2026/27 Undergraduate Programme Catalogue

BSc Natural Sciences

Programme overview

Programme code: BS-NAT/SC
UCAS code: BCF1
Duration: 3 Years
Method of Attendance: Full Time
Programme manager: Prof. Paul Taylor
Contact address: p.c.taylor@leeds.ac.uk
Total credits: 360
School/Unit responsible for the parenting of students and programme: School of Chemistry
Examination board through which the programme will be considered
Professional Body Offering Accreditation: Accredited by the Society for Natural Sciences. Accreditation awarded 21/01/2022. Renewal date is 31/12/2026.

Entry requirements

Entry Requirements are available on the Course Search entry

Programme specification

Studying Natural Sciences gives you the opportunity to branch out across scientific disciplines, learning the fundamental concepts of each, whilst tailoring the course to the areas that interest you the most.
In recent years, the demand for scientists to tackle a variety of complex problems by bringing together the ideas of different disciplines has grown significantly. Often, the challenges we face globally in areas such as sustainability, energy, material resources, and advancements in medicine need an interdisciplinary approach in order to gain a deeper understanding from multiple angles and ultimately provide solutions for the future.
You’ll be taught by expert academics, with the unique opportunity to get involved in active, real-world research happening across the university.

In your first year, you will initially study three subjects from a choice of biochemistry, biology, chemistry, environmental science, food science and nutrition, mathematics, and physics. You will study at least 30 credits of each of your three subjects, enabling you to work across more than one science discipline.

You will take a 20 credit core module for all Natural Sciences students which will cover key practical skills in an interdisciplinary context. This module will establish the interdisciplinary ethos behind your degree programme whilst also developing your experience of experimental design and proficiency in the presentation and analysis of scientific data to prepare you for further study and research throughout your university education and beyond.

If you did not take Maths as a main subject, your development as a Natural Sciences student will be supported by a 10 credit maths module, which will complement your core modules and develop mathematical skills central to modern science.

In your second year, you will specialise in two of three subjects taken in your first year. You will take a minimum of 40 credits in each subject, with an additional 20 credits available for you to choose from a wide range of options. This enables you to either study your two subjects with equal weightings or to study two subjects with a major/minor split.
A 20 credit core module for all Natural Sciences students will further your development as an interdisciplinary scientist, advancing your skills in research, scientific writing, scientific and professional ethics, personal development, planning, and scientific programming.

In your third year, you will continue to study the two subjects you have chosen to focus on in your second year. You will take at least 40 credits of each of your two subjects from a wide range of options available to suit your interests. You may choose to study your two subjects equally, or as a major/minor split. Your training as an interdisciplinary scientist will be supported through a 20 credit module taken by all Natural Sciences students. This module will develop your digital, research, and communication skills.

To advance your skill set and boost your experience, you can also apply to take an industrial placement or study abroad at one of the many universities we’re in partnership with worldwide between years 2 and 3.

Year 1

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

Compulsory Modules

All students will take the following compulsory module:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
NATS1405	Practical Skills for Natural Scientists	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Compulsory Modules

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
NATS1405	Practical Skills for Natural Scientists	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Optional Modules

BIOCHEMISTRY

Students taking Biochemistry will be required to study the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
BIOC1203	Genes to Proteins	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BLGY1141	Introduction to Cell Biology	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

BIOLOGY

Students taking Biology will be required to study the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
BLGY1124	The Diversity of Life	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
BLGY1237	Introduction to Genetics	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BLGY1239	Exploring Whole Organism Biology	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

CHEMISTRY

Students taking Chemistry will be required to study the following module:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
CHEM1302	Introduction to Modern Chemistry	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Students taking Chemistry will also be required to choose one of the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
CHEM1204	Fundamental Organic Chemistry for Biology & Synthesis	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
CHEM1205	Chemistry of the Material World	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Students taking Environmental Science will be required to study 10 credits from the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
SOEE1420	Resources	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
SOEE1434	Water	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
SOEE1561	Earth	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Students taking Environmental Science will also be required to study 20 credits from the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
SOEE1181	Ecology	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
SOEE1281	Atmosphere	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
SOEE1401	Weather	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION

Students taking Food Science and Nutrition will be required to study the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
FOOD1041	Food Safety and Preservation	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
FOOD1051	Introduction to Human Nutrition	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

MATHEMATICS

Students taking Mathematics will be required to study the following module:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
MATH1000	Core Mathematics	40	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

PHYSICS

Students taking Physics will be required to take Mathematics as one of their three subjects in year one and to study the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
PHAS1810	Core Physics 1 (JH) Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Solid State Physics	30	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

NOT TAKING MATHEMATICS

Students not taking Mathematics as one of their three subjects will be required to study one of the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
NATS1180	Mathematics for Scientists	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
NATS1185	Further Mathematics for Scientists	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

NATS1180 is required for students who do not have a grade B in A level Mathematics, or equivalent, or who have a grade less than B.

