Information for students
Schools and locations
Learning resource and study centre
Research facilities and institutes
Links with industry
Subject prerequisites, corequisites, antirequisites
Bridging and short courses
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 4 and 7. Main locations are:
- CB07.07.023: Dean of Science
- CB07.07.029: Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning)
- CB07.07.026: Associate Dean (Research and Development)
- CB07.07.025: Associate Dean (International and External Engagement)
- CB07.07.022: General Manager, Faculty Administration
- CB07.07.024: Academic Administration team
- CB07.07.024: Research Development team
- CB07.07.024: Financial team
- CB07.07.024: Marketing team
All student inquiries should be directed to:
Building 6 Student Centre
telephone 1300 ask UTS (1300 275 887)
or +61 2 9514 1222
Ask UTS www.ask.uts.edu.au
Schools and locations
UTS: Science's courses are delivered through its five schools. Staff and postgraduate research students within these schools conduct research in its research institutes and centres. The schools are as follows.
School of Chemistry and Forensic Science
Associate Professor Andrew McDonagh
Head of School
CB04.05.325
telephone +61 2 9514 1035
email Andrew.McDonagh@uts.edu.au
www.science.uts.edu.au/chemistry
School of Physics and Advanced Materials
Associate Professor Peter Meier
Head of School
CB07.07.029
telephone + 61 2 9514 7858
email Peter.Meier@uts.edu.au
www.science.uts.edu.au/physics
School of Mathematical Sciences
Dr Beverley Moore
Head of School
CB07.05.36
telephone + 61 2 9514 2236
email Beverley.Moore@uts.edu.au
www.science.uts.edu.au/maths
School of the Environment
Professor William Gladstone
Head of School
CB04.06.315A
telephone + 61 2 9514 8272
email William.Gladstone@uts.edu.au
www.science.uts.edu.au/environment
School of Medical and Molecular Biosciences
Associate Professor Stella Valenzuela
Head of School
CB04.07.313A
telephone + 61 2 9514 1917
email Stella.Valenzuela@uts.edu.au
www.science.uts.edu.au/medical
Learning resource and study centre
UTS: Science operates a learning resource and study centre for mathematics/statistics. This is a drop-in centre staffed by the School for Mathematical Sciences 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 as well.
Mathematics and ICT Study Centre
Dr Mary Coupland
CB01.16.15 (drop-in centre)
City campus, Broadway
telephone +61 2 9514 2241
fax +61 2 9514 2260
email Mary.Coupland@uts.edu.au
www.uts.edu.au/future-students/science/student-experience/maths-study-centre
Mathematics Study Support Centre
The Mathematics Study Support Centre is a tool for students' self-assessment.
Research facilities and institutes
Science research facilities
Through its technology hubs, UTS: Science is repositioning its relationship with the community, industry and government. Expert researchers, scientists and experienced technical staff are 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
- Biosciences and Proteomics Technologies Research Facility
- Microbial Imaging Facility
- Chemical Technologies Research Facility
- Environment Research Facility.
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:
www.science.uts.edu.au/research/coe
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
Associate Professor Matthew Phillips
Director, Microstructural Analysis Unit
telephone +61 2 9514 1620
email Matthew.Phillips@uts.edu.au
www.science.uts.edu.au/mau
Biosciences and Proteomics Technologies Research Facility
The Biosciences Research Facility includes an extensive array of instrumentation and support services for research in medical, molecular biology including two high-end specialised core facilities for proteomics and microbial imaging.
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 Core Facility (PCF) brings together leading technologies for sample preparation, protein separations, identification and characterisation.
PCF offers services and training in proteomics discovery technologies to Australian and international researchers from academia and industry. PCF has particular expertise in experimental design, custom method development, sample preparation, complex mixture fractionation and protein separations.
Inquiries
Mercedes Ballesteros
telephone +61 2 9514 8257
email Mercedes.Ballesteros@uts.edu.au
www.science.uts.edu.au/research/coe
Microbial Imaging Facility
The Microbial Imaging Facility (MIF) at UTS has recently been established to provide high-resolution imaging of bacteria, parasites, eukaryotic cells and parasite–host interactions. The facility also has equipment for flow cytometry and biological specimen preparation for optical and electron microscopy.
MIF is comprehensively equipped with sophisticated and state of the art optical microscopes for epifluorescence, deconvolution, confocal and live-cell imaging microscopy.
