Updated Version for 2016
Board of Studies 2006-2015. The opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and not of Bored of Studies or the University of Sydney.
Foreword
This document compiles reviews of University of Sydney units of study contributed by
members of the Bored of Studies community. Apart from formatting they are reproduced
verbatim.
The reviews canvas a broad cross-section of faculties across the university and give a unique
insight into student opinion of subjects. These firsthand accounts from the student body offer
a scrutiny of subjects that are absent from the official materials published by the university.
Units of Study (UOS) have been organised in alphabetical and numerical order by unit code.
Most contributions give marks and opinions on 4 areas: Ease, Lecturers, Interest, and Overall
remarks.
Be mindful that these reviews are merely individual opinions. Some subjects have received
very consistent reviews while reviewers have had conflicting views on others. Read, digest
and use this document to inform yourself and aid your decision making process. Do not
however solely rely on these reviews to make your UOS selections.
Always remember that there is a lee-way period at the beginning of each semester to enrol
and withdrawal from a subject.
Don’t hesitate to post questions in the forum or PM members for more details. The original
posts can be found at this link. Your reviews are welcome at the same location.
James (Rafy)
Bored of Studies Administrator
University of Sydney
Preface for the New Edition
In this new edition, it is worth noting that a number of the reviews in this document have been for subjects which have since been discontinued. These reviews have been kept, and where possible, separated from the currently offered units for the convenience of the reader to retrieve the most relevant information. Many of these units can be found in the “Discontinued Units” section at the end of the document.
While these subjects are no longer offered, it is hoped that the reviews will still serve as a way of providing general insight into the content and teaching quality of the departments. Otherwise, multiple reviews for specific units are ordered with the more recent reviews placed first.
Below is a list of discontinued units which have reviews in this document, and the equivalent (or nearest equivalent) subject the University offers as of 2016. All other units not listed below are currently offered.
Pre-2015 Subject / 2015 SubjectACCT1001 / BUSS1030
ACCT1002 / ACCT1006
ACCT1003 / BUSS1030/ACCT1006
ACCT1004 / BUSS1030/ACCT1006
AFNR1002 / AGEN1001
ANHS1003 / ANHS1600
ANHS1004 / ANHS1601
ANHS2604 / ANHS2610/2618
ANHS2607 / ANHS2610/2618
ANHS2608 / ANHS3632
ANHS2691 / ANHS3635/HSTY2691
ARHT2642 / ARHT2640/2646
ARNE1001 / ARCA1000/ARCA1001
ARPH1001 / ARCA1000/1001
ASNS1002 / ASNS1101/1601/1602
ASNS2676 / Any 2000 or 3000 level ASNS subject
BIOL2011 / BIOL2021/2921
BIOL2012 / BIOL2021/2921
BIOL3011 / BIOL3045/3945
CLAW1002 / CLAW1001
COSC1002/1902 / COSC1003/1903
ECMT2110 / ECMT2150/2160
ECMT2120 / ECMT3150
ECMT2620 / QBUS2310
ECMT2630 / ECMT3130/QBUS Management subjects
ECOF1001 / BUSS1001
ECOF3001 / BUSS3500
ECOP1002 / ECOP1001/1003
ECOP1004 / ECOP1001/1003
ECOP3018 / ECOP2612
EDUF3024 / Any EDSE units
EDUF3030 / EDSE2001/3072
ENGL1000 / WRIT1001
ENGL1002 / ENGL1007/1009/2611/2657
ENGL1005 / ENGL1007
ENGL1015 / PHIL2633/ENGL1XXX/ENGL2605/3655
ENGL1020 / ENGL2657
ENGL1025 / ENGL1011
ENGL2613 / Any ENGL units
ENGL2627 / Any ENGL units
ENGL2632 / ENGL3603
ENGL2649 / ENGL2657
ENGG1804 / ENGG1800/1805
ENVI2112 / GEOS2115/2915
FINC2192 / Any FINC units/BUSS4XXX
FINC3194 / Any FINC units/BUSS4XXX
GCST2601 / Any GCST units
GCST3601 / GCST2607/3631
GOVT1406 / Any GOVT or IBUS units
HSTY1022 / HSTY1025