NATS1185 is required for students who have a grade B or above in A level Mathematics, or equivalent.

Optional Modules

BIOCHEMISTRY

Students taking Biochemistry will be required to study the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
BIOC1203	Genes to Proteins	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BLGY1141	Introduction to Cell Biology	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

BIOLOGY

Students taking Biology will be required to study the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
BLGY1124	The Diversity of Life	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
BLGY1237	Introduction to Genetics	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BLGY1239	Exploring Whole Organism Biology	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

CHEMISTRY

Students taking Chemistry will be required to study the following module:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
CHEM1302	Introduction to Modern Chemistry	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Students taking Chemistry will also be required to choose one of the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
CHEM1204	Fundamental Organic Chemistry for Biology & Synthesis	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
CHEM1205	Chemistry of the Material World	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Students taking Environmental Science will be required to study 10 credits from the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
SOEE1420	Resources	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
SOEE1434	Water	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
SOEE1561	Earth	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Students taking Environmental Science will also be required to study 20 credits from the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
SOEE1181	Ecology	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
SOEE1281	Atmosphere	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
SOEE1401	Weather	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION

Students taking Food Science and Nutrition will be required to study the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
FOOD1041	Food Safety and Preservation	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
FOOD1051	Introduction to Human Nutrition	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

MATHEMATICS

Students taking Mathematics will be required to study the following module:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
MATH1000	Core Mathematics	40	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

PHYSICS

Students taking Physics will be required to take Mathematics as one of their three subjects in year one and to study the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
PHAS1810	Core Physics 1 (JH) Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Solid State Physics	30	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

NOT TAKING MATHEMATICS

Students not taking Mathematics as one of their three subjects will be required to study one of the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
NATS1180	Mathematics for Scientists	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
NATS1185	Further Mathematics for Scientists	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Year 2

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

Students will be required to study a minimum of 40 credits in each of two science subjects chosen from the following: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Food Science and Nutrition, Mathematics, and Physics, following on from the subjects that were chosen in year 1. Students should try to ensure where possible that they have an even split of credits between semesters.

Compulsory Modules

All students will take the following compulsory module:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
NATS2360	Interdisciplinary Skills and Programming for Natural Scientists	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Optional Modules

BIOCHEMISTRY

All students taking Biochemistry will be required to study the following modules: BIOC2103 and BIOC2241.

Students taking more than 40 credits of Biochemistry may also choose up to 20 credits from the remaining modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
BIOC2103	Enzymes, Metabolism, Health and Disease	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
BIOC2241	Biochemistry for Natural Sciences	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BIOL2114	Omics and Big Data Biology	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
BIOL2211	Human Diseases	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BIOL2221	Fundamentals in Cell and Cancer Biology	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
CHEM2242	Introduction to Drug Design	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MICR2121	Molecular Virology	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MICR2211	Medical Microbiology	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MICR2221	Medical Immunology	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

BIOLOGY

Students taking Biology will be required to choose one of the following pathways: Ecology, Genetics or Zoology

Students on the Ecology pathway will be required to study the following module: BLGY2155

All students on the Ecology pathway will be required to study at least 20 credits from the remaining modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
BLGY2106	Parasitology	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
BLGY2155	Population, Community and Conservation Ecology	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
BLGY2224	Food Security and Sustainability	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BLGY2265	Urban Ecology and Conservation Field Course	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

All students on the Genetics pathway will be required to study the following modules: BLGY2164 and BLGY2266

Students on the Genetics pathway may choose to study the remaining modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
BLGY2164	How Plants Live	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
BLGY2202	Bioinformatics for Biologists	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BLGY2224	Food Security and Sustainability	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BLGY2266	Human Populations and Disease	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

All students on the Zoology pathway will be required to study the following modules: BLGY2146 and BLGY2220

Students on the Zoology pathway may choose to study the remaining modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
BLGY2106	Parasitology	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
BLGY2146	Animal Physiology	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
BLGY2220	Evolution, Adaptation and Behaviour	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BLGY2266	Human Populations and Disease	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

CHEMISTRY

Students taking Chemistry will be required to take one of three pathways: Organic and Biological Chemistry, Inorganic and Materials Chemistry, or Physical Chemistry.

