BS211-5-AU-CO:
Employability Skills for the Biosciences

PLEASE NOTE: This module is inactive. Visit the Module Directory to view modules and variants offered during the current academic year.

The details
2023/24
Life Sciences (School of)
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Undergraduate: Level 5
Inactive
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 15 December 2023
15
07 August 2023

 

Requisites for this module
BS131
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

(none)

Module description

This module will introduce you to enterprise and entrepreneurship skills and how these can help shape your future careers. These may not be in the conventional career pathways envisaged by those undertaking a bioscience degree but they are expected to cover competencies representing a growing trend in new business creation.


The module will draw on expertise from academics, career development experts, employers and entrepreneurs. Throughout the module, a strong emphasis will be placed on key skills such as communication, collaboration, networking, developing self-confidence and creativity, problem-solving and being pro-active and decisive.

Module aims

The aims of this module are to:



  • Be able to engage in a science topic that can be disseminated to the public in various ways.

  • Be able to research the background for a job application from an advertisement.

  • Be able to prepare a Curriculum Vitae (CV) for a job application.

  • Be able to prepare an application for a summer placement.

  • Be able to prepare a letter of application for a job application.

  • Be able to apply for a job.

  • Be able to recognise impact in scientific research and present this as an Impact Flyer.

  • Be able to prepare a short scientific presentation using powerpoint.

  • Be able to effectively delivery a short scientific talk to a group.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:



  1. Be aware of career options for bioscience students and how science can be applied to a range of work environments and sectors.

  2. Develop enterprise and entrepreneurial skills which can be applied by bioscience students.

  3. Develop reflective employability criteria.

  4. Develop competence in oral as well as written communication skills and group work:

Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered via:

  • One workshop, comprising of external career speakers, breakout sessions and introduction to networking. 
  • One 1-hour Public Engagement session.
  • Student managed learning (sml).
  • One 3-hour careers `practical`.
  • Seven 1-hour tutorials with personal tutors for C.V., careers feedback.
  • Three 1-hour seminars by external speakers.
  • Scientific oral presentation.

Bibliography

  • Ferguson, J.N. et al. (2019) ‘Accelerated flowering time reduces lifetime water use without penalizing reproductive performance in Arabidopsis’, Plant, Cell & Environment, 42(6), pp. 1847–1867. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.13527.
  • McAlary, L. et al. (2022) ‘A copper chaperone–mimetic polytherapy for SOD1-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis’, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 298(3). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101612.
  • Grinter, R. et al. (2023) ‘Structural basis for bacterial energy extraction from atmospheric hydrogen’, Nature, 615(7952), pp. 541–547. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05781-7.
  • De Souza, A.P. et al. (2022) ‘Soybean photosynthesis and crop yield are improved by accelerating recovery from photoprotection’, Science, 377(6608), pp. 851–854. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adc9831.
  • Li, D.-B. et al. (2020) ‘His/Met heme ligation in the PioA outer membrane cytochrome enabling light-driven extracellular electron transfer by Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1’, Nanotechnology, 31(35). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6528/ab92c7.
  • Svistunenko, D.A. et al. (1997) ‘The Globin-based Free Radical of Ferryl Hemoglobin Is Detected in Normal Human Blood’, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 272(11), pp. 7114–7121. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.272.11.7114.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting

Additional coursework information

  • Part A:
    • Summer school and entrepreneurship.
  • Part B: A 'hot topics' essay and employability exercise.
    • CV.
    • Career Action plan.
    • Summer Placement application.
    • Essay.
  • Part C: Powerpoint presentation 
    • Quality of slides.
    • Clarity of presentation.
    • Evidence of understanding.

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Prof Jonathan Worrall, email: jworrall@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Brandon Reeder, Dr Phil Reeves, Dr Vassiliy Bavro, Dr Filippo Pischi, Dr Greg Brooke, Dr Metodi Metodiev, Dr Dima Svistunenko, Careers Dept, plus tutors
School Undergraduate Office, email: bsugoffice (Non essex users should add @essex.ac.uk to create the full email address)

 

Availability
No
No
No

External examiner

Dr Thomas Clarke
University of East Anglia
Senior lecturer/associate professor
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 1748 hours, 18 (1%) hours available to students:
1730 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).

 

Further information
Life Sciences (School of)

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