1999 Science Handbook - Bachelor of Science and Honours Degree of Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science and Honours Degree of Bachelor of Science

General
Course objectives
Course requirements
- Students whose first enrolment in the BSc is in 1999
- Students whose first enrolment in the BSc is prior to 1999

The degree of Bachelor of Science is a course of three years full-time duration (or equivalent part-time). It aims to provide a broad, general science education equipping graduates for employment in both the public and corporate sectors where the emphasis is on generic skills, which include numeracy, data analysis and presentation skills, and the capacity to work in teams. Graduates will also have specialist training in one or more science disciplines, with the potential for honours and postgraduate study, leading to employment opportunities in any of the traditional careers for scientists.
On completion of the BSc, students will have:

an advanced level of understanding of at least one contemporary specialised area of science;
a familiarity with disciplines other than those in which they intend to specialise and major, to assist students in understanding the world around them;
competence in information technology, data handling, laboratory skills, communication skills and team work.;
an understanding of the origins of science and the nature of the scientific method, and the social relevance of science - through this students will have become aware of the complex interactions between science, ethics, society and the economy;
improved life and employment skills.

Students will acquire skills to disseminate the results of investigation, by oral, written or electronic means. Graduates will exhibit leadership qualities; they will have scientific skills and confidence in their ability as scientists and will be able to interact easily with colleagues and with the general community. They will also be scientifically responsible, trained in scientific disciplines and entitled, where appropriate, to membership of learned societies and professional associations.
In a fourth year leading to the award of the Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree, in addition to the above, students will be expected to display a higher level of independent analysis and research in their chosen field of expertise. This higher level of experience has vocational aims but also provides a preparation for study by coursework and/or research for the higher degrees of Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy.

Course requirements

Students whose first enrolment in the BSc is in 1999

The BSc degree will be based on a uniform six credit-point subject structure at levels one to three, with allowance for a transitional period for converting four-point and eight-point subjects to six-point subjects. Level-one subjects will be offered as six points from 1999, with levels two and three to be based principally on six-credit-point subjects from 2000 and 2001 respectively.

Major sequence

Students will be required to complete at least one major sequence in a Science area of study, where a major sequence is defined as either three years of study in a single discipline, or as a coherent three-year sequence in related disciplines (for example, first year biology followed by second and third-year studies in physiology). Some major sequences will be interdisciplinary (for example, materials science).
A major is defined as a three-year sequence constituting at least forty-eight credit points, ie one-third of the degree load of 144 points. Examples of three such sequences are

Level one	Level two	Level three	Total
12 points	18 points	24 points	54 points
12 points	12 points	24 points	48 points
12 points	18 points	18 points	48 points

Minor sequence

Students will also be required to complete at least one minor in a science area of study, consisting of twelve points at level one and at least twelve points at levels two and three. Thus at least seventy-two points in the BSc will consist of major and minor studies.

Core and PLE subjects

Students will be required to take two core subjects: SCI1010 (How science works) and SCI1020 (The design of science) towards meeting level one or level-two requirements.
In addition students will also be required to take at least one level-one subject from each of the three groups (PLE):

physical processes,
life processes and
earth processes.

These PLE subjects may count towards a major or minor sequence, but core subjects are additional to the requirement to include a major and minor sequence in the degree. The PLE groups are:

Physical processes: astronomy, chemistry, physics
Life processes: biology, psychology
Earth processes: atmospheric science, earth sciences, geography.

The maximum number of credit points at level one will be sixty (including core and PLE subjects), and a minimum of twenty-four credit points will be required at level three. With twelve points of compulsory core subjects and at least seventy-two points of major and minor study, a student may take up to sixty credit points in elective subjects. Students may take up to forty-eight credit points from non-science subjects.

Students whose first enrolment in the BSc is prior to 1999

Students must include subjects to the value of at least 144 points, including:

at least eight and at most ten (six-point) subjects at level one;
at least three (twelve-point) sequences, a sequence being a pair of subjects in the same discipline, at level one;
not more than two level-one (six-point) subjects that do not form part of a level-one sequence;
such additional subjects at levels two and three as are required to complete two major sequences or a major sequence and a minor sequence.

Major sequence

A major sequence (at least fifty-two points) in a discipline comprises three successive parts, being a level-one (twelve-point) sequence followed by level-two subjects totalling at least sixteen points followed by level-three subjects totalling at least twenty-four points.

Minor sequence

A minor sequence in a discipline comprises at least twenty-eight points including at least sixteen points from level two or levels two and three.

Sequences

Sequences in disciplines can be of two types:
1 subjects taught by the same department at levels one, two and three (in whichever combination of levels to satisfy a major or minor sequence requirement), or
2 deemed disciplines which apply where subjects only begin at levels two or three. The deemed discipline sequence in this case requires the completion of the prerequisite subjects (from another discipline) at the preceding level(s) (in whichever combination of levels to satisfy a major or minor sequence requirement).
Subjects must be taken from the science subjects contained in this handbook as follows:

at least thirty-six of the forty-eight points at level one;
at least thirty-two points of the forty-eight points at level two;
at least twenty-four points of the forty-eight points at level three.

Students may opt to select their remaining subjects from the subjects offered by the faculties of Arts, Business and Economics, Computing and Information Technology, Education or Law, subject to meeting any entry requirements of those faculties.