HSTY1088 / HSTY1089
HSTY2601 / Any HSTY units
HSTY2655 / HSTY2676
HSTY2678 / HSTY2624/2676
HSTY2765 / HSTY2628
LAWS3403 / LAWS3424
LNGS1005 / LNGS1001
MATH1904 / MATH1004
MKTG1002 / MKTG2113
MKTG2010 / MKTG3118
PHAR4618 / Any PHAR units
PHAR4819 / Any PHAR units
PHIL1010 / PHIL1012/1013
PLNT2003 / BIOL3043/3943, Any PPAT or HORT units
SCLG3601 / SCLG2609
SCLG3602 / Any SCLG units
SLSS1002 / SLSS1001/1003
SOFT1001 / INFO1XXX
SOFT1902 / INFO1XXX
WORK1001 / WORK1003/2203
WORK1002 / WORK1003/2205
Last Updated July 2016
Table of Contents
Foreword 1
Preface for the New Edition 2
Table of Contents 4
Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering (AERO) 16
AERO2703 - Aircraft Performance and Operation 16
Aeronautical, Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering - General (AMME) 16
AMME2301 - Mechanics of Solids 16
Accounting (ACCT) 17
ACCT1006 - Accounting and Financial Management 17
ACCT2011 - Financial Accounting A 17
ACCT2012 - Management Accounting A 17
ACCT3011 - Financial Accounting B 17
ACCT3012 - Management Accounting B 18
ACCT3014 - Auditing and Assurance 19
Agricultural Genetics (GENE) 20
GENE2001 - Agricultural Genetics 2 20
Agriculture and Environment (AGEN) 20
AGEN1001 - Shaping our Landscapes 20
Analytical Thinking (ATHK) 20
ATHK1001 - Analytical Thinking 20
Anatomy and Histology (ANAT) 21
ANAT2008 - Introduction to Histology 21
ANAT2009 - Comparative Primate Anatomy 21
ANAT2010 - Concepts of Neuroanatomy 22
ANAT3004 - Cranial and Cervical Anatomy 23
ANAT3006 - Forensic Osteology 23
ANAT3007 - Visceral Anatomy 23
ANAT3008 - Musculoskeletal Anatomy 24
Ancient History (ANHS) 25
ANHS1600 - Foundations for Ancient Greece 25
ANHS1601 - Foundations for Ancient Rome 26
ANHS1602 - Greek and Roman Myth 27
ANHS2601 - Ancient Imperialism 28
Anthropology (ANTH) 29
ANTH1001 - Cultural Difference: An Introduction 29
Asian Studies (ASNS) 30
ASNS1601 - Introduction to Asian Cultures 30
ASNS2618 - Remaking Chinese Society, 1949-Present 31
ASNS2661 - History of Modern Indonesia 32
ASNS2663 - Social Activism in South East Asia 33
ASNS2670 - Mass Media in East Asia 33
Biochemistry (BCHM) 35
BCHM2072/2972 - Human Biochemistry (Regular/Advanced) 35
BCHM3071/3971 - Molecular Biology & Biochemistry - Genes (Regular/Advanced) 35
BCHM3081/3981 - Molecular Biology & Biochemistry - Proteins (Regular/Advanced) 36
BCHM3082/3982 - Medical and Metabolic Biochemistry (Regular/Advanced) 37
BCHM3092/3992 - Proteomics and Functional Genomics (Regular/Advanced) 37
Biology (BIOL) 38
BIOL1001 - Concepts in Biology 38
BIOL1002 - Living Systems 39
BIOL1003 - Human Biology 40
BIOL1902 - Living Systems (Advanced) 41
BIOL1911 - Concepts in Biology (Advanced) 42
BIOL1993 - Human Biology (Special Studies) 43
BIOL2016 - Cell Biology 43
BIOL2021 - Zoology 44
BIOL2023 - Botany 45
Business Core Subjects (BUSS) 46
BUSS1001 - Understanding Business 46
BUSS1002 - The Business Environment 46
BUSS1020 - Quantitative Business Analysis 47
BUSS1030 - Accounting, Business and Society 47
BUSS1040 - Economics for Business Decision Making 48
Business Information Systems (INFS) 49
INFS1000 - Digital Business Innovation 49
INFS2001 - IS for Performance Improvement 50
Chemical Engineering (CHNG) 52
CHNG1103 - Material and Energy Transformations Introduction 52
Chemistry (CHEM) 53
CHEM1002 - Fundamentals of Chemistry 1B 53
CHEM1101 - Chemistry 1A 53
CHEM1102 - Chemistry 1B 54
CHEM1611 - Chemistry A (Pharmacy) 56
CHEM1612 - Chemistry B (Pharmacy) 56
CHEM1901 - Chemistry 1A (Advanced) 56
CHEM1902 - Chemistry 1B (Advanced) 58
CHEM1903 - Chemistry 1A (Special Studies Program) 59
CHEM1904 - Chemistry 1B (Special Studies Program) 60
CHEM2401/2911/2915 - Molecular Reactivity and Spectroscopy (Regular/Advanced/SSP) 60
