Bachelor of Social Science

at University of Wollongong - Wollongong Campus Australia

Ecology is the study of interactions among organisms and their environment, and conservation biology applies an understanding of these interactions for managing and protecting species and ecosystems. Ecologists and conservation biologists are broadly-trained, using the latest scientific knowledge, tools and techniques in both laboratory and outdoor settings to develop solutions across the areas of biodiversity, conservation, ecology, evolution, genetics, marine biology, medical research, and molecular biology. Evolution underpins biological science and can be used to predict phenomena, such as understanding the emergence of antibiotic-resistant organisms, and the ways in which different species might respond to global warming. Ecologists and conservation biologists work across all scales of biology, from molecules within organisms to populations of organisms and the ecosystems they form.

The Bachelor of Science is a flexible three year degree which allows you to choose from a variety of majors. In addition to these majors, opportunities exist for you to select additional minors to explore other areas of study.

What you will study
The Bachelor of Science major in Ecology and Conservation Biology incorporates field and laboratory studies at all levels, providing extensive opportunities for hands-on learning both within UOW’s modern laboratories, and in the superb marine, freshwater, terrestrial and urban environments of the South Coast and inland regions. The specialist conservation biology training, combined with a broad background in biology, ecology and evolution will give you the knowledge and skills sought in a wide range of government and industry organisations that conduct or facilitate research or use research as a basis for advising on policy, both in Australia and internationally.

The creative sector is one of the fastest-growing, most dynamic industries in the world. In the digital age, writing is becoming more and more central to the way we communicate with each other. The Bachelor of Creative Arts (Creative Writing) teaches skills and strategies so your writing is strong and clear. It helps you express ideas in imaginative ways that will impact your readers. Creative writers work in a range of areas: poetry, editing, writing for multimedia, commercial and content writing, commercial theatre and performance, short stories and novels, or even in ways that combine or challenge these forms. Creative writers might write to entertain or to educate – but they’re always drawing on the human condition, exploring what it means to be human.

This course is designed to teach you to think about your story, image and scene. Creative writers draft and re-draft so their work is at its best, and this process is exciting.

What you will study
Core subjects will teach you the foundation for editing, writing across borders, genre and form, contemporary theory and research practice and you will explore social justice and children's literature. As well as your Creative Writing major, you must elect a minor or a second major from the Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts. Creative writing pairs well with a major in English Literatures, Languages, Indigenous Studies or Philosophy.

Double degrees aim to broaden a student's knowledge and skill base and improve career options in competitive, increasingly interactive fields. The programs are designed to enhance a student's educational, academic and professional qualifications whilst minimising the costs of their studies.

This degree

The Bachelor of Computer Science - Bachelor of Mathematics double degree offers an opportunity to combine the power of mathematics with knowledge bases in other disciplines. Pure Maths, Mathematical Analysis, Applied Statistics, and Industrial Maths are some of the programs that can be combined with Computer Science.

Primary teaching is a rewarding profession that can change lives. A primary teacher educates children from Kindergarten to Year 6 (ages 5 to 12 years) and teaches all areas of the Australian primary curriculum. UOW Bachelor of Primary Education graduates focus on educating the 'whole child' and promote lifelong learning in children.

This degree is a nationally accredited qualification for employment as a Kindergarten to Year 6 teacher in the public and independent school systems. You will learn through on-campus classes and online learning as well as school and community placements. The extensive professional experience program involves placement in schools from the second year of your degree, allowing you to learn by observation and apply your skills in the classroom early in your degree.

During your studies you will have opportunities for rural and international professional experiences, to study overseas with UOW's international exchange and study abroad partners, and to join international cultural immersion programs.

What you will study
The first year of study is focused on studying subjects that will develop mathematics and literacy competencies.  You will study the content required for teaching the key learning areas of Mathematics, English, Science and Technology, and explore the impact of psychology and culture on education in our society. After successfully completing the first year of study, you will commence education teaching subjects and undertake professional experiences in schools.

Teaching is an academically rigorous profession and teachers play a critical role in our communities. Strengthening requirements for studying teaching degrees is an initiative of the NSW Government to ensure that initial teacher education programs prepare high-quality graduate teachers who can respond to the needs of all learners and make a positive impact on student learning. At UOW we are committed to ensuring our graduates are of the highest standard by setting appropriate entry criteria and maintaining a strong developmental program that supports teacher education students from diverse backgrounds with diverse experiences, abilities and perspectives to become the teachers of the future.

