Undergraduate Courses 2017-18

This is a one-year course designed for year 1 science students. It provides induction activities to help students adapt to university life, and to understand the program structure of the school and the meaning of university education. Led by faculties, staffs, and peers, students will learn and practice skills such as teamwork, communication, time management, and goal setting. Graded P or F.

For Science students only. This course aims to provide complementary educational experience to students outside normal academic curriculum through engagements in internship or outside-classroom project activities related to his/her own discipline. Students enrolled would work under the supervision of a faculty member and are required to submit a report by the end of the semester, in addition to other criteria set by his/her supervisor. Course coordinator's approval is required for taking the course. 1 credit is normally assigned for 40 hours of work. Graded P or F. Maybe graded PP.

Selected topics in Science. May be repeated for credit, if different topics taken. May be graded by letter or DI/PA/F for different offerings.

This course introduces students to basic scientific principles behind cooking and cuisine preparations. Various topics with strong basis of biology, chemistry and physics application related to food development will be covered. Issues like coupling of senses to improve sense stimulation, altering flavor by chemical means, and modification of the coloration to improve the appearance of dish will be discussed in class. Through in class demonstration of the scientific principles underlying cooking practices, students are expected to recognize the key ingredients and their combination for preparing good healthy food. They will be able to 1) develop an appreciation and understanding of the scientific basis in various cuisine recipes; 2) develop their own recipe by integrating some of the principles into new dishes; as well as 3) recognize the influence of material world on human perception of different senses, and thus be able to continuously take on cooking and dining as an art of integrating sciences. Instructor’s approval is required for enrollment in the course. May be graded PP.

For Science students only. Under the supervision of a faculty member, students are given an opportunity to apply scientific knowledge and experimental skills, through developing 6 to 12 hours Science courses/ workshops/activities for primary/secondary school students, and drafting the operation procedures. They would also be able to polish their skills in aspects like resource and manpower management, team building, etc. Course instructor's approval is required for taking the course. Maybe graded PP.

The course is offered in a form of a community project at a designated non-governmental organization (NGO) under the supervision of the School. Students are required to attend all the training sessions, design and implement the service project / participate in the service learning tasks as instructed by the host NGO and/or the course instructors. By the end of the course, students have to submit a reflective statement in the format of a paper, a group project report or a presentation to demonstrate the attainment of all intended learning outcomes, in addition to other requirements of the relevant NGO as appropriate. Approval from the course coordinator is needed prior to enrolling in the course. Graded PP, P or F. Students may repeat the course for credits if different topics are taken.

For Science students only. Co-offered by the School of Science and the Career Center (Student Affairs Office), this course helps students in exploring careers within the arena of Science and beyond. To achieve this, it guides students to have basic understanding of the career planning process, the current job market and employers' expectation in different fields. This course also equips students with practical job application skills, such as the skills for resume writing, aptitude tests, interviews, group discussions, etc. Experiential learning opportunities and individual feedback will be provided to actively engage students in the learning process. Instructor's approval is required for enrollment in the course. Graded DI, PA or F.

The course is designed for students with no science background. Using historical great breakthroughs in science and mathematics as examples, the course intends to inspire students to appreciate scientific approaches and develop a genuine appreciation towards human curiosity in the understanding of the world and the power of ingenuity observation to overcome ignorance. The course is composed of 4 modules covering topics in mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology. Examples of topics include geometry, quantum physics, forensic chemistry and theory of evolution. In addition, the course develops students' sense of enquiry thinking and foundation of scientific methods through various active learning processes.

This course is intended for students with no science background. It helps students learn about life from chemical aspects and develop a sense of enquiry thinking in science. The course will lay the knowledge foundation by a brief introduction of chemistry of life from molecular level to human body and then ecological level, followed by selected topics on the subject with scientific focus, such as tests with DNA, cell signaling and metabolism; with health focus, such as nutrition, genetic engineering and diseases; and finally with the ecological focus such as the pollution and clean energy.

This course aims to provide students an overall scientific understanding of our world. This course will deal with fundamental questions, such as: Where does this universe come from? What is the origin of matter? What is the origin of life? What guides the human behavior? What shapes the development of the human society? What will be the future of this world? Students are expected to have Science background. Graded DI/PA/F.

