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Faculty of Science
The courses and subjects of the Faculty of Science are being reviewed. Students' views about ways to improve Science courses are being taken into account. As a consequence of the review, not all the subjects in the Faculty of Science section of this handbook will necessarily be offered in 1998. However, the Faculty guarantees that all students currently enrolled in a Faculty of Science course will be able to complete their course in the discipline area/s of their choice, subject to any relevant quota restrictions and successful completion of relevant prerequisites.
The Faculty of Science offers subjects designed to provide degrees that give students skills and expertise in a diverse range of scientific fields. The flexibility of the science degree allows students to tailor courses to suit individual interests and professional goals. Analytical skills imparted are highly valued by employers in a wide range of professions and provide an essential basis for a career in scientific research. Constant monitoring of its courses enables the Science Faculty to change and develop courses to meet the needs of students competing for employment.
As a student in the Faculty of Science you study in a stimulating and exciting environment with access to highly trained academic staff, first rate research equipment and programs of international standing. The Faculty provides a variety of support systems to enable you to reach your full potential.
The Faculty's objectives are to provide an educational framework which enables:
Both programs may be taken separately, or as part of a combined course. Information on the Honours programs may be found in Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Bachelor of Information Systems (Honours).
Further information on graduate and postgraduate courses offered by the Faculty of Science may be obtained from the Faculty Office or the School of Graduate Studies.
Students should ensure they are aware of their rights and obligations at the University by carefully reading the University Handbook and Student Diary. The Student Diary, issued to all students upon enrolment, contains important information on matters such as enrolment, assessment, and the services available to students on campus. Any queries relating to University requirements can be directed to the Faculty of Science Office in the first instance.
The Faculty Office coordinates the formal requirements of a student's course. In the reception area of the Faculty of Science Office you will find:
Information is also available from the Faculty of Science home page at: http://www.science.unimelb.edu.au
Students should visit the Faculty of Science Office if they need advice or wish to do anything related to the following matters:
The Faculty of Science Office is located in the ground floor of the Old Geology Building on the Parkville campus of the University. The Old Geology Building is situated on Masson Road.
The various contact points for the Faculty of Science Office are:
Tel. + 61 3 9344 6404
Fax. + 61 3 9344 5803
Email address for undergraduate questions: query@science.unimelb.edu.au
Email address for postgraduate questions: science.pgrad@science.unimelb.edu.au
Postal Address:
Faculty of Science OfficeStudents are expected to read:
The University frequently needs to contact you. You are strongly urged to ensure that the University has an accurate and reliable mailing address and phone number for you. If you change your address, you should register your new address at the Faculty of Science Office or Student Administration. Arrange for a reliable person to check your mail during extended absences.
Faculty of Science courses, with the exception of the Bachelor of Optometry, are organised on a points system. Students must complete a certain number and type of points to satisfy the requirements of each course.
Every subject taught in the Faculty has a points value that is determined by the workload associated with that subject. Accordingly, the Faculty awards points for the successful completion of each subject. The points a student will receive if they successfully complete a particular subject are noted in the Handbook entry for that subject.
Subjects normally taken in first year are referred to as 100-level subjects. Subjects normally taken in second and third year are referred to as 200 and 300-level subjects respectively.
Students may combine 100-level, 200-level and/or 300-level subjects in any year of their course, providing they have the necessary prerequisites and avoid timetable clashes.
Each subject has a subject code comprising six digits. The first three digits are a departmental code that indicates which department teaches the subject. The fourth digit usually indicates the level of the subject. For example, if the fourth digit is three the subject concerned is a 300-level subject. The final two digits distinguish the subject from other subjects offered at the same level by a particular department.
The distinction between 'science' and 'non-science' subjects is relevant to all students enrolled in the BSc and BSc combined degree courses as all BSc courses require the accumulation of a certain number of 'science' points. Any subject that does not appear in the Faculty of Science section of this Handbook is a 'non-science' subject. Most subjects in the Faculty of Science entry are 'science' subjects, but there are important exceptions including the following.
Entry into many subjects requires the successful completion of prior (prerequisite) subjects or enrolment in concurrent subjects (co-requisites). Students must not enrol in subjects for which they lack the prerequisites without a written waiver of the prerequisite from the Head of Department.
It is the students' responsibility to ensure that they have the necessary prerequisites in place at the end of each semester before proceeding to the next semester subjects. Students are advised that enrolments in subjects for which they lack the prerequisites, or waivers, may be cancelled. If a student remains in a subject for which they lack the appropriate prerequisites, even with a waiver, the lack of the prerequisite is not deemed grounds for special consideration or other concessions should the student fail to complete the subject successfully.
Students enrolled in all Faculty of Science undergraduate courses, except the Bachelor of Optometry, can study on a full-time or part-time basis. The normal workload for a full-time student is 50 points each semester, while part-time students undertake workloads of less than 37.5 points in any semester. Bachelor of Optometry students usually require permission from the Head of Optometry to enrol part-time. Note that the majority of the classes offered by the Faculty of Science are between 9 am and 5 pm.
