Natural Sciences (Durham)
Encyclopedia
Natural Sciences is one of the most popular degree programmes offered by the University of Durham
offering either BSc
(3 years) or MSci (4 year undergraduate) Natural Sciences degrees or a 'named route'/joint honours
degree.
The Natural Sciences programme is operated as a full-time undergraduate degree programme at the main campus in Durham
, open to all undergraduate students of Durham's colleges. The structure of the Natural Sciences programme encourages flexibility, academic achievement and depth of study, reflected in its typical UCAS
admission offer of A*AA at A-level.
NatSci students are free to choose modules from any subjects in the NatSci programme, subject to timetable constraints and satisfying any module pre-requisites. However, the choice of modules can often determine the type of degree with which the student will graduate, both in terms of exact title and marks achieved, whilst additionally placing constraints on module choice in future academic years.
Subject to the above constraints, all NatSci students may take any modules within the NatSci programme, regardless of A-levels held etc without having to decide or state a preference on the UCAS
form. For example, a student applying to read Natural Sciences need not specify the subjects he or she intends studying. One exception to this is Chemistry
where, due to lab-space limitations, all NatSci students intending to take Chemistry
modules are required to state in advance on their UCAS
form.
for a 3 year degree or MSci for a four year degree.
degree in the sciences at Durham University
take the named route in Natural Sciences whereby their degree is administered by the Natural Sciences programme (through the sub-dean of science) but the student will graduate with a subject-named joint honours
degree, for example BSc
Mathematics
& Physics
. A student in the example course would obtain a degree titled BSc Honours within the Natural Sciences programme in Mathematics and Physics.
Students are free to study more than two subjects in their first year, or to concentrate solely on their two chosen subjects in their first year. However, in subsequent years, joint honours students will study modules only from their chosen two subjects.
This means that if a student's average from the six modules in each academic year on a 3-year degree were 60%, 65% and 67%, the student would get an overall mark of 66%, leading to the award of a BSc
(Hons.
) 2:1 (upper second) degree. This is calculated by taking the marks from the second and third years in the ratio 2:3 (0.4×65 + 0.6×67).
is considerably easier than Mathematics
or Physics
), because students often study a range of subjects all at degree level, in effect they must demonstrate the ability to perform to the highest standards across a range of academic disciplines.
With this in mind, a typical offer for entry to the NatSci programme at Durham is A*AA (all at A-level, excluding General Studies), with many students achieving considerably higher than this (2010 Natural Sciences undergraduate entrants had an average of 568.3 UCAS Tariff score). Whilst no specific subjects are required, admissions tutors will generally look for an indication of all-round science ability, and A-levels in Mathematics
and the Sciences (Physics
, Chemistry
, Biology
) are popular as well as related fields, such as Economics
and Computing
.
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
offering either BSc
BSC
BSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...
(3 years) or MSci (4 year undergraduate) Natural Sciences degrees or a 'named route'/joint honours
Joint Honours
Joint Honours is a specific type of degree offered generally at the Honours Bachelor's degree level by certain universities in Ireland, the UK, Canada, Malta, and Australia...
degree.
The Natural Sciences programme is operated as a full-time undergraduate degree programme at the main campus in Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
, open to all undergraduate students of Durham's colleges. The structure of the Natural Sciences programme encourages flexibility, academic achievement and depth of study, reflected in its typical UCAS
UCAS
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service is the British admission service for students applying to university and college. UCAS is primarily funded by students who pay a fee when they apply and a capitation fee from universities for each student they accept..-Location:UCAS is based near...
admission offer of A*AA at A-level.
Modules
All undergraduate degree programmes at Durham follow a modular structure whereby differing subjects are split into a number of smaller units, each unit containing material of a similar nature. Students normally take 6 modules per academic year.NatSci students are free to choose modules from any subjects in the NatSci programme, subject to timetable constraints and satisfying any module pre-requisites. However, the choice of modules can often determine the type of degree with which the student will graduate, both in terms of exact title and marks achieved, whilst additionally placing constraints on module choice in future academic years.
Subject to the above constraints, all NatSci students may take any modules within the NatSci programme, regardless of A-levels held etc without having to decide or state a preference on the UCAS
UCAS
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service is the British admission service for students applying to university and college. UCAS is primarily funded by students who pay a fee when they apply and a capitation fee from universities for each student they accept..-Location:UCAS is based near...
form. For example, a student applying to read Natural Sciences need not specify the subjects he or she intends studying. One exception to this is Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
where, due to lab-space limitations, all NatSci students intending to take Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
modules are required to state in advance on their UCAS
UCAS
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service is the British admission service for students applying to university and college. UCAS is primarily funded by students who pay a fee when they apply and a capitation fee from universities for each student they accept..-Location:UCAS is based near...
form.
