The Bachelor of Science (Honours) Enhanced Program for High Achievers requires four years of full-time study (or the equivalent part-time).

The course is structured around coherent programs of study from First Year to Fourth Year, leading to a recognised major and minor, or Extended Major, or double major, or specialisation in one or two areas of science, and honours.

This course is designed to offer students of exceptional merit additional challenging material to enable them to maximise their intellectual growth and potential and to provide an environment where students with similar interests and capabilities can come together to pursue their studies, develop their interests and share ideas.

In addition, it aims to develop through a combination of inquiry based learning and students' capabilities, interest and enthusiasm, an enhanced research training experience so that students are particularly well prepared to embark on a larger scale research project, like a PhD.

The course is offered by the Faculty of Science and Engineering except for the Biotechnology Specialisation which is jointly offered by the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

Admission requirements

The minimum requirements for consideration for entry to all undergraduate courses are specified in detail in the University Entry Requirements. Successful completion of at least three of the following SACE Stage 2 (Year 12) subjects; Biology, Mathematical Studies, Specialist Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, or the equivalent are normally required for entry to The Bachelor of Science (Honours) Enhanced Program for High Achievers.

Students will only be permitted to tertiary transfer to the commencement of second year.

Additional prerequisites and assumed knowledge for specialisations

There are no formal prerequisites for the specialisation in Biodiversity and Conservation but a knowledge of Mathematics, Physics or Chemistry to Year 11 is desirable.

Successful completion of SACE Stage 2 (Year 12) Chemistry and at least two of the following SACE Stage 2 (Year 12) subjects; Biology, Mathematical Studies, Specialist Mathematics, Physics, Geology, or the equivalent are normally required for entry to the Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Forensic and Analytical Science) Enhanced Program for High Achievers.

Entry to the Clean Technology specialisation requires successful completion of one of SACE Mathematic Methods, Mathematic Studies, or Specialist Mathematics

There are no formal prerequisites for the specialisation in Marine Biology, but knowledge of Mathematics and/or Physics to SACE Year 11 level is desirable.

For the Nanotechnology Specialisation successful completion of SACE Year 12 Chemistry, Physics and one of Mathematical Studies, Specialist Mathematics or the equivalent are required for entry to the Quantum Nanostructures stream, while successful completion of SACE Year 12 Chemistry or equivalent is required for entry into the Biomedical Nanotechnology Stream (SACE Stage 2 (Year 12) subjects mentioned to gain entry to Nanotechnology can be counted towards the three subjects required for entry into the course).

There are no prerequisites or assumed knowledge for the other specialisations.

In order to progress into the Honours year of this program, a student must complete 108 units of the Bachelor of Science Enhanced Program for High Achievers, achieving an academic
standard of a GPA greater than or equal to 5.

Course aims

The course aims to provide students who are planning for a career in science with a broad-based foundation in science together with the ability to acquire extensive subject knowledge and basic research training in one or more science disciplines. It also aims to develop a range of transferable research, analytical and communication skills including the capacity to:

  • understand and apply relevant scientific principles
  • retrieve and present scientific information, including communicating effectively with a variety of audiences in written and spoken form
  • critically analyse and evaluate information and solve problems
  • analyse and evaluate data, appreciate the multidisciplinary aspect of the science disciplines and engage positively with people and ideas beyond their own discipline area
  • use information technology work independently and take responsibility for updating and adapting their knowledge and skills
  • appreciate the role of science in society, the regulatory framework within which it operates and the ethical issues it raises
  • work effectively, cooperatively and productively within a team
  • have an appreciation of the role that scientific research plays in societal and historical contexts
  • engage with, and critically discern relevant information from, the scientific literature
  • propose, plan, and implement research projects
  • assess and peer review research plans and outcomes
  • report outcomes of research in a variety of written and spoken formats.

The course provides the foundations that will underpin ongoing professional development, preparing graduates for further study in a science or non-science related discipline or for a career in a science related field or in other areas where the range of skills and knowledge acquired is needed or desirable.