The AUSTUDY Workload Requirements section in the General Information section of this handbook explains how a student's HECS load (i.e. workload) determines if they are a full-time or part-time student.
The Accelerated Entry Program is available to students who have undertaken appropriate additional work while completing their Year 12 studies. Exemption tests equivalent to first-year BSc standard will be conducted between selection and the commencement of first semester.
By gaining exemption from some or all of first year, students will be entitled to receive appropriate credit and may be able to complete the course in less than the normal time.
Advanced subjects have been designed for small numbers of exceptional students and are designated by the word 'Advanced' following the subject name. Selection into these subjects is by invitation from the Head of the department concerned. Selection into advanced 100-level subjects will take into account a student's results in relevant Year 12 subjects. Selection into advanced subjects at 200- and 300-level will depend on a student's results in related and prerequisite science subjects.
Completion of advanced subjects is stated on a student's academic record.
Credit may be awarded for tertiary studies undertaken in the ten years preceding enrolment in Faculty of Science courses. The amount of credit granted is assessed on the basis of the content, standard and relevance of previous studies to the particular Faculty of Science course to which the student has been admitted. It is the student's responsibility to provide the documentation required for this assessment. Details of the Faculty Credit Policy are available from the Faculty of Science Office.
The Faculty completes prerequisite evaluations to advise transferring students of the particular University of Melbourne subjects they are eligible to undertake on the basis of their previous studies. Formal prerequisite evaluations are completed once the student has been admitted to the Faculty of Science.
The University runs an extensive international student exchange program that allows students to study abroad for one or two semesters while receiving credit to their degree at The University of Melbourne. Information about the exchange program is provided in the General Information section at the front of this handbook, from the Faculty Office, the International Office or on the Faculty Web page. Students intending to participate in the University's exchange program should have their proposed course plan approved by the Faculty Office, to ensure that they receive full credit for their studies abroad.
Students must use a Subject Change form, available at the Faculty of Science Office, to advise the Faculty of changes to their enrolment. Combined course students need only inform one of the faculty offices involved in the course in which they are enrolled of such changes to their enrolment. The critical dates relating to subject changes are detailed in the Course and Subject Changes section in the General Information provided in this Handbook.
Subject changes may alter your enrolment category from full-time to part-time (or vice versa). Students are encouraged to read the AUSTUDY Workload Requirements entry that appears in the General Information section of this Handbook.
While every effort is made to avoid timetable clashes, the number of subjects offered by the Faculty of Science makes it impossible to accommodate every possible subject combination.
If a subject combination results in lecture or practical class time clashes, students are advised to consider changing subjects. Timetable clashes inevitably affect student performance, and are not grounds for special consideration (see below). Attendance is expected at all scheduled lectures, practical classes, excursions and tutorials.
The Faculty recognises that many students encounter difficulties in their studies, and provides a number of programs to assist these students. We cannot help unless we are asked.
The Faculty organises several study skills seminars throughout the year. These seminars are advertised on Faculty and departmental noticeboards, and discuss both general and discipline-specific study skills. The Learning Skills Centre at 260 Faraday St, Carlton, runs individual and group study and exam skills programs that are both free and confidential.
Many first year students experience academic difficulties, particularly during first semester. Students who fail two or more of the subjects attempted in first semester, or those who feel that their performance was well below expectations, are invited to discuss any problems and ways of improving their performance. The interviews, usually with an academic staff member and a representative of the Faculty Office, will be held in the later part of the first semester or as soon as possible after the first semester results have been finalised by departments.
Most 100-level subjects offered in first semester have a mid-semester test to help students gauge their performance before attempting their end-of-semester exams.
Students should be aware that progress rules apply to all courses. Information on unsatisfactory progress can be found at the end of each course information entry.
Students whose studies have been substantially affected by illness or other circumstances should complete an Application for Special Consideration form available from the Faculty of Science Office. The Faculty will advise the relevant department/s and the Consultation of Examiners of the request for special consideration. Based on this request, the department may decide to:
Further information about Special Consideration is provided in the General Information section of this Handbook. Students are also encouraged to collect the Special Consideration information sheet from the Faculty of Science Office.
Note that timetable clashes or enrolment in subjects for which students lack prerequisites (even with a written waiver) do not constitute grounds for special consideration.
Applications for deferment, leave of absence, or discontinuation, as described in the General Information section at the front of this handbook, are made by completing a Cancellation of Enrolment form at the Faculty of Science Office.
A student will be eligible for a refund, or partial refund, of the Amenities and Services Fee if they discontinue their study, take Leave of Absence, or change their enrolment from full-time to part-time before the second semester HECS Census Date (31 August). Part-time enrolment is defined as enrolment in less than 37.5 points in any semester.
Application for Refund forms are available at Student Administration, first floor, Raymond Priestley Building.
