Information for students

UTS: Science publishes a specific course guide at the beginning of each academic year. The course guide is available from the Building 6 Student Centre.

UTS: Science's website provides information on its news, events and operations:

Location, contacts and inquiries

UTS: Science is located at City campus, Broadway, in Buildings 1 and 4. Main locations are:

• CB04.4.48H: Dean of Science
• CB04.4.48K: Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning)
• CB04.4.48I: Associate Dean (Research and Development)
• CB04.4.48F: General Manager, Faculty Administration
• CB04.4.48J: General Manager, Technical Services
• CB01.11.25: Director of Undergraduate Programs
• CB04.4.48: Academic Administration team
• CB04.4.48: Research Development team
• CB04.4.48: Financial team
• CB04.4.50: Marketing team

All student inquiries should be directed to:

Departments and locations

UTS: Science's courses are delivered through its five departments. Staff and postgraduate research students within these departments conduct research in its research institutes and centres. The departments are as follows.

Department of Chemistry and Forensic Science

Department of Physics and Advanced Materials

Department of Mathematical Sciences

Department of Environmental Sciences

Department of Medical and Molecular Biosciences

Learning resource and study centres

UTS: Science operates learning resource and study centres in chemistry, physics and mathematics/statistics. These are drop-in centres staffed by the relevant department for all UTS students to get help with introductory subjects in these areas. Although the emphasis is on the provision of help for first-year subjects, sometimes assistance can be provided for later year subjects.

Chemistry Learning Resources Centre

Physics Learning Centre

Mathematics Study and ICT Centre

Centres, institutes and units

Centres of expertise

UTS: Science is repositioning its relationship with the community, industry and government through its technology hubs, staffed by expert researchers, scientists and experienced technical staff supported by world-class instrumentation in a state-of-the-art science building.

These technology hubs form a network of 'niche' expertise and platform technologies, providing cutting-edge capabilities, advanced training and high-level services managed in a way that is accessible to both internal researchers at UTS and also external industries, allowing informal access to researchers, links with state and federal research and development schemes and access to world-class national infrastructure.

UTS: Science invites organisations to be stakeholders in our technology hubs in conjunction with research institutes and groups. The technology hubs are:

• Microstructural Analysis Unit
• Proteomics Technology Centre of Expertise
• Chemical Technologies Centre of Expertise
• Computational Research Support Unit
• Centre of Expertise Sustainable Environments.

These technology hubs are where UTS: Science interacts with industry in pursuit of leading-edge techniques, methodologies and capabilities.

Further information on the technology hubs is available from:

Microstructural Analysis Unit

The Microstructural Analysis Unit (MAU) provides access to a comprehensive array of state-of-the-art materials characterisation and microscopy instrumentation, which is supported by resident professional staff.

MAU has six scanning electron microscopes, four scanning probe microscopes and an X-ray diffractometer. All these instruments are equipped with specialised attachments, such as cathodoluminescence spectroscopy with hot and cold stages, electron backscatter diffraction, electron beam lithography as well as EDS and WDS quantitative X-ray mapping systems. A broad range of equipment for characterising the electrical and optical properties of materials is also available as well as extensive materials fabrication facilities.

All MAU instrumentation are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to all staff and students within UTS: Science. External user access is available on a cost recovery basis. MAU also offers accredited training programs in electron microscopy and microanalysis, scanning probe microscopy techniques and X-ray analytical methods.

Inquiries

Proteomics Technology Centre of Expertise

Proteomics describes the study of the complete set of proteins (proteome) that is expressed at a given time in a cell, tissue, organ or organism. Modern proteomics requires the integration of a wide range of protein analytical tools and information technologies, to quickly and reliably identify changes in proteins, e.g. altered proteomic states associated with disease.

The Proteomics Technology Centre of Expertise (PTCE) brings together leading technologies for sample preparation, protein separations, identification and characterisation. Through collaboration with another centre of expertise, the Computational Research Support Unit, PTCE is developing new systems for electronic laboratory information management and bioinformatics.

PTCE offers services and training in proteomics discovery technologies to Australian and international researchers from academia and industry. PTCE has particular expertise in experimental design, custom method development, sample preparation, complex mixture fractionation and protein separations.

Inquiries

Chemical Technologies Centre of Expertise

The Chemical Technologies Centre of Expertise (CTCE) draws from several world-class laboratories, technical and research staff specialising in chemistry and materials science at UTS: Science. CTCE focuses on chemical and biochemical analysis and materials technology. It is equipped to produce and characterise a diverse range of organic and inorganic materials and is supported by a team of over 20 experienced technical staff and researchers. CTCE expertises include the physical and mechanical characterisation of engineering materials, chemical and physical characterisation of forensic and pharmaceutical samples.

