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 introduce students to food quality and safety, selected nutritional topics, food studies, as well as food tradition and culture. Students will gain an appreciation of food composition and how it affects spoilage and food quality. They will be introduced to the prerequisite program (PRP) as used as part of HACCP. Understanding of the cultural significance of food, of eating, looking widely at society and the attitudes of, and circumstances which surround, its consumption.

The aims of this unit are to relate chemical principles to everyday life. Laboratory skills will be introduced in a systematic way that helps students apply the concepts they will be learning concurrently within the unit. The usefulness of chemistry will be emphasised by giving examples relevant to the students' areas of professional interest (eg food technology, environmental sciences, biology or horticulture), while ensuring that the following fundamental topics are covered: matter, energy, chemical bonds, states of matter, chemical reactions and rates, equilibrium, introduction to organic compounds and nuclear chemistry.

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 will introduce students to food components (water, proteins, lipids and carbohydrates) and their importance to quality and nutrition. Chemical and physical methods of food preservation will be covered, as well as unit operations (concentration drying, freezing and heat treatment). Students will undertake a literature based HACCP exercise.

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 is a general introduction to wines, their history, basic production techniques and place in society and health. Students will develop a knowledge and understanding of wine regions, types and styles from around the world with a focus on the wines of Australia. The unit is taught online with attendance required at one wine appreciation workshop where students will learn how to taste and evaluate wines.

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 will discuss the factors that affect the retention of quality of fresh fruit, vegetables and cut flowers from grower to consumer. Topics include: the essential role of fresh produce for the health and happiness of people; the growth and maturation and respiration of fresh produce; the importance of managing temperature and relative humidity of the storage environment; the physiological responses of fresh produce to changes in temperature and water loss; the role of ethylene in fruit ripening and senescence; the practical issues of assessing harvest maturity; packaging; distribution and the control of postharvest disease and the concepts of HACCP.

Microorganisms are important in all aspects of our lives. In this unit students will explore the diversity of microorganisms and their significance in the environment, in foods and industry as well as in health and disease. Students will be introduced to the structure, reproduction, classification, cultivation and enumeration of bacteria, viruses and fungi. The conditions required for growth and survival of microorganisms will be studied as well as physical and chemical methods of control. Students will conduct laboratory exercises designed to develop their skills in culturing and observing microorganisms.

This is a unit in general microbiology designed for students in Applied Science and Natural Science degrees. It builds on students’ existing knowledge of cell biology and biodiversity, and provides an overview of the nature of micro-organisms and their significance. The unit emphasises the role of micro-organisms in environments such as water, soil, animals and plants, as well as in foods, industry and waste treatment. The unit focuses on the applications of microbiological concepts in these applied areas.

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 subject is aimed at developing an understanding of the processing of food, in particular the chemical, physical, functional and processing requirements of properties of cereal, meat and dairy foods. Aspects of food additives and modifying agents and their functions in processed food will also be covered. Basic concepts of chemical and physical analysis of foods, construction of nutrient panels, and methods for sensory analysis of foods. These concepts will be related to food manufacturing requirements and processes.

This unit provides an opportunity for students to engage with the dynamics of the management of organisations. Students will be introduced to the connection between the way work and systems are organised and managed and their impact on individuals and societies. This is achieved by using case based opportunities to examine real life contexts. This is an essential unit for business students that can be taken by any student needing a broad initial understanding of management.

This unit is a survey of the marketing process, introducing students to the marketing concept, strategic and marketing planning, marketing research, consumer and customer behaviour, issues of market segmentation, targeting and positioning as well as all the elements of the marketing mix (product/service, pricing, distribution and marketing communication strategies).

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.

The goal of this unit is to integrate previous studies in food processing and food safety to develop an understanding of food quality assurance, good manufacturing practices and quality management systems as they are applied to the control and management of food production. Food laws, regulations and codes at State, National and International levels are covered. The unit includes aspects of elementary toxicology and risk analysis. The unit also includes a practical exercise of developing a HACCP plan for a food manufacturing process, and the implementation of quality management systems such as ISO 22000 to a food process.

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.

This unit will equip students with knowledge of the following: Role of packaging. Packaging materials including paper, glass, metals and polymers. Choice of materials for food packaging in relation to possibilities of interactions with food products. Packaging for various food types including fresh and microwavable foods, dairy and horticultural products, cereals, snacks and beverages. Shelf life of packaged foods. Aseptic, active and controlled/modified atmosphere packaging. Food packaging trends based on responses to marketing and distribution stimuli. Methods of decorating and labelling packages. Green-packaging with response to increasing in environmental consciousness in disposing used packaging. Economics of packaging. Regulations governing packaging and the rationales behind them.