All students taking the Organic and Biological Chemistry pathway will be required to study the following modules:CHEM2491 and CHEM2321

Students taking the Organic and Biological Chemistry pathway and taking more than 40 credits of Chemistry may also choose up to 20 credits from the remaining modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
CHEM2112	Chemistry of Materials: what they are and how we know	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
CHEM2131	Chemical Kinetics and Thermodynamics	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
CHEM2212	Organometallics: from bonding to catalysis	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
CHEM2242	Introduction to Drug Design	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
CHEM2293	Specialisms in Chemical Science	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
CHEM2321	Organic Chemistry: Structure, Reactions and the Science of Life	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
CHEM2331	Molecules, Energy, Quanta and Change	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
CHEM2491	Structural and Quantitative Analysis and Synthetic Laboratory	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Students may only choose one of CHEM2131 or CHEM2331.
CHEM2112, CHEM2212, CHEM2293, CHEM2131, or CHEM2331 should only be taken after discussion with the programme team or your personal tutor.

All students taking the Inorganic and Materials Chemistry pathway will be required to study the following modules: CHEM2491, CHEM2112 and CHEM2212

Students taking the Inorganic and Materials Chemistry pathway and taking more than 40 credits of Chemistry may also choose up to 20 credits from the remaining modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
CHEM2112	Chemistry of Materials: what they are and how we know	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
CHEM2131	Chemical Kinetics and Thermodynamics	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
CHEM2212	Organometallics: from bonding to catalysis	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
CHEM2242	Introduction to Drug Design	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
CHEM2293	Specialisms in Chemical Science	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
CHEM2321	Organic Chemistry: Structure, Reactions and the Science of Life	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
CHEM2331	Molecules, Energy, Quanta and Change	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
CHEM2491	Structural and Quantitative Analysis and Synthetic Laboratory	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Students may only choose one of CHEM2131 or CHEM2331.

CHEM2321, CHEM2293, or CHEM2242 should only be taken after discussion with the programme team or your personal tutor.

All students taking the Physical Chemistry pathway will be required to study the following modules: CHEM2492 and CHEM2331

Students taking the Physical Chemistry pathway and taking more than 40 credits of Chemistry may also choose up to 20 credits from the remaining modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
CHEM2112	Chemistry of Materials: what they are and how we know	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
CHEM2192	Molecular Signatures: Spectroscopy and Chromatography	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
CHEM2212	Organometallics: from bonding to catalysis	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
CHEM2242	Introduction to Drug Design	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
CHEM2321	Organic Chemistry: Structure, Reactions and the Science of Life	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
CHEM2331	Molecules, Energy, Quanta and Change	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
CHEM2492	Chemical Specialisms, Physical and Measurement Laboratory	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

CHEM2321 or CHEM2242 should only be taken after discussion with the programme team or your personal tutor.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

All students taking Environmental Science will be required to study the following module: SOEE2800

Students taking Environmental Science will also be required to study at least 20 credits from the remaining modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
SOEE2092	Meteorology	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
SOEE2110	Introductory Oceanography	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
SOEE2160	Climate Change: Science and Impacts	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
SOEE2205	Contaminated Environments	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
SOEE2210	Atmosphere and Ocean Dynamics	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
SOEE2481	Atmospheric Pollution from Local to Global Scales	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
SOEE2650	GIS for Geoscientists	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
SOEE2690	Managing Biodiversity	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
SOEE2800	Environmental Measurements	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION

Students taking Food Science and Nutrition will be required to take one of three pathways: Food Science, Nutrition, or a combination of Food Science and Nutrition

All students taking the Food Science pathway will be required to study the following modules: FOOD2193 and FOOD2033

Students taking the Food Science pathway will also be required to study at least 10 credits from the remaining modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
FOOD2033	Advanced Food Biochemistry	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
FOOD2041	Advanced Food Safety and Quality Assurance	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
FOOD2047	Food Processing	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
FOOD2141	Food Analysis	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
FOOD2152	Food Allergy and Food Intolerance	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
FOOD2193	Introduction to Food Product Development	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Students taking the Nutrition pathway will be required to study at least 40 credits from the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
FOOD2021	Human Biochemistry and Molecular Nutrition	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
FOOD2152	Food Allergy and Food Intolerance	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
FOOD2202	Nutrition Across the Lifespan	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
FOOD2216	Nutritional Epidemiology	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Students choosing FOOD2021 will not be allowed to study FOOD5141M at level 5M.
Students choosing FOOD2202 will not be allowed to study FOOD5516M at level 5M.
Students choosing FOOD2202 will not be allowed to study FOOD5516M at level 5M.