CTCE provides services to industry, researchers and the community in these specialised areas.

Inquiries

Computational Research Support Unit

The Computational Research Support Unit (CRSU) was established in 2005 to assist researchers in UTS: Science to meet their computational needs in a context where e-research is playing an increasingly vital role.

CRSU provides support for research activities that:

• are data-intensive
• are computer-intensive
• require computational modelling of either a mathematical or statistical nature.

Currently, CRSU:

• provides advice on availability of software
• acts as a reference point for advice on quantitative modelling
• acts as a local specialist infrastructure support
• acts as local support for external computational services such as the peak regional and national facilities available respectively via the Australian Consortium for Advanced Computing and Communication (ac3) and the National Computational Infrastructure (NCI) program of the Commonwealth Government's National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS)
• provides user education and training in specific tools, including expert training in scripting languages and software usage.

CRSU works collaboratively on a number of developments both locally and nationally. Examples of these collaborations include the development of the national grid computing facilities through its participation in the inter-operation and collaboration infrastructure component of NCRIS and the development of a new system for electronic laboratory information management and bioinformatics in collaboration with the Proteomics Technology Centre of Expertise.

Inquiries

Centre of Expertise Sustainable Environments

The Centre of Expertise Sustainable Environments focuses on infrastructure management, platform technology development and service provision for environmental research. The centre is a networking hub, training facility for environmental and sustainable research and attracts collaborations and partnerships from industry and other tertiary institutions.

The centre draws on the expertise of UTS: Science's researchers and students to help solve environmental challenges.

UTS: Science research strengths and capabilities

UTS: Science has a strong record of research and development, essential to facilitating quality postgraduate research programs. It wins a substantial proportion of both national and international competitive research grants awarded to UTS annually. Competitive research funding is obtained across a wide range of areas of expertise in the fields of physical, chemical, forensic, climate change and environmental, biological, biomedical and mathematical sciences. This funding is important to the direction and support of postgraduate research. UTS: Science prides itself on research that engages the interest of the community and industry, and produces outcomes of economic and social benefit.

Further information on the research interests and activities at UTS: Science is available from:

UTS: Science's research strengths are marked by its research institutes and centres, which form a substantial part of the University's strategic investment areas and research strengths.

Institute for Biotechnology of Infectious Diseases

The Institute for Biotechnology of Infectious Diseases (IBID) is a research-intensive institute; a centre for learning, innovation and creativity that promotes the career development of its staff and students. Creating a critical mass is important for maintaining a scientifically interactive and socially active research community. IBID works closely with the Department of Medical and Molecular Biosciences at UTS: Science to focus its teaching commitments, encourage research-orientated teaching (particularly in the laboratory), and raise its visibility to UTS students. In this way, IBID has become an attraction for honours students and, more particularly, postgraduate research students.

IBID is made up of researchers with proven internationally competitive track records in the field of infectious diseases and in the application of their basic research to the treatment and prevention of these diseases. The institute employs its nexus of basic and applied expertise in the following areas of research that hold the keys for interrupting the lifecycle of pathogens:

• pathogen diagnosis and identification (detection)
• pathogen transmission (transmission)
• pathogen survival and development (infection)
• immunity to pathogens (immunity)
• control methods for pathogens (treatment).

Inquiries

Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster

The Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster (C3) was established to demonstrate UTS's commitment to finding real and accurate solutions to climate change problems.

C3 is a cross-disciplinary research group with the aim to improve and enhance predictions about climate change outcomes. Building on existing key UTS research strengths and resources in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, C3 brings together a core group of experts in plant physiologists, ecologists, biologists, remote sensing specialists, and biological and physical modellers.

Working on a regional scale, for example forest, coastal and estuarine ecosystems, this unique group's targeted research approach improves the confidence in scientist's predictions about climate change. Whether terrestrial or aquatic plants are at the bottom of the list, and more often than not forgotten, by integrating the biological feedback from plants into climate change models, C3 improves their research findings accuracy and usefulness for developing future resource planning strategies to reduce climate change.

C3 also aims to provide an opportunity for the University, and wider community, to connect on issues relating to climate change by fostering interfaculty discussion through forums and seminars.

C3 is currently undergoing a considerable growth in its research capacity and welcomes inquiries from students interested in taking up honours and PhD positions. Some areas of research include ocean acidification, ecosystem and food web modelling, coral bio-energetic, biological invasions and climate change synergies, and Antarctic sea–ice algal communities.