The Faculty of Science recognises the highest achieving Year 12 students who enter the Faculty each year. These awards are presented by the Dean of the Faculty of Science at a ceremony in the presence of heads of departments, invited alumni and parents.
The Dean's Honour List recognises high achieving students in the Faculty of Science. Students on the Dean's Honour List receive a certificate from the Dean of the Faculty of Science at an annual presentation ceremony, and their achievement is also recorded on their academic transcript.
To be considered for the Dean's Honour List, students enrolled in the Bachelor of Information Systems, Bachelor of Optometry, Bachelor of Science and the combined courses must have:
From the total number of eligible students, the top three per cent of students are selected.
To be considered for a place on the Dean's Honour List, Bachelor of Science (Honours) students must achieve an overall mark for the BSc (Hons) year that is greater than 85%.
Numerous other prizes, scholarships, awards and bursaries are provided by companies and through bequests. These are available to students enrolled in the undergraduate courses offered by the Faculty of Science and are awarded for academic excellence at each year level and in individual subjects. For further information please contact the Faculty of Science Office.
The Student Financial Aid Office can provide details of other University awards.
The Faculty and the University of Melbourne are dedicated to helping current and past students, staff and other professionals in science build a lifelong relationship with the Faculty and the University, and promoting these contacts at a local, national and international level. The Alumni Society provides a forum for graduates, staff and friends of the Faculty of Science to share views and keep in touch with the latest teaching and research. For further information please contact the Alumni & Development Unit, phone 9344 7469.
Science students who seek entry to the Faculty of Veterinary Science must apply to the Assistant Registrar (Veterinary Science) for lateral transfer to that course, usually in early September during their first year of science studies. For details contact the Assistant Registrar (Veterinary Science).
The Faculty of Veterinary Science has specified that Science students wanting to be considered for a transfer to Veterinary Science must take the following subjects in first year:
Biology 600-141 and 600-142
Chemistry 610-141 and 610-142 (or before 1998: 610-121 and 610-122)
Physics 640-121 and 640-122, or 640-141 and 640-142, or 640-161 and 640-162
Students who have undertaken physics in their final year of secondary schooling and who study Physics 640-161 and 640-162 will have their marks in that subject debited by 15% when considered for selection into the Veterinary Science course.
Bachelor of Science graduates:
Bachelor of Science (Honours) graduates should, in addition to the above, be able to define and solve problems relating to their speciality and be capable of conducting research in their field.
The Bachelor of Science degree is an extremely flexible course as students are able to select subjects from a wide range of science disciplines. The first year of the BSc provides students with a general training in several of the key (or foundation) sciences. In later years of the course students can choose to continue to undertake a broad range of science subjects, or to specialise in one or more interrelated areas of study. Most students plan their course so that it includes a progressive study to third-year level of a major branch of science with other supporting subjects. A BSc with a major area of study at third year level prepares graduates to work in industry and a range of different areas, or to undertake further study which may lead to employment in research or teaching.
A student's workload is determined by the number of points in which they are enrolled in a particular year. Normally the Faculty would expect a full time student to enrol in 50 points per semester; that is, 100 points for each year.
A workload in excess of 50 points per semester is regarded as an overload. Students may undertake an overload provided they have good academic reasons for doing so, and that they have a strong academic record at the tertiary level. Students who have successfully completed 62.5 points at 100-level can enrol in up to 56.25 points per semester, or 62.5 points per semester, providing they have not failed any subjects in the previous semester.
Students wishing to exceed these guidelines will need to seek approval from the Associate Dean (Academic). This requires the submission of an Associate Dean (Academic) Request Form to the Faculty of Science Office. Permission to exceed the guidelines will take into account the student's academic record and the reasons for requesting the overload.
All students are responsible for their own learning and their course. Faculty Advisers and members of individual departments are experienced and willing to assist in planning courses, but it is your responsibility as a student to integrate the advice and make the final selection of subjects. Departments may provide a number of sensible course plans which students can refer to.
Students selected into courses offered by the Faculty are invited to attend introductory information sessions at the University. At these sessions students will be given important information about course requirements, disciplines available and the enrolment process. Students then meet with a Faculty Adviser to plan their first year of study. The course plan that is approved (authorised) will reflect the student's current areas of interest and allow for maximum flexibility in future studies.
Enrolment in the course is confirmed once fees are paid and a Student Questionnaire and HECS Payment Option form have been completed.
A student's subject selection is a balance between previous studies and achievements, career choice, personal interest, course requirements, and a desire to obtain a basic scientific education at the tertiary level. Sometimes, however, practical considerations such as quota restriction can impose limitations.
Students should refer to the University Handbook in the first instance. The Handbook is an essential tool for course planning as it provides critical information about course requirements and the subjects available for inclusion in the BSc course.
Students requiring further information may obtain course advice from the Faculty Office which has five Student Advisers whose duties include course advice. Students may also discuss course options with members of the academic staff who are designated as first-year coordinators, departmental course advisers or Faculty Advisers.
