Course description
The course aims to prepare individuals who:
1. understand and appreciate the ways of thinking, modes of enquiry, and language of the discipline of Chemistry;
2. will have developed knowledge of, and skills in, the discipline of Chemistry sufficient to interpret and implement the current New South Wales senior secondary school Chemistry syllabus, or to adapt to and teach a future syllabus;
3. can draw upon their understanding of the discipline of Chemistry in order to contribute to interdisciplinary Science courses or projects;
4. have the confidence and enthusiasm to be involved in the teaching or other applications of the discipline of Chemistry.
Graduate Certificate in Chemistry
(offered in odd-numbered years)
GradCertChem
40 cp
Minimum duration: 6 months full-time or equivalent part-time.
Course available at: Sydney (North Sydney), NSW
EFTSL value of units: All 10 cp units in this course have an EFTSL value of 0.125. Units with a cp value of a multiple of 10 have corresponding EFTSL values.
1. Requirements for Completion of the Graduate Certificate
To qualify for the Graduate Certificate, a student must complete 40 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings.
Schedule of Unit Offerings
Unit Code Credit Points Unit Name
CHEM504 10 Chemicals on Earth
CHEM505 10 Energy and Materials
CHEM506 10 Monitoring the Environment
CHEM507 10 Applications of Chemistry
CHEM504 Chemicals on Earth
10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Teaching Organisation 3 hours per week for 10 weeks or equivalent.
This unit reviews the occurrence, characteristics, classification and uses of elements, particularly metals. The differences between the properties of a compound and its component elements are considered. The atomic structure of elements is related to the periodic table, with particular emphasis on periodic trends in properties. The structure and bonding of elements and compounds are related to their properties. Chemical reactions are reviewed, with reference to the extraction of economically useful substances from natural resources. The mole concept is developed.
CHEM505 Energy and Materials
10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Teaching Organisation 3 hours per week for 10 weeks or equivalent.
This unit develops an understanding of the relationship between chemical reactions and the production of energy. The formation of fossil fuels, their extraction from natural resources and the properties of carbon compounds used as fuels are described. The production of energy through combustion reactions and the factors affecting these reactions are investigated. The role played by water in the storage of energy is examined. The use of fossil fuels in the production of raw materials is described. Methods of reducing society’s dependence on fossil fuels are investigated. The production of energy and raw materials by electrochemical methods is examined, as well as the production of some useful materials through nuclear chemistry.
CHEM506 Monitoring the Environment
10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Teaching Organisation 3 hours per week for 10 weeks or equivalent.
This unit develops an understanding of the importance of chemical processes in the natural and built environments. The chemical concepts of acids and bases and equilibrium processes are developed in these contexts. The roles of chemists and the nature of various chemical processes used in some industrial production processes are examined. Chemical concepts are applied in relation to the management and quality control of industrial chemical production and to chemical analyses used for the monitoring of impacts of human activities on the environment.
CHEM507 Applications of Chemistry
10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Teaching Organisation 3 hours per week for 10 weeks or equivalent.
This unit extends the principles and concepts developed in the previous units, applying them to a range of technological and environmental processes. A deeper understanding of equilibrium principles and electron transfer reactions is developed through the study of industrial processes such as the production of sulfuric acid, the electrolysis of brine to produce sodium hydroxide, the production of soap and the production of sodium carbonate by the Solvay process. The study of oxidation-reduction reactions is extended to corrosion and methods of minimising this process in natural environments, with a particular emphasis on marine environments.
