Durham UniversityPre-Application Natural Sciences

Faculty of Sciencewww.dur.ac.uk/natural.sciences/

Dr James Blowey

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Natural Sciences

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Natural Sciences: overview

Talk focuses on the key features of the structure of the Natural Sciences degree programme:

Flexibility; Choice; Depth.

Natural Sciences has been in existence for nearly 40 years and before (in another name)

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Natural Sciences: structure

• 3 year (B.Sc.) or 4 year (M.Sci.) degree

• 120 credits (~6 modules) a year• Each module lasts all year• At least 50% of your modules over the

three or four years must be from the Faculty of Science

Degree structure for 2014 entrants

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Natural Sciences: depth

• Study the same key modules as single honours students to give progression in those subjects.Study more than one subject to a high level.For details of content, see other talks today or go to www.dur.ac.uk/natural.sciences/

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Natural Sciences: flexibility withinYear of study

Number of subjects studied

Number of credits studied at

Maximum number of credits studied in a single subject

1 2 ≤ Year 1 ≤ 4

Level I = 120 80

2 2 ≤ Year 2 ≤ 3

90 ≤ Level II ≤ 1200 ≤ Level I ≤ 30

80

3 2 ≤ Year 3 ≤ 3

90 ≤ Level III ≤ 1200 ≤ Level II ≤ 30

BSc (100);MSci (80)

4 1 ≤ Year 4 ≤ 3

Level IV = 120 120

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Natural Sciences: choiceTypical pathways• Major in one subject and EITHER take new subjects in

your second year OR take the same three subjects in each year (a B.Sc. or M.Sci. in Natural Sciences)

• Take the same two subjects in each of the years (Joint-Honours) – almost all Science Joint-Honours degrees operate within Natural Sciences

• Possibility of transfer to a single honours degree• Possibility of transfer between BSc and MSci up a

good way through the third-year.

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Natural Sciences: degrees

M.Sci. in Natural Sciences

B.Sc. in Natural Sciences

Available only in the following subjects:Earth Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Maths, Physics and Biology (but only with Chemistry and Physics)

Available in all the contributing subjects, with at least 50% of study from the Faculty of Science

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Natural Sciences: subjects 1

• Biology• Chemistry• Computer Science• Earth Sciences• Mathematics• Physics• Psychology

Subjects within the Faculty of Science (Group 1):

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Natural Sciences: subjects 2

• Anthropology• Archaeology• Business• Economics• Geography• Philosophy

Subjects which make a Joint-Honours contribution to the programme (Group 2):

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Natural Sciences: subjects 3

• Languages• Theology• Sociology• Classics• English• History• plus more but not Engineering or Law.

Selection of other subjects which contribute to the programme (Group 3):

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Natural Sciences: Joint-Honours

The Joint Honours degrees:

• B.Sc. Honours in A AND B within the Natural Sciences programme

• M.Sci. Honours in A AND B within the Natural Sciences programme

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MSci/BSc Joint-Honours degrees 2013 entry

13

An- Anthropology Ar - Archaeology Bi - Biology Bs - Business Ch - Chemistry CS - Computer Science ES - Earth Sciences Ec - Economics Gg - Geography Ma – Mathematics Ph - Philosophy Py - Physics Ps- Psychology

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Natural Sciences: 2013 entry

B.Sc Joint Honours Combinations for 2013 entry

 

An Ar Bi Bs Ch CS ES Ec Gg Ma Ph Py Ps

An * *

Ar *

Bi * * * * * * *

Bs *

Ch * * * *

CS * * *

ES * * * * *

Ec * *

Gg * * * *

Ma * * * * * * * * *

Ph * *

Py * * * * *

Ps * * * * *

 

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Natural Sciences

M.Sci. in Biology and Chemistry

M.Sci. in Chemistry and Mathematics

M.Sci. in Chemistry and Physics

M.Sci. in Mathematics and Physics

M.Sci. Joint Honours degrees within Natural Sciences:

M.Sci. in Biology and Physics

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Natural Sciences: depth

• All students BSc/MSci must undertake final-year capstone/dissertation research-led work– Into Schools;– Dissertation;– Project;

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Natural Sciences: year abroad

• Possibility of a year abroad year abroad in a university scheme run by the International Office, see Section 7 of the Handbook.

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Natural Sciences: cautions• Choices of modules are restricted by the

University timetable; sometimes by capacity; sometimes they are tied to degree programmes.

• Choices need to leave a programme of study open

• Chemistry has a limited number of bench spaces

• Mathematics with progression to other Maths beyond Level 2 need and AS-level in Further Maths.

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Natural Sciences: facts

• 1045 applicants for 2013 entry and 50 applicants for 2014 entry.

• 600 offers for 206 places.• Standard offer: A*AA• Restriction on numbers of offers to study

Chemistry within Natural Sciences 100 bench spaces 300 offers.

• Accreditation on certain tightly defined routes in Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Physics and Psychology

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Natural Sciences: any questions

www.dur.ac.uk/natural.sciences/