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Search : Index : Faculty of Science
Prev 1. Introduction to the Faculty of Science
Next 3. Bachelor of Science (BSc)
2. General information for all undergraduate students
2.1. What do I need to read in this Handbook?
2.2. Accelerated Entry Program
2.3. Credit and prerequisite evaluations for previous studies
2.4. Prerequisites
2.5. Workloads
2.6. Time commitment to study
2.7. Course points limits
2.8. Subject levels
2.9. Subject changes
2.10. Timetable clashes
2.11. Special consideration
2.12. Study difficulties
2.13. Students at risk
2.14. Unsatisfactory progress guidelines
2.15. Community Access Program
2.16. Taking time off from study
2.17. International exchange program
2.18. Concurrent diplomas
2.19. Faculty awards
2.19.1. Dean's Prize
2.19.2. Dean's Honour List
2.20. Career opportunities
2.21. Science alumni
2.22. Veterinary science
Students are expected to read:
the general information section at the start of the Handbook;
the Faculty of Science introduction;
course completion requirements; and
the department entries that follow this introduction. Department entries provide listings of suggested subjects, subject descriptions and other information that is invaluable for course planning. Department entries appear in alphabetical order.
The Accelerated Entry Program enables students who have undertaken appropriate additional work while completing their Year 12 studies to gain exemption from some first-year subjects.
Exemption tests equivalent to first year BSc standard are conducted in between enrolment and the commencement of Semester 1. Students who pass an exemption test will be granted credit for the relevant first-year subject. Students may receive credit for more than one subject. Students who receive such credit may be able to complete the course in less than the normal duration.
Application forms for accelerated entry will be available at the time of enrolment.
Credit towards a Faculty of Science course is available for tertiary studies undertaken in the ten years prior to enrolment in that course. The amount and type of credit granted is determined by the basis of the content, standard, workload and relevance of previous studies to the course into which the student has been admitted. Students are expected to provide appropriate documentation for the credit assessment, including their academic transcript and detailed course and subject descriptions.
Students should refer to the Faculty of Science Credit and Prerequisite Evaluation Policy for Undergraduate Courses before applying for credit. A copy of this policy is available from the Faculty of Science Office.
Entry into many subjects requires the prior completion of prerequisite subjects or concurrent enrolment in corequisite subjects. Students must not enrol in subjects for which they lack the prerequisites without a written waiver of the prerequisites signed by the subject coordinator or the Head of Department.
It is the responsibility of students to ensure that they have completed the necessary prerequisites before enrolling in subjects. Students are advised that enrolment 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.
All Faculty of Science courses, except for the Bachelor of Optometry, later years of the Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Teaching and some honours programs, are available on a full-time or a part-time basis. Bachelor of Optometry students require permission from the Head of Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences to enrol part-time.
Refer to Overloads in Semester 1 and 2 for Faculty guidelines on approving overloads.
Combined course students in the Bachelor of Engineering or Bachelor of Geomatic Engineering would also need approval from their Engineering Department and/or Faculty of Engineering to enrol in 62.5 points per semester.
Youth Allowance workload requirements in the general information section of this Handbook explains how a student's HECS load (ie. workload) determines if they are a full-time or part-time student.
To complete their studies successfully students are expected to attend all scheduled lectures, tutorials and practical classes as well as commit additional time to individual study, group study and the completion of assessment tasks. As students progress through their course contact hours generally decrease while the time spent on independent study and assessment tasks increases.
The following time commitment is expected for a student to complete satisfactorily the academic requirements of a typical 12.5 points subject in the Faculty of Science.
Contact hours range from 3 to 7 hours per week, with 6 or 7 hours per week being common for subjects with a significant practical component.
A minimum total time commitment of ten hours per week, including contact hours, is expected for each subject. Students who wish to excel and students whose background preparation for a subject is not strong should expect to commit additional time.
Students will not normally be permitted to over-enrol beyond the total points requirements of their course.
