Natural Sciences Brochure6ppA4

8/12/2019 Natural Sciences Brochure6ppA4

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Natural Sciences

BSc (Hons)

MSci (Hons)

www.bath.ac.uk/nat-sci


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I thoroughly enjoyed my A-level options and wished

to pursue them all further; the Natural Sciences

programme provided the ideal setting to do just

this. The Masters stream allowed me to develop my

interests to a higher level and helped me to discover

my future research area, whilst also maintaining

a broad knowledge of the Physical Sciences. As a

Natural Scientist you will develop a multidisciplinary

background, one often finds that this enables you to

approach problems in a variety of ways, taking what

you learn in one field and being able to apply it in

another. A lot of emerging research is taking place at

the boundaries between the sciences being a Natural Scientist thus means

you will be perfectly placed to make a contribution to your chosen field. The

Masters programme has proved to be an ideal stepping-stone towards starting

my PhD in Quantum Optics at the University of Bath.

Robert Francis-Jones, Natural Sciences graduate


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Natural Sciences


Why Natural Sciences?Modern science is strongly interdisciplinary with the traditional

subjects now overlapping significantly. At the University of Bath,

for example, you can find number crunching biologists, physicists

who are experts on biomembrane structural determination and

chemists whose passion is working out how to mimic the ways

plants harvest sunlight. The Natural Science degrees at Bath

are a great way to gain a deep understanding of one of the

mainstream core subjects whilst studying other science and

supporting subjects alongside your main subject. If you loved

studying chemistry, biology or physics at school or college, and

want to keep that breadth, Natural Sciences is for you.

Why Natural Sciences at Bath?The key to a successful Natural Sciences course is balancing

breadth and depth. On one hand you need the in-depth

coverage of science to enable you to go on to pursue a potential

research career, whilst retaining a range of topics and flexibility.

The Natural Sciences course in Bath has developed over twenty

years to allow you to study familiar subjects at university level as

well as experience new areas of science such as pharmacology

and mathematical biology and other subjects as diverse as

Education, Environmental Studies, Psychology, Languages and

Management. The programmes enable you to study a broad

range of science subjects and at the same time allow you to

design a unique degree to suit your interests and strengths.

The diversity of jobs and research roles of our graduates over

the years have proved the quality and success of Baths Natural

Sciences course.

Professional Placements and Studying Abroad

The University is famous for its placement schemes, and all

Natural Sciences undergraduates have the chance to opt for a

year long placement. If you wish to experience a different culture

from your own, and gain a new perspective on academic life in

an international setting, there is also a study year abroad option

in the third year.

Flexibility

The Natural Sciences programmes have the added flexibility

of giving you the ability to transfer between three and four year

degree programmes and an undergraduate Masters degree.

In addition the opportunity to transfer to Year Two of one of the

single honours degree programmes in Biology, Chemistry, or

Physics after your first year may be possible.


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Bachelors or Masters?

2 www.bath.ac.uk/nat-sci

The Natural Sciences BSc at the University of Bath allows you to combine subjects more broadly than the

MSci throughout the course in order to achieve the wide range of skills and intellectual experience that many

employers desire in graduates. The 4-year undergraduate masters (MSci) degree programme allows you to

study your preferred subject in more depth than is possible within the BSc programme. This should be of

particular interest to students considering postgraduate research. However, there is flexibility to switch from

one to the other after the first year, or even onto single honours degree programmes. Both courses combine

5 blocks per year to make up 60 credits.

BSc in Natural Sciences

(3 or 4 years)

Each year you take 2 blocks (24 credits)

of your core science subject, choosing

from

Biology

Chemistry

Physics

Maths

or Pharmacology

and then add other subjects to make upyour credits.

You can choose blocks from the other

core sciences or from the following:

Environmental Science

Modern Languages (at a range of

levels)

Psychology

Education

Management

Social Science

In the first year you must choose a block

of Mathematics. In the final year you

will take a year-long scientific project or

dissertation in your major subject.