Studies under the directed guidance of a faculty member on a life science / chemistry / environmental science / mathematics / physics topic which serves as the first step in exploring and being exposed to knowledge of different disciplines and fields to build a foundation of interdisciplinary knowledge. An individual general written report and/or presentations of exploratory nature on self-discovery of future directions of research and/or various disciplines by young scientists are required. For IRE students only. Non-IRE students may enroll in the course upon instructor's approval only.

Using developments in human being's concepts on space, time and motion as examples, this course intends to inspire students to appreciate how abstract scientific/ mathematical concepts are essential to our understanding of space-time and how the abstract formulation has deepened our understanding in the nature of space-time itself. The course starts by introducing the mathematical tools of geometry, followed by Newton's concept of space-time and Laws of motions. The role of (space-time) symmetry is then used to understand the origin of conservation laws in mechanical motion and the discovery of the Law of gravity. The necessity to relax the idea of rigid space-time is then introduced through the discovery of electromagnetic wave and the course will discuss how this and the principle of symmetry have led to Einstein's discovery of special relativity. The course ends with an introduction to Einstein's general relativity and Riemannian geometry.

Studies under the directed supervision of a faculty member on a life science / chemistry / environmental science / mathematics / physics topic which serves as the first step in equipping the students with hands-on experience in supervised independent study. An individual written report and/or presentations on a chosen topic are required. For IRE students only. Non-IRE students may enroll in the course upon instructor's approval only.

This course introduces science students to the career prospects in the education sector and sharpens their skills in science teaching under regular school environments. Course activities include regular instructions, case studies on thorny scenarios that may occur in schools, guest seminars and sharing sessions by in-service teachers, job shadowing at secondary schools, and organization of school student visits at UST. For Science students in their third or fourth year of study with instructor’s approval only. Graded DI, PA or F.

This course presents a unique opportunity for students to experience the process of preparing learning activities in contrast to being taught. The experiential program will provide a preview to potential students who wish to pursue a teaching career. Students will develop teaching tools for secondary school students under the guidance of instructors. They will participate in organizing a science camp in which they will deliver their teaching tools through innovative learning activities such as analyzing movie clips using the knowledge of science. The experiential course also serves to strengthen students' concepts in science, and improves their organization and presentation skills which are important in future success. Instructor's consent is required for enrollment.

This course is a one-term research project course specially designed for students in the IRE track. Together with SCIE 4500, these two courses comprise of two terms of research experience on a non-textbook specialized topic under the supervision of a faculty member, aiming to equip students with hands-on laboratory experience or independent studies and doing research reports. The course also aims at training students’ research communication and collaboration skills through discussion on their research topics and presentation of findings to peers and faculty members in different disciplines / areas of research. For IRE students only. Non-IRE students may enroll in the course upon instructor's approval only.

Research project under the direct supervision of a local faculty member and a co-supervising foreign faculty member in a foreign institution/national laboratory, which aims to guide students to explore advanced cutting-edge research opportunities with international visions and hands-on experience. Assessments comprise an individual written report and a presentation on a chosen topic. For IRE students only. Non-IRE students may enroll in the course upon instructor's approval only. Graded DI, PA or F.

This course is a one-term research project course specially designed for students in the IRE track. Together with SCIE 3500, these two courses comprise of two terms of research experience on a non-textbook specialized topic under the supervision of a faculty member, aiming to equip students with hands-on laboratory experience or independent studies and doing research reports. The course also aims at training students’ research communication and collaboration skills through discussion on their research topics and presentation of findings to peers and faculty members in different disciplines / areas of research. For IRE students only. Non-IRE students may enroll in the course upon instructor's approval only.

The proposed course is the first one of the two courses in a tri-modal practicum program "Young Entrepreneurial Syndicate in Applied Sciences". The course will introduce the ideas of science and technology innovations and how to put it in practice to become a workable entrepreneurship idea. Students will be inspired by various project ideas. Sharing and discussion sessions will be conducted on essential elements when starting up a company, such as strategic planning, time management, innovation marketing, resource exploration, etc. This course is to prepare the students to enroll in the subsequent project course (SCIE 4860 Young Entrepreneurship Syndicate in Applied Sciences Project) which students will form teams to put the project ideas in practice. Instructor's approval is required for enrollment in the course. Graded P or F.

In this course, students will team up to work on entrepreneurial projects under the guidance of faculty and/or mentors from industry. Each team will be assessed based on their engagement and preparation of a business proposal, which includes background and market research, product design and / or technology development, financing and operation plans. Outstanding teams may be supported to join various entrepreneurship competitions. Instructor's approval is required for enrollment in the course.