What It’s Like Studying a Bachelor of Science at UTS

Considering taking on a Bachelor of Science at UTS?

Well if you are looking for a holistic, theoretical understanding of atoms, molecules, the environments, statistics and beyond, this could be the degree for you! We’ve covered everything you should know about core units, assessments, uni culture, and more.

Want to find out more? Keep scrolling!

What is a Bachelor of Science at UTS?

Core Units and Majors

How to Get into a Bachelor of Science at UTS

What’s the Teaching Format?

What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?

What is a Bachelor of Science at UTS?

A Bachelor of Science at UTS is a degree which combines theoretical knowledge with a practical component to help equip students with the relevant tools to specialise in any area of interest within science. There are nine different majors which students may choose from at the conclusion of their first year of study.

All majors aim to provide students with adaptable and practical scientific skills in addition with computational skills that will produce the best scientists in the country. 

Can this degree be studied in conjunction with another?

Yes, studying a Bachelor of Science gives you the option to take on a double degree or complete an honours course too. This degree is often combined with a Bachelor of Business, Bachelor of Arts in International Sciences, Bachelor of Engineering, or Bachelor of Laws.

If you really enjoy your choice of specialisation, you may want to look into completing an honours course (which will be an extra year of study) – especially if research is a passion of yours. You can find out more about honours courses here!

Career Paths

Since this degree is so broad, you’ll be exposed to lots of opportunities in many different fields of science once you graduate. These fields include:

• • Biotechnology
  • Biomedical science
  • Medical science
  • Environmental monitoring and management
  • Mathematics
  • Statistical modelling
  • Chemistry
  • Applied physics
  • Nanotechnology
  • Material science

Studying a Bachelor of Science at Other Universities

UTS isn’t the only university that offers this degree and choosing an institution to study at isn’t a decision you just make on impulse. If you’re thinking about which university will best suit your needs, you can check out what it’s like studying a Bachelor of Science at USYD or UNSW!

Core Units and Majors 

Majors

There are a number of majors to choose from for the Bachelor of Science program of which all comprise of 96 credit points (CPS) – a credit point is the unit of measure of workload for individual subjects. The majors are as follows:

Chemistry

Studying a chemistry major will give you insights into how chemical substances work and the reasons for their behaviour. Your study will involve lots of laboratory experience and strong practical skills of which include analytical, environmental and toxicological chemistry, physical, organic and inorganic chemistry, chemical safety and legislation.

Applied Physics

This major will help you learn about the interactions of energy and matter, precision measurement techniques, measuring and understanding the laws of nature and how new developments in physics are helping to expand the frontiers of technology.

You’ll develop lots of laboratory experience and strong practical skills in this one with subjects including Computational Physics, Electromagnetics, Electronics and Interfacing, Energy Science, Optics, Measurement Techniques, Quantum and Solid-state Physics. 

Biotechnology

Biotechnology will help you understand components of different organisms and how to combine them to create varied technology and products. Subjects include Metabolic Biochemistry, General Microbiology, Analytical Biochemistry and Epidemiology and Public Health Microbiology.

Biomedical Science

Biomedical Science will assist in explaining how the body works at the cellular level, what causes disease and the techniques of laboratory diagnosis of disease, which include expanding areas of molecular-based diagnostic techniques.

Subjects include Biochemistry, Clinical Microbiology, Haematology, Histology, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Parasitology and Pathology.

Mathematics

This major will equip you with an in-depth understanding into quantitative methods and modelling technologies used in such areas as finance, logistics, health and market research.

Core subjects include Statistical Modelling, Design and Analysis of Experiments, Network and Combinatorial Optimisation and Nonlinear Methods in Quantitative Management. If numbers are your thing, this is the major for you!

Medical Science

This major is perfect if you are looking for a generalised understanding of key medical sciences with flexible options for specialisation.

Core study areas include Anatomy and Physiology, Human Cell Biology, Human Pathophysiology, Medical Devices and Diagnostics, Metabolic Biochemistry, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology.

Nanotechnology

If you see yourself improving user-friendly and sustainable products, such as self-cleaning surfaces, energy-efficient window coatings or light bulbs, clear-gel sunscreens, smart materials, and targeted drug delivery systems – this is the major for you. Throughout the course of your degree, you will understand how the world works to the core of atoms and molecules. 

Statistics

Statistics will prepare you to interpret data and design data collection in the future, and is a great major to go hand-in-hand with business, the law or information technology. Core subjects include Mathematics, Advanced Statistical Modelling, and Programming for Data Analysis.

Environmental Sciences

Environmental Sciences is an extremely practical, hands-on major which provides students with the freedom to conduct a research project that extends over the full duration of the course. It offers training in research and introduces advanced areas of study in a range of fields in environmental science including Marine Biology, Environmental Forensics and Environmental Biology.

Degree Structure

To graduate from a Bachelor of Science, students must complete a total of 144 credit points to graduate. All students are required to complete one introductory foundation stream and at the end of the first year, you will be asked to choose from the majors within that stream.

There are a number of intermediate and advanced subjects within the course that will comprise of your learnings within the program.

Image sourced from: UTS Handbook

If you are unsure about what path to take, you can choose the no major option as well! There are two choices for this, of which include:

• • No specified major (Life and Environmental Sciences)
  • No specified major (Physical Sciences) 

This will provide you more flexibility within the degree where you will need to choose 36 CPS of intermediate subjects, and an additional 36 of advanced science subjects.

If in the case you choose a major which you later want to change, this is also possible! You will need to fill an e-request via Ask UTS and after a few consultations, this may be possible for you.

All majors have extremely integrated practical components embedded within the degree which will equip students with the relevant tools to be the best performing scientists in their field. For further information on course structures within each major, see the links above. 

