Faculty of Science is one of the largest academic bodies of the University of Peradeniya. Founded in 1942 and shifted to its present location in 1961, this Faculty has spearheaded Science Tertiary Education in the country for over 75 years. At present it consists of 125 well-qualified academic staff and over 1900 undergraduate students. The Faculty offers students a journey of learning and discovery into the natural and computational sciences.
The faculty consists of nine academic Departments, two Units (Computer Science Unit and Science Education Unit) , the Science Education Resource Centre and the Science Industry Interaction Cell. Faculty annually admits about 500 students and offers several four-year degree programs, B.Sc. Honors Degree in Biology, Botany, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Geology, Mathematics, Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Physics, Statistics and Zoology and B.Sc. in Statistics and Operational Research. The faculty has recently introduced three new Honors degree programs in Biomedical Science, Data Science and Microbiology. Faculty continues to offer its three-year B.Sc. Degree providing the students an option of spending one additional year (under the 3+1 structure) with an industry oriented fourth year focusing on outcome based education.
The faculty takes great pride in the high quality of its teaching and research. The faculty use imaginative and innovative teaching approaches that not only communicate critical knowledge but also provide hands-on experiences associated with the relevant subjects. We are also proud on the personal attention that we afford on students. The courses are designed to allow the students acquire skills in laboratory techniques, field work, problem solving and critical thinking while strengthening capacity for team work, leadership and communication to meet the needs of the contemporary society. The Degree programs are of international repute and provide excellent foundations for career opportunities, nationally and internationally. In addition to serving across a multitude of sectors, a significant number of our graduates are enrolled in Masters and PhD degree programs in some of the most prestigious universities across the world.
The academic staff of the Science Faculty is engaged in ground breaking research, while being deeply dedicated to undergraduate and graduate level teaching. Its faculty has won international recognition, prestigious national or international awards and significant research grants. A substantial number of staff receives the coveted Presidential Awards each year in recognition of their research published in prestigious SCI-ranked journals. Research excellence of the academic staff not only contributes the reputation of the faculty but also provide students an opportunity to engage in cutting edge research projects. Hundreds of undergraduates also benefit working on their independent research projects and studies under the guidance of the faculty members.
Most of the laboratories in the Faculty are well equipped with state of the art scientific equipment. Some of the recently acquired equipment include a Scanning Electron Microscope, a DNA Sequencer, an Atomic Force Microscope, an NMR spectrometer, a Scanning Tunneling Microscope, a X-ray Diffractometer, an X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer, Polarizing Microscopes, and quantitative-PCR machines.
University of Peradeniya consists of eight other Faculties, four Postgraduate Institutes for Agriculture, Science, Social Sciences & Humanities and Medical Sciences and several Centers and Units offering numerous services. On campus residential facilities provide Science Faculty students a unique opportunity for interaction with students from a diversity of other programs, communities and social backgrounds. The excellent sports and recreational facilities together with a range of life-style options available within the campus offer the students a memorable learning experience. The faculty is also enhanced by a worldwide network of inspirational alumni, often serving as shining examples of the exceptional Degree programs of the faculty.
Hence, whether you are a newcomer to Science, planning a visit to the Faculty, or an established member of our community, I invite you to explore this website and learn about the exceptional learning environment, diverse range of study programs and the wealth of services that the Faculty of Science offers.
Dean / Prof. Sanath Rajapakse