Students are required to submit a course plan for the following year if they will be continuing with their study. Departmental course advisers assist in planning courses and completing the necessary course plan forms. This usually occurs in second semester, and students will be advised of course planning arrangements for the following year by mail. All course plans must be approved by the Faculty.
Course plans are applications for selection into subjects. No further action is required unless a student fails a subject in the examination, misses entry into quota-restricted subjects or wishes to alter the course plan. In these cases, the student should seek advice from the Faculty Office.
Some of the subjects offered by the Faculty of Science are termed 'quota subjects' as there are usually not enough places available in the subject to meet student demand for that particular subject.
The Faculty of Science general policy is that first year science subjects should not be quota restricted. In the past few years Psychology is the only first-year subject where there has been difficulty meeting student demand.
If any first-year quota subjects exist in 1998, selection will be based on Tertiary Entrance Rank. International Baccalaureate and interstate applicants will be allocated a Tertiary Entrance Rank for selection purposes into first-year quota subjects. The selection of later-year students in 100-level quota restricted subjects is based primarily on tertiary results.
A complete list of 1998 quota subjects at 200- and 300-levels will be available from the Faculty of Science Office from November. Students need to indicate their wish to be considered for a place in quota subjects on either their course plan for 1998 or a Quota Subject Request form available at the Faculty of Science Office. Students will automatically be considered for the quota subjects they have selected on their course plan in Round Two and Three if they are not offered a place in Round One. In July of each year, a 'top-up' of places in semester two quota subjects occurs. Students who have not previously applied for a place in a semester two quota subjects will need to submit a Semester Two Quota Subject Request form to the Faculty of Science Office. Strict deadlines apply to the submission of Quota Subject forms.
Students who are offered quota subjects will be notified by mail. Round One Quota offers will be sent in the form of an authorised Enrolment Record. The authorised Enrolment Record will list the quota subjects in which you have been offered a place in Round One. Confirmation of your enrolment will signify your acceptance of your place in the quota subjects listed on your authorised Enrolment Record.
For Rounds Two and Three of Quota Subject Selection, students will receive a letter of offer, and a list of successful students will also be posted on noticeboards in the Faculty Office. Students offered a place in quota subjects in Round 2 and 3 will need to return an Acceptance Form to the Faculty of Science Office before the specified date to secure their place in the quota subjects they have been offered. It is therefore important to ensure that the Faculty of Science Office has your current postal address.
The following principles apply to the selection of students who seek to enrol in the later-year subjects for which entry quotas have been imposed. Selection into quota subjects occurs in one of two ways:
Students who, in the preceding year, were not enrolled in the Bachelor of Science course in this University will be ranked with regard to the principles above as far as it is possible. Such students shall not displace from a subject a student who, in the preceding year was enrolled in the Bachelor of Science course in this University, or was on leave from that course, and who has been ranked in the first 90% of places in the quota for that subject.
For administrative reasons, offers of specific subjects to students are made at set times prior to the commencement of the subject. The Faculty, as a matter of policy, over-fills the quota and allows course changes to correct the over-enrolment. One student withdrawing from a particular subject does not mean, therefore, that another student will automatically take up the 'vacant' place.
An information sheet detailing the quota process and the manner in which quota scores are calculated will be available from the Faculty of Science Office in November.
Compensatory Passes (CP) allow Bachelor of Science students, who have failed in certain subjects, to receive credit points for the subject that was failed under the following conditions.
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Students enrolled in a single BSc degree or a BSc combined course can follow a course of study which results in the award of a Bachelor of Science (Environmental Science) degree.
Bachelor of Science (Environmental Science) graduates complete core environmental science subjects and a specialisation in a selected scientific discipline such as: Botany, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Genetics, Geography, Mathematics and Statistics, Microbiology, and Zoology. Students may also complete some management, economics, politics and law subjects.
This program provides training in scientific skills and disciplines that may be used to identify and solve environmental problems. It teaches students how to make efficient use of scarce resources available for management and conservation of the environment.
In particular, the skills developed in the Environmental Science program will enable graduates to:
This Environmental Science program provides an opportunity for laboratory, outdoor and indoor careers dealing with environmental issues. Graduates may work in areas such as:
Potential employers include local, State and Federal government environmental and regulatory agencies, environmental groups, and resource and development departments at the State and Federal level, environmental, natural resource and engineering consulting companies and a number of major chemical and mining companies.
Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Bachelor of Science offered by the Faculty of Science.
To receive a BSc (Environmental Science) degree students must:
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There is no special program in Honours in Environmental Science. Rather, students are encouraged to pursue an Environmental Science honours project as part of the normal honours program in a Science Department.
For further information, contact the Environmental Science Coordinator, Associate Professor Mark Burgman, Tel. +61 3 9344 7151, Email: m.burgman@botany.unimelb.edu.au
Students enrolled in a single BSc degree or a BSc combined course can follow a course of study which results in the award of a Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology) degree.
Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology) graduates complete core biotechnology subjects and a specialisation in a selected scientific discipline such as: Anatomy and Cell Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Botany, Chemistry, Genetics, Microbiology, and Zoology.
Biotechnology has many applications in the current scientific climate, including food technology, drug production, genetic engineering, tissue culture and manipulative plant breeding, forensic science, and disease detection and treatment.
Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Bachelor of Science offered by the Faculty of Science.
Students interested in the Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology) should contact the Faculty of Science for up-to-date information relevant to Course Planning.
Students enrolled full-time usually take three years to complete the BSc single degree.
Students must accumulate a minimum of 300 points, which must:
See 'Science' and 'non-science' subjects and 'Non-science' subjects allowance for discussion of what constitutes subjects earning science points.
Because third year students are ranked on the basis of their best 90 science points, selection into the BSc (Honours) course is more difficult if less than 90 points at 300-level are taken. Refer to the Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Bachelor of Information Systems (Honours) section for further details.
At each of the 100-, 200-, and 300-year-levels of study, students commencing in the BSc single degree in 1998 or subsequent years, must complete at least 50 points of their studies in science subjects offered by the following 17 departments or programs:
A number of departments not on this list offer individual subjects and coherent programs of study for BSc students which accrue Science points, but cannot be counted towards the 50 point rule. Within the BSc students are able to accommodate up to 50 points at each year level from subjects offered by such departments, and are able to satisfy the departmental requirements for entry into the BSc (Honours) program of any one such department by achieving an acceptably high level of performance in an appropriate selection of 50 points from that department at the 300-level.
It is important to note that the 50 point rule allows students to take up at 50 science points at each year-level from any one of the Departments of:
providing that they take 50 points per year of science subjects from the list of 17 departments and programs that appear at the start of this section. Extensive studies in each of the three departments is therefore possible within the Bachelor of Science single degree. In particular, the 50 points at the 300-level from a department usually required for entry into the BSc (Honours) program are available for these three departments.
Students wishing to take more than 50 points of subjects offered by the History and Philosophy of Science and/or Geography and Environmental Studies at any year level may find the four-year Bachelor of Arts and Science single degree, or the five-year Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Sciences combined course, better suited to their needs. Students who wish to study more than 50 points from the Department of Computer Science at any year level should consider the three-year Bachelor of Computer Science course.
The 50 point rule does not apply to students entering in 1998 any combined degree program with a BSc component.
Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science single degree course can include up to 62.5 points of subjects not included in the Science section of this handbook (i.e. 'non-science' subjects). A maximum of 25 non-science points may be taken at the 100-level. Further information regarding enrolments in 'non-science' subjects, and the credit that is allowed for these subjects, can be found in 'Science' and 'non-science' subjects or may be obtained from the Faculty of Science office.
Students whose first language is not English should note that the Arts Faculty's Centre of Communication Skills and English as a Second Language (CCS & ESL) will offer the following subjects in 1998:
These subjects and the various other subjects focusing on communication skills that are offered by the CCS & ESL can be taken by Bachelor of Science students as non-science points.
The Horwood Language Centre offers many subjects which are available on a non-science credit basis. See the Arts section of the Handbook for further details.
The Faculty of Science offers students the opportunity to enrol in the Diploma of Modern Languages concurrently with their science studies, and this adds an extra year to the course (contact the Faculty of Arts for information about the Diploma of Modern Languages). Students may also enrol in subjects offered under the Community Access Program, however these subjects will incur an extra fee and will not be credited to your science degree.
The Faculty of Science annually reviews the academic progress of all Bachelor of Science students. Students who do not pass at least 62.5 per cent of the points attempted in any one academic year (not including those from which the student has withdrawn) have not made satisfactory progress. Students who have passed between 37.5% and 62.5% of the points attempted in an academic year will, on the first occasion, be required to meet with a Faculty of Science Student Adviser before they will be able to re-enrol.
Students who have:
will be required to make a case before the Student Progress Committee. Students are given an opportunity to make a written submission or to appear before the Committee or to do both. The Committee will usually consider the student's results and any extenuating circumstances, such as personal difficulties, financial hardship and study problems, before making one of the following decisions:
Students suspended from the BSc can apply for re-selection. Re-selection can generally only be considered if the student has demonstrated, by the completion of relevant tertiary studies, that there is a reasonable chance that they would successfully complete the BSc if re-admitted. Relevant studies completed at another tertiary institution, or through the University of Melbourne Community Access Programme, can be used to show that a student is now capable of completing the BSc.
At the very least, unsatisfactory progress will:
Students who complete a combined course will graduate with two undergraduate degrees. Combined course students therefore have an increased choice of subjects and an opportunity to either specialise in inter-related discipline areas across two faculties, and/or to broaden their educational base.
Students wanting to specialise in a science discipline should consider completing the single BSc degree and undertaking postgraduate study in their area of interest rather than completing a combined course.
The wide-ranging objectives of each of the combined courses can be gleaned by referring to the objectives for both the BSc and the other degree forming part of the combined course.
