Anyone who is curious about the world around us and how things work could find a fascinating career in Science.
A Science degree at CSU can lead to exciting jobs that are so much more than white coats and laboratories, and really make a difference to industry and the community. At CSU, Science courses are broad, giving you the chance to explore a range of scientific disciplines, and choose a major that sets you on the path to a more specific goal.
You will learn using modern laboratories and facilities, gaining plenty of practical experience in your chosen field and preparing you for a wealth of scientific career options that could take you anywhere in the world. The problem-solving skills you develop while studying Science can also equip you for jobs in other industries.
Analytical Chemistry makes essential contributions to many areas of the workforce, including environmental management, mining, pharmaceutical development, food processing, creation of new materials, forensic science and many others. As an analytical chemist, you will apply a broad range of skills and techniques to real-world problems facing our society.
You could be involved in forensic investigations, food quality assessments, or evaluate the damage caused by chemical spills. Your work could have a profound effect on the environment, evaluating the levels of substances to keep the community safe, and monitoring pollutants in the air, water and soil. You could develop fuels, or be involved in quality control, health standards monitoring, or study product defects.
While your work may use a range of existing techniques to investigate the chemical composition of substances, you may also work on the application of cutting edge instruments to various problems, developing new methods of analysis or contributing to the design of new instrumentation.
You could assess patents, write up your findings for specialist journals or mainstream media, or complete further qualifications to teach chemistry in secondary or tertiary settings.
- drug analysis
- environmental organisations
- food industries
- forensic investigations
- government bodies
- health standards monitoring
- research laboratories
- secondary teaching (with a further qualification)
- water quality testing
The Analytical Chemistry major in CSU’s Bachelor of Science has accreditation from the Royal Australian Chemical Institute
The earth’s environment is always changing as a result of natural and man-made factors. Conservation biology gives you an opportunity to investigate and manage the effects of change on the natural environment, monitoring plant and animal species and helping protect them and their habitats. Your work will help determine whether species are endangered, develop protection strategies, and provide an understanding of how plants and animals respond to environmental changes.
Political pressures and environmental changes all over the world are leading to an increase in awareness and job opportunities in the Conservation Biology discipline and, as a graduate in this area, you will have the chance to pursue a varied and evolving career path. You may also use your communication skills to share your findings and raise awareness in the community through media roles, advocating for your area of interest, while the work you undertake can have a profound and positive impact on protecting ecosystems for future generations.
- environmental consultancy
- habitat management
- land health assessment
- scientific media and communications
- species officer
- wildlife technician
- secondary teaching (with a further qualification)
Advancing technology means qualifications in statistics and mathematics can now lead to careers that didn’t exist just a few years ago. You could use number theories and algebra to work in cryptology and privacy, with lots of opportunities in industries like telecommunications, or you could work on signalling protocols or error-correction codes in new technologies.
Mathematics can also predict the future. You may develop modelling formulas to forecast changes in the stock market or understand changes in the environment, or be involved in medical studies to examine the effects of a particular disease or treatment. Mathematics graduates analyse data for practical purposes like market or scientific research, or to evaluate the success of a project.
Strong demand for mathematics graduates means salaries are generally high, and there are many opportunities in Australia and internationally in almost any industry. If you would like to keep your career options open and gain skills in problem-solving and complex reasoning that employers will value, Mathematics can create plenty of possibilities. Almost every quantitative discipline needs people able to make predictions in the face of everyday variability.
A decreasing supply of qualified secondary Mathematics teachers nationwide means mathematics teaching is a possible career option. A major in Mathematics combined with a qualification in teaching would qualify you as a mathematics teacher.
- computing / programming
- data analysis
- financial modelling
- logistics and planning
- market research
- mathematics teaching (with a further qualification)
The world is home to billions of tiny living organisms that are invisible to the naked eye. A qualification in microbiology allows you to study these microscopic organisms and better understand the effects they can have on health, the environment or the food we eat.
Microbiologists usually have a particular specialisation, such as bacteria (bacteriologists), viruses (virologists), fungi (mycologists), protozoa (protozoologists), infectious disease outbreaks (epidemiologists) or how the body defends itself (immunologists). While the discoveries you make will often relate to the medical field, microbiologists could also have a focus on veterinary science, environmental science, food or pharmaceuticals.
