New Course at Monash- Science Advanced (Global Challenges)

[A+study]

I'm trying to finalised my preferences and am unsure whether or not to put Science Advanced (Global Challenges) as my first choice. Since it's a new course, I don't know whether it would be a good or bad thing to be the first cohort. While it sounds like an amazing course, would it be too risky to be the first group undertaking the course? I know the uni has planned out first year, but the rest seems to be up in the air. I do have viable alternative courses but this one does sound interesting.... Any thoughts?

[alchemy]

What is the difference between this and 'Science Advanced (Research)' ?
I too am keen to know as I was looking into these recently.

[A+study]

What is the difference between this and 'Science Advanced (Research)' ?
I too am keen to know as I was looking into these recently.

Science advanced (research) is basically a science degree with guaranteed honours.
Science advanced (global challenges) focuses on worldwide issues such as poverty, global warming etc. it also has workshops on leadership and persuasive communication etc.
The latter sounds so empowering but I don't know whether to pick it, seeing as it's a brand new course!

[alchemy]

Hmm, I've also heard Science Advanced (Research) students study slightly different units.
I don't see any reason against 'global challenges' as tackling worldwide issues just seems like added benefits.

[A+study]

I guess because it's a new course there's a risk that it might not run smoothly.

[A+study]

Anyone else applied for this or know anything about it?

[nerdgasm]

Hello to both of you!

As it so happens, I know a little (but only a little) about what is going on with these new 'Science Advanced' courses. Up until the end of last year, there were two 'advanced' courses for science students. These were named the "Science Scholar Program" and "Science Advanced with Honours". However, the university decided to make some changes for 2014. The Science Scholar Program does not exist any more. The Science Advanced with Honours degree is still there, it's just that it has been renamed into Science Advanced (Research). Meanwhile, the Science Advanced (Global Challenges) degree has been created, which appears to be a degree focusing on developing business leadership skills, as well as science skills.

Hmm, I've also heard Science Advanced (Research) students study slightly different units.
I don't see any reason against 'global challenges' as tackling worldwide issues just seems like added benefits.

Indeed, Science Advanced (Research) students study SCI2015 instead of SCI2010 (basically, it's a unit which teaches you how to write literature reviews and scientific reports, amongst general learning about how scientific work is carried out in the 'real world' (so how you actually "become" a scientist, how one actually submits applications for grants and so forth). A brief summary can be found here.

As far as I understand it, Science Advanced (Research) students also have to do one or more "research units" throughout the course of their degree, which is where you spend the semester performing some research under the guidance of a supervising academic.

Honestly, we (the current group of students) are trying to make sense of these changes as well; it looks like some things are still being put together, but hopefully things shall become a bit clearer during the orientation process, for anyone who wishes to do either of these courses.

[A+study]

Thanks! Do you have confidence that the Monash science department will create some effective new courses?

[HossRyams]

Wait I'm a little confused - are they still taking interviews? My friend already did hers (the day after results day). But then again I guess they have to consider people rearranging their course preferences until the 23rd. Okay now I've realised my contribution is useless

Good luck LOL! (Although if you want, my friend is probably willing to tell you about it since she applied and is 127846239842305% keen about it)

[nerdgasm]

Thanks! Do you have confidence that the Monash science department will create some effective new courses?

Honestly, I don't know. The thing about the old advanced science courses was that they weren't actually too different (in a structural sense) to the normal Bachelor of Science. It looks like the Global Challenges course will actually have some new units created for it, so I'm not sure how that will turn out.

[m.Chemia]

Interesting stuff.
The old Bachelor of Science (Science Scholar Program) and Bachelor of Science Advanced with Honours students have the "privilege" such that we don't have to do CI2010, which is compulsory for normal  Bachelor Science students. But the new Bachelor of Science Advanced (Research) requires SCI2015.

But back to Bachelor of Science Advanced (Global Challenges), as you can see here, http://monash.edu/pubs/handbooks/courses/3550.html,
apart from the normal science units, you are required to do two commerce units (Why...) and seven SCI units (What the f...) A lot of science students I know hate it when they have to do the one compulsory unit SCI2010, and now you have to do seven of those. The degree may sound cool, but I don't think this is the right course for the ones who truly enjoy science.