Undergraduate courses and subjects 2000 - Bachelor of Science and Honours Degree of Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science and Honours Degree of Bachelor of Science

General information
Course requirements
- Students whose first enrolment in the BSc is in 1999 and beyond
  - Core and PLE subjects
- Students whose first enrolment in the BSc is prior to 1999

General information

Course code: 0050/0051 · Clayton campus
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.
In a fourth year leading to the award of the Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree, 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 and beyond

The BSc degree will be based on a uniform six-credit-point subject structure at levels 1 to 3, with allowance for a transitional period for converting four-point and eight-point subjects to six-point subjects. Level 3 subjects will be offered at six points from 2001.

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 1 or level 2 requirements.
In addition, students will also be required to take at least one level 1 subject from each of the three groups (PLE):

· Physical processes
· Life processes
· 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 1 will be 60 (including core and PLE subjects), and a minimum of 24 credit points will be required at level 3. With 12 points of compulsory core subjects and at least 72 points of major and minor study, a student may take up to 60 credit points in elective subjects. Students may take up to 48 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 10 (six-point) subjects at level 1
· no more than 60 points at level 1
· and at least two majors, or a major sequence and a minor sequence.