The Faculty of Sciencehttp://www.um.edu.mt/science

Professor C V SammutDean

University of Malta

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

Origins of the Faculty

First meeting of the Faculty Board

was on the 17th Sep 1915

Dean was Sir Themistocles Zammit,

Professor of Chemistry -

specialised in bacteriology in London

and Paris, received knighthood for his

discovery of the vector for

transmission to humans of

Brucellosis melitensis (undulent

fever) , and made significant

contributions to archaeology in Malta

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

Departments

• 6 Departments– Physics– Biology– Chemistry– Mathematics– Statistics & Operations Research– Geophysical Sciences

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

Units

• GAW Atmospheric Research Station

• Seismic Monitoring and Research Unit

• Physical Oceanography Unit

• Metamaterials Unit

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

Programmes and student population

Undergraduate programmes:BSc(Hons) – Joint Honours in two subject areas – 4 yearsBSc(Hons) – Chemistry or Chemistry with Materials – 3 yearsBSc(Hons) – Computational Physics – 3 yearsBSc(Hons) – Biology – 3 years

Postgraduate programmes: MSc (taught and research) and PhD

Undergraduate student population: 350

Postgraduate students: 70 (MSc and MPhil/PhD)

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

Joint-Honours programmes

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

The four-year Joint Honours BSc

Principal areas in

Science

Biology

Chemistry

Physics

Mathematics

SOR

Principal areas in

other faculties

Comp. Science

Banking & Finance

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

The four-year Joint Honours BSc

Part I:180 ECTS (3 years)

Year I: 26 ECTS in each study area + 8 ECTSin elective study unitsYears II & III: 30 ECTS in each study area

→ may opt out as BSc at end of year III

Part II:60 ECTS (1 year)

40 ECTS in one study area (18 for project)

20 ECTS in other study area

→ graduate BSc (Hons)

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

Postgraduate programmes

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

Postgraduate programmes• All departments offer postgraduate degree

programmes:– MSc by research (including a taught component of between 5

and 30 ECTS) (entry requirement: BSc with Second Class Hons) - Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Statistics

– MPhil with possible transfer to PhD (research) (entry requirement: MSc or BSc (Hons) 1st Class or 2nd Upper)

Taught Masters (at least 60 ECTS taught and 30 ECTS dissertaton):

– MSc in Applied Chemistry– MSc in Applied Oceanography– MSc in Mathematics (October 2015)– MSc in Petroleum Studies (October 2015)

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

Departments

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

Department of Biology

• Head of Department:– Dr Joseph A Borg

• Main research fields:• Fisheries biology and marine aquaculture• Marine pollution and environmental quality• Local flora, fauna and ecology• Population genetics• Biodiversity and bioconservation

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

Department of Biology

• The Department is responsible for the Argotti Botanical Gardens in Floriana

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

Department of Chemistry• Head of Department:

– Professor Emanuel Sinagra (Deputy Dean)• Main research fields:

• Chemical Metrology• Environmental chemistry• Photochemically-induced electron transfer

reactions in organic chemistry• Polymers, Colloids and Interfaces• Molecular and materials (esp. auxetic meterials)

modelling• Transition metal and lanthanide complexes• Homogeneous catalysis

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

Department of Mathematics

• Head of Department:– Professor David Buhagiar

• Main research fields:• Graph theory & combinatorics• Mathematical physics and applications• Bio-informatics

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

Department of Statistics & Operations Research

• Head of Department:– Professor Liberato Camilleri

• Main research fields:• Stochastic processes• Structural equation modelling• Discrete- and continuous-time models• General linear models• Actuarial science• Financial modelling

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

Department of Geosciences• Head of Department:

– (to be appointed soon)

• Main research fields:• Seismology: real time monitoring; earthquake source

analysis; seismic site effects; data processing• Geophysics for oil exploration• Physical oceanography• Atmospheric science: monitoring of background trace

gases; indoor & outdoor air quality; regional climate modelling; biomonitoring techniques applied to pollutant exposure

• Bathymetry and geomorphology

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

Department of Physics• Head of Department:

– Professor Charles V Sammut (Dean)

• Main research fields:• Electromagnetics: dielectric spectroscopy of biological

tissues; MW & RF applications in medicine; monitoring & measurement of non-ionising radiation in the environment; field simulation; antenna design; EMC & EMI

• Computational physics• Astrophysics and cosmology (in collaboration with

ISSA)• Quantum optics

University of Malta

Faculty of Science

Thank you