Biosecurity
Qualifications
Overview
Biosecurity concerns the exclusion, eradication, and effective management of threats to the economy, environment, and human health that are posed by pests and diseases. Aotearoa New Zealand's economy and trade rely on a strong primary production base, and our freedom from major pests and diseases is critical to producing efficiently and trading freely.
Ongoing global climate change and its effects on ecosystems make understanding biosecurity issues crucial. As our climate alters, organisms previously unable to survive in our environment may become a potential threat to our ecosystem.
Year 13 biology is recommended. Some background in mathematics, particularly statistics and chemistry, is valuable. All students should have adequate English skills.
UC offers Biosecurity as an endorsement to the Bachelor of Science. Students intending to complete this endorsement must also complete the Biological Sciences major.
Students studying other degrees, such as the Bachelor of Arts, can take BIOS 201 Issues in New Zealand Biosecurity and BIOL 273 New Zealand Biodiversity and Biosecurity as interest courses.
Biosecurity endorsement
To complete an endorsement in Biosecurity (and the Biological Sciences major), you will need to take the following courses throughout the degree:
100-level
- BCHM 112 Structure and Reactivity in Chemistry and Biochemistry
- BIOL 111 Cellular Biology and Biochemistry
- BIOL 112 Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
- BIOL 113 Diversity of Life
- STAT 101 Statistics 1
It is also recommended to take one Chemistry and Mathematics course in your first year. Students who have not taken chemistry or mathematics with calculus to Year 13 level are strongly advised to take CHEM 114 Foundations of Chemistry and MATH 101 Methods of Mathematics.
200-level
- BIOS 201 Issues in New Zealand Biosecurity
- BIOL 209 Biological Data Analysis
- BIOL 231 Foundations in Molecular Biology
- BIOL 270 Ecology
- BIOL 271 Evolution
- BIOL 273 New Zealand Biodiversity and Biosecurity
- STAT 202 Regression Modelling
300-level
- BCHM 305 Protein Science
- BCHM 306 Biochemical Pathology
- BIOL 332 Genetics, Evolution and Ecology of Invasive Species
- BIOL 352 Plant Development and Biotechnology
- BIOL 377 Global Change and Biosecurity
- One 300-level BIOL course (not including BIOL 309)
You may also choose to structure your degree studies towards a particular field. UC offers pathways in Molecular/Genetics or Ecological/Applied Biosecurity. For more information or help planning your courses for these pathways, contact a College of Science | Te Rāngai Pūtaiao Student Advisor.
As an emerging issue of both national and international importance, biosecurity provides many career opportunities in government agencies, spearheaded by the regulatory authority the Ministry for Primary Industries | Manatū Ahu Matua. You may also find work in Crown Research Institutes and in ministries concerned with conservation, the environment, agriculture, and forestry.
District and regional councils also may employ biologists to manage invading organisms.
Find out more about what you can do with a degree in Biosecurity.
Contact us
School of Biological Sciences | Te Kura Pūtaiao Koiora
Phone +64 3 369 5200
Email biological-sciences@canterbury.ac.nz
Location
See the School's website for up-to-date location details.
Postal address
College of Science | Te Rāngai Pūtaiao
University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8140
New Zealand
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