The Faculty of Science administers the Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Information Systems, Bachelor of Optometry and a number of combined courses. In the following list where course information can be found in another section of the Handbook or a course is administered by another Faculty a cross reference is given.
All combined course students must satisfy the two components of the combined course in which they are enrolled. In some instances students also have to accumulate a minimum number of points. These requirements vary and are stated in the specific entry for each combined course that follows.
Five years full-time is the minimum time required to complete all combined courses involving the BSc.
The BA/BSc combined course provides students with an opportunity to obtain a general education in the humanities, social sciences and the languages and cultures of other people, and to also obtain a grounding in the key science disciplines with later-year specialisations in one or more science areas.
The BA/BSc is a 5 year combined course and offers an alternative to the 4 year single degree Bachelor of Arts and Sciences (BASc).
Students enrolled in the combined BA/BSc combined course must accumulate a total of 500 points.
Within the 500 points students must ensure they satisfy the minimum requirements for both the BSc component and the BA component. These requirements are detailed below. In summary students require:
A minimum of 237.5 science points are required which must include:
There are no 200-level requirements.
See 'Science' and 'non-science' subjects for discussion of what constitute subjects earning science points.
A minimum of 216 Arts points are required, of which:
All of the 216 Arts points, except 50 of the 100 Arts points required at 300-level, must be from subjects offered by Arts teaching departments. The areas of study offered by the Faculty of Arts teaching departments are as follows:
American Studies, Ancient Greek, Ancient and Medieval Studies, Anthropology, Arabic, Archaeology, Art History, Asian Studies, Australian Studies, Chinese, Cinema Studies, Criminology, Cultural Studies, Development, English, English Language, Environmental Studies, French, Geography and Environmental Studies4, German, Modern Greek, Hebrew, Hellenic Studies, History, History and Philosophy of Science4, Indonesian, Islamic studies, Italian, Jewish Studies, Korean, Latin, Linguistics, Philosophy, Planning and Design, Political Science, Psychology5, Russian, Russian Studies, Social Theory, Social Research Methods, Social Work, Sociology, Spanish, Swedish, Women's Studies.
Students enrolled in the BCom/BSc combined course must accumulate a total of 500 points. Within the 500 points students must satisfy the minimum requirements stated below for the BSc component and the BCom component.
A minimum of 237.5 Science points are required which must include:
There are no 200-level requirements.
See 'Science' and 'non-science' subjects for discussion of what constitute subjects earning science points.
A minimum of 200 Commerce points are required, which must include:
BCom/BSc students will generally only select Science or Economics and Commerce subjects. They can, however, include a maximum of 60 Arts points toward the 500 points. Students wishing to include Arts subjects (e.g. languages) in their course must seek prior approval from the Faculty of Economics and Commerce.
Information Systems focuses on the design, specification, and creation of information systems, and on the human and organisational arrangements needed to use information systems to achieve organisational goals. To cover these increasingly interrelated topics, the course offers study in five key areas: information systems, information technology, organisations, analytical skills, and professional competencies.
Bachelor of Information Systems graduates will find employment in a variety of professional roles, ranging from the very technical to the very business oriented, in public and private organisations in Australia and overseas.
Specific capabilities will be developed through work in the five general theme areas of the course:
This is the central theme of the course. Information systems collect, process, store, and distribute information so that it can be used to make decisions, to keep track of resources, and to plan for the future. Particular focus is placed on imagining, specifying, designing, justifying, building, implementing, managing, and using information systems to add value in organisations.
An understanding of the potential of information technology to add value is essential to the successful implementation and use of information systems. Students will become familiar with computer hardware and software, telecommunications, databases and data structures, information technology architectures, and information technology infrastructures. Practical experience in these areas will help students learn how to assess the current and future capability of information technology.
To implement information systems efficiently and effectively in organisations requires the ability to analyse and understand organisational functions, processes, environments, characteristics, and cultures. This organisational perspective on information systems, and its relationship to the technical perspective developed in the information technology theme, is a distinguishing characteristic of the Bachelor of Information Systems course.
Effective design, development, and implementation of information systems in organisations requires a broad range of analytical skills, including data classification and modelling, information mapping and representation, systems analysis and design, discrete mathematics, and statistics. These and other analytical skills are essential for understanding, and communicating about, complex organisational situations and the potential and performance of information systems.
Graduates will, in the course of their jobs, work with people across a broad spectrum of technical and business interests and skills. Success in these interactions will require a well developed set of personal competencies, including listening, collecting and synthesising information, writing, presenting, and working in teams.
Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Information Systems will participate in a Professional Skills Programme covering a range of communication, professional and analytical skills. Students will be expected to complete the sequence satisfactorily at first, second and third year levels, and will be awarded a certificate on successful completion of this element of the course.