How to Get into a Bachelor of Science at UTS 

Bachelor of Science’s ATAR cut off is 71.25 to 76.20 depending on which major you choose. For instance, Applied Physics is 71.25 whereas majoring in mathematics/statistics has a cut off of 76.90.

The duration of this course is 3 years full-time or 6 years part-time, which means it is quite flexible and you can work university around your schedule! Also remember, the Year 12 adjustment factor scheme is a huge help for many students to get into courses.

Is there any assumed knowledge? 

In order to do a Bachelor of Science at UTS there is assumed knowledge to consider. The university recommends that students who’ve chosen a major in mathematics/statistics should complete HSC Mathematics Extension 1. 

UTS also suggests undertaking at least two units of science relevant to the individual discipline they’ve selected. While it isn’t compulsory to take these subjects, you’ll definitely be at more of an advantage with this prior knowledge before starting the degree!

What scholarships are available? 

At UTS, there are a variety of scholarships available for science students. For a comprehensive list of scientific scholarships, please visit ‘Scholarships and prizes – for Science students’ here!

In addition to scholarships, there are also various prizes and awards to win when studying a Bachelor of Science at UTS. Some of these prizes include: ‘Agilent Technologies Prize for Most Competent Analytical Chemist,’ ‘Dominic Cheng Memorial Award for Aquatic Ecology, and ‘Nuplex Prize in Polymer Technology’.

If you’re quite the overachiever, there are plenty of options for you! 

What’s the Teaching Format?

A Bachelor of Science at UTS is taught through lectures, tutorials, seminars and pracs in semester-style. There is an emphasis on practice-based learning which means an increasing amount of field research, laboratory visits and clinical work on a day-to-day basis. 

Lectures

Most science majors will provide lectures on a weekly basis to present a theoretical overview of the subject material. These lectures, which often have 100 to 300 students attending, will go for 1 to 2 hours and are typically recorded so that you can come back to it during the exam period!

Tutorials

Your tutes are where you’ll have more opportunities to interact with the content you are taught in lectures. Because of the smaller class size, 20 to 30 students, you’ll be able to ask your tutor more questions and learn through your peers too.

Seminars

Seminars are extremely important in a Bachelor of Science, as they give you the chance to implement and discuss the theoretical knowledge that you have learnt during lectures. Seminars are usually 2 hours and will be in a smaller, classroom-styled format with about 30 students.

Pracs

Excursions and field trips are common in environmental and marine programs, where it provides exposure to forests, rivers, bugs and animals which are essential to our environment related courses. 

UTS Science also has off-campus learning sites such as the Stroud Research Station, situated near Newcastle which is equipped with 12 artificial stream systems used for stream ecology and ecotoxicology research.

For Biomedical Science and Nanotechnology type majors, there will be integrated pracs, which tend to go for 3 hours, throughout the semester which may replace your weekly seminars! It’s important to come prepared to these, as there are activities you’ll have to complete before and after your labs.

How much time will you spend on campus?

UTS Science expects students, based on their recommended subject structure, to be taking 3-4 subjects full-time.

This equates to approximately 12-14.5 contact hours per week and part-time students have approximately 7-9.5 contact hours per week. Timetable constraints may require attendance at both day and evening classes.

In addition to the contact hours, there are also a number of readings which will need to be read in preparation for seminars and tutorials for the week ahead. It is highly important to stay on track for a Bachelor of Science, and to keep yourself accountable to the various deadlines throughout the semester.

A note from a student:

Like any other degree, I wish I had received more advice on timetabling my subjects. The practical classes are often 3 hours long, and there’s usually pre and post-lab work.

Lauren Krejci – Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Laws III

What to Expect for Assessments

A typical UTS semester consists of mid-term exams, practical assessments and a final 40-50% exam. If you are doing environmental sciences, however, exam structure will be slightly different especially if your subject involves a research project. 

All assessments can be prepared for during the semester and you can prepare yourself earlier by reading the subject outline! This will give you a detailed overview of the topics covered in each week and the weight of exams throughout the semester (it is a godsend!). 

Skills That You Refine and Learn

STEM Skills

UTS Science will equip you with STEM-specific skills. You’ll gain critical interpersonal and practical skills, such as problem solving, numerical literacy and analytical thinking, along with the ability to build lasting professional relationships. 

Soft Skills

They also give you ‘soft’ skills like communication and critical thinking that are sought after for a multitude of careers, all over the world. You’ll have the technical expertise for a career within science but also skills you can apply outside the industry

What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?

The culture at UTS is probably the biggest selling point for the university. It is inclusive, friendly, extremely adaptable and easy for students to have the best university experience.

For Science students, the best place to make friends is via the UTS Medical and Health Society. There are a number of events, academic seminars, and annual balls that will ensure you have the best uni experience ever! 

The best part of UTS is that the university offers a range of events, seminars and networking sessions to not only provide students with academic knowledge but interpersonal skills as well.

The Kidman Centre is a big selling point – a mental health treatment and research centre for young people. UTS lays the groundwork for this non-profit organisation dedicated to the understanding, prevention and reduction of mental health problems in young people aged five to 25, so that they can thrive through their formative years.

Interested in the pros and cons of a Bachelor of Science at UTS? Check out our piece here!

Divya Saxena is a Content Writer at Art of Smart Education in her third year of a Bachelor of Laws and Communications degree at the University of Technology, Sydney. She is also a Community Radio Host at Alive 90.5 FM, Media and Public Affairs Intern at Uniting NSW.ACT and a Student Promotional Ambassador for UTS. Divya absolutely loves her busy lifestyle, balancing all her jobs with her passion for Indian classical dancing and socialising with her friends all weekend!