Learning outcomes

Graduates of the course are expected to be able to:

  • be familiar with, know and critically apply the theories, subject content, professional methodologies and research procedures in the science disciplines they have studied
  • understand describe the processes through which current knowledge was developed
  • analyse and critically evaluate ideas/information/data and apply relevant scientific principles to solve problems by, for example, creating hypotheses, testing theories and predictions, designing and carrying out experiments and analysing reported data
  • design and carry out experiments using relevant techniques and protocols, and critically analyse data obtained from them
  • utilise their well developed communication and presentation skills to communicate their findings to a variety of audiences in written and spoken form
  • appreciate the existence of relationships and connections between different science disciplines, and through understanding such relationships, form connections with the discipline/s they have studied
  • work and learn independently, appreciate the need for continuing professional development
  • exercise teamwork and interpersonal skills to interact effectively as part of a team in order to achieve common goals
  • incorporate their knowledge of societal and historical contexts of science to inform their professional practices
  • engage with, and critically discern relevant information from, the scientific literature
  • propose, plan, implement and report outcomes of research projects
  • utilise their capacity to assess and peer review the research of colleagues and peers.  

Program of study

The Bachelor of Science (Honours) Enhanced Program for High Achievers requires four years of full-time study (or the equivalent part-time), including the Fourth Year for students who meet the requirements for progression to the honours year.

To qualify for The Bachelor of Science (Honours) Enhanced Program for High Achievers, a student must complete 144 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic according to the program of study below.

Upon completion of 108 units students will be informed about whether they have been accepted into the Honours year. The entry requirement is normally a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 5.0 or more in the final 36 units of study prior to the Honours year. Students who are not accepted into the Honours year will be awarded The Bachelor of Science.

It is possible to elect to exit after three years of full-time equivalent study with a Bachelor of Science.

The first 108 units must include#:

  • at least 27 units of First Year Science topics;
  • 13.5 units of core topics including SERC1012, SERC2700 and SERC3700
  • at least one major (comprising a combination of 45 units of topics) selected from the list below and one Science minor (comprising a combination of 27 units of topics) selected from the list below*; or
  • at least one Extended Major (comprising a combination of 63 units of topics) selected from the list below*; or
  • two Science majors (each comprising a combination of 45 units topics) selected from the list below# or
  • a Science Specialisation (students must be admitted to the Science Specialisation).

Students accepted into the Honours year must complete 144 units in total and include:

  • 36 units of Honours level topics according to the program specified below.

No more than 45 units of First Year level topics may be included in the 144 units for the degree.**

A topic cannot be counted twice at upper level (2xxx and above) except for a maximum of 13.5 units counted towards a major may be counted towards a second major. For example a topic that is counted towards a major, specialisation or Extended Major may not also be counted towards a minor.

Elective topics may be selected from any offered within the University or, with approval from the Faculty of Science and Engineering, from outside the University, provided any course and prerequisite requirements are met.

Except with the permission of Faculty Board, students may not enrol in a topic in Fourth Year until they have passed 108 units of Bachelor of Science topics in First, Second and Third Year.

Not all topics are necessarily available in a given year.

* These are the minimum requirements to complete The Bachelor of Science (Honours) Enhanced Program for High Achievers.

** Topics designated 'any year' or with no year level specified are regarded as First Year level topics.

# Unit values indicated in the following paragraph do not include Cognate Studies. Cognate Studies are cross-disciplinary studies which students must take where indicated to complete their Specialisation, Extended Major, Major or Minor.

#Students undertaking two majors should consult with the course coordinator regarding their program. Exemption from units in one or both of the majors may be required to accommodate the core SERC topic units at Second and Third Year level as students may not enrol in more than 144 units in total. Where one or more topics can be counted towards both majors, exemption to accommodate SERC topics may not be required.

Specialisations

Extended Majors

(63 units)

Majors

(45 units)

Second major

(45 units)

  • Mathematics - Students may take a major in Mathematics as a second major. Note that students wishing to undertake a research project in this area MUST undertake the Extended Major in Mathematics.  
  • Engineering Science – no further student intake from 1 July 2015 (The Engineering Science Major is not accredited by Engineers Australia. There is no Honours program in Engineering Science therefore this can only be taken as a second major.)

Minors

(27 units)

Honours

(36 units)

Combined degrees

The Bachelor of Science (Honours) Enhanced Program for High Achievers may also be studied in a combined degrees program with any Bachelor degree in the Faculty of Science and Engineering.