Students

FOSE2000 – The Science Practitioner

2026 – Session 1, 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
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.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Career Action Plan 35% Yes 02/04/2026 Individual Yes Open
Project 30% Yes Week 10 Group No Open
Professional Portfolio 35% Yes 29/05/2026 Individual Yes Open

Career Action Plan

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 02/04/2026
Weighting: 35%
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)

You will reflect on your strengths and values to develop a clear, realistic plan for your career goals, including specific actions to address any skill gaps. This will help you confidently prepare for and pursue roles in the scientific field.
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. 

Project

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Week 10
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

You will collaborate in a multidisciplinary team on a science communication project with real-world impact, and present your work through a poster and an oral presentation. 
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 Portfolio

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 29/05/2026
Weighting: 35%
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)

You will develop essential skills for pursuing employment by preparing a professional job application in response to a job advertisement selected from a pool provided.
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

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.

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 http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

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.

Unit information based on version 2026.06 of the Handbook