CHEM2402/2912 - Chemical Structure and Stability (Regular/Advanced) 64
CHEM2403 - Chemistry of Biological Molecules 67
CHEM2404 - Forensic and Environmental Chemistry 68
Third Year Chemistry Advanced Seminars 69
Third Year Chemistry Practicals 69
CHEM3110/3910 - Biomolecules: Properties and Reactions (Regular/Advanced) 72
CHEM3111/3911 - Organic Structure and Reactivity (Regular/Advanced) 73
CHEM3112/3912 - Materials Chemistry (Regular/Advanced) 74
CHEM3113/3913 - Catalysis and Sustainable Processes (Regular/Advanced) 74
CHEM3114/3914 - Metal Complexes: Medicine and Materials (Regular/Advanced) 75
CHEM3115/3915 - Synthetic Medicinal Chemistry (Regular/Advanced) 76
CHEM3117/3917 - Molecular Spectroscopy and Quantum Theory (Regular/Advanced) 77
Chinese Studies (CHNS) 78
CHNS1101 - Chinese 1A (For Beginners) 78
Commercial Law (CLAW) 80
CLAW1001 - Foundations of Business Law 80
CLAW2201 - Corporations Law 83
CLAW2205 - Competition and Consumer Law 83
CLAW2207 - Business, Ethics and the Law 84
CLAW3201 - Australian Taxation System 84
CLAW3202 - Tax Strategies for Business 84
Computer Science (COMP) 85
COMP2129 - Operating Systems and Machine Principles 85
COMP3520 - Operating Systems Internals 85
Econometrics (ECMT) 87
ECMT1010 - Introduction to Economic Statistics 87
ECMT1020 - Introduction to Econometrics 89
ECMT3110 - Econometric Models and Methods 90
Economics (ECON/ECOS) 91
ECON1001 - Introductory Microeconomics 91
ECON1002 - Introductory Macroeconomics 94
ECOS2001 - Intermediate Microeconomics 97
ECOS2201 - Economics of Competition and Strategy 98
ECOS2901 - Intermediate Microeconomics Honours 98
ECOS2902 - Intermediate Macroeconomics Honours 99
ECOS2903 - Mathematical Economics A 99
ECOS3002 - Development Economics 100
ECOS3003 - Hierarchies, Incentives and Firm Structure 100
ECOS3006 - International Trade 101
ECOS3010 - Monetary Economics 101
ECOS3011 - Public Finance 101
ECOS3019 - Capital and Dynamics 101
ECOS3901 - Advanced Microeconomics Honours 102
Education - Foundations 103
EDUF1018 - Education, Teachers and Teaching 103
EDUF1019 - Human Development and Education 104
EDUF2006 - Educational Psychology 107
EDUF2007 - Social Perspectives on Education 108
Education - Secondary 111
EDSE2001 - Craft Knowledge and Professional Practice 1 111
EDSE3040 - Teaching History 1 112
EDSE3042 - Teaching Drama 1 113
EDSE3044 - Teaching English 1 113
Electrical Engineering (ELEC) 115
ELEC1601 - Foundations of Computer Systems 115
ELEC2602 - Digital Logic 115
ELEC3305 - Digital Signal Processing 115
ELEC3404 - Electronic Circuit Design 116
ELEC3610 - E-Business Analysis and Design 116
Electron Microscopy (EMHU) 117
EMHU3001 - Electron Microscopy and Imaging/Theory 117
Engineering - General (ENGG) 118
ENGG1800 - Engineering Disciplines (Intro) Stream A 118
ENGG1801 - Engineering Computing 119
ENGG1805 - Professional Engineering and IT 120
English (ENGL) 121
ENGL1002 - Narratives of Romance and Adventure 121
ENGL1007 - Language, Texts and Time 122
ENGL1008 - Australian Texts: International Contexts 123
ENGL1009 - Reading English Texts 124
ENGL2603 - Imagining America 124
ENGL2607 - Drama: Classical to Renaissance 124
ENGL2611 - Jane Austen, Then and Now 125
ENGL2613 - Literature, Politics and Modernity 125
ENGL2617 - Postmodernism 126
ENGL2627 - Screening Sexuality 127
ENGL2639 - Literature and Cinema 128
ENGL2650 - Reading Poetry 128
ENGL2653 - Western Theories of Language 129
ENGL2657 - Myths, Legends and Heroes 129
ENGL2660 - Reading the Nation: American Literature 130
ENGL3603 - Contemporary British Literature 130
ENGL3623 - The 18th Century: Scandal & Sociability 130
Entomology (ENTO) 131
ENTO2001 - Introductory Entomology 131
Environmental Statistics (ENVX) 131
ENVX1001 - Introductory Statistical Methods 131
Environmental Studies (ENVI) 132