Further your studies with a Master of Autism
Stand out from the crowd with your breadth of skills and expertise by completing an Integrated Master’s degree. This study option combines an undergraduate and postgraduate degree, allowing you to progress directly from the Bachelor of Primary Education into the Master of Autism. Studying this degree combination will help you meet the growing demand for educators who can lead the development and implementation of strategies that support neurodivergent children, making this degree an ideal fit for those with a passion for inclusion in educational practices.

Human Geography is the study of people and place. Human Geographers examine social and environmental problems in a holistic way, and apply spatial thinking to help resolve social conflicts and environmental crises. At UOW, Human Geographers investigate solutions to issues around climate change, economic development, environmental management, population and cultural change, and urban, rural and regional planning.

This degree
The Bachelor of Science (Human Geography) program at UOW includes the opportunity to undertake practicals and fieldwork, taking advantage of the local Illawarra environment including urban and heritage landscapes, coastal landscapes, rainforest escarpment and freshwater ecosystems.

What you will study
As a Science student, you will learn skills in logical and critical thinking, creative problem-solving, practical research, organisation and project management, numeracy, statistical literacy, computer applications (including geographic information systems), and strong communication.

Medical and health science provides in-depth insight into the structure and function of the human body at all levels of organisation. This knowledge can be used directly to work alongside other health professionals within the medical research and clinical health fields in both private industry and hospital settings. It can also be used as an underpinning set of knowledge for postgraduate medicine, dentistry and most other allied health professional areas. It is the Medical and Health professionals in their various roles that are involved in the development of therapies, application of diagnostic methods and treatments associated with health and disease.

This degree includes opportunities for you to develop your research knowledge and skills throughout the degree, and the chance to participate in a variety of research enrichment activities with options to gain hands-on experience in the diverse range of research laboratories. This degree will ensure you are ready for a career as a  research scientist, medical scientist, laboratory manager, technical writer or pharmaceutical scientist or prepare you for other postgraduate options.

The first years cover the core sciences including Human and General Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physiology, and Anatomy. You then have the opportunity to customise individual programs of study with a wide selection of elective subjects that include, Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, Histology, Exercise and Cardio-Respiratory Physiology, more advanced Physiology and Anatomy subjects, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Immunology, Bioethics, Philosophy,  Indigenous Studies, Public Health, Work Health and Safety and all specialised areas within chemistry, with potential to also create minors in many of these and other areas. You will also develop an understanding of and demonstrate practical applications of medical research via Medical Science Research Project opportunities and the final year Honours subject.

Studying engineering and arts will teach you to create solutions for everyday life, from the large scale to the nano-level. You will gain knowledge in many traditional areas of study including history, literature, languages and philosophy and the disciplines of social sciences; cultural studies, sociology and politics.

Engineering is vital to solving the world’s big challenges: supporting communities by designing and building livable sustainable cities; creating transport and housing systems; and designing and building telecommunications networks, the internet and computers.

Engineers design systems to ensure ample clean water for the world’s population, to find non-polluting energy sources, to create ways to assist healthy living and ageing and to advance medical and health technologies.

Engineers are team players and many become CEOs and entrepreneurs; engineering graduates run over 30 percent of the world’s biggest international companies, nearly double the next largest discipline. Learn the fundamentals of engineering, both the technical and interpersonal skills, and apply your knowledge in real situations to prepare you for engineering the future with an internationally accredited UOW engineering degree.

This degree

The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) - Bachelor of Arts combines professional engineering skills, including management, teamwork and problem solving, with the critical and creative thinking skills learned from studying the arts and humanities. It will teach you a diverse skill set required for high achievement in a range of careers.

Engage, explore and appreciate diverse pasts when you study History at UOW, and learn from the past to inform your future. History enriches your understanding of the world by offering knowledge and skills to comprehend the broad scope of human experiences - from our everyday lives, to global processes. You will learn to research information, critically evaluate debates, and express your arguments and beliefs clearly and effectively.

