MNatSc, BSc Natural Sciences(For students entering from September 2024 onwards)

Year 2

(Award available for year: Diploma of Higher Education)

Learning outcomes

Develop core knowledge in two of the seven disciplines available within the Natural Sciences programme to provide a further foundation for advanced specialist knowledge within those disciplines and an awareness of the interdisciplinarity between those disciplines.
Carry out a range of discipline-specific practical experiments that consolidate and develop skills from level one.
Record, process and communicate more complex experimental results compared to level one.
Engage with relevant literature in a systematic and selective way to extract scientific information, to locate primary literature and carry out citation searches, and use the literature as an integral part of scientific communication skills.
Navigate and utilise advanced digital information tools in a systematic way to source and collate information and data. Carry out citation searches. Select, summarise and interpret primary literature on a specific topic, citing and referencing the sources used.
Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of interdisciplinary topics in modern scientific research through a report on interdisciplinary research topics.

Search scientific literature for relevant information and communicate scientific ideas and concepts to a general audience.

Develop programming skills in Python to solve computational problems relevant to the Natural Sciences.

Skills Learning Outcomes
Act professionally and with integrity, with due regard for legal, ethical and societal responsibilities, modelling good practice that promotes positive perceptions of the Natural Sciences and Natural Scientists.
Recognise their professional development needs through a process of self-analysis and reflection.
Collaborate and work successfully in a group environment and with others in a professional manner, contributing positively and flexibly to team outputs.
Reflect on progress and adapt action plan. Plan and manage their own and group work effectively.
Communicate effectively using appropriate presentation skills such as written, oral and other presentation methods, selecting appropriate content, media and methods for the audience, purpose and subject.
Realise the nature and value of their own and other's intellectual property, and the importance of managing and curating data.
Recognise and constructively use career management tools, including CVs, application forms and interview preparation.

Assessment

Achievement will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year/programme and may include written examinations, in-class and online tests, problem sheets, assignments, and coursework in the form of projects, reports, presentations and posters.
Practical work will be assessed via a combination of bench notes, data, and write-ups via lab reports or pro formas. Full details about the assessment rules are available in the version of the Code of Practice on Assessment (CoPA) applicable to the year of study.