Program Overview

Foundation Studies prepares you for a successful transition to degree-level study, providing a pathway to the first year of study of a bachelor’s degree at Murdoch University.

This course is suited to you if you:

• Need an entrance qualification for Murdoch University
• Want to accelerate your university preparation after Year 11, or equivalent
• Want to change your degree stream after Year 11, or equivalent

Course Structure
For Foundation Studies you will complete eight units over two study periods, studying a combination of core and elective units. The units you will undertake will be determined by your chosen degree. All students must complete the two English units and at least one unit from each Discipline Group.

Each unit of study builds concepts from an introductory level through to university entrance level. The units are designed to develop your learning techniques as well as bridging gaps in your unit knowledge.

• English
  • Essential Australian Studies
  • Introduction to Academic Communication
• Mathematics
  • Introductory Mathematics
  • Mathematics for Science
• Science and Technology
  • Information Technology for Academic Studies
  • Computer Science
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Biology
• The Arts
  • Introduction to Media
  • Media Production
• Business and Legal Studies
  • Accounting
  • Management
  • Economics

Leading to: Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Science
As an example, if you combined the Bachelor of Laws with the Bachelor of Science in Forensic Biology and Toxicology, you would learn the most up-to-date techniques to gather, analyse and present scientific evidence, such as DNA profiling and drug metabolism, in a court of law.

If you’re more interested in environmental science and sustainability, you could combine the Bachelor of Laws with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science or Environmental Management and Sustainability. You would explore how to create a better environment for people while sustaining biodiversity and world resources and examine the relationships between air, land, water, plants, animals and people to address the challenges arising from our interactions with our environment.

If you want a future at the cutting edge of Law, combining your Bachelor of Laws with a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology will allow you to remain at the forefront of the industry and ahead of demands. You will gain an understanding for people and the impacts that technology has made to our lives and our culture, allowing you to future-proof your career.

Major: Forensic Biology and Toxicology
Put your curiosity to work as you investigate crime from a scientific viewpoint. Our course is unique in WA as it focuses on biology and life sciences, and forensic science including DNA analysis and Toxicology.

Industry terms such as forensic palynology (the use of pollen grains to connect a suspect to a crime scene), forensic anthropology (the identification of skeletal remains) and forensic entomology (the insects that decompose human remains) will become part of your professional vocabulary.

You will learn the dynamics of blood pattern analysis and test your knowledge in the lab, exploring your fingerprints and features that are used for identification. You’ll also investigate wildlife crime through DNA analysis using the same techniques that are used to identify elephant ivory and rhino horn.

Using the latest cutting-edge analytical technology, you will learn how to identify toxins in body fluids and contaminated products, helping you piece together crimes.

Along with the technical skills, you will also get hands-on experience with forensic DNA profiling and analysing human profiles in simulated casework.

3 reasons to study Forensic Biology and Toxicology at Murdoch

• Five-star rating for student-teacher ratio for all undergraduate degrees by the Good Universities Guide 2024. 
• Get hands-on experience as you apply DNA profiling and other forensic techniques from the lab to simulated crime scenes.
• Learn the latest real-world techniques and policies, with course input and guest lectures from forensic experts from PathWest, and ChemCentre.

What you’ll learn

• Forensic science
• Forensic DNA analysis
• Forensic anatomy and anthropology
• Forensic toxicology