Recommended Study Sequence

Students studying at Campbelltown campus should refer to 300543 - Cell Biology. The cell is the basic unit of life and some basic processes, such as membrane function and the reactions involving DNA, occur in cells of all living organisms. This unit introduces the important biological chemicals involved in those processes and the study of the processes themselves. The unit also examines phenomena such as cell replication, sex cell formation, inheritance, and cell metabolism that are shared by all eukaryotes (animals, protistans, fungi and plants). The biochemical capture of the sun's energy (photosynthesis) is also studied. The evolutionary links between these cellular processes form a framework for the unit, and students consider the origin of life and their own evolution. In addition, students are introduced to the immense potential of recombinant DNA technology.

This unit provides a broad introduction to the fundamental principles common to all branches of chemistry. The unit is intended to serve the needs not only of chemistry majors, but also those intending to specialise in other related disciplines. The unit focuses on scientific notation, nomenclature, chemical equations, stoichiometry, the mole concept, atomic structure, periodicity, electronic configuration, structure and bonding, states of matter, intermolecular forces, properties of solutions, chemical thermodynamics, chemical equilibria, and electrochemistry.

Documenting perishable and non-perishable forensic evidence is an important function in forensic science. This unit introduces the student to the practice of digital photography for forensic laboratory and crime scene applications. Digital Forensic Photography 1 exclusively uses digital photography technology due to the recent wide spread application of this technology in industry. Students will gain theoretical understanding of the technology and practical application through established workshops.

Students studying at Campbelltown campus should refer to 300539 - Biodiversity. This unit examines the diversity of living organisms, how these organisms are classified, and how evolutionary processes resulted in such diversity. The unit also addresses the role of cells, tissues and organs in the structure and function of living whole organisms, how these organisms acquire and assimilate the resources necessary for growth, and how they excrete waste, maintain function and coordinate growth and reproduction. The role of ecosystems in maintaining life is also studied. Students conduct basic investigations using techniques such as microscopy, sectioning, staining and dissection.

This unit is designed to continue the development of students' understanding of the basic principles of chemistry, with an emphasis on the chemistry of carbon compounds. The unit focuses on introductory chemical dynamics, together with an in-depth treatment of the structure, nomenclature and reactivity of the principal organic functional groups. The unit provides a necessary foundation for subsequent related studies in chemistry, biochemistry, food chemistry, nutrition science, toxicology, environmental science, and related biological sciences and technologies.

This unit aims to give students a basic understanding of scientific methodology as it applies to the collection, analysis and interpretation of forensic evidence. Students are introduced to a range of analytical methods that are used with various types of forensic evidence, and these are discussed in relation to case studies. The role of human factors is discussed, together with the importance of critically evaluating forensic evidence and the means by which it was obtained.

This unit introduces students to various statistical techniques necessary in scientific endeavours. Presentation of the content will emphasize the correct principles and procedures for collecting and analysing scientific data, using a ‘hands-on’ approach. Topics include effective methods of gathering data, statistical principles of designing experiments, error analysis, describing different sets of data, probability distributions, statistical inference, non-parametric methods, and simple linear regression and correlation.

This unit develops understanding of the structure, function and synthesis of proteins, principles of enzyme function and regulation, and the structures and roles of nucleic acids, chromosomes and genes. Topics include the characteristic features of the four levels of protein structure and their significance for protein function; protein denaturation; enzyme function, kinetics and inhibition, allosteric enzymes, and mechanisms of enzyme regulation; structure of DNA, RNA, chromosomes, genes; the molecular events in transcription and translation in bacteria and eukaryotes, and protein modification and targeting. Complex carbohydrate biochemistry and protein glycosylation is also included.

This unit extends the student's knowledge and understanding of analytical instrumentation that is relevant to forensic investigations and analysis in the environmental and food sciences. It will provide an understanding of the chemical and physical principles underlying the utilisation of instrumentation in chemical analysis. Topics include principles of spectroscopic techniques separation methods; sample collection and storage; presumptive testing; an extended range of modern chemical instrumentation including gas and liquid chromatography; atomic spectroscopy; mass spectroscopy; x-ray methods and spectroscopic methods.

This unit provides the social context for the detailed study of criminological theories in Crime and Criminology. The definition of particular social problems as crimes, how crime is measured and explained and who are identified as criminals or victims is not straightforward. This unit challenges conventional criminology that accepts at face value that crime can be defined by criminal law or by a conceptual analysis of the harm done. The unit examines how police, courts and corrections influence processes of criminalisation and victimisation and the societal context in which this occurs.

The unit introduces students to the major theoretical approaches within criminology, from the eighteenth century criminology of the Enlightenment through nineteenth century criminological positivism to contemporary forms of critical criminological theory. It does this through a careful study of the work of particular thinkers associated with these traditions and the international body of scholarship in the field of criminology. Students will explore a range of issues and apply criminological theory and research in an integrated way while developing their skills at working in groups.

Most forensic evidence used in the prosecution of criminal cases is initially established at the crime scene and the reliance of practitioners to recognise, recovery, preserve and record this evidence forms a critical function within forensic science and criminal investigation. This unit introduces the learner to a range of crime scene practices that provides the learning with the knowledge and skill to unpack a complex scene with voluminous detail, into a more specifically targeted range of forensic evidence items. This unit will explore aspects of crime scene investigation including; crime scene processes, recognition of evidence, documentation of crime scenes, evidence detection and enhancement at the scene, maintaining evidence integrity, footwear impression evidence, fingerprinting, blood spatter analysis, toolmarks, hairs and fibres and others. It further introduces professional practices associated with maintaining the evidence integrity and continuity.