Inquiries

Institute for Nanoscale Technology

UTS: Science has strong research activities focused on the interaction of light with nano and microscale structures, and on materials chemistry. These themes are core activities of the Institute for Nanoscale Technology (INT).

Key elements of INT span across the departments of Physics and Advanced Materials, Mathematical Sciences, Chemistry and Forensic Science, and Medical and Molecular Biosciences, which include:

• a coherent program of investigation into the optical properties of the metamaterials and meso and microscale structures produced when materials of quite different properties are assembled into organised composite structures
• the UTS node of the Centre for Ultrahigh-Bandwidth Devices for Optical Systems (CUDOS), an Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence spanning five universities, with the aim to develop the experimental and theoretical expertise to design and build linear and non-linear all-optical signal processing devices that will lead to the 'photonic chip', the building block of next generation of communication systems
• an active program devoted to the chemistry of materials at the nanoscale and molecular electronics
• a program to develop medical applications for functionalised nanoparticles, in particular to target selected cell lines and infectious micro-organisms.

The group's research work revolves mainly around:

• modelling and fundamental understanding of optical, chemical, electrical and structural phenomena at optical and sub-optical wavelengths
• technological development and exploitation of these phenomena to achieve useful results in the communications, architectural and biomedical industries.

The group has successfully developed a range of efficient analytical and numerical algorithms for a number of important situations and is internationally recognised for the development and application of semi-analytic methods based on multiple techniques, bloch mode techniques and Green's function methods. There is also substantial expertise in computational electromagnetic techniques, particularly the finite element and finite difference time domain methods. Part of the focus of this group is in the design and study of the fundamental physics of photonic crystal devices, micro-structured optical fibres, radiation dynamics of photonic crystal clusters, localisation in random structures, optical biomimetics, plasmon resonances, sensing applications, plasmonic heating and light scattering.

Another area of interest that INT is currently working on is the development of 'smart' and energy-efficient coatings for windows. Coatings with enhanced spectral selectivity, angular selectivity or thermochromic switching are being studied. There is also a well-developed program to design and synthesis the necessary molecules or nanoparticles required in these and other functional systems. Promising results have been achieved with various coatings based on precious metal nanoparticles or compounds, and the study of the nanotechnological applications of gold and silver are now a speciality of INT.

The aim of the group is to produce graduates with the necessary skills to sustain a vibrant industry. INT ensures that its works are closely tied in with UTS: Science's undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum.

Inquiries

Centre for Forensic Science

The Centre for Forensic Science commenced its operations in 2002 and became a University research centre in 2007 (formally recognised as a University research strength).

The centre aims to provide high-calibre research, high-quality education, enhancement of professional practice and independent services for the benefit of the community. It brings together world-class academics with different expertise but with a common vision, that is the prevention and solving of crime and terrorism.

Forensic science at UTS is presented as a multidisciplinary methodology applied within a scientific, legal and political structure. One of the prime objectives for the centre is to develop new investigative techniques and also to demonstrate their significance within the legal system and to communicate their meaning to juries and society in general. The centre is the only one of its kind in Australian universities making it unique.

The centre serves local and national law enforcement agencies, security agencies and the community at large in the application of scientific principles, methods of administration and enforcement of the law.

The centre capitalises on UTS: Science's forensic programs and organises short courses and professional seminars for law enforcement agencies, forensic organisations and practitioners, insurance companies, legal firms and various research institutes.

It has research programs in the areas of fingerprints, questioned documents, trace evidence, fire investigation and analysis, illicit drugs, toxicology, DNA profiling, materials and engineering, statistics and data handling, and artificial neural networks applied to forensic classification.

The centre also offers an independent investigative and consulting service through the UTS commercial company accessUTS Pty Limited.

Inquiries

UTS College of Traditional Chinese Medicine

The UTS College of Traditional Chinese Medicine was established in 1994 (known previously as the UTS College of Acupuncture) and founded on 25 years of experience and educational expertise. The college is part of the Department of Medical and Molecular Biosciences within UTS: Science and it offers an undergraduate degree in traditional Chinese medicine, and postgraduate studies leading to a Master of Science or PhD by research.

Practitioners wishing to extend their existing knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine or clinical practice should consider postgraduate studies.

Students enrolling in the Bachelor of Health Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine (C10186) are also eligible to apply for the combined degree of Bachelor of Health Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine Bachelor of Arts in International Studies (China major) (C10164). Students are selected for this program on academic merit and commence the double degree in their third year. The combined degree allows students to spend a year in China, learning Chinese language and culture.

UTS: Science also administers a TCM outpatient clinic in Building 4, Harris Street, City campus. The clinic is staffed by practitioners and student interns and is key to the clinical education program. The clinic provides acupuncture, Chinese remedial massage (tuina) and Chinese herbal medicine services directly to the community.

