The Master of Contemporary Science (or Graduate Certificate) is aimed at practising science teachers in secondary schools and colleges, and others in the field of science education or policy. The objectives of the programs are to:

• refresh and increase your knowledge base in your own and allied discipline areas through online learning experiences designed to present state-of-the-art progress in the disciplines of science; and
• expose you to the rapid evolution of scientific discovery by providing you with the opportunity of becoming actively engaged, if only in a time-limited fashion, with cutting-edge research either within the College or other parts of the University.

Applicants wishing to commence study in semester 1 should apply online (http://students.anu.edu.au/apply_online.asp ) prior to 25 January in the year of commencement. The closing date for applicants wishing to commence study in semester 2 is 30 June. Direct applications after these dates will be considered.

Direct Application Forms

Application form for local students
Application form for international students

Admission criteria

Science-based Bachelor's degree with appropriate work experience in a relevant area, or equivalent. One year of full-time study or a maximum five years part-time study is required to complete the degree. First semester and mid-year entry is available. See also Enrolment Information.

Degree structure

The Master's program consists of 48 units of coursework, mostly available fully online, and includes a compulsory 12-unit Research Placement with a 1-2 week campus-based component. The remaining 36 units (6 elective courses) are chosen from the fully online coursework:

SCNC8020 12-unit Research Placement		MATH8020 Computational Science
ASTR8512 Astrophysics		PHYS8510 Lasers and Photonics
BIOL8020 Genomics and Biotechnology		PHYS8511 Optical Fibre Communications
BIOL8021 Health and Disease in a Changing World		PHYS8513 The Big Questions in Physics
BIOL8705 Challenges in Conservation Biology		PSYC8020 Visual Sensation and Perception
CHEM8023 Chemistry and the Pharmaceutical Industry		SCOM8020 Science Communication and Creative Teaching
CHEM8024 Environmental Chemistry		SCOM8021 Ethics, Issues and Consequences of Science
EMSC8015 Imaging Earth Structure		SRES8005 Greenhouse Science
MATH8001 Poetry of the Cosmos

With the permission of the program coordinator, one of the online courses may be replaced by one other appropriate postgraduate level course of equivalent scope and intensity currently being offered for on-campus delivery either within the College or by one of the associated Research Schools.

The Graduate Certificate of Contemporary Science comprises 24 units (four electives) and is fully online. It is possible to articulate with full credit from the Graduate Certificate into the Master's program. It is also possible to enrol in the Master's degree and exit early with a Graduate Certificate, after successful completion of four elective courses.

To maximise flexibility, coursework modules can be taken individually for a Certificate of Completion. The current modules are offered in either semester 1, 2 or both. The semester dates for 2008 are:

• Semester 1 (S1): 25 February - 6 June
• Semester 2 (S2): 21 July - 31 October

Fees

Some Commonwealth-supported places, through the HECS_HELP scheme, are available for Australian citizens and other eligible students* accepted into the Master of Contemporary Science or the Graduate Certificate program. The full-time full year contribution in 2008 for these supported domestic students is $7260, with each elective course fee reducing to $907 approximately (rounded down, cents dropped). If course fees are paid upfront at the start of each semester, the Commonwealth Government offers a discount or 20%. More information is available from http://www.anu.edu.au/sas/fees/tuition_fees_undergraduate/sas57-2008.pdf. Otherwise, the current full fee for domestic students is $16,800 for the complete Masters degree or $8,400 for the complete Graduate Certificate. (The 2008 fees for international students are $22,800 and $11,400 for the Masters and Graduate Certificate programs, respectively.)

*Holders of permanent humanitarian visas. New Zealand citizens and Australian permanent residents, other than those on humanitarian visas, are required to pay their full student contribution upfront each semester to the institution. The total fee will be as above (Aus$7260), pro-rated per course. Other conditions are outlined at http://www.anu.edu.au/sas/fees/.

Application Forms

Application form for local students
Application form for international students

Contact

E: science.enquiries@anu.edu.au
T: +61 2 6125 2809