The general aims of this programme are:

To provide education intended to give you competence in the Natural Sciences, and to encourage you to develop your intellectual capabilities within an institution that is committed to advancing world-leading, interdisciplinary research, scholarship and learning, and to disseminating knowledge.

More specifically, this programme aims:

• To provide you with knowledge and understanding of the natural sciences from the fundamentals to the frontiers of the subject.
• To provide you with the basic scientific, intellectual, and practical training that will prepare you for lifelong learning, and, if you wish, for a career in scientific research.
• To develop your analytical and problem-solving skills.
• To enable you to experience a supportive learning environment that fosters your academic and personal development.
• To produce graduate Natural Scientists who are well-prepared for more advanced professional work, and research, in interdisciplinary areas.

The programme is divided into units of study called modules which are assigned a number of 'credits'. The credit rating of a module is proportional to the total workload, with 1 credit being nominally equivalent to 10 hours of work.

The following tables describe the programme and constituent modules. Constituent modules may be updated, deleted or replaced as a consequence of the annual programme review of this programme.

Programme structure

In Stages 2 and 4, you may take optional modules as long as any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module.

During Stage 3, you can choose to take a Semester Abroad (60 credits), instead of the Group Project (45 credits) and one of the elective 15 credit modules.

You may take elective modules up to 30 credits outside of the programme's core and optional modules in Stage 2, 45 credits in Stage 3 and 60 credits in Stage 4, as long as you have obtained the explicit permission of the Programme Director, any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module.

Further information is available from:

http://intranet.exeter.ac.uk/emps/subjects/naturalsciences/modules

http://biosciences.exeter.ac.uk/current/modules/ugstreatham/

http://newton.ex.ac.uk/handbook/PHY/modules/index.html

http://intranet.exeter.ac.uk/emps/subjects/mathematics/modules/

http://geography.exeter.ac.uk/currentstudents/undergraduate/modules_streatham/

Programme-specific Progression Rules

To progress to Stage 3 of the MSci you must achieve an average mark of at least 60% across Stages 1 and 2, otherwise you will be required to transfer to the BSc (Hons) Natural Sciences.

Programme-specific Award Rules

At the end of Stage 3, you may be permitted to exit with a BSc (Hons) Natural Sciences provided that you have achieved 360 credits in total, you have taken no more than 150 credits at level 4 and at least 90 credits at level 6 or 7. If you do exit with a BSc (Hons) the award will normally be based on the degree mark formed from the credit weighted average marks for stages 2 and 3 combined in the ratio 1:2 respectively.

Test

Full details of assessment regulations for all taught programmes can be found in the TQA Manual, specifically in the Credit and Qualifications Framework, and the Assessment, Progression and Awarding: Taught Programmes Handbook. Additional information, including Generic Marking Criteria, can be found in the Learning and Teaching Support Handbook.

The Natural Sciences Programme providesevery student meetings each term with a personal tutor. The role of tutors is both to instil in you a sense of academic rigour and thinking and to provide you with advice and support for the duration of the programme. This includes working with you to decide the appropriate elective module choices, and research project areas, and extends to providing you with details of how to obtain support and guidance on personal difficulties such as accommodation, financial difficulties and sickness. In year 1, and some modules in subsequent years, you will also be provided with additional academic support through small group tutorials and you can also make an appointment to see individual teaching staff. The Natural Sciences website includes the student handbook. You have access to computers and printers within the University. You can expect reasonable access to all teaching staff through appointments. The Natural Sciences Student/Staff Liaison Committee enables students and staff to jointly participate in the management and review of the teaching and learning provision.

Please refer to the University Academic Policy and Standards guidelines regarding support for students and students' learning.

Undergraduate applicants must satisfy the Undergraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.

Postgraduate applicants must satisfy the Postgraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.

Specific requirements required to enrol on this programme are available at the respective Undergraduate or Postgraduate Study Site webpages.

Each academic programme in the University is subject to an agreed College assessment and marking strategy, underpinned by institution-wide assessment procedures.

The security of assessment and academic standards is further supported through the appointment of External Examiners for each programme. External Examiners have access to draft papers, course work and examination scripts. They are required to attend the Board of Examiners and to provide an annual report. Annual External Examiner reports are monitored at both College and University level. Their responsibilities are described in the University's code of practice. See the University's TQA Manual for details.

(http://as.exeter.ac.uk/support/admin/staff/qualityassuranceandmonitoring/tqamanual/fullcontents/)

The University and its constituent Colleges review the quality and standard of teaching and learning in all taught programmes against a range of criteria through the procedures outlined in the Teaching Quality Assurance (TQA) Manual Quality Review Framework.