Undergraduate course information

The Faculty offers a number of undergraduate degree programs developed to produce graduates for professional and vocational practice, with an ability to continue their studies by research and to contribute to the knowledge base of their scientific discipline. Most of the Faculty's undergraduate courses are built from three building blocks of subjects comprising a 48-credit-point foundation stream, a 48-credit-point disciplinary core and a 48-credit-point extension block. Students in the Bachelor of Science (C10242) select a major course of study by combining a specific disciplinary core with a matching extension block and then graduate with an award specifying that major, e.g. Bachelor of Science (Nanotechnology major). Most undergraduate majors also contain 24 credit points of free electives that can be used to take subjects in a different science specialty or a different discipline altogether, such as business or information technology.

Research-based one year Honours degrees are also available to Bachelor's Pass degree graduates.

Professional experience is also offered as an optional and additional component of the science degree courses in the form of a Diploma in Scientific Practice (C20038) in which students work in industry for a year and complete two subjects focused on enhancing understanding of the workplace environment and further development of their technical and generic skills.

Contacts and inquiries

For further information regarding undergraduate courses offered by the Faculty of Science contact:

Honours degree courses

One year research-based Honours degrees are available in all disciplines of science and mathematics at UTS. Honours programs provide basic training in research and introduce students to advanced areas of study in the relevant discipline. Graduates generally enter occupations for which an Honours degree is the minimum requirement or continue with postgraduate research. Honours programs are offered in applied chemistry, applied physics, biomedical science, biotechnology, computational science, earth and environmental science, environmental biology, environmental forensics, forensic biology, forensic science, marine biology, mathematics, mathematics and computing, mathematics and finance, medical science, nanotechnology, statistics and urban ecology.

Admission requirements

Honours courses are one-year full-time or equivalent part-time courses. They are open to students who possess or have fulfilled all the requirements for a relevant Bachelor's degree from UTS, or equivalent qualification, with at least a Credit average over the final third of the undergraduate program.

Commencement date

Students commencing their Honours course in Autumn semester are normally required to commence work on their Honours program on the first Monday in February. This applies even when formal enrolment is held after this date. Students should contact their supervisor for details.

Award

Honours degrees may be awarded in the following grades: First Class, Second Class Division 1, Second Class Division 2, and Third Class.

Other information

Interested students should discuss the program and possible research projects available with the relevant Head of Department or Honours Course Coordinator, or with individual members of academic staff.

Majors

The Bachelor of Science (C10242) and most named degrees offered by the Faculty are structured into 48-credit-point Foundation streams plus 96 credit points in Majors. A Major is defined by a specific 48-credit-point disciplinary core group of subjects plus a specific 48-credit-point extension group of subjects.

Students in the Bachelor of Science do not have to choose a major and can instead choose a range of subjects according to their interests, providing they ensure they choose the appropriate prerequisite subjects and have the required mix of second and third year subjects. However, the benefits to students of formal majors include:

• the Faculty providing direction in the choice of subjects so the variety and complexity of programs is diminished
• a greater clarity in defining a graduate's capabilities, compared to a situation where choice of subjects is totally free, and
• being awarded a testamur that identifies their area or areas of study.

Listed below are the majors within the Bachelor of Science.

• Applied Chemistry (MAJ01100)
• Applied Physics (MAJ01101)
• Biomedical Science (MAJ01104)
• Biotechnology (MAJ01103)
• Environmental Biology (MAJ01106)
• Environmental Forensics (MAJ01108)
• Marine Biology (MAJ01107)
• Mathematics (MAJ01110)
• Medical Science (MAJ01105)
• Nanotechnology (MAJ01102)
• Statistics (MAJ01111)
• Urban Ecology (MAJ01109)

Sub-majors

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Medical Science, Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science and Bachelor of Biotechnology degrees are normally expected to undertake a sub-major as part of their course. Each sub-major comprises a coherent sequence of subjects offered by the Faculty of Science, another faculty of the University, or the Institute for International Studies. The purpose of the sub-major is to give students the opportunity to broaden their studies into other areas of interest or to pursue studies in particular disciplines to greater depth.

Examples of possible sub-majors (24 credit points each) are listed below, but it should be noted that not all of them are necessarily appropriate to every course and that normal prerequisite conditions and timetabling constraints apply in all cases. In addition, quotas may be applied to the forensic biology subjects specified below. Students should consult their Course Directors for advice on selecting sub-majors. Students should note that sub-major titles cannot be identified on testamurs.

