WHat are Special Topics courses?

How do I gain entry to a special topics course?

How much of my degree can be made up from Special Topics courses?

What are the constraints?

What are Special Topics courses? They are individually designed courses that are available to second and third year students in the School of Botany and Zoology. They allow high performing students to undertake supervised study. Because they are designed for the individual student, they can take many forms. Often they involve participation in a research project under the supervision of one of the Botany and Zoology academics, research fellows or another scientist associated with the School. Some Special Topics courses are guided reading projects in an area of biology that holds the particular interest of the student. Some Special Topics courses involve an intensive training program that is designed to provide students with particular skills not available through the conventional curriculum e.g. botanical internship. Special Topics courses take the place of conventional lecture courses and count towards the various majors offered by Botany and Zoology. Top
	How do I gain entry to a special topics course? The first thing you need to do is get the agreement of a supervisor. Once an academic has agreed to supervise you, together you will write a short proposal (1 page) that describes: The name of the staff member responsible for supervising and marking the work. The content of the course (e.g. what research you will do, what assignments you will submit, what books you will read etc). The assessment plan (i.e. the types of assessment, their relative contribution to the overall grade, and the due dates). [note: science courses need to be assessed on a minimum of two items, so Special Topics courses must have at least two marks associated with them] This proposal must be submitted to the Head, School of Botany and Zoology, who is the overall coordinator of Special Topics courses.   The Head will make the decision about whether the student will be allowed to enroll in the course. If the answer is yes, the student will be issued with a code that will allow them to enroll in the appropriate course.
How much of my degree can be made up from Special Topics courses? Special topics courses are available in two forms: BIOL3138 (6 points) and BIOL3139 (12 points). The total workload for BIOL3138 is expected to be similar to that for a conventional third year course, while BIOL3139 is expected to be double that load.   Both count as Group C courses for the purposes of degree rules, even if they are taken in second year, or during the summer between second and third year. Students can enroll in one or both of these courses. Permission to enroll in BIOL3138 is easier to get than that for BIOL3139 (students will be expected to have better marks for BIOL3139). Permission to enroll in both BIOL3138 as well as BIOL3139 is rare and these students would generally be expected to have a High Distinction average. Under special conditions, a student can enroll in two 6-point Special Topics courses (i.e. enroll in BIOL3138 twice). The two courses have to be run by different supervisors and they have to fall in different semesters. If a student does two 6-point Special Topics courses, then they cannot do a 12-point Special Topics course.
		What are the constraints? The first constraint is marks: these courses are designed for high performing students. Although exceptions are occasionally made by the Head of Department, students are expected to have a Higher Distinction average in order to enroll in the following: BIOL3139 (12 points) BIOL3138 & BIOL3139 (18 points) BIOL3138 & BIOL3138 (12 points). To enroll in a single six-point Special Topics course (BIOL3138), students are expected to have a Distinction average. The second constraint is finding a supervisor. These are one-on-one courses, designed for individual students. This makes them very work-intensive for supervisors, and most academics are willing to take on only one or two students in a year. The first step is to find a staff member who can supervise you. Apart from the expectation that students will be in at least second year, there are no further constraints.   Timing of research-based courses will often depend on the organism under study, and some topics will require intense, full-time involvement, so they are best undertaken over summer. Special Topics courses are arranged between the student and the supervisor on a one-on-one basis. They can take any form that is mutually agreed on, and approved by the head of the School.

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