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Students wishing to complete subjects beyond their course points limit may apply to do so via the Community Access Program (CAP).
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-level and 300-level subjects respectively. The year level of a science subject is normally indicated by the fourth digit of its six-digit subject code. For example, 610-280 is a 200-level subject.
After completing 50 points at 100-level, 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.
Students must use the on-line subject change system when available or complete a subject change form, available at the Faculty of Science Office, to make changes to their enrolment. BASc and combined course students should notify the office of the faculty which administers the affected course component (eg. Engineering for engineering subjects in the combined BE/BSc; Arts for arts subjects in the BASc or BA/BSc). Students wishing to change the information systems subjects of their BIS or the BIS component of their combined course should notify the Department of Information Systems. Students enrolled in the Diploma of Information Systems should notify the Faculty of Science. The critical dates relating to subject changes are detailed in Course and subject changes in the general information section of this Handbook.
Subject changes may alter a student's enrolment category from full-time to part-time (or vice versa). Students are encouraged to read Youth Allowance workload requirements.
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. Attendance is expected at all scheduled lectures, practical classes, excursions and tutorials.
For information about special consideration, see Special consideration.
The Faculty organises several study skills seminars throughout the year. These seminars are advertised on faculty and department noticeboards, and discuss both general and discipline-specific study skills. See Study skills for more information..
Many first-year students experience academic difficulties, particularly during their first semester of university study. Students who fail 50% or more of the subjects attempted in their first semester of tertiary study are invited to discuss any problems and ways of improving their performance. Interviews, with an academic staff member or a student adviser, will be held as soon as possible after the first semester results have been finalised by departments.
At the end of each semester, the Faculty of Science reviews the academic progress of all students enrolled in Faculty of Science courses.
Students enrolled in any Faculty of Science course who:
pass 75 per cent or more of the points attempted in any semester will be deemed to have made satisfactory progress in that semester;
pass greater than 50 per cent but less than 75 per cent of the points attempted in any semester will be required to gain faculty approval before being allowed to continue in their course;
pass 50 per cent or less of the points attempted in any semester will be required to make a case to the Faculty of Science Unsatisfactory Progress Committee;
fail a core subject a second time will be required to make a case to the Faculty of Science Unsatisfactory Progress Committee.
Students are given an opportunity to make a written submission or to appear before the committee or to do both. In considering a student's progress, the committee will normally consider the student's results, attendance at lectures, practical classes and tutorials, and any extenuating circumstances, such as personal difficulties, financial hardship and study problems.
The committee will determine the best course of action for the student's academic future and make one of three decisions:
take no action (ie. the student is able to continue in the course with no restrictions);
restrict the student's enrolment for the following semester or year; or
recommend to the Academic Board that the student be suspended (ie. have enrolment cancelled) from the course, or from one component of a combined course. Students recommended for suspension have the right to appeal to the Academic Board before a final decision is made.
At the very least, unsatisfactory progress will:
increase the length of time required to complete the degree (with a corresponding increase in fees and HECS liability); and
make selection into quota subjects or other courses more difficult as selection is usually based on academic merit.
Students suspended from their course can apply for re-admission. Generally, re-admission is only possible if the student has demonstrated that there is a reasonable chance that they would successfully complete their course if re-admitted. 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 their course.
The Community Access Program (CAP) enables students to undertake individual subjects on a fee-paying basis. Students wishing to resume their studies after being suspended may apply to enrol through CAP to show academic rehabilitation. Students may also undertake subjects through CAP in order to satisfy prerequisites for admission into award courses.
Students currently enrolled in Faculty of Science courses who wish to take subjects for which they will not receive credit in their course should enrol in such subjects through CAP. See Community Access Program.
Applications for deferment, leave of absence, or discontinuation are made by completing a cancellation of enrolment form at the Faculty of Science Office. The Faculty of Science allows students to take one year of leave from their course, under the conditions set out in Taking time away from study.