All students taking the Food Science and Nutrition pathway will be required to study the following modules: FOOD2193 and FOOD2033

Students taking the Food Science and Nutrition pathway will also be required to study at least 10 credits from the remaining modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
FOOD2033	Advanced Food Biochemistry	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
FOOD2041	Advanced Food Safety and Quality Assurance	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
FOOD2047	Food Processing	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
FOOD2141	Food Analysis	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
FOOD2152	Food Allergy and Food Intolerance	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
FOOD2193	Introduction to Food Product Development	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
FOOD2202	Nutrition Across the Lifespan	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Students choosing FOOD2047 will not be allowed to study FOOD5056M at level 5M.
Students choosing FOOD2202 will not be allowed to study FOOD5516M at level 5M.

MATHEMATICS

Students taking Mathematics in year two will be required to take one of three pathways: Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics, or a combination of Pure and Applied Mathematics.

All students taking the Applied Mathematics pathway will be required to study the following modules: MATH2350 and MATH2400

Students taking the Applied Mathematics pathway and taking more than 40 credits of Mathematics may also choose up to 20 credits from the remaining modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
MATH2350	Vector Calculus and Partial Differential Equations	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MATH2380	Calculus of Variations	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MATH2400	Mathematical Modelling	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MATH2440	Optimisation	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

All students taking the Pure Mathematics pathway will be required to study the following modules: MATH2120, MATH2130 and MATH2140

Students taking the Pure Mathematics pathway and taking more than 40 credits of Mathematics may also choose up to 20 credits from the remaining modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
MATH2120	Rings and Polynomials	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MATH2130	Further Linear Algebra and Discrete Mathematics	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MATH2140	Introduction to Logic	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MATH2380	Calculus of Variations	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MATH2440	Optimisation	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

All students taking the Pure and Applied Mathematics pathway will be required to study the following modules: MATH2130 and MATH2350

Students taking the Pure and Applied Mathematics pathway and taking more than 40 credits of Mathematics may also choose one of the remaining modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
MATH2130	Further Linear Algebra and Discrete Mathematics	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MATH2140	Introduction to Logic	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MATH2350	Vector Calculus and Partial Differential Equations	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MATH2400	Mathematical Modelling	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

PHYSICS

All students taking Physics will be required to study the following modules: PHAS2810 and PHAS2820

Students taking Physics may also choose the remaining module:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
PHAS2800	Quantum Physics (JH)	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
PHAS2810	Statistical Mechanics and Condensed Matter (JH)	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
PHAS2820	Experimental Physics (JH)	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Year 3

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

Compulsory Modules

Students will continue to study the two subjects they have chosen to focus on in their second year. Students should try and ensure where possible that they have an even split of credits between semesters. All students will be required to study the following compulsory module:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
NATS3360	Researching global grand challenges in the Natural Sciences	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Optional Modules

BIOCHEMISTRY

Students taking biochemistry are required to study at 40 or 60* credits from the following optional modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
BIOC3234	Advanced Topics in Biochemistry and Structural Biology	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BIOL3114	Advanced Topics in Molecular and Cellular Biology	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
BIOL3214	Advanced Topics in Molecular & Cellular Biology 2	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BIOL3221	Advanced Cancer Biology	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BIOL3397	Biotechnology Research Project	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

BSc only: Students studying 60 credits of biochemistry can include BIOL3397.

BIOLOGY

Students taking biology will be required to study 40 or *60 credits from the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
BLGY3021	Research Project	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
BLGY3111	Advanced Genetic Techniques and Applications	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
BLGY3133	Advanced Topics in Ecology	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
BLGY3135	Advanced Topics in Behaviour: from sex to death	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
BLGY3153	Advanced Topics in Human Genetics and Epigenetics	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
BLGY3222	Social Biology	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BLGY3225	Sustainable Innovations in Animal Science	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BLGY3245	Advanced Topics in Evolution	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BLGY3246	Evolution and Population Genetics	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BLGY3247	Advanced Topics in Conservation Science	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BLGY3300	Level 3 Field Course (South Africa)	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
BLGY3334	Advanced Topics in Plant Science and Food Security	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

*BSc only: Students studying 60 credits of biology can include BLGY3021.