Further information on the UTS College of Traditional Chinese Medicine is available from:

Health Psychology Unit

The Health Psychology Unit is based at the Royal North Shore Hospital and focuses on adolescent mental health. In-house and outreach programs are conducted with young people aged 12–24 years experiencing anger, anxiety, depression and stress-related problems. The unit conducts special programs for young people with early psychosis (schizophrenia) in conjunction with the NSW Department of Health. All programs are based on cognitive behavioural therapy, an evidence-based psychological intervention. Programs are evaluated and findings contribute to worldwide knowledge in adolescent mental health. The unit provides seminars for the community on mental health issues and produces a range of books and articles on mental health for the general and scientific community. The unit is funded by public donations and corporate sponsorship.

Further information on the unit is available from:

Centre for Environmental Sustainability

The new Centre for Environmental Sustainability (CeNS) aims to generate multidisciplinary, multiscale information that is urgently needed for sustainable natural resource management by providing:

• high quality innovative research on the tolerance and resilience of our natural terrestrial and riverine systems and biota to human-induced environmental stressors and requirements for remediation and management
• insights into physical/chemical dynamics and ecosystem functions at the mechanistic level for use in modelling landscape and/or catchment processes.

The centre coordinates research programs at honours, master's and doctoral level. It works closely with the Centre for Ecotoxicology - a joint enterprise between UTS and the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water with the aim to promote education research and knowledge transfer in the field of ecotoxicology. The University arm also offers an independent investigative and testing consulting service for industry through accessUTS Pty Limited.

Further information is available from:

Cross-faculty research

Centre for Health Technologies

The Centre for Health Technologies' research team brings together complementary interdisciplinary research skills unique in Australia in the development of innovative medical devices and biotechnology processes for health technology applications. The focus of the group is on the study of health and disease processes and the development of new medical devices and advanced biotechnology applications for early detection, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, neurological disorder and cancer.

The strategic direction of this research cluster mirrors the strategic direction of the Australian biomedical and biotechnology industry, which is based both on a biomedical device platform and an exciting biotechnology science focus. The centre's innovative medical device technologies and biotechnology/biopharmaceutical research programs are currently at the cutting edge of biomedical engineering and biotechnology science. The centre has already developed several significant biomedical devices and advanced biotechnology processes.

Further information is available from:

The Quantitative Finance Research Centre

The Quantitative Finance Research Centre (QFRC) is a joint initiative of UTS: Business's School of Finance and Economics and UTS: Science's Department of Mathematical Sciences. QFRC is a recognised key UTS research centre.

It encompasses the largest and pre-eminent concentration of research strength in quantitative finance in Australia, and is recognised as one of the leading centres for this discipline in the Asia–Pacific region. The group focuses on financial risk management and the associated quantitative methods. Areas of particular interest include simulation techniques in finance, financial optimisation, credit risk, financial econometrics and market design issues. In line with the federal government's aim for Sydney to become a major international finance centre, the QFRC performs internationally competitive research and translates breakthroughs into ideas that can be implemented in the local and global finance industry.

Further information is available from:

Centre for the Study of Choice

The Centre for the Study of Choice (CenSoC) is a cross-disciplinary initiative of UTS: Business's School of Marketing and School of Finance and Economics with UTS: Science's Department of Mathematical Sciences linked with national and global affiliates. CenSoC uses theory, tools, processes and insights from econometrics, mathematics, statistics, marketing and psychology to build models to predict how consumers or firms are likely to respond to future choices. It's charter is to better understand individual and group decision-making, including the decision and choice processes of managers, organisations and consumers.

Further information is available from:

Links with industry

In the development of all its courses UTS: Science is assisted by appropriate advisory committees with members drawn from the wider community. The courses are regularly reviewed to ensure currency and relevance to industrial and commercial practice.

UTS: Science has strong links with industry through its academic staff who maintain contact by undertaking appropriate research and consulting activities and through the centres of expertise. Undergraduate students have the option of spending an additional 12 months working in a relevant industry. UTS: Science provides assistance to students in finding these professional experience positions.

Subject prerequisites, corequisites, antirequisites

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the prerequisite, corequiste and antirequisite data in subject descriptions, students should check with their program directors if they intend to enrol in subjects in a different sequence to the typical course program shown in the handbook.

Bridging and short courses

Short intensive bridging courses designed for students about to enter a degree are offered in February each year. These courses teach to an introductory level only and assist in bridging the gap between school and university study. Subjects include chemistry, physics and mathematics. Other short courses are available, subject to demand.

Further information is available from: