analysis, scientific writing and publishing. Full-time enrolment is BIOL4001; for part-time, discuss with the Honours Convener.
• Entry to Honours: satisfactory completion of your undergraduate degree with an average of at least 70% over your six highest-marked 2000 and 3000 level courses relevant to the proposed field, and an RSB lab leader who agrees to supervise (a nomination form signed by the supervisor is required). Honours can start in late January/early February or in July, places are limited, and the page gives deadlines of 15 December (February start) and 31 May (July start) without printing a year, so check whether they apply to 2027. The Honours program starts 1 to 3 weeks before the official start of semester. Applications go through the College of Science and Medicine's Honours admission process.
• Transferring in from another university: the international page says undergraduate applicants may qualify with one year of an Australian bachelor degree or an equivalent qualification accepted by ANU; the domestic page says people who completed a bachelor degree at another university, including overseas, can transfer to ANU for the final Honours year, at the discretion of the responsible college. Credit rules and requirements for transferring into the degree are not given on the pages used for this guide; see the university's course credit page or email student@anu.edu.au.

7. Fees and scholarships

• Tuition: the university's 2027 schedule of tuition fees lists bands by broad discipline. "Natural and Physical Sciences" undergraduate is international band 4, which is $57,640 per 48 units (one full-time year) in the table, and domestic band C, which is $40,300 per 48 units in the domestic (DTF) table; whether the domestic rate applies to you, and the student contribution for Commonwealth supported places, are on the university's domestic fee pages. Which discipline code the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Science (Advanced) is charged under, and the indicative fee per degree, are on the Programs and Courses site; not given on the pages used for this guide, so check the website. The website says fees are reviewed and indexed annually, and international students also pay the Services and Amenities Fee; see the international tuition fees page.
• International scholarships: (1) the ANU International Achievement Award (undergraduate 20%, South East Asia 25%, Pacific 50%) requires a selection rank of 85 or above and is considered automatically with no separate application; residents of China (including Taiwan, Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR), Japan, Mongolia and Korea are excluded and instead fall under (2) the ANU Vice-Chancellor's International Achievement Award, which also requires a selection rank of 85 or above and is automatic; the scholarships overview describes it as 20% off first-year tuition. (3) The College's Dean's International Science Excellence Scholarship is for international students from the College's articulation partners, a one-off $5,000, and the page says it is currently not being offered.

Checklist

• ANU has no stand-alone biology bachelor; apply to the Bachelor of Science, the Bachelor of Science (Advanced) (Honours) or the Bachelor of Biotechnology; the Bachelor of Genetics is not admitting in 2027.
• Most biology majors need first-year chemistry; without Year 12 chemistry, consider the February chemistry bridging course (3 to 12 February 2027).
• International applications for February 2027 close on 15 December 2026; Chinese applicants use the gaokao conversion table, after finding the rank the degree requires on the website.
• Each degree's minimum rank and the biology major's course details are on the university's Programs and Courses site; check the website. Everything above is subject to the latest website.

Sources: ANU website: Bachelor of Science; Bachelor of Science (Advanced); Research School of Biology degrees; Bachelor of Biotechnology; Bachelor of Genetics; Honours in Biology; chemistry bridging course; international applications; domestic applications; scholarships.