You could play a key role in advising governments on public health policies and understanding whether a population is facing an outbreak of a deadly disease, help control the spread of harmful microbes, or work in the development and improvement of fermented foods such as beer, wine, cheese and yoghurt.
- food industry
- health research
- hospital or clinical laboratories
- environmental science
- research laboratories
A career in Physics has a strong focus on problem solving in practical settings, exploring the way things work in science and technology. You could be a theoretical physicist, examining theories and models of the way things work, or an experimental physicist, testing the theories. Applied physicists work with the results of experiments, and apply them in industrial or technological settings.
If you’re interested in subject areas like chemistry, computing studies, mathematics and physics, this could be a career path for you. Your job could be concerned with tiny subatomic particles, or the entire universe. You could propose theories, then explore them, or use computers and new technology to take measurements. In a practical setting, you could develop new products and processes that could make a difference to medicine, in the defence forces, or be applied in industry.
- astrophysicist – exploring the solar system, stars and galaxies
- atmospheric and environmental physicist – exploring the way the environment works and interacts
- atomic or molecular physicist – examining atoms and molecules and how they behave
- condensed matter physicist – assessing the properties of matter in its solid state in various conditions, usually developing new consumer products
- cosmologist – studying the universe as a whole and how it has developed
- medical physicist – analysing the practical applications of physics in health care, such as radiation safety, and developing new equipment
- nanotechnologist – improving durability or efficiency of materials through work at the atomic and subatomic level, incorporating techniques from a range of scientific disciplines
- nuclear physicist – studying the structure of the nuclei of atoms
- optical physicist – concerned with the properties of light, creating lasers or optical fibre components.
Plants play an essential role in sustaining human life, providing food, oxygen, fuel and natural resources. A qualification in plant science can therefore provide a wealth of exciting opportunities in a variety of industries.
You could examine the ways plants respond to climate change, the diversity of marine organisms, conservation and the use of natural resources, genomics and evolution, or plant ecology. Many roles exist at all levels of the food supply chain, from improving crop yield and controlling pests and weeds, boosting the nutritional value of crops or seed quality, or working in genetic engineering or food safety.
Plant science gives you the opportunity to get out of the laboratory and work in practical settings outdoors, working with crops, conducting research and development programs, managing marketing operations, or providing consultancy services to businesses, private clients and governments. Your work can improve the health or abundance of natural resources, create food security, or enhance practices in the agricultural industries, contributing to productivity and profitability.
- agricultural productivity
- conservation and wildlife studies
- food safety and food technology
- government departments
- natural resources
Have you ever wondered how Google maps are developed, or how your GPS knows how to get you to your destination? A spatial scientist working behind the scenes has helped.
The discipline of spatial science incorporates surveying, geographic information systems, hydrography and cartography. Working in this field, you could measure, manage, analyse or display information about the earth, including its natural features and built environment. You will be able to develop maps or plan for the future.
Spatial scientists can play a role in planning new developments or suggesting designs and routes for roads or public transport. You could manage traffic, search for natural resources, develop plans for conveyancing, or predict future changes to the environment. Your role could also provide vital services, like helping emergency services take the quickest route to the right location. The latest technology out in the field, or remote sensors attached to aircraft and satellites, will be key tools of your trade in an industry that changes as fast as the world around it.
- environmental groups
- global positioning system (GPS) companies
- mapping agencies
More information about CSU courses in the area of Science:
How to apply
Access all the information you need to apply to study at CSU.HOW TO APPLY
- Master of GIS and Remote Sensing
Graduate Diploma of GIS and Remote Sensing [exit point only]
Graduate Certificate in GIS and Remote Sensing [exit point only]
What our students say
"I chose to study my Bachelor of Science at CSU because of the flexibility CSU offered in terms of distance and on campus study. The Bachelor of Science is very flexible and you can choose most of the subjects that you study, enabling you to specialise." Rowan Alden
"CSU provided me with an opportunity to move away from my surroundings, live a new and completely different lifestyle and learn about the profession I've always sought to be a part of. At CSU it is all about ensuring you have access to state-of-the-art facilities to enable you to get hands on practical experience in a range of areas." Jamie Mitchell