The objective of the Bachelor of Information Systems course is to prepare students to be part of teams that imagine, specify, design, justify, build, implement, manage, and use information systems. To accomplish this objective, graduates must understand how to use information technology, including hardware, software, and telecommunications, as a conduit for the value-added information content of formal organisational systems. This understanding is based on a solid theoretical grounding in both technology and organisations, as well as on experience working both individually and in teams to apply the theory to practice.
Upon completion of the Bachelor of Information Systems program, students will:
The Bachelor of Information Systems degree requires a minimum of three years of full-time study.
The Bachelor of Information Systems single degree comprises core (compulsory) subjects. In the second and third years of the course students choose from a wide range of elective subjects enabling them to specialise in Information Technology or Organisations. Alternatively, students can choose elective subjects which suit an individual area of interest, from amongst the range of information systems electives, or other disciplines within the University.
Students must complete at least 300 points of approved studies, which must include:
Note: This specification may be modified from time to time in line with subject changes.
615-102 Accounting and Finance for Decision Making
615-120 Information Systems in Organisations
615-145 Concepts in Software Development I
615-155 Principles of Management
615-160 Tools of Analysis
615-230 Database Concepts
615-237 Telecommunication Concepts
615-240 Concepts in Software Development II
615-245 Systems Analysis and Design
615-255 Organisational Processes
615-275 Project Management
615-302 Economics of Information and Technology
615-327 Management of Information Systems
615-350 Case Studies in Information Systems
615-352 Organisational Analysis and Change
615-355 Legal and Ethical Framework
615-370 Information Systems Project
For details of subjects, please see Information Systems
Notes:
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The majority of students who enrol in the Bachelor of Information Systems course will take 615-160 Tools of Analysis and either 620-160 Experimental Design and Data Analysis or 620-131 Scientific Programming and Simulation. The Mathematics and Statistics Department's Director of First Year Studies can advise which of 620-131 or 620-160 is better suited to the student's background.
The Department of Information Systems annually reviews the academic progress of all undergraduate Information Systems students.
The following criteria will apply in relation to satisfactory progress through the Bachelor of Information Systems.
Students who:
Students may be asked to make written submissions to, or appear before, the Information Systems Student Progress Committee or to do both. In considering the student's progress the Committee will normally take into account the student's results, attendance at lectures, practical classes and tutorials, and any extenuating circumstances.
The Committee will determine the best proposal for the student's academic future and make one of three decisions:
The discipline of Information Systems in combination with other disciplines creates attractive professional opportunities in a number of areas.
The Faculty of Science administers the Bachelor of Information Systems and a number of combined courses. In the following list where course information can be found in another section of the Handbook or a course is administered by another Faculty a cross reference is given number of combined degrees.
The combined Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Information Systems provides a course of study for students who want to understand information systems from a technological perspective, the organisational contexts in which these systems are developed, and the business environments which determine how the systems can be used to create value. The graduates of this course will readily find employment across a spectrum of knowledge-intensive careers, including accounting, consulting, and general management.
Upon completion of the course, students will:
It will be possible within the outlines of the BCom / BIS course to achieve either the approved undergraduate course of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICA) or the required subjects for associate status with the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants (ASCPA).
The Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Information Systems course requires a minimum of five years of full-time study.
Students must complete a minimum of 500 points. Within the 500 points students must ensure that they satisfy the requirements of both the Commerce component and the Information Systems component as specified below.
A minimum of 200 Commerce points are required which must include:
The Commerce subjects may be chosen from subjects which carry the following prefixes: 300 (Actuarial Studies); 306 (Accounting and Finance); 316 (Economics); 325 (Management) and 732 (Business Law).
A minimum of 212.5 points of Information Systems subjects must be completed. Information Systems subjects have a 615- prefix.
The Information Systems subjects must include the following core subjects, or approved alternative subjects.
In no case may students receive credit for both a core subject and its alternate.
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The following criteria will apply in relation to satisfactory progress through the Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Information Systems course.
Students who:
Students may be asked to make written submissions to, or appear before, the Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Information Systems Student progress Committee, or to do both. In considering the student's progress the Committee will normally take into account the student's results, attendance at lectures, practical classes and tutorials, and any extenuating circumstances.
The Committee will determine the best proposal for the student's academic future and make one of three decisions:
The combined Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Information Systems provides a course of study for students who want to leverage their training in a scientific discipline with the ability to imagine, design, build, and use information systems applications. As a highly knowledge-intensive discipline, science increasingly relies on these abilities as well as on specific content knowledge. The graduates of this course will readily find employment across a spectrum of scientific careers, particularly those that involve the collection, analysis, reporting, and dissemination of data, and the technical and organisational skills to convert that data into useful information.
Upon completion of the course, students will:
The Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Information Systems combined course requires a minimum of five years of full-time study.
Students must complete a minimum of 500 points. Within the 500 points students must ensure that they:
A minimum of 237.5 science points are required which must include:
There are no specific requirements at the 200-level.
Science points are defined in 'Science' and 'non-science' subjects.
A minimum of 212.5 point of Information systems subjects must be completed. Information Systems subjects have a 615- prefix.