CHEMISTRY

Students taking Chemistry will take at least 40 credits of Chemistry modules and will continue on one of three pathways: Organic and Biological Chemistry, Inorganic and Materials Chemistry, or Physical Chemistry.

Students taking the Organic and Biological Chemistry pathway will be required to study at least 40 credits from the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
CHEM3321	Extended Topics in Organic, Bioorganic and Interdisciplinary Chemistry	30	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
CHEM3411	Advanced Laboratory Work for Natural Science and Joint Honours	10	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
CHEM3412	Advanced Chemistry Laboratory Work for Natural Science and Joint Honours (extended)	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

*Students may only choose one of CHEM3411 or CHEM3412.

Students taking the Organic and Biological Chemistry pathway may also choose up to 20 credits from the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
CHEM3132	Classical and Quantum Pharmacology	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)	PFP
CHEM3242	Medicinal Chemistry in Drug Development	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
CHEM3312	Topics in Inorganic and Materials Chemistry	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
CHEM3330	Topics in Physical, Theoretical and Environmental Chemistry	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Students taking the Inorganic and Materials Chemistry pathway will be required to study at least 40 credits from the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
CHEM3132	Classical and Quantum Pharmacology	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
CHEM3311	Extended Topics in Inorganic and Materials Chemistry	30	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
CHEM3312	Topics in Inorganic and Materials Chemistry	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
CHEM3411	Advanced Laboratory Work for Natural Science and Joint Honours	10	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
CHEM3412	Advanced Chemistry Laboratory Work for Natural Science and Joint Honours (extended)	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

*Students may only choose one of CHEM3312 or CHEM3311.
**Students may only choose one of CHEM3411 or CHEM3412.

Students taking the Inorganic and Materials Chemistry pathway may also choose up to 20 credits from the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
CHEM3242	Medicinal Chemistry in Drug Development	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
CHEM3320	Topics in Organic, Bioorganic and Interdisciplinary Chemistry	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
CHEM3330	Topics in Physical, Theoretical and Environmental Chemistry	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Students taking the Physical Chemistry pathway will be required to study at least 40 credits from the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
CHEM3331	Extended Topics in Physical, Theoretical and Environmental Chemistry	30	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
CHEM3411	Advanced Laboratory Work for Natural Science and Joint Honours	10	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
CHEM3412	Advanced Chemistry Laboratory Work for Natural Science and Joint Honours (extended)	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

*Students may only choose one of CHEM3411 or CHEM3412.

Students taking the Physical Chemistry pathway may also choose up to 20 credits from the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
CHEM3242	Medicinal Chemistry in Drug Development	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
CHEM3312	Topics in Inorganic and Materials Chemistry	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
CHEM3320	Topics in Organic, Bioorganic and Interdisciplinary Chemistry	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Students taking Environmental Science will be required to study at least 40 credits from the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
SOEE3110	Earth System Science: Biogeochemical Cycles	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
SOEE3151	Dynamics of Weather Systems	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
SOEE3190	Earth Observations from Space	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
SOEE3250	Inverse Theory	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
SOEE3282	Groundwater	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
SOEE3410	Atmosphere and Ocean Climate Change Processes	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
SOEE3431	Atmospheric Pollution: Causes, Impact and Regulation	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
SOEE3515	Ice in the Earth System	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
SOEE3535	Atmospheric Physics	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
SOEE3610	Oceanography in the Earth System	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
SOEE3701	Modelling Extreme Weather Events	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
SOEE3760	Terrestrial Biosphere in the Earth System	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
SOEE3791	Observing weather and climate: advanced field skills	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

*Students will be required to study SOEE3791 or SOEE5096M at Level 5M.

Students choosing SOEE3110 will not be allowed to study SOEE5232M at Level 5.

Students choosing SOEE3515 will not be allowed to study SOEE5515M at Level 5.

Students choosing SOEE3791 will not be allowed to study SOEE5096M at Level 5.

FOOD SCIENCE & NUTRITION

Students taking Food Science and Nutrition will take at least 40 credits of Food Science and Nutrition modules and will continue on one of three pathways: Food Science, Nutrition, or a combination of Food Science and Nutrition.

