Universities and Online Degrees Guide

University of the Witwatersrand

Bachelor of Science with Honours in Animal, Plant and Environment Sciences

The Bachelor of Science with Honours in Animal, Plant and Environment Sciences in Biology is offered by University of the Witwatersrand.

Program Length: 1 YEAR.

Bachelor of Science with Honours in Animal, Plant and Environment Sciences offered by the University of the Witwatersrand

The School offers a fourth year of training in a range of subject areas.

Why study Animal, Plant, and Environmental Sciences?

The combination of these topics facilitates a degree of understanding about the world around us works and the role of different organisms on Earth. Research in the school broadly addresses questions about the diversity we observe, how best to explain processes we observe, and how to conserve biodiversity for the future. Further,the Honours degree is the minimum requirement needed to work as a professional scientist.

Why study Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences at Wits?

The Wits School of Animal, Plant, and Environmental Sciences is home to a number of world leaders in sustainability, savannah ecology, among other research areas. Our School includes a diverse, research active and passionate staff and post-graduate cohort working on a variety of projects ranging from animal behaviour to plant systematics and evolution to ecology to aquatic ecology.

Our School prides itself on the extent of its honours experience. Students in our programme choose from a number of specialist theory topics, a techniques course that provides a solid analytical foundation, and an option to participate in the Organization of Tropical Studies.

Curriculum

The BSc Honours degree comprises a research project, one compulsory courses and three elective courses (course offerings vary each year). Details below.

• Animal Behaviour
• Animal Ecophysiology& Adaptation
• Biocontrol
• Biogeography
• Entomology
• Ethnoecology
• Evolutionary Ecology
• Global change: Impact on soils, plants and animals - The next 50 years
• Herpetology
• Histology
• Medical Entomology
• Parasitology
• Plant and Algal Cell Biology
• Plant Variation & Nomenclature
• Plant Population Dynamics and Regeneration Ecology
• Pollination Biology
• Resource Ecology and Conservation
• Range Limitation
• River and Wetland Ecology
• Stable Isotope Ecology

NB. Each student must choose three courses from the above list, i.e. a student is NOT restricted in their selection of theory topics other than by time tabling constraints.

The number of theory topics offered is dependent on the availability of staff. The theory topics differ in the manner in which they are presented. For example, a student may be required to attend regular tutorials over a set period of time OR prepare written assignments. Each theory topic has its own assignments which are used to assess progress and understanding.

A research project is conducted in the discipline of choice of the student. The projects are well defined and interesting. Through these projects students learn to plan, implement an experimental protocol, and collect, analyse and interpret data. The project is written up as a formal dissertation at the end of the year and each student is required to present a formal project proposal and a final project seminar.