MSci in Natural Sciences

(4 or 5 years)

The MSci degree concentrates more

on the core science subjects than the

BSc degree and may be attractive

to students wishing to undertake

postgraduate research. In the first year

you will choose a subject combination

to follow throughout your degree from

one of the following:

Biology major with Chemistry/

Mathematical Biology Biology major with Pharmacology

Biology major with Physics

Chemistry major with Biology

Chemistry major with Physics

Chemistry major with

Pharmacology

Physics major with Chemistry

Physics major with Physical

Chemistry and Biology

You can usually fit in other blocks as the

course progresses.


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3www.bath.ac.uk/nat-sci

Natural Sciences programme structures

Both Masters and Bachelors courses allow you to include a placement or year abroad after your second year, in order to gain

experience, and understanding of where your degree can potentially take you.

Year 1

Year 1

Year 2

Year 2

Final Year

Final YearYear 4

BSc

MSci

Poss

ibletransfertosinglehonoursinBiology,Ch

emistry

orPhysicsortheNaturalSciencesMSci

PossibletransfertosinglehonoursinBiology,

ChemistryorPh

ysicsorthe

NaturalScien

cesBSc

PlacementorStudyYearAbroad

PlacementorStudyYearAbroad

MandatoryUnits

MandatoryUnits

MathematicsUnits

MathematicsUnits

Practice of ScienceUnit

Project/DissertationUnit

Major SubjectStream

Biology, Chemistry, Physicsor Pharmacology

Four blocks fromchosen subjectcombination

BiologyChemistryPhysics

or Pharmacology

Continue with chosensubject combination

from Year 1


from Year 2


from Year 3

Biology, Chemistry, Physics,Pharmacology or Environment


Minor SubjectStream

Biology, Chemistry, Physicsor Pharmacology



Additional

Units

Education, Languages,

Management or Psychology





More information about subject combinations can be found in the Guide to Course Selection atwww.bath.ac.uk/nat-sci/study/admissions

MSci students choose a subject combination to follow from Year 1. More information about subject combinations can be found inthe Guide to Course Selection at www.bath.ac.uk/nat-sci/study/admissions


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Natural Sciences Placement Year

One of the distinguishing features of the University of Baths

degree programmes is the integrated placement. For the Natural

Sciences BSc and MSci degrees this takes place in the third year

but you do not have to decide if you want to do a placement until

spring of the first year. Recent placement employers include:

Central Science Laboratory, York - Food security andenvironmental health

QinetiQ - Research and technical advice for defenceindustryology

Summit Plc, Abingdon - Medicinal Chemistry

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Diageo Menstrie Distillery - Alcohol brands including beer,wines and spirits

Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Didcot -International Science Centre

Duke University Medical Center (USA)

RWE npower - Risk management

Ernst & Young - Global assurance, tax

Sanofi Aventis - Global pharmaceutical company

ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility),Grenoble, France

Shell Global Solutions - Energy and processing

Siemens Magnet Technology, Oxford - Designer

GSK GlaxoSmithKline - Global pharmaceuticals

Health Protection Agency

Mercedes-Benz UK

The Gillette Company

Natural History Museum, London

Pfizer UK - Research and development of medicinesfor humans and animals

UK Met Office

LOCOG, Olympic Games Organiser

How YouBenefit from YourPlacement Year

Potential to earn a salary

Gain real experience in theprofessional world puttingknowledge into practice

Improves your final yearperformance

Develops your professional skillsincluding time management,communication and team workskills - Invaluable experience ofthe recruitment process

Possibility of securing a graduateposition with the placementemployer after your degree

Improve your employability



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Natural Sciences Placement Year

How the placement scheme worksOnce you have decided to do a placement you will be directed to a dedicated Placement Tutor

from whom you will receive individual support and advice throughout the placement process. They

will help you find the most suitable placement from their many established links with prestigious

employers. The placement tutor will remain on hand throughout your actual placement providing

academic and pastoral support. Most placements are in the UK, but a number each year are

abroad. During your year away the placement tutor maintains contact with the placement employer

and yourself. Our placements are an integral part of our degrees and receive formal recognition on

your degree certificate.