Going on exchange to another university with which the Faculty of Science has an exchange agreement can enhance a student's degree. Students may apply to go on exchange in their second, third or fourth years. Students intending to participate in the University's exchange program need to discuss their options with the Faculty and have their proposed course plan approved both by the department and Faculty to ensure they receive full credit for their studies abroad.
See Studying at an overseas university as part of an exchange program in the general information section of this Handbook.
The Faculty of Science allows eligible students to enrol in a diploma concurrently with their undegraduate degree studies. Available diplomas are:
Enrolling in a concurrent diploma adds an extra year to the duration of the degree studies. See Additional general studies of importance for more information.
A concurrent certificate, the Universitas 21 Certificate in Global Issues is also available, adding an extra semester to the duration of the degree studies.
The Dean's Prize is determined by academic merit and is awarded to the highest achieving commencing students in the Faculty each year. These prizes 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 outstanding 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.
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.
Further information on Faculty of Science awards and prizes is available at the following web site http://www.science.unimelb.edu.au/current/scholarships.php.
The Student Financial Aid Office can provide details of other University awards.
One of the major benefits of a degree from the Faculty of Science at the University of Melbourne is that the breadth of the degrees can lead in all sorts of interesting career directions. The Faculty has a strong commitment to ensuring that during their studies students develop an understanding of the breadth of the opportunities available to them. In conjunction with Careers and Employment (http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/careers) the Faculty offers the professional development program Kick Start Your Career, which focuses on the value of the science degree and the skills obtained as well as methods for successful job-hunting across various industry types.
Our graduates are employed in a wide array of both science-related and non-science-related positions in the business, industry, government, and education sectors. Graduates from the Faculty benefit from excellent career opportunities within Australia and internationally, and enjoy competitive salaries.
Many students use the subject material they have learnt through their degree and apply it directly in the scientific industries, becoming research botanists, industrial chemists, geologists, geneticists, forensic scientists, marine ecologists, physicists, biomedical researchers, statisticians, meteorologists, optometrists and vision scientists to name just a few occupations.
Alternatively, some graduates use their studies in other, allied industries which require practitioners to have a strong understanding of science, scientific concepts and the practice of science. Such careers include intellectual property law, market research, science journalism, teaching, and actuarial roles in the superannuation, finance and insurance industries. Other students take the general skills gained in the courses offered by the Faculty, such as numeracy, analytic and logical thinking, information and time management, scientific method and research skills. These graduates enter employment areas which may be completely unrelated to their field of study but which value these skills highly. Examples include management consulting and the actuarial industry.
Students graduating from information systems courses may become systems analysts, programmers, database administrators, information systems managers or project managers in a variety of companies. Many of these graduates also take up roles in information technology consulting or management consulting firms.
A significant proportion of science graduates choose to continue their studies and progress into higher degrees. In particular, many students complete an additional honours year in order to focus on a specific discipline area and significantly enhance their career choices and outcomes in the scientific industries.
The Faculty of Science 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 to promoting these contacts at a local, national and international level. For further information please contact the University Development office, Tel. +61 3 8344 7469.
Science students who seek entry to the Faculty of Veterinary Science must apply to the General Manager (Veterinary Science) for lateral transfer to that course. Applications are usually due on the last Friday in September during the first year of science studies. Contact the General Manager (Veterinary Science) for details.
The Faculty of Veterinary Science has specified that science students wanting to be considered for a transfer to Veterinary Science must take 100 points in their first year, including:
Biology 650-141 and 650-142;
Chemistry 610-141 and 610-142;
Physics 640-121 and 640-122, or 640-141 and 640-142, or 640-151 and 640-152, 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 per cent when considered for selection into the veterinary science course.
Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science (Veterinary Science) course should see the Faculty of Veterinary Science section of this Handbook for further information.
Status: Official 2007 Last Modified: Tuesday October 31 22:21 SGML to HTML Conversion: Information Division - CWIS (SDI) Authorised by: Academic Registrar Enquiries: http://unimelb.custhelp.com/
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