The Information Systems subjects must include the Core studies subjects, or approved alternative subjects.
Students may select any Faculty of Science subject to complete the remaining points. Subject selection requires the completion of prerequisites and, in the case of quota restricted subjects, the offer of a place in the subject.
Students must submit an Associate Dean (Academic) Request Form to the Faculty of Science Office if they wish to include a subject(s) not offered by the Faculty of Science.
Examples of course plans, one with a Mathematics emphasis and the other with an Environmental Science emphasis are shown below.
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The Environmental Science stream includes:
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Unsatisfactory Progress rules for the BSc/BIS are the same as for the Bachelor of Information Systems, see Unsatisfactory progress.
Optometry is a professional discipline based on the optical and visual sciences. The practice of optometry involves the diagnosis and treatment of functional disorders of the eye and vision: the optometrist's job is to solve patients' visual problems.
The practice of optometry is regulated by the Optometrists Registration Act in each state of Australia. Under these Acts the practice of optometry can be carried out only by those whose names appear on the register of optometrists. Graduates holding the Bachelor of Optometry degree of the University of Melbourne are qualified to be registered for the practice of optometry in each State and Territory of Australia and in New Zealand.
This course has as its objectives that graduates:
There are likely to be 32 places in the first year of the course. Selection is based predominantly on the Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) and on performance in prerequisite studies. International Baccalaureate and interstate applicants will have a Tertiary Entrance Rank calculated for selection purposes.
There are likely to be 42 places in the second year of the course. A student who has completed the equivalent of the first year of the Optometry course as a student in the BSc at the University of Melbourne, or a science course at another tertiary institution, may apply for a place in the second year of the Optometry course. Selection into second year is based on an evaluation of both VCE examination results (or their equivalent) and the examination results of completed tertiary studies.
BSc graduates who have passes in the subjects completed by BOptom students can be considered for a place in the third year of the BOptom course.
As shown below, the Optometry course is essentially fixed, although there is some opportunity for choice of subjects in the first year. Students will plan the first year of their studies with a Faculty Adviser at the introductory sessions the Faculty organises for new students.
Students will be automatically enrolled in the subjects forming each of the later years of the course providing they have passed all subjects in the previous year.
Note that:
The clinical year (fourth year) has 32 weeks. Students will be advised of the precise dates by the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences.
The Faculty of Science annually reviews the academic progress of all Bachelor of Optometry students. Students who do not pass at least 60 per cent of the points attempted in any one academic year, and/or fail a subject more than once, have not made satisfactory progress. Subjects from which a student has withdrawn are not included in these calculations.
Students who have not made satisfactory progress will be required to either:
Students should note that failed subjects must be repeated, and that any failure will, most probably, increase the length of time required to complete the BOptom course.
Students who have passed between 37.5 per cent and 60 per cent of the points attempted in an academic year will, on the first occasion, be required to meet with a Faculty of Science Student Adviser before they will able to re-enrol.
Students who have:
will be required to make a case before the Student Progress Committee.
Students are given an opportunity to make a written submission or to appear before the Committee or to do both. The Committee will usually consider the student's results and any extenuating circumstances, such as personal difficulties, financial hardship and study problems, before making one of the following decisions:
Students suspended from the BOptom can apply for re-selection. Re-selection can generally only be considered if the student has demonstrated, by the completion of relevant tertiary studies, that there is a reasonable chance that they would successfully complete the BOptom if re-admitted to the course. Relevant studies completed at another tertiary institution, or through the University of Melbourne Community Access Program, can be used to show that a student is now capable of completing the BOptom course.
| 1. | # = non-science subject. See 'Science' and 'non-science' subjects |
| 2. | # = non-science subject. See 'Science' and 'non-science' subjects |
| 3. | The allowed subjects for the Bachelor of Science (Environmental Science) can be found in Compulsory Subjects for the BSc (Environ. Sci.) and Social and Applied Science Subjects for the BSc (Environmental Science). In these tables, non-science subjects are clearly distinguished from science subjects. |
| 4. | Subjects offered by the departments of Geography and Environmental Studies, and History and Philosophy of Science must count toward the BA component of the combined course. |
| 5. | Students undertaking subjects offered by the School of Behavioural Sciences (i.e. Psychology) can receive credit toward either the Science or Arts component of the combined BA/BSc course. Students should advise the Science Faculty Office if they would like Psychology to count toward the science component of the BA/BSc combined course. Please refer to Psychology for subject descriptions. |
| 6. | All subjects, with the exception of electives, are core subjects in the degree. Prerequisites for subjects are noted in brackets. All subjects are 12.5 points. |
| 7. | Notes:
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| 8. | Notes:
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| 9. | Notes:
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| 10. | Notes:
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Status: Official 1998 Last Modified: Tuesday October 21 17:12 SGML to HTML Conversion: Information Technology Services Authorised by: Academic Registrar Email Enquiries: Course_Information@registrar.unimelb.edu.au