Students

FOSE2000 – The Science Practitioner

2026 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Benjamin Pope
benjamin.pope@mq.edu.au
Kevin Danastas
kevin.danastas@mq.edu.au
Vanessa Pirotta
vanessa.pirotta@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
60cp at 1000 level including FOSE1000
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

You began your journey in "FOSE1000: Becoming a Scientist" by asking, Who do you want to be, and where do you want to go? In this unit, you’ll take the next step by actively shaping your professional identity as a scientist. 

How do scientists work within teams, across disciplines, and with diverse communities to investigate complex problems that matter? You’ll step into professional roles, plan and deliver a project, and learn how to communicate your strengths and values as a scientist. As you build a portfolio of work and prepare for future employment, you’ll reflect on key questions: What are your superpowers? How can you grow further? What kind of impact do you want to make? 

This is a space to discover, experiment safely, and learn together. Bring your whole self, and let’s keep building the future you want to be part of. 

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Analyse your personal strengths, values, and development needs in relation to potential scientific career pathways
  • ULO2: Evaluate employment opportunities by interpreting job advertisements and identifying key skills and experiences required. 
  • ULO3: Apply principles of effective teamwork and project planning to co-develop and deliver a multi-disciplinary science-related project in collaboration with others.
  • ULO4: Create professional job application materials, including a targeted CV and personal portfolio, that clearly communicate your capabilities as a scientist.

General Assessment Information

Requirements to pass this unit

FOSE2000 uses competency-based (pass/fail) assessment where you demonstrate competency in essential scientific skills rather than receive traditional grades.

All three assessments in this unit are hurdles. To pass this unit, you must:

  • Attempt all three assessment tasks

  • Demonstrate competency in all three assessment tasks

Attendance and Participation

We strongly encourage all students to actively participate in all learning activities. Regular engagement is crucial for your success in this unit, as these activities provide opportunities to deepen your understanding of the material, collaborate with peers, and receive valuable feedback from instructors, to assist in completing the unit assessments. Your active participation not only enhances your own learning experience but also contributes to a vibrant and dynamic learning environment for everyone.

Late Submission Policy

  • 5% penalty per day: If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days.
    • Example 1 (out of 100): If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.
    • Example 2 (out of 30): If you score 27/30 but submit 1 day late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.
  • After 7 days: Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.
  • Extensions:
    • Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can only apply for an automatic short extension before the due date.
    • Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration.

Need help? Review the Special Consideration page HERE

Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted:

AT1: Professional Development Plan and AT3 Professional Application Practice - YES, Standard Late Penalty applies

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Professional Development Plan  25% Yes 28/08/2026 Individual Yes Open
Science Communication Project 45% Yes Week 10 Individual and Group No Open
Professional Application Practice 30% Yes 30/10/2026 Individual Yes Open

Professional Development Plan 

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 28/08/2026
Weighting: 25%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

Planning a career in science requires honest reflection on where you are now and where you want to go. You will reflect on your current skills, explore potential career pathways, and develop a plan for your professional development as a scientist. This task builds the self-awareness and career planning skills that underpin your work across the rest of the unit. 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse your personal strengths, values, and development needs in relation to potential scientific career pathways
  • Evaluate employment opportunities by interpreting job advertisements and identifying key skills and experiences required. 

Science Communication Project

Assessment Type 1: Presentation task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Week 10
Weighting: 45%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual and Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

Effective science communication is a core professional skill for scientists working across research, industry, and public life. Working in teams, you will research a science topic of public significance and communicate your findings to a non-specialist audience in an appropriate and engaging format. This task develops your ability to collaborate across disciplines, synthesise scientific literature, and present complex ideas clearly and compellingly.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply principles of effective teamwork and project planning to co-develop and deliver a multi-disciplinary science-related project in collaboration with others.

Professional Application Practice

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 30/10/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

Competing effectively for science roles and postgraduate research positions requires deliberate practice. You will prepare a professional application in response to a real science job or higher degree advertisement, then complete a practice interview with a member of staff. This task builds the professional writing and self-presentation skills you will need to launch your career as a scientist.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse your personal strengths, values, and development needs in relation to potential scientific career pathways
  • Create professional job application materials, including a targeted CV and personal portfolio, that clearly communicate your capabilities as a scientist.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

The Tuesday 11am one-hour "workshop" is a lecture with interactive and discussion components, and will be recorded but best advantage is to be had by attending in person.

This is separate to the two-hour workshops in which we will tackle assessment material, have discussions about topics raised in the lecture, and have opportunities for practice and feedback on speaking and writing. You are free to choose which of these you attend, and it is strongly encouraged that you do so because this is an opportunity for group-work on your group asessements. In previous offerings, we have been aware of students who have been confused about the "workshop" lecture being the same as the other workshops, and want to make sure you are aware they are different. 

We will communicate with you via your university email and through announcements on iLearn. Queries to convenors can either be placed on the iLearn discussion board or sent to the unit convenor via the contact email on iLearn.

Unit Schedule

Workshops and lectures start in Week 1. The groups for Assessment 2 will be carried throughout the semester as discussion groups: it is important that students attend the workshops especially in Week 1 and 2 to meet their classmates and form groups early.

The Lecture schedule may be subject to change depending on student feedback and lecturer availability, and students should check iLearn regularly for up-to-date information. At the time of writing, Lectures planned in Weeks 2-3 will address the question of what is science, from deep history to the Scientific Revolution to today. In Weeks 4-5 we will discuss science as an industry and finding (and planning) jobs in science, and Weeks 6-8 we will tackle science communication in journalism, as outreach, on social media, and as a career. In the remainder of the semester we will tackle ethics, diversity, art, data visualization, and have guest lectures from professional science communicators.

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes from Previous Offering

We value student feedback to be able to continually improve the way we offer our units. As such we encourage students to provide constructive feedback via student surveys, to the teaching staff directly, or via the FSE Student Experience & Feedback link in the iLearn page. 

Student feedback from the previous offering of this unit was very positive overall, with students pleased with the clarity around assessment requirements and the level of support from teaching staff. As such, minimal change to the delivery of the unit is planned, however we will continue to strive to improve the level of support and the level of student engagement. We will include more oportunities for hands-on activities in this semester.

Unit information based on version 2026.07 of the Handbook