• Applied Chemistry (SMJ01013)
• Applied Physics (SMJ01014): this sub-major is designed for Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Information Technology students who want to understand the ideas underlying much of modern technology.
• Biochemistry (SMJ01015): this sub-major is suitable for students in the Physical, Chemical and Environmental Sciences courses.
• Biomedical Science (SMJ01016)
• Biotechnology (SMJ01017)
• Earth Science (SMJ01018)
• Environmental Biology (SMJ01019)
• Haematology (SMJ06014)
• Immunology (SMJ06015): this sub-major is suitable for students in the Physical, Chemical and Environmental Sciences courses.
• Mathematics (SMJ01021): this sub-major is suitable for students in the Physical, Chemical and Earth Science courses.
• Medical Science (SMJ01022)
• Microbiology (SMJ01023): this sub-major is suitable for students in the Physical, Chemical and Environmental Sciences courses.
• Molecular Biology (SMJ01024): this sub-major is suitable for students in the Physical, Chemical and Environmental Sciences courses.
• Nanotechnology (SMJ03033): this sub-major is suitable for students in the Physical, Chemical and Environmental Sciences courses.
• Neurophysiology (SMJ06016): this sub-major is suitable for students in non-Bachelor of Medical Science courses.
• Operations Research (SMJ01025): this sub-major assumes students have completed 33190 Mathematical Modelling for Science and 33290 Computing and Mathematics for Science.
• Operations Theory and Applications (SMJ01026): this sub-major is intended to expose students to the theory and practice of operations research with application in an area of information technology, in particular, optimisation techniques, network optimisation or simulation techniques.
• Pharmacology (SMJ01028) (18 credit points): this sub-major is suitable for students in the Biomedical Science and Biotechnology courses.
• Physics (SMJ01027): this sub-major is of particular benefit to scientists who need to measure, record and analyse data from instrumentation interfaced to a computer.
• Quantitative Methods (SMJ01029): this sub-major is intended to expose students to the theory and application of quantitative methods that are widely used by information technology professionals, especially techniques drawn from the disciplines of statistics and management science.
• Scientific Computing (SMJ02054): this sub-major is intended to expose students to the theory and practice of computing as applied in the area of computational science.
• Statistics (Life Sciences) (SMJ01030): this sub-major is suitable for students in Biological or Environmental Science courses who have completed 33101 Mathematics 1 (Life Sciences) and 33112 Statistical Design and Analysis – Part A.
• Statistics (Physical Sciences) (SMJ01031): this sub-major is suitable for students in Physical and Chemical programs, and assumes they have completed 33190 Mathematical Modelling for Science and 33290 Computing and Mathematics for Science.
• Statistical Modelling (SMJ01032): this sub-major is intended to expose students to the theory and practice of statistical modelling.

Combined course information

The Faculty is involved in the teaching of science to other faculties, including Engineering and Nursing, Midwifery and Health. The Faculty is also involved in offering the following joint undergraduate degree programs.

• The Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Laws (C10126) is offered in conjunction with the Faculty of Law. In order to qualify for separate awards in Science and Law, students are required to select an area of specialisation in Science so that they can proceed to more advanced studies and thereby obtain recognition in relevant professional fields. Science majors available are Applied Chemistry, Applied Physics, Biomedical Science, Biotechnology, Environmental Biology, Environmental Forensics, Marine Biology, Mathematics, Medical Science and Nanotechnology. Graduates from the course are qualified for professional practice as either scientists or lawyers and especially in areas where a knowledge of both disciplines is desirable.
• The Bachelor of Medical Science Bachelor of Laws (C10131) is similar in structure to the Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Laws (C10126), but with a specialisation in Medical Science. Graduates qualify for professional practice in either field but may expect to be in most demand in those areas of law in which a knowledge of medical science is a particular advantage or, conversely, in areas of science such as the pharmaceutical industries where a knowledge of the law has special value.
• Science degrees combined with the 96-credit-point Bachelor of Arts in International Studies enables Science students to learn and experience the language and culture of another country, thereby enhancing their competitiveness in global career choices. Students are required to select a region or country of specialisation within the International Studies program. The length of these combined degrees is five years full time, which includes one year of In-country Study. Graduates may work as professionals in their area of scientific expertise particularly in specialist positions where an understanding of a particular culture may be highly desirable. The Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Arts in International Studies (C10243) enables students to combine a science degree in any of the 12 Bachelor of Science majors with the Bachelor of Arts in International Studies; the Bachelor of Medical Science Bachelor of Arts in International Studies (C10167) and the Bachelor of Biotechnology Bachelor of Arts in International Studies (C10168) impart additional practical skills to students specialising in science, medical science and biotechnology, particularly the knowledge and understanding of a language and culture other than English.
• The combined degree Bachelor of Health Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine Bachelor of Arts in International Studies (C10164) provides acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine students with greater exposure to and understanding of China's culture and a working knowledge of Chinese. The program makes it easier for Traditional Chinese Medicine graduates to practise outside Australia.
• The combined degrees Bachelor of Mathematics and Computing Bachelor of Arts in International Studies (C10224) and Bachelor of Mathematics and Finance Bachelor of Arts in International Studies (C10157) facilitate an international perspective on mathematics career choices in the fields of computing and finance.
• The combined degrees Bachelor of Biotechnology Bachelor of Engineering (C10078) and Bachelor of Medical Science Bachelor of Engineering (C10075) integrate the theory and application of science and engineering to produce well-rounded graduates in biotechnology or medical science. In the Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Engineering (C10073) the major science study may be chosen from Applied Chemistry, Applied Physics, Biomedical Science, Biotechnology, Environmental Sciences, Mathematics, Medical Science or Nanotechnology. In five years of full-time study, students choose from one of the Engineering majors and 78 credit points from one of the Science programs. Depending on the combinations chosen, graduates are qualified to work in professional practice as well as in research and development.
• The Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Business (C10162) requires completion, over four years of full-time study, of a 96-credit-point major selected from the Bachelor of Business (C10026) plus a 96-credit-point major selected from the Science programs. Graduates may work as professional scientists or as business professionals. Career areas include management, marketing, finance, accounting or economics, in enterprises in which high-level scientific expertise is desirable. The program also provides business expertise for scientists who wish to be administrators in research or other scientific institutions. The Bachelor of Medical Science Bachelor of Business (C10163) and the Bachelor of Biotechnology Bachelor of Business (C10169) are similar in structure to the Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Business (C10162), with the science specialisation in medical science or biotechnology.