Students taking the Food Science pathway will be required to study at least 40 credits from the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
FOOD3012	Computational Modelling of Food Processing	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
FOOD3042	How Ingredients Interact in Foods	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
FOOD3101	Food Biotechnology	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
FOOD3133	Food Science and Nutrition: Recent Revelations	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
FOOD3331	Functional Foods	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
FOOD3372	New Product Development: Interdisciplinary Team Project	30	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Students taking the Nutrition pathway will be required to study at least 40 credits from the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
FOOD3071	Diet and Cardiovascular Health	10	Not running in 202627
FOOD3075	Nutrition and Health	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
FOOD3331	Functional Foods	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
FOOD3341	Food and Cancer	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
FOOD3382	Nutrition Policy and Public Health	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Students taking the Food Science and Nutrition pathway will be required to study at least 40 credits from the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
FOOD3042	How Ingredients Interact in Foods	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
FOOD3101	Food Biotechnology	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
FOOD3133	Food Science and Nutrition: Recent Revelations	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
FOOD3331	Functional Foods	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
FOOD3372	New Product Development: Interdisciplinary Team Project	30	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

MATHEMATICS

Candidates taking Mathematics will take at least 40 credits of Mathematics and will continue on one of three pathways: Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics, or a combination of Pure and Applied Mathematics.

Students taking the Applied Mathematics pathway will be required to study the following module:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
MATH3300	Methods of Applied Mathematics	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Students taking the Applied Mathematics pathway may choose one of the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
MATH3400	Fluid Dynamics	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MATH3410	Nonlinear Dynamical Systems and Chaos	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MATH3425	Mathematical Biology	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MATH3430	Entropy and Quantum Mechanics	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Students taking the Pure Mathematics pathway will be required to study the following module:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
MATH3125	Groups and Symmetry	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Students taking the Pure Mathematics pathway may also choose one of the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
MATH3115	Graph Theory and Combinatorics	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MATH3150	Numbers and Codes	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MATH3165	Proof and Computation	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Students taking the Pure and Applied Mathematics pathway may choose one of the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
MATH3125	Groups and Symmetry	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MATH3300	Methods of Applied Mathematics	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Students taking the Pure and Applied Mathematics pathway may also choose one of the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
MATH3125	Groups and Symmetry	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MATH3150	Numbers and Codes	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MATH3165	Proof and Computation	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MATH3400	Fluid Dynamics	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MATH3410	Nonlinear Dynamical Systems and Chaos	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MATH3425	Mathematical Biology	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MATH3430	Entropy and Quantum Mechanics	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

PHYSICS

Students taking Physics will be required to study at least 40 credits of Physics modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
PHAS3100	Star and Planet Formation	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
PHAS3200	Advanced Optics with Photonics	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
PHAS3300	Quantum Matter	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
PHAS3310	Magnetism and Ferroic Materials	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
PHAS3400	Advanced Quantum Physics	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
PHAS3410	Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
PHAS3420	Advanced Mechanics	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
PHAS3500	The Physics of the Molecules of Life	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
PHAS3510	Molecular Simulation with Machine Learning: Theory and Practice	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Discovery Modules

All students can study up to 20 credits of discovery modules. You may use some of these credits in the two main subjects from the previous option blocks.

Students may use their Discovery module credits to take the following programming module (if they have not already taken NATS2100 or NATS2360):

CHEM3212, Big Data, Big Science, 10 credits, Semester 1

Students not taking Physics as one of their two main subjects can apply to take the following module as part of their Discovery credits:

PHYS3610 Group Innovation Project, 20 credits, Semester 1&2

Students may wish to consider discovery modules offered in History and Philosophy of Science:

HPSC3200 Science Communication: History & Theory, 20 credits, Semester 1 - suitable for any pathway combinations

HPSC3315 History of the Body, 20 credits, Semester 2 - most suitable for students taking biology/biochemistry/food and nutrition

HPSC3450 Mind, Brain & Society, 20 credits, Semester 2 - most suitable for students taking biology/biochemistry

PHIL3851 Introduction to Philosophy of Modern Physics, 10 credits, Semester 1 [Pre-requisites: EITHER: 20 credits of level 2 Physics (or equivalent) OR: A level Physics (or equivalent) together with 20 credits in level 2 HPS OR level 2 Logic & Language OR Theoretical Core Philosophy modules. Students who don't have A-level physics (or equivalent) may be allowed to enrol after discussion with the module leader.] - most suitable for students taking physics/mathematics

Year 4

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
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Last updated: 19/05/2026 12:17:25

Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team