This unit is designed to provide students with academic and generic skills required for successful completion of their science-related undergraduate studies and for professional practice. Activities allow students to learn, develop and utilise various academic and interpersonal skills within the wider context of applied scientific principles in society. Activities encourage development of self-confidence, creative thinking, problem solving, group process, communication and peer support. Academic skills include aspects of scientific reading and writing, assignment preparation, gathering scientific information, research and library skills, oral presentation, group work, taking tests and exams, effective personal and class-based learning strategies, peer assessment and online learning.

Students studying at Campbelltown campus should refer to 300543 - Cell Biology. The cell is the basic unit of life and some basic processes, such as membrane function and the reactions involving DNA, occur in cells of all living organisms. This unit introduces the important biological chemicals involved in those processes and the study of the processes themselves. The unit also examines phenomena such as cell replication, sex cell formation, inheritance, and cell metabolism that are shared by all eukaryotes (animals, protistans, fungi and plants). The biochemical capture of the sun's energy (photosynthesis) is also studied. The evolutionary links between these cellular processes form a framework for the unit, and students consider the origin of life and their own evolution. In addition, students are introduced to the immense potential of recombinant DNA technology.

This unit will provide students with an understanding of agricultural production in relation to its broader environment including the value/supply chain. Emphasis will be placed on the agricultural industries in Australia integrated nature of the production supply chain and the roles of the various players in the chain. In addition information will be provided on factors external to the chain that influence its operation. This unit will provide the holistic framework within which the other units they study in first year will be placed in context.

This unit overviews farming systems, primary production industries and enterprises. It introduces ethical issues relating to primary production and their associated industries and investigates many principles and techniques of agricultural and horticultural production. A major feature of this unit is the opportunity to develop practical production management skills through the production of selected crops in the field.

This unit introduces students to various statistical techniques necessary in scientific endeavours. Presentation of the content will emphasize the correct principles and procedures for collecting and analysing scientific data, using a ‘hands-on’ approach. Topics include effective methods of gathering data, statistical principles of designing experiments, error analysis, describing different sets of data, probability distributions, statistical inference, non-parametric methods, and simple linear regression and correlation.

Students enrolled in Resource Sustainability will work in groups employing rapid appraisal techniques to score the environmental conditions across a range of landuse categories on the UWS Hawkesbury Campus. Students will be required to design and implement an investigation of the landscape utilizing methods currently in use by relevant legislative & administrative bodies (GPS, GIS, PDT, etc). The development of skills in the area of spatial data management is an essential element in this unit. Having completed an assessment of the environmental conditions on the Campus, students will illustrate their findings and present them in both audio/visual and written reports.

This unit provides students with a basic understanding of soil formation and erosion processes, soil physical, chemical and biological properties, and the diversity and classification of soils in the Australian landscape. These basic principles are explored in relation to the sustainable management of soils for horticultural and agricultural production and for environmental management under other land uses. The practical sessions are designed to reinforce the lecture material and include field description and analysis of soil profiles and properties, soil sampling principles and practice, laboratory measurement of soil physical and chemical properties essential/important for plant growth, and an introduction to soil biology.

This unit aims to provide students with an understanding of the scientific basis of crop production and the physiological controls on crop yield. It develops the students’ practical and technical skills while providing an understanding of scientific basis for environmental modification to improve the quality of crop products. Students will become familiar with the current sources of information available to producers and develop production and management skills through the production of fruits, vegetables, flowers and nursery crops. Students will also gain knowledge on food processing techniques after harvesting.

This unit examines the complex interaction between power, politics, ethics and scientific paradigms in the management of natural agricultural and built environments. As such its foundations are in the field of environmental studies with a particular focus on the role of science graduates in the social interactions that govern societies use, transformation and impact on these environments. The rationale for the inclusion of a sociological perspective in a science degree is that scientists do not operate in a social vacuum, but are constantly subject to broader social, economic, political, ethical and cultural influences that bear upon the distribution and exercise of power and knowledge in organisations and in society as a whole.

This unit aims to enable students to develop a sound understanding of the broad principles involved in the production and management of crops and pastures, identification of plant species, linking crop/pasture growth to animal production, and interacting with researchers, community workers and industry professionals in understanding broader and specific issues related to agronomy. Topics include basic crop and pasture botany, seed physiology, crop/pasture establishment, growth, development, adaptation, grazing management and plant protection. Students manage a crop in the field and a pot trial in the glasshouse. The practical sessions enable students to apply the management principles and become familiar with various measuring techniques.