Study Abroad SchemeSome Natural Sciences students wish to expand their academic horizons by spending the third year

of their degree at an overseas university. This may be particularly appropriate for students including

a European language within the BSc degree. A designated Study Year Abroad Tutor is available

to advise and assist students with their applications. Like the Placement Programme, success is

dependent on the number of places available and competition from other students.

Some of the Universities which we exchange students with are:

USA Purdue Pennsylvania State

Nebraska

Canada Dalhousie, Halifax

SFU Vancouver

Australia Wollongong near Sydney

New Zealand Canterbury

Singapore NUS

Hong Kong City University

Spain Castellon

Germany Regensburg

Austria TU Vienna

France BordeauxFinland Helsinki



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Help with choosing and buildingyour course


There is lots of information available on the University of Bath web site. Specifically you should

look at the Natural Sciences page

http://www.bath.ac.uk/nat-sci/admissions/

You can click through to find a web based Course Building Tool at:

http://www.bath.ac.uk/nat-sci/mycourse/

where you can build up details of all of the years of your individual course, whilst making sure the

whole programme remains coherent, as the web app automatically checks for pre-requisites such as

appropriate A-level scores. There is a useful help file at

http://www.bath.ac.uk/nat-sci/mycourse/resources/mycourse.pdf

You can also find a very detailed explanation of the course structure, and the available units in

the Course Selection Guide through the website or at:

http://www.bath.ac.uk/nat-sci/admissions/course-selection-guide-2012-13.pdf


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Natural Sciences Teachingand Learning

You can expect a mix of different teaching styles whichever

Natural Sciences course you devise for yourself! Youll go to

lectures, small group tutorials and workshops for your different

units, as well as practicals and field trips. Youll use our lecture

capture system, Panopto, to revise and catch up, and can even

finish that essay in the middle of the night on one of our 500 PCs

in the 24 hour library and learning centre.

For almost all of the Natural Sciences courses, you are taught

alongside the students studying the single honours subjects.

For example, in Chemistry units you will go to lectures with

the chemists, and have small group tutorials and workshops

alongside them. In some subjects you will have separatepractical classes.

Support and help whileyoure hereThere is a whole team of people to support you during your

time in Bath. When you choose your major subject you will be

allocated a personal tutor from that discipline, whose role is to be

an academic contact throughout your career in Natural Sciences.

They can also help out with any other problems that can arise,

including illness, family and finance. Your personal tutor can alsorefer you on to the Student Support Services, where professional

advice is available. Each department contributing to Natural

Sciences has a dedicated academic - the subject convenor

who can help with any specific questions with that subject,

and the Natural Sciences team comprising the Programme

Administrator, Director of Studies and Chair of the Programme

Committee are always willing to help.

University of Bath StudentsUnion

Our Students Union is one of the best in the UK - ranked in thetop three by the National Union of Students (NUS) - ensuring

that the student view is represented effectively at all levels of

governance and working with our academic departments and

professional services to make certain that our students receive

high quality welfare, pastoral and academic support.

The Students Union also provides you with a wide range of

opportunities for personal development, including award-winning

enterprise education, and engagement with social, recreational

and volunteering activities. It won a national Gold Award in 2011

for the excellent student experience it provides for its members -

one of only four such accolades across the country.

I enjoyed all of my

A level subjects so

Natural Sciences

at Bath was a

perfect choice for

me. A wide range

of subjects is

available and in addition to lectures, workshops

and tutorials are run throughout the course.There is also the exciting opportunity to do a

placement, which makes you highly attractive

to employers. The University of Bath provides a

high standard of teaching from supportive staff

and there is a great social scene with many

extra-curricular activities to enjoy. I have had

a very fulfilling four years studying Natural

Sciences at Bath and highly recommend it.