The star of the facility is the GE Deltavision OMX Blaze™ super-resolution imaging system that enables scientists/researchers to view cells in spectacular detail at a resolution never before possible.
Inquiries
Associate Professor Cynthia Whitchurch
telephone +61 2 9514 4144
email Cynthia.Whitchurch@uts.edu.au
www.science.uts.edu.au/research/coe
Chemical Technologies Research Facility
The Chemical Technologies Research Facility (CTRF) draws from several world-class laboratories, technical and research staff specialising in chemistry and materials science at UTS: Science. CTRF 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 10 experienced technical staff and researchers. CTRF expertises include the physical and mechanical characterisation of engineering materials, chemical and physical characterisation of forensic and pharmaceutical samples.
CTRF provides services to industry, researchers and the community in these specialised areas.
Inquiries
Dr Ronald Shimmon
telephone +61 2 9514 8260
email Ronald.Shimmon@uts.edu.au
www.science.uts.edu.au/research/coe
Research strengths and capabilities
UTS: Science has a strong record of research and development, essential to facilitating quality postgraduate research programs. Research grants and funding are very important to the direction and support of postgraduate research. UTS: Science wins a substantial proportion of national and international competitive research grants awarded to UTS annually.
The faculty obtains grants and funding across wide areas of expertise such as in the physical, chemical, forensic, climate change and environmental, biological, biomedical and mathematical sciences.
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 strengths and areas is available from:
www.science.uts.edu.au/research
UTS: Science's research strengths are marked by its research institutes and centres, which form a substantial part of the University's research strengths.
The ithree Institute
The ithree Institute, based at UTS, brings together an internationally competitive team focused on addressing key challenges in the understanding and control of infectious diseases in humans and animals. The institute consists of research groups led by renowned scientists in the field of microbial and parasitic infectious diseases. Its innovative science uses a systems biology approach to develop a greater insight into basic biology and its application to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases.
The ithree Institute has active research programs exploring pathogenic mechanisms across a spectrum of important infectious organisms, including, for example, pseudomonas aeruginosa and staphylococcus aureus. Its research aims to increase scientific understanding as well as to apply this is to drug discovery and other areas of innovation.
The institute occupies new state-of-the-art laboratories in central Sydney that enables its scientists to make fundamental discoveries to identify new targets for the development of drugs, vaccines and diagnostics. These facilities include a world-class Microbial Imaging Facility (MIF) that provides OMX super resolution imagery and a dedicated proteomics suite, including leading edge Mass Spectrometry and next generation sequencing and bioinformatics expertise, enable the institute to accelerate its research in line with these rapidly advancing technologies.
The core philosophy of ithree is to work in partnership with others to deliver world-class scientific discovery and to drive innovation. Alongside domestic and international academic collaborations, it has collaborations with industry, as part of its focus on ensuring that the output of its innovative research makes an impact on human and animal health, through successful commercialisation. The institute is a member of the Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF), which has financed two spin-out companies: Helmedix and Auspherix.
ithree also works very closely with the Department of Medical and Molecular Biosciences at UTS: Science to focus its teaching commitments, in particular in microbiology, to encourage research-oriented teaching and raise its visibility to UTS students. It also promotes career development of its staff and students.
Inquiries
Professor Ian Charles
Director, The ithree Institute
telephone +61 2 9514 2672
email Ian.Charles@uts.edu.au
www.ithreeinstitute.uts.edu.au
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, e.g. forest, coastal and estuarine ecosystems, this unique group's targeted research approach improves the confidence in scientists' 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
Professor Peter Ralph
Director, Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster
telephone +61 2 9514 4070
email Peter.Ralph@uts.edu.au
www.c3.uts.edu.au
Institute for Nanoscale Technology
The Institute for Nanoscale Technology's (INT) core research activities focus on the interaction of light with nano and microscale structures, and on materials chemistry. INT's research work revolves around, but is not limited to, the following:
- 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 also 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 particular interest is the development of 'smart' and energy-efficient coatings for windows.
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
Professor Michael Cortie
Director, Institute for Nanoscale Technology
telephone +61 2 9514 2208
email Michael.Cortie@uts.edu.au
www.nano.uts.edu.au
Centre for Forensic Science
The Centre for Forensic Science (CFS) was established in 2002 and became a University research centre in 2007. The aim of the centre is 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 of 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, and 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.
It also capitalises on UTS: Science's forensic programs and runs professional short courses and seminars for law enforcement agencies, forensic organisations, practitioners, insurance companies, legal firms, various research institutes and the community.