Natural Sciences degrees
It is commonplace for students to study modules from more than two subjects in their first year. Where students opt to continue to study modules from more than two subjects for the remainder of their academic years, students will graduate with a degree titled 'Natural Sciences', either a BScBSC
BSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...
for a 3 year degree or MSci for a four year degree.
Named route/Joint Honours degrees
Students wishing to study for a joint honoursJoint Honours
Joint Honours is a specific type of degree offered generally at the Honours Bachelor's degree level by certain universities in Ireland, the UK, Canada, Malta, and Australia...
degree in the sciences at Durham University
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
take the named route in Natural Sciences whereby their degree is administered by the Natural Sciences programme (through the sub-dean of science) but the student will graduate with a subject-named joint honours
Joint Honours
Joint Honours is a specific type of degree offered generally at the Honours Bachelor's degree level by certain universities in Ireland, the UK, Canada, Malta, and Australia...
degree, for example BSc
BSC
BSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...
Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
& Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
. A student in the example course would obtain a degree titled BSc Honours within the Natural Sciences programme in Mathematics and Physics.
Students are free to study more than two subjects in their first year, or to concentrate solely on their two chosen subjects in their first year. However, in subsequent years, joint honours students will study modules only from their chosen two subjects.
Grading
Students' marks are composed of the average marks achieved in all modules in their non-fresher years (i.e. the first year marks do not count toward the overall degree grading.) However, students are required to achieve a pass (i.e. above 40%) in all modules they undertake. Grading is also scaled to place greater emphasis on modules taken from the higher academic years. For a 3-year degree the scaling is 2:3 and for a 4-year degree the scaling is 2:3:4.This means that if a student's average from the six modules in each academic year on a 3-year degree were 60%, 65% and 67%, the student would get an overall mark of 66%, leading to the award of a BSc
BSC
BSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...
(Hons.
Honors student
An honors student is a person recognized for achieving high grades or high marks in their course work.Honors students may refer to# Students recognized for their academic achievement on lists published periodically throughout the school year, known as honor rolls, varying from school to school, and...
) 2:1 (upper second) degree. This is calculated by taking the marks from the second and third years in the ratio 2:3 (0.4×65 + 0.6×67).
Prior study
Natural Sciences is a demanding degree, whether opting for the pure NatSci degree or a joint honours route. Whilst some subjects within the NatSci programme may be considered easier than others (eg some would assert that PsychologyPsychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
is considerably easier than Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
or Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
), because students often study a range of subjects all at degree level, in effect they must demonstrate the ability to perform to the highest standards across a range of academic disciplines.
With this in mind, a typical offer for entry to the NatSci programme at Durham is A*AA (all at A-level, excluding General Studies), with many students achieving considerably higher than this (2010 Natural Sciences undergraduate entrants had an average of 568.3 UCAS Tariff score). Whilst no specific subjects are required, admissions tutors will generally look for an indication of all-round science ability, and A-levels in Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and the Sciences (Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
) are popular as well as related fields, such as Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and Computing
Computing
Computing is usually defined as the activity of using and improving computer hardware and software. It is the computer-specific part of information technology...
.
Subjects offered
- AnthropologyAnthropologyAnthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
- ArchaeologyArchaeologyArchaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
- AstronomyAstronomyAstronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
- BiologyBiologyBiology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
- BusinessBusinessA business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
- ChemistryChemistryChemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
- Computer ScienceComputer scienceComputer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
- Earth Sciences
- EconomicsEconomicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
- GeographyGeographyGeography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
- MathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
- PhilosophyPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
- PhysicsPhysicsPhysics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
- PsychologyPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
- StatisticsStatisticsStatistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
See also
- Natural Sciences (Cambridge)Natural Sciences (Cambridge)The Natural Sciences Tripos is one of the several courses which form the University of Cambridge system of undergraduate teaching...
- the Natural Sciences Tripos offered by the University of Cambridge
External links
- http://www.durham.ac.uk/natural.sciences - the Durham Natural Sciences website
- http://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/spa/statistics/undergraduate/2.6quals/062-6.pdf - Durham University 2006 Undergraduate Entrants' Qualifications