High school students & teachers
UNSW Science provides a range of inspiring activities and useful resources all year round to support school students and teachers. ¹û¶³app your passion for science through our upcoming events and get a head start on preparing for university life.
Are you a school student, teacher or career adviser? At UNSW Science, we offer a range of on-campus events and activities throughout the year for primary and secondary schools. You can also take advantage of interactive science and STEM-focused activities in your school or online, presented by our staff and students. Ìý
We run many exciting events open to the general public too. ¹û¶³app our events calendars to discover what’s coming up:Ìý
We hope to see you soon on campusÌýor online.
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Moving from high school to university is an exciting and challenging time. UNSW Science aims to make this transition as smooth as possible for all students.Ìý
Find the right area of science for youÌý
¹û¶³app the wide variety of degree options and science subjects available at UNSW. Not sure which area of science you want to study? We recommend the Bachelor of Science a²Ô»å Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours). You’ll be able to study a diverse range of science subjects in these degrees and try out different areas that interest you before you need to settle on your specialisation/s.Ìý
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Life on campusÌý
We encourage students to get involved with a range of extra-curricular activities.  , our student organisation that manages the clubs and societies program, is a great place to start, along with the student life information on the UNSW website. Ìý
If you are considering living on campus in student accommodation, learn more about our .Ìý
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School of Materials Science and Engineering
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesÌý
School of ChemistryÌý
School of Mathematics and Statistics
School of PhysicsÌý
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The following terms will become very familiar to you when studying at UNSW.Ìý
ProgramÌý
A program at UNSW is your degree and will have a four-digit program code (for example, 3970 Bachelor of Science).Ìý
MajorÌý
A major is a defined sequence of study within a program (for example, Bachelor of Science with a Major in Chemistry). In some programs, it's possible to do more than one major.Ìý
CourseÌý
All programs and majors at UNSW are made up of courses. Courses are like subjects at school. Each course has an 8-digit course code (for example, CHEM1011) and usually involves lectures, tutorials and labs. In science there are various types of courses:Ìý
- Core courses are compulsory courses that must be taken for a program or major.Ìý
- Science electives are any courses from a science school.Ìý
- Free electives are courses that may be taken from anywhere across the university; either from science or another faculty.Ìý
- General education courses are courses that must be taken from outside the Faculty of Science.Ìý
Each course is made up of lectures (large classes with a formal presentation from a lecturer) and tutorials (smaller, interactive classes led by a tutor) or labs (hand-on classes in a laboratory). Full-time students generally complete four courses each term.Ìý
Units of creditÌý
Courses, majors and programs at UNSW are measured in Units of Credit (UoC). A standard study load is 8 courses, or 48 Units of Credit (UoC), per year spread over three terms.Ìý
Undergraduate vs postgraduateÌý
- Undergraduate degrees are generally a student's first degree at university and are typically called bachelor degrees. This may also include an additional honours year, which is a year of research that extends a student's learning and research skills in a given area.Ìý
- Postgraduate studies are for people who wish to expand on their previous studies or working experience with further coursework study or research. They include graduate certificates, graduate diplomas, masters degrees and doctorates.Ìý
FacultyÌý
A large academic department focused on a broad area. At UNSW there are six faculties (Arts, Design & Architecture; Business; Engineering; Law & Justice; Medicine & Health; and Science).Ìý
SchoolÌý
A smaller academic department that sits within a faculty and focuses on a more specific subject area. Within each faculty are a number of schools who teach the courses in their area of expertise. In science, there are eight schools: Aviation; Biological; Earth & Environmental Sciences (BEES); Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences (BABS); Chemistry; Materials Science & Engineering; Mathematics & Statistics, Physics; and Psychology.Ìý
- Core courses are compulsory courses that must be taken for a program or major.Ìý
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UNSW Science works closely with career advisers to provide advice on our study options and potential science careers.Ìý
Visit our careers advisers resources website to access additional resources, including ordering publications for your students and booking in school visits and campus tours. Ìý
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Contact us
For general enquiries and questions, contact UNSW Science:Ìý
T: 02 9385 7788Ìý
E: science@unsw.edu.auÌý