It has research programs in the areas of fingerprints, questioned documents, trace evidence, fire investigation and analysis, illicit drugs, toxicology, DNA profiling, forensic intelligence, forensic taphonomy, 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
Professor Claude Roux
Director, Centre for Forensic Science
telephone +61 2 9514 1718
email Claude.Roux@uts.edu.au
www.forensics.uts.edu.au
Centre for Environmental Sustainability
The 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, marine 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.
Inquiries
Professor David Booth
Centre for Environmental Sustainability
telephone +61 2 9514 4053
email David.Booth@uts.edu.au
www.research.uts.edu.au/strengths/es
Materials and Technology for Energy Efficiency
The world's energy consumption is predicted to double over the next three decades despite the global push to introduce ambitious carbon reduction targets. This incompatibility has created an urgent need to develop the necessary science and technology to use and produce sustainable energy in a clean, efficient and economical way. Fundamental and applied scientific research on energy-related materials will play a pivotal role in meeting this important challenge.
The Materials and Technology for Energy Efficiency (MTEE) research strength assembles a team with highly complementary expertise and capabilities to tackle significant and exciting challenges in materials research for energy efficiency applications. The core research areas include: solid state lighting, electro-chemical energy storage, photovoltaics, plasmonics, daylighting physics and related computational modelling. The key strength of the group is that it facilitates cutting-edge research on critical issues in this emerging field that would not be possible otherwise. The immediate overarching goal of the group is to develop science and technology to enable the development of practical solar powered lighting with the ultimate aim of taking all domestic lighting off the electricity grid. Realisation of this goal will also deliver safe, affordable and efficient lighting for the first time to communities in developing countries without access to the electricity grid.
Inquiries
Associate Professor Matthew Phillips
Director, Microstructural Analysis Unit
telephone +61 2 9514 1620
email Matthew.Phillips@uts.edu.au
www.science.uts.edu.au/research/centres.html
Centre for Clean Energy Technology
The Centre for Clean Energy Technology focuses on the development of efficient devices for energy harvesting, storage, and conversion.
Taking a rational approach, the centre combines first principles calculation and modelling, novel materials architecture design and synthesis, and system integration in teaching and research practice. The centre adapts its research activities to the global low-carbon energy context and aims to achieve innovations and breakthroughs in zero-emission energies.
Inquiries
Professor Guoxiu Wang
Director
telephone +61 2 9514 1741
email Guoxiu.Wang@uts.edu.au
www.science.uts.edu.au/research/energy
Health Psychology Unit
The Health Psychology Unit (HPU) is a research and treatment unit into the biological and psychological aspects of cancer. It has close working relationships with the Oncology Department of the Royal North Shore Hospital, which subsequently leads to collaborative projects in the area of 'psycho-oncology' – research examining psychological aspects of cancer. It also conducts collaborative research and programs in, for example, psychotherapy, psychotherapeutic treatment for distressed people aged between 12 and 25, troubled young people with mental illness, outreach programs to schools on topics related to behavioural problems, study and peer pressure stresses, and cyber bullying.
Inquiries
telephone +61 2 9514 9985
email science.admin@uts.edu.au
www.science.uts.edu.au/centres/psych
UTS Chinese Medicine Clinic
The UTS Chinese Medicine Clinic sits within the School of Medical and Molecular Biosciences, and undertakes a wide scope of teaching, clinical and research activities relating to acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) including experimental work into diabetes and metabolic syndrome, the physiological effects of laser and acupuncture techniques, TCM health informatics and TCM theory.
It also undertakes a number of human clinical trials in relation to acupuncture for pain and musculoskeletal disorders, laser for arthritis, acupuncture for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Inquiries
telephone + 61 2 9514 2509
email chinesemedicine@uts.edu.au
www.uts.edu.au/about/faculty-science/chinese-medicine-clinic/our-research
Cross-faculty research
Centre for Health Technologies
The Centre for Health Technologies (CHT) 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 CHT 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 centre's innovative medical device technologies and biotechnology/biopharmaceutical research programs are currently at the cutting edge of biomedical engineering and biotechnology science, and have already developed several significant biomedical devices and advanced biotechnology processes.
Further information is available from:
www.research.uts.edu.au/strengths/ht
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.
QFRC 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. Its 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 at 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:
www.uts.edu.au/future-students/science/essential-information/bridging-courses
