Bachelor of Science (Biological Sciences)/Master of Teaching (Secondary)

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Queensland University of Technology

Program Overview

This dual-degree program is designed for students who love biology and want to pass that passion on to the next generation, combining deep scientific training with professional preparation for secondary teaching. You’ll build strong biological science knowledge while learning how to confidently teach it in real classrooms, graduating ready for both the lab and the school.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1
You begin by building a solid foundation in the life sciences while getting an early taste of how learning works in schools. Units such as Foundations of Biology, Cells to Organisms, and Introduction to Teaching and Learning help you understand how biological systems function and how students think, learn, and engage. From the start, you’re learning to see science not just as content, but as something to explain, explore, and inspire.

Year 2
Your biological knowledge deepens as you explore living systems in more detail, while your teaching skills become more practical and classroom-focused. Through units like Genetics and Evolution, Ecology, and Curriculum and Assessment, you start connecting biological concepts to real-world contexts and school curricula. You’ll also begin observing and planning lessons, building confidence in front of a classroom.

Year 3
This year is about application and confidence. Advanced biology units such as Molecular Biology or Environmental Biology sit alongside professional studies like Teaching Science in Secondary Schools and Inclusive Education. You’ll complete supervised professional experience placements, where theory turns into practice and you discover your own teaching style.

Year 4
Your final year brings everything together. You’ll refine your scientific understanding through upper-level biology units while completing extended teaching placements through Professional Experience and Assessment and Reporting. By the end of the year, you’re not just qualified — you’re classroom-ready, reflective, and confident in your ability to teach science with clarity and enthusiasm.

Focus Areas
Biology, genetics, ecology, scientific thinking, secondary science education, curriculum design, classroom practice

Learning Outcomes
Strong biological science knowledge combined with confident, practical skills to teach secondary students clearly, creatively, and responsibly

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)
This program is structured to meet Australian secondary teacher education requirements, meaning graduates are eligible to apply for teacher registration and step straight into professional teaching roles.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)
Graduates benefit from studying at Queensland University of Technology, a university consistently recognised in global rankings such as QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education for its strong focus on real-world learning and employability — a reputation that employers and schools value.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

This combined Bachelor of Science (Biological Sciences) / Master of Teaching (Secondary) at Queensland University of Technology is built for students who want to learn by doing — and who want that learning to actually matter. From your very first weeks, you’re not just studying biology in theory; you’re in the lab, handling real experiments, analysing results, and learning how scientists ask and answer meaningful questions. Those early, hands-on experiences give you practical skills you’ll carry forward — whether you’re working in a lab or guiding students through investigations of their own.

As you move deeper into the degree, your science learning is continually grounded in real-world application. Fieldwork and practical investigations help you see how biology plays out beyond the classroom, while access to advanced scientific instruments and professional-grade facilities lets you work in environments that feel genuinely authentic. By the time you complete your integrative biology project, you’re bringing together everything you’ve learned — demonstrating not just what you know, but what you can do with that knowledge.

When you transition into the teaching component, the focus shifts to how learning actually happens. You’ll work in modern, purpose-built education spaces where lessons are explored through studio-style learning, collaboration, and experimentation. Teaching strategies aren’t just discussed — you try them out, reflect on them, and refine them before stepping into real classrooms.

That classroom experience is a major part of the program. Across 60 days of professional placements in secondary schools, you’ll teach real students under the guidance of experienced mentors, gradually building confidence, classroom presence, and professional judgment. Along the way, you’ll engage with curriculum design, educational technologies, and real classroom challenges aligned with the Australian Curriculum — so when you graduate, you’re not just qualified, you’re classroom-ready.

Overall, this is a degree designed to help you grow into a capable scientist and a confident teacher — someone who understands biology deeply and knows how to inspire the next generation to explore it with curiosity and purpose.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates from this combined degree leave with a rare advantage: deep biological science knowledge paired with a recognised secondary teaching qualification. That means you’re not choosing between science and teaching — you’re prepared for both, with common graduate roles including secondary biology or science teacher, laboratory technician, environmental science roles, and education-focused science communicator.

Here’s what this means for you:

Career support built in: At Queensland University of Technology, employability is part of the learning experience. You’re supported through QUT Careers and Employability services, professional resume and interview coaching, and structured teaching placements that let you graduate with real classroom experience — not just theory.
Strong employment outcomes: Teaching graduates are in consistent demand across Queensland and Australia, particularly in science specialisations. Completing your supervised professional experience during the degree helps you graduate classroom-ready, which is a major advantage when applying for teaching roles.
Industry and school connections: Your teaching pathway includes placements in real secondary school settings, allowing you to build professional networks with schools, education departments, and experienced teachers while you study.
Accredited qualification with long-term value: The teaching component meets the requirements for provisional teacher registration, giving your qualification immediate professional recognition and long-term career security in the education sector.
Flexible graduate pathways: Because your degree also includes a full science qualification, you’re not locked into a single career direction — you can move between education, science-based roles, or combine both through curriculum development or science outreach work.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing this program, you can continue your studies in several meaningful ways at QUT. Graduates may progress into postgraduate education pathways such as a Master of Education to deepen leadership or curriculum expertise, or move into higher research study in biological sciences if they want to explore scientific research, policy, or specialised scientific fields. This flexibility means your degree can evolve with your interests — whether you see yourself leading in schools, shaping science education, or advancing knowledge through further study.