This unit is designed to help students understand and navigate their way through the scientific inquiry process, and to make inquiry a meaningful experience. It highlights the creative and strategic thinking skills needed to negotiate research, and covers the entire inquiry process from conceptualisation and design through to data collection, analysis, and report writing. The unit transcends traditional paradigmatic and disciplinary boundaries by approaching research from the ground up – a research question based perspective.

This unit aims to provide students with professional exposure to current state-of-the-art approaches to the science of Agronomy. It focuses on future trends in Agronomy in the contexts of current research, extension and commercial practice, with particular emphasis on the environmental and socio-economic sustainability of agronomic production systems. Students will gain valuable experiences in the applications of selected agronomic models/tools to farm and environmental decision making, as well as evaluating the usefulness of these models/tools as discussion support systems in the contexts of agriculture, horticulture, food and environmental risk and opportunity management.

This unit aims to provide students with a sound understanding of reproduction of both domestic and non domestic animals so that they can design and manage a breeding program for a species of choice. Topics will include anatomy and physiology of male and female reproductive tracts; hormonal control of reproduction; fertilisation, pregnancy, parturition and lactation; artificial reproductive techniques.

This unit introduces students to a range of concepts from the protection of aquatic environments in terms of the need to monitor and maintain water quality to the application of biological, chemical and physical methods of maintaining the suitability of water quality to meet its use criteria. The unit covers the healthy aquatic environment, pollutants and their sources, health and ecological impacts of water quality degradation, the use of legislation, regulation, policy, guidelines and standards. The concept of water in catchments and catchment management principles are introduced. The fundamental objective in the unit is to broadly address integrated urban water cycle management and explore several case studies through field visits. The unit seeks to develop graduate competencies in water monitoring, regulation, treatment and management. The unit is particularly applicable to those students who are interested in achieving the status of authorised officers with the regulatory authorities.

This unit requires students to initiate a major project with clients from industry, research organizations or public utilities associated with the professional practice domains of the natural sciences. The project work includes a number of activities (eg developing project proposal and methodology etc) negotiated with the client and will draw together all of the previous learning in the B. Nat Sci./BSc. The project will entail interdependent relationships with the client, staff supervisor and other resource people and will involve the full range of project management skills. Students will be required to demonstrate their capacity to implement the project by production of a literature review and detailed project proposal. This subject prepares students for 300660 Field Project 2 which focuses on students putting their knowledge into action in a professional setting.

This unit aims to develop an understanding of the major animal production systems used for food and fibre in Australia (beef, dairy, pigs, poultry and sheep) and to apply this knowledge to improving problematic issues and understanding topical issues. Topics will focus on the applications of animal production principles to these production systems.

This unit aims to examine the world of environmental management, introducing students to environmental management systems concepts, as well as practical operational tools for doing. Students are introduced to the processes of Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Auditing; the tools and methods required for assessment, and their role in the review and processing of an EIS/EA. This unit further develops the students applied approach to solving real world problems.

This unit requires students to undertake a major project with clients from industry, research organizations or public utilities associated with the professional practice domains of the natural sciences. The project work includes a number of activities developed in 300659 Field Project 1. The project will entail interdependent relationships with the client, staff supervisor and other resource people and will involve the full range of project management skills. Students will be required to demonstrate their capacity to implement the project by production of a major report and seminar. The unit places a heavy emphasis on continued development of professional competency in preparation for students to enter the workforce.

In this unit students will gain and demonstrate a clear understanding of the integrated nature of the agricultural supply/value chain. This unit will further develop students’ understanding of the integrated nature and processes to enable effective analysis of the various components of the value/supply chain. In doing so students will develop skills in the use of various tools including analytical tools and skills including high level communication skills required to work within the value/supply chain.

This unit will assist students develop a sound framework for the analysis of land use and its interactions with the environment. The skills gained will assist in evaluation of land use at various levels from household to international level. Particular emphasis will be placed on students gaining a sound conceptual framework from which to examine sustainability at the environmental, economic, social, and production levels. Emphasis will be placed on the use of ecological footprinting as a tool.