‘Physical Evidence’ is tangible evidence left at crime scenes and/or found on suspects, which is in some way related to a criminal incident and links or eliminates suspects to these activities. Examples of physical evidence include; glass fragments, hairs and fibres, paint chips, fingerprints, footwear impressions (footprints), biological material (blood, semen etc), narcotics, toolmarks, tape comparison, explosive residue, GSR (gun shot residue) and others. This unit explores the processes required for the analysis of physical evidence and combines analytical and physical comparative examination methodologies. Students will use these methods to examine; the chemical composition of trace evidence and identify unique physico-chemical markers, the detection of chemical residues and biological material, physical comparison of suspect and exemplar items such as footwear impressions and toolmarks left at the crime scene, and the comparison of paint chips, glass fragments, hairs and fibres. Students will explore these methodologies using practical case studies and will be required to present their evidence/findings at the completion of the unit.

Digital Forensic Photography 2 explores the application of digital forensic photography to preserve and enhance forensic evidence. The unit’s focus is mostly on optical and digital enhancement techniques that provide essential and non-destructive methods of enhancing physical evidence. Forensic photography is a critical area within the forensic sciences and an important skill for forensic practitioners. It further provides the learner with the necessary theoretical concepts of photographic science that underpins the conceptual aspects of evidence enhancement. Topics include; optical enhancement of evidence, digital enhancement of evidence, the detection of photographic forgeries, invisible radiation photography, polarising photomicroscopy, photomacrography, photomicroscopy, polarisation photography, photographic science and others.

This unit provides students with a basic understanding of soil formation and erosion processes, soil physical, chemical and biological properties, and the diversity and classification of soils in the Australian landscape. These basic principles are explored in relation to the sustainable management of soils for horticultural and agricultural production and for environmental management under other land uses. The practical sessions are designed to reinforce the lecture material and include field description and analysis of soil profiles and properties, soil sampling principles and practice, laboratory measurement of soil physical and chemical properties essential/important for plant growth, and an introduction to soil biology.

Students studying at Campbelltown campus should refer to 300549 - Human Molecular Biology. This unit studies gene regulation at an advanced level, leading into the processes and practical applications of DNA technology. Students gain a thorough grounding in major techniques such as restriction mapping, DNA sequencing, PCR, DNA fingerprinting, southern blotting and gene cloning. Cloning vectors, DNA libraries, genetic engineering in different types of cells and organisms and functional genomics are studied. Students are introduced to bioinformatics and issues in biosafety and ethics relating to gene technology.

This unit extends the student's knowledge and understanding of chemical topics that are relevant to forensic investigations and provides a deeper understanding of the underlying chemical and physical principles. Topics are taught in the context of the correct principles and procedures for collecting and conserving evidence and the safe handling of chemical substances. Topics include an extended range of modern chemical instrumentation; the chemistry and analysis of various classes of drugs; clandestine drug laboratories; fire, arson and accelerants; explosions and explosives; chemical and biological warfare agents.

This unit provides an understanding of the processes of locating, recovering and undertaking scientific examination of material remains as part of a forensic investigation. The unit will place particular emphasis on the decay processes affecting such material recovered from buried environments and the importance of scientific excavation and recovery in any investigative study undertaken on the material. Students will investigate a number of case studies of the successful use of forensic archaeology, as well as learning the dangers that can befall an investigation that does not take sufficient account of diagenetic changes affecting material remains once buried.

This unit aims to build plant protection skills for students wishing to learn a detailed understanding of arthropods causing plant damage, their characteristics, physiology and behaviour, ecology and taxonomy.

This is an advanced and integrating unit for students who have a strong background in the collection and analysis of forensic evidence. Students are required to use their skills and knowledge in the context of a range of forensic cases, which may raise contemporary issues such as terrorism, corporate crime, computer crime, money laundering and people smuggling. As well as gaining a deeper understanding of the complex social, legal, national and international contexts in which forensic evidence is evaluated, students will gain experience of managing a variety of types of evidence within a number of case studies, including the preparation and presentation of expert witness reports and consideration of the ethical issues related to the role of an expert witness.

This unit will be replaced by 300627 - Toxicology from 2010. Toxicology is the study of toxicants or poisonous substances; their nature, effects on the human body, on populations and on ecosystems. Toxicology is important in both workplace and external environmental risk assessment and management. This unit introduces basic concepts and explores groups of toxicants in terms of properties, sources and uses of specific member substances, associated toxicity and hazard, potential for exposure and nature of disease or impact. Relevant aspects of risk assessment are introduced. Assessment is by extended portfolio and a toxicological inventory in the student's own field of interest.

Toxicology is the study of toxicants or poisonous substances: their nature, effects on the human body, and on human, animal and plant populations. Poisonous substances have been used by humans from antiquity for both beneficial and malevolent purposes and today a vast array of toxic industrial chemicals are produced. Both accidental (workplace and environmental) and intentional (forensic) exposure are covered, in terms of group properties, toxicity, exposure potential, health impact and intervention. Forensic case studies are also addressed. Students ultimately carry out a toxicological audit of an operation or premises of their choice, meeting a range of disciplinary interests and needs.