Immunology

This major provides students with a detailed understanding of Immunology, the study of our immune system. The major describes how Immunology is studied and applied to a range of areas in the biomedical sciences. The major opens up careers in infectious diseases, diagnostics, molecular biology, biotechnology, vaccinology, biosafety and regulation as well as providing an avenue towards post-graduate research into infectious agents, their genes, underlying mechanisms of infectious disease and diseases associated with the immune system. It provides a basis for further study into medicine and other paramedical disciplines.

Students intending to undertake this major should be aware that it requires successful completion of a practical-based subject in which products and reagents derived from animals are used.

Immunology Major Graduates should demonstrate:

• ability to: describe the way the immune system responds to infectious, foreign and noxious agents; describe the immune mechanisms involved in tumour, immunity, transplantation, allergies and autoimmune diseases; to explain the molecular and cellular responses elicited by vaccination; to describe strategies to dampen or modulate immune responses that can be employed to improve human health; and to describe the principles and procedures involved in isolating and characterising immune cells and their products;
• expertise in the selection and application of practical and/or theoretical immunological techniques or tools in order to conduct an investigation;
• capacity for critical analysis and evaluation of scientific data from a range of sources to form evidence-based conclusions;
• skills to effectively communicate scientific ideas and findings in both oral and written format;
• safe scientific work practices
• expertise in accurately recording experimental data and the use of this record to construct and present oral and written scientific reports;
• skills for effective participation in group work activities, both within and outside of the laboratory;
• independence and self-directed learning ability and the ability to set their own goals and effectively manage their time and priorities;
• a high level of professional integrity; understand the requirements for personal and collective laboratory safety; understand the ethical requirements regarding plagiarism and accurate data reporting and analysis.

Completion of 50 points of study at level 3

All three of

Plus one of

A quota has been applied to a core subject in this major.