Sarah Heasman, Natural Sciences graduate


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www.bath.ac.uk/nat-sci www.bath.ac.uk/nat-sci

Natural Sciences:Admissions Procedure


Our courses

BSc in Natural Sciences3 year - CFG0 - 3 year full-time

4 year - FCG0 - with Professional Placement

4 year - GCF0 - with Study Year Abroad

MSci in Natural Sciences4 year - GFC0 - 4 year full-time

5 year - GFCA - with Professional Placement

5 year - GFCB - with Study Year Abroad

Places Available:approximately 85 (BSc + MSci)

Course entry requirements

Typical oer: A*AAAAA

Minimum of two core sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics*)

Students wishing to take physics options will be required to have a good A-level (B or higher) or

equivalent in mathematics. In order to take double mathematics, students will require a grade A in

A-level Mathematics. AS Level(s) may be taken into account, but are unlikely at present to form part

of the oer. Mathematics is needed at GCSE level or higher. Appropriate standards at InternationalBaccalaureate (38 points overall, with minimum scores of 7,6,6 in three subjects at the Higher Level,

including at least two core sciences). Other qualications are acceptable; further details available on

request.

Applications are welcome from mature students, students with disabilities, specic learning diculties,

and additional support needs.

* contact Admissions Tutor before applying if Mathematics is one of your two core sciences.

Admissions Enquiries:

Dr Susan Crennell Admissions Tutor

Telephone: 01225 384302 or 386644

email: [email protected] or [email protected]


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After Your Degree

It is crucial that you choose a course that has strong evidence of being able

to deliver good postgraduate opportunities. Bath students are consistently

near the top of the table in graduate employment rates, and Natural Sciences

is no exception. Here are some recent examples:

Employment

Analyst, Bank of America Merill Lynch

Scientific Publisher, PJB Publications

Trainee Actuary, Equitable Life

Graduate Trainee, R & R Ice Cream

(Europes largest ice cream manufacturer)

Scientific Research, Cancer Research Campaign

Development Technician, Kraft Foods

Graduate Trainee, National Grid

Associate Accountant, Deloitte

Field Research Assistant, Henry Doorley Zoo, USA

Clinical Scientist, Kings College Hospital London Lab Technician, Thatchers Cider Company

Graduate Trainee, BP

Project Leader, World Health Organisation

Environmental Consultant, Enviros

Research Assistant, University of Cambridge

Quality Control Microbiologist, GE Healthcare

Further StudyNatural Sciences at Bath is a great route to further study both for

Masters degrees and PhDs. Here are some examples of postgraduate

courses our recent graduates have progressed on to:

PhD Regenerative Medicine - University of Bath

PhD in Green Chemistry - University of Bath

Masters in Environmental Technology - Imperial College London

Masters in Forensic Science - Kings College, London

MSc in Science Journalism - City University

MSc Modern Applications of Mathematics - University of Bath

Career destinations of recent Natural Sciences graduates can be

found on the Careers Advisory Service website

http://www.bath.ac.uk/careers

Programmes

BSc (hons) Natural Sciences

Full Time CFG0

BSc (hons) Natural Sciences with

Professional Placement FCG0

BSc (hons) Natural Sciences with Study

Year Abroad GCF0

MSci (hons) Natural Sciences

Full Time GFC0

MSci (hons) Natural Sciences with

Professional Placement GFCA

MSci (hons) Natural Sciences with Study

Year Abroad GFCB

Information on all of these can be found on

our Department website.

Typical offers

For detailed and up-to-date

information please check

www.bath.ac.uk/study

A levels:A*AA-AAA

For BSc,at least two core sciences (from

Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics).

For MSci, two core sciences other than

Mathematics are required.

For certain options (Physics included),

Mathematics may be an additional

requirement.

International Baccalaureate:

38 points, three at grade 6 at Higher Level,

including at least two core sciences (from

Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics).

For more information

Contact:Department of Natural Sciences

Tel: +44 (0)1225 386644

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.bath.ac.uk/study

Remember to check ourweb pages before you apply:www.bath.ac.uk/study


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Natural SciencesUniversity of BathBath

BA2 7AY

Natural Sciences

BSc (Hons)

MSci (Hons)


Documents

Natural Sciences Brochure6ppA4