Diploma of Science

This interdisciplinary unit examines a determinants approach to health and wellbeing, including: the complex range of interactions that influence the health of individuals and populations; the determinants of selected health issues in urban and rural Australia, as well as in global contexts, and explores a range of models and approaches and their impact on health outcomes.

Topics include: The concepts of health, the social determinants of health, health systems, the biological and environmental determinants, health promotion, indigenous health, settings for health, marginalised populations and global health.

This interdisciplinary unit provides an overview of the basic sciences of human anatomy and physiology, exploring issues of relevance to the health sciences.

Specific topics to be addressed will include: organisation of the human body, outlining anatomical terms, chemical and structural bases of cell function, body tissues including integument, homeostasis and physiological control via neural and hormonal mechanisms that maintain a constant internal environment. Support and movement through an understanding of the musculo-skeletal system, and maintenance of key systems, including cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary and immune systems.

This unit provides students with foundation knowledge in food, nutrition and health, including food sources of nutrients, food and nutrient recommendations for health and methods for measuring food intake and behaviour, historical perspective of why we consume the foods we do today and how our scientific knowledge may influence foods we eat in the future. Students also gain an understanding of interactions between the environment, technologies developed to produce and harvest foods and scientific advances in food and nutrition. The topics include: food history, Australian food culture, food production, food sources of nutrients, food and nutrient recommendations and their relationship with health and methods used to measure food intakes and behaviours. Students also have an opportunity to align their interests and values to future career options.

This unit aims to develop the fundamental functions of applied mathematics, and to introduce calculus to students who have not previously studied it in secondary school. It is designed to prepare students from a number of different disciplines for learning tertiary level mathematics. Students will explore the algebra of polynomials, exponentials, logarithms and trigonometric functions and learn rules for differentiating and integrating these functions. Applications studied include graph sketching, maximisation and minimisation problems, areas and kinematics.

Data is everywhere in the world. Without knowing how to interpret or use information from the data it would be difficult to understand its meaning. Statistics is both a method and a tool for interpreting information, testing hypotheses and analysing the inferences people make about the real world. SIT191 aims to aid students develop knowledge in using statistics to summarise, describe and interpret numerical and graphical data and perform statistical inferences. In this unit, students will develop knowledge of the fundamentals of probability for reasoning real-world situations. Students will be required to use statistical software and calculators to analyse data and interpret results for tests on population means and proportions, chi-square tests, correlation and linear regression, and one-way ANOVA.

SIT194 aims to develop the theory of calculus and analytic geometry and to apply it to formulating and solving problems in engineering and the physical sciences. This unit introduces students to the topics of functions and limits, derivatives and integrals of combinations of polynomials, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions; sequences, series tests and power series; vectors, lines and planes; first order differential equations. Applications studied include graph sketching; approximations to solutions of equations and integrals; formulation of models to solve science and engineering problems.

This unit will examine interactions between the major components of planet Earth – the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere. A particular emphasis is placed on the study of natural disasters and extreme natural events. Major topics will include the formation and subsequent evolution of the earth; plate tectonics; soils, weathering and erosion; the hydrological cycle – including interactions between oceans, rivers, groundwater and polar ice: Earth weather. Minor topics will include studies in the origin of the universe and solar system; the relationship between earth landforms and climate, global environmental change and the earth’s energy and mineral resources.

This unit introduces the discipline of ecology, and key scientific ideas, with a specific focus on investigations into environmental issues relevant today. The aim of the unit is to support students` understanding of the nature of science and the methods of science using a systems framework. The unit will have a major focus on the science of underlying issues impacting society today including climate systems and ecological systems. The content of the unit will include key concepts involved in scientific enquiry, climate systems and the impact of human activity on these systems, the concept of energy as a means of power for humans, as well as the driving force behind life on earth, the role science plays in environmental sustainability and the field of Ecology as a way of investigating the natural environment.

This unit is the first of a series of professional practice units that are designed specifically for students in Environmental Science courses. In this unit, students will focus on developing strategies and skills that will maximise their learning during their courses, as well as gaining broadly applicable knowledge and skills that are fundamental to a successful career in any environmental science field. Students will learn these skills using real-world scenarios and case studies of current environmental science issues. Skills and contents covered will include career planning and strategies, scientific data management, fundamental statistical concepts, scientific communication, ethics and their implications, and digital literacy.

In this unit, students will be able to study the characteristics of life that are fundamental for every field in biology. Upon successful completion of Cells and Genes, students will be able to explore, examine and describe the characteristics and structures of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells as well as understand cellular mechanisms such as reproduction, communication, and transport across the membrane and cellular respiration. The genetic basis of cell biology is focused on in the latter part of the unit starting with Mendelian genetics which leads on to interpreting patterns of inheritance, mechanisms and control of gene expression and the principles of DNA technologies -all of which form the second part of the unit.