UOW's History degree focuses on themes that link Australian and international history, ancient and modern. You will discover what it is to be a Historian, through subjects that help you develop a sophisticated and critical appreciation of contemporary approaches to historical theories, methods, interpretation, arguments, and uses of evidence.

What you will study
Our core subjects will teach you broad histories of specific Australian, Asian and European societies. In second and third year you will be able to specialise and study topics in greater depth, including histories of empires, the political and social impacts of wars, and the development of the State.

In addition to the History major you will choose a minor or a second major from the Bachelor of Arts offerings.

The Game and Mobile Development major has been designed to meet the current global demand for skilled graduates in the areas of game and multimedia system development. This major will equip you with skills to apply techniques to the development of video games and related systems on computers and mobile platforms, including devices such as mobile phones, tablets and wearable devices. You will be able to identify approaches to solving real-world problems in video games and multimedia systems. In addition, you will develop both traditional computer science skills as well as creative skills including visualisation, interaction and communication skills. Experts in this field work in the entertainment industry, the game and mobile industry in Australia and worldwide as mobile application developers, game programmers, animators, game engine developers, mobile entertainment and multimedia designers.

This degree
Computer scientists focus on the theoretical foundations and practical approaches to computation and its applications. They design methods and tools and write programs for computer applications. These applications can be in areas such as computer systems to control machinery, information management and big data, applications for mobile devices, stock market trend analysis, game design, visualisation of chemical reactions, neural network design, computational geometry for robot navigation, patient monitoring in hospitals, and much more.

You will be able to choose your major in your second year after studying a common core of subjects that links our computer science, IT and information systems degrees. Find your strengths and interests as you study the fundamentals of computer science and IT: programming, problem solving, network and communications, web technology, data management, system analysis, human–computer interaction, and project management. You’ll also complete a final-year capstone team project.

You can also choose to study a double degree with Engineering, Mathematics, Science, Creative Arts or Business. These programs of study will provide you with a broad experience of technology using various industry products such as Microsoft, Apple, Oracle, SAP and Cisco.

What you will study
You can choose to study a double degree with Engineering, Mathematics, Science, Creative Arts or Business. These programs of study will provide you with a broad experience of technology using various industry products such as Microsoft, Apple, Oracle, SAP and Cisco.

The Game and Mobile Development major includes subjects such as 3D modelling and animation, game engine essentials, multicore and GPU programming, mobile multimedia, and interactive computer graphics. Students are strongly encouraged to choose some electives from Creative Arts.

Electrical and Electronics Engineering focuses on electrical and electronic devices and systems, computer systems, telecommunications, control and electrical power engineering. Electrical engineers play a vital role in renewable energy generation, heavy industry and manufacturing installations, robotics and automation, mining and electrical power distribution.

Electrical engineers are highly sought after for their expertise in the development and application of sustainable electrical and electronic systems across a wide range of sectors.

This Degree
You will study a common first year allowing you to learn more about engineering and its different fields before deciding which discipline to study. The common first year provides you with sound fundamentals in mathematics, statistics, physics, chemistry, computing, engineering science and communication, mechanics, materials and fluids. You then focus on your chosen major study from second year.

Your degree includes a 12-week hands-on industry placement. You may gain credit for relevant work experience, either in Australia or overseas, by participating in our Professional Options Program.

Engineers work in a variety of industries, for example: construction, mining, resources, aeronautical, electronics, engineering management, telecommunications, power generation and distribution, renewable energy, aerospace, water resource management, robotics and manufacturing, railroad and shipbuilding.

What you will study
In the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) - Electrical and Electronics Engineering you will study subjects that will give you the specialist knowledge you need to move into the industry including:

• Electricity generation and distribution (including renewable energy)
• Electrical power quality
• Machines and drives
• Power electronics
• Control systems
• Automation

You can choose to specialise in any of the following sub-disciplines:

• Control Engineering ' focuses on integrated sensors and control systems
• Electronics Engineering ' focuses on semi-conductors and electronic components in the design and development of engineering systems
• Power Engineering ' dealing with the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity.

From second year you also have the option to complete a double major, combining two engineering disciplines. Available double major combinations include:

• Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Computer and Autonomous Systems Engineering
• Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Telecommunications Engineering and Internet of Things