ENVI3111/3911 – Environmental Law and Ethics (Regular/Advanced)….. .132
ENVI3114/3914 - Energy and the Environment (Regular/Advanced) 132
Finance (FINC) 133
FINC2011 - Corporate Finance I 133
FINC2012 - Corporate Finance II 134
FINC3011 - International Financial Management 135
FINC3013 - Mergers and Acquisitions 135
FINC3015 - Financial Valuation: A Case Study Approach 135
FINC3017 - Investments and Portfolio Management 136
French Studies (FRNC) 138
FRNC1631/1632 - Junior French Advanced 5/6 138
Gender and Cultural Studies (GCST) 138
GCST2610 - Intimacy, Love and Friendship 138
Geosciences (GEOS) 139
GEOS1001 - Earth, Environment and Society 139
GEOS1902 - Introductory Geography (Advanced) 139
GEOS2111 - Natural Hazards: A GIS Approach 140
GEOS2115 - Oceans, Coasts & Climate Change 140
GEOS2121 - Environmental and Resource Management 141
Germanic Studies (GRMN) 142
GRMN1111 - Junior German 1 142
GRMN1122 - Junior German 2 142
GRMN1311/1322 - Junior German 5/6 143
Government and International Relations (GOVT) 144
GOVT1101 - Australian Politics 144
GOVT1105 - Geopolitics 146
GOVT1202 - World Politics 149
GOVT2119 - Southeast Asia: Dilemmas of Development 152
GOVT2221 - Politics of International Economic Relations 153
GOVT2226 - International Organisations 154
GOVT2445 - American Politics and Foreign Policy 154
GOVT2552 - Policy Analysis 155
Health Sciences (BIOS/HSBH/REHB) 156
BIOS1168 - Functional Musculoskeletal Anatomy A 156
BIOS1170 - Body Systems: Structure and Function 156
BIOS2115 - Embryology 157
HSBH1003 - Health, Behaviour and Society 157
REHB3064 - Alcohol and Drug Misuse Rehabilitation 158
History (HSTY) 159
HSTY1025 - The Middle Ages 159
HSTY1031 - Renaissance and Reformation (1498-1648) 159
HSTY1044 - Twentieth Century Europe 160
HSTY1045 - Modern European History 1750-1914 161
HSTY1076 - American History from Lincoln to Clinton 162
HSTY1089 - Australia: Conflict and Transformation 163
HSTY2614 - Living in Modern Australia 164
HSTY2670 - New York, New York 164
HSTY2692 - International and Diplomatic History 165
History and Philosophy of Science (HPSC) 166
HPSC1000 - Bioethics 166
HPSC2100 - The Birth of Modern Science 167
HPSC2101 - What Is This Thing Called Science? 168
HPSC3107 - Science, Ethics and Society 168
Immunobiology (IMMU) 169
IMMU2101 - Introductory Immunology 169
Indigenous Australian Studies - Koori Centre (KOCR) 169
KOCR2600 - Indigenous Australia: An Introduction 169
Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management (WORK) 170
WORK1003 - Foundations of Work and Employment 170
Information Technology (INFO) 171
INFO1103 - Introduction to Programming 171
INFO1903 - Informatics (Advanced) 172
INFO2820 - Databases 1 (Advanced) 173
INFO3220 - Objected Oriented Design 174
INFO3402 - Management of IT Projects and Systems 174
Information Systems (ISYS) 175
ISYS2140 - Information Systems 175
ISYS3401 - Analytical Methods and Information Systems 175
International and Global Studies (INGS) 176
INGS1001 - Power and Money in Global Society 176
International Business (IBUS) 177
IBUS2101 - International Business Strategy 177
IBUS3101 - International Business Alliance 177
IBUS3102 - International Risk Management 178
IBUS3103 - Entrepreneurship and Innovation 178
Japanese Studies (JPNS) 179
JPNS1611 - Japanese 1 179
JPNS2621 - Japanese 5 179
JPNS2622 - Japanese 6 181
Jewish Civilisation, Thought and Culture (JCTC) 182
JCTC2606 - The Holocaust: History and Aftermath 182
Korean Studies (KRNS) 183
KRNS1621 – Korean 1 183
Law (LAWS) 184
LAWS1006 - Foundations of Law 184
LAWS1012 - Torts 184
LAWS1013 - Legal Research I 185
LAWS1023 - Public International Law 185
LAWS3412 - Australian Income Tax 185
LAWS3413 - Banking and Financial Instruments 185
LAWS3436 - International/Comparative Jurisprudence 186