SLE112 is a fundamental forensics unit, during which students will explore forensic science in an Australian context and learn the challenges and differences of forensic science in a global context. This includes some of the key principles used to study the science, including Locard’s exchange principle, principle of individuality, comparative analysis, and class and individual characteristics. Students will engage in activities that will require them to apply forensic processes from a crime scene to the court. It will also require them to apply introductory forensic analysis including chemical, biological and physical techniques and learn about the legal system including how law is developed, criminal vs civil law, and the laws of evidence.

This is the first of a sequence of professional practice units designed specifically for students in the first year of biosciences. In this unit, we will focus on the development of generic skills and will draw upon and extend the scientific content of other, core, first-year units. Through exercises and seminars, you will develop skills in data analysis and presentation, basic mathematics and statistics, library research methods, evaluation of scientific literature and scientific writing and referencing. You will also be introduced to the practice of being an ethical student and professional, and develop your skills in career planning, problem-solving and oral and written presentation.

The aim of SLE121 is to examine the scientific, social, cultural and environmental factors that are all integral components of Environmental Sustainability, on International, National and Local scales. This will necessitate a review of what definitions of sustainability there are and how they inter-relate in regards to environmental, social and economic management. The unit aims to develop the ability to: appreciate the diversity and complexity of environmental issues, identify environmental impacts due to human activities, appreciate the range of stakeholders and their viewpoints in relation to particular issues, understand the necessary measures and associated problems in achieving effective sustainable environmental management and understand the principles and applications of sustainable development.

Students of the life sciences have a growing need to acquire an effective working knowledge of the physical sciences. In this unit, physics concepts such as energy, sound and waves, the properties of atoms, electric fields, optics, fluids and mechanics will be explored and related to biology and medicine. Students will use evidence to demonstrate and evaluate knowledge of fundamental physics principles, and will also have the opportunity to design and conduct their own experiments to evaluate how physics enables life.

SLE132 introduces students to animal and plant biology. Students will explore the relationships between animal structures and their functions, and investigate the physiological processes that enable animals to adjust to environmental changes. They will also learn aspects of animal diversity and behaviour. As students progress learning in this unit, they will study the evolutionary diversity of plants, their structure and functions, morphology and growth, reproductive biology, nutrient acquisition and transport, and their applications in biotechnology, with an emphasis on flowering plants. Examples from other plant groups and the non-plant eukaryotes, fungi and algae, will also be used for comparison and as examples during discussion.

You must have completed SLE010 in the current or a previous trimester, before you can attend any laboratory sessions.

SLE133 is a foundation unit designed to develop and consolidate student understandings and skills in basic chemistry. The learning and assessment activities provide students with the opportunity to study atoms, molecules, and ions, how they change during a chemical reaction and how bonding affects properties such as intermolecular interactions, boiling points, ease of evaporation and the ability of substances to dissolve in water. Students will engage in laboratory work in order to develop their hands-on skills in chemical safety and measurement and their ability to perform calculations related to substance measurement. Students will then apply these concepts of bonding, chemical change and measurement to determine the acidity and basicity of substances and the formation of buffers.

This unit can be taken as a stand-alone unit for students who need some awareness of chemistry to broaden their degree, or can be taken as a foundation for further studies in biochemistry, chemistry, and related areas like food and nutrition, molecular biology and science education.

You must have completed SLE010 in the current or a previous trimester, before you can attend any laboratory sessions.

SLE155 builds on the student’s previous chemistry knowledge about atoms, molecules, properties, reactions, measurement and acidity. Students will extend their knowledge to more advanced chemical naming, structures, and hypervalent bonding. They will be introduced to additional topics such as, chemical equilibria, solution chemistry, simple organic compounds, chirality and functional groups.

Students must successfully complete SLE133 before enrolling in SLE155.

This module’s learning and assessment activities provide students with guidance on what constitutes academic integrity. It will allow students to develop knowledge, skills and good practice principles to avoid plagiarism and collusion and thereby maintain academic integrity.

In SLE010, students will develop an awareness of safety measures and protocols to be followed in scientific laboratory work and fieldwork. The unit encompasses information about biological and chemical hazards, building evacuation procedures, laboratory accident management, first aid procedures and safety work procedures. Attendance in all practical classes and/or field trips may be restricted unless you have passed the online quiz with a mark of 70% or greater. Results for all units requiring the completion of SLE010 as a co-requisite may not be released until the quiz is passed.

This module is designed to provide international students with opportunities to review, develop and practice the English language systems and skills required to successfully participate in an undergraduate degree program. It is compulsory for international students only and consists of a mandatory 2-hour on-campus class per week for the duration of the first trimester.

Some international students are exempt from this module. For exemptions, visit our English language entry requirements page.