Handbook 1996 : Faculty of Arts
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Archaeological evidence shows that mathematical sciences have been practised continuously for more than 4000 years, from the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia to the research laboratories of Silicon Valley. They have always been highly valued for the development of logical and analytical modes of thought, and their high points are among the greatest achievements of the human intellect. More pragmatically, mathematical sciences are the foundation of much of modern technology, and studies in mathematical sciences prepare the student for life in an increasingly technological world.
The School of Mathematical Sciences comprises the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics in the Faculty of Science, and the Department of Computer Science in the Faculty of Engineering. These departments offer subjects listed in detail in the Science Faculty section of the University of Melbourne Undergraduate Studies Handbook, numbered with the prefixes 433 (Computer Science), 618 (Mathematics) and 619 (Statistics). The Mathematics and Statistics Departments also cooperate in presenting two first-year subjects bearing the 617 (Mathematical Sciences) prefix.
Students planning to study Mathematics or Statistics within the Bachelor of Arts degree should read the present description of the School of Mathematical Sciences to understand the available first-year selections, before turning to the separate entries for the Department of Mathematics or the Department of Statistics, where later-year subjects are described.
Entry into Mathematical Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics subjects is controlled by a system of prerequisites and corequisites. Students limiting their selection to 12.5 or 25 points in Mathematical Sciences, Mathematics or Statistics in first year have limited options in later years, and it is usually preferable for students wishing to pursue substantial studies in Mathematics or Statistics to select 37.5 or 50 points in Mathematical Sciences, Mathematics or Statistics in first year. To permit further studies in Statistics, one of 617-141 Scientific Programming and Simulation, 617-142 Scientific Programming and Statistics, or 619-100 Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis is usually required. Exceptionally well-qualified students may be permitted by the Head of the Department of Statistics to enrol instead in 619-101 Statistical Methods (Advanced). The School of Mathematical Sciences recommends that students not electing to take 617-141 Scientific Programming and Simulation or 617-142 Scientific Programming and Statistics consider taking at least one first-year Computer Science subject.
Students may choose to take a single major in either of the disciplines of Mathematics or Statistics. In each case, subjects must be chosen consistent with prerequisite requirements. The designation of the major sequence is determined by the subjects taken in second year and third year. Options are considerably enhanced by taking more than two first-year subjects from the offerings of the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics and the School of Mathematical Sciences. The normal minimum requirements on the number of points towards the B. A. degree which must be taken from budgeting departments of the Faculty of Arts mean that double major streams in Mathematical Sciences, Mathematics or Statistics are not usually available. (See the note below concerning students entering third year in 1996. ) Students wishing to study more Mathematics or Statistics than the structures shown below allow should consider transferring to the Bachelor of Science degree, or to the Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science joint degree programme. In exceptional cases, at the discretion of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, and with the approval of the Mathematics and Statistics Departments, permission may be granted to count additional Mathematics or Statistics subjects towards the B. A. degree, or to carry more than 100 points per year.
(for examples, see the entry under Mathematics below)
Second year:
Third year:
(for examples, see the entry under Statistics below)
Second year:
Third year:
Note. Bachelor of Arts students entering third year in 1996 who have sufficient subject prerequisites may be granted permission to enrol in eight third year Mathematics or Statistics subjects, and this will be regarded as constituting a double major sequence in Mathematics (if at least six of the subjects are Mathematics subjects), Statistics (if at least six of the subjects are Mathematics subjects), or Mathematical Sciences (three or more subjects from each of Mathematics and Statistics).
There is no distinction between pass and honours streams in first, second, or third year, although some Mathematics and Statistics subjects, designated as 'Advanced' and only available by invitation, are especially suited for potential honours candidates. The normal prerequisites for entry into the fourth-year Honours programme in Mathematics, the fourth-year Honours programme in Statistics, or the fourth-year Combined Honours Programme in Mathematics and Statistics require more third-year Mathematics or Statistics subjects than are usually allowed to be included in the points for the Bachelor of Arts degree. Bachelor of Arts students are not normally able to undertake a fourth-year Honours programme in Mathematics, a fourth-year Honours programme in Statistics, or a fourth-year Combined Honours Programme in Mathematics and Statistics without a significant overload beyond the usual 100 points per year. There are two exceptions: (i) suitably well-qualified students entering third year in 1996, eligible to proceed under previously existing rules; and (ii) high-achieving students following a single major stream, with carefully chosen second and third year subjects, and prepared to select from a severely restricted range of fourth-year offerings.
Bachelor of Arts students contemplating Honours studies in Mathematics or Statistics, Combined Honours in Mathematics and Statistics, or any combined honours programme involving Mathematics or Statistics and another Arts discipline are strongly urged to seek advice from the relevant departments as early as possible, and to obtain written confirmation from the departments and from the Dean of the Faculty of Arts that their proposed course of study is acceptable. Bachelor of Arts students with a strong inclination towards Honours programmes in Mathematics or Statistics are strongly urged to explore the option of transferring to the Bachelor of Science degree, or to the Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts joint degree programme.
The School of Mathematical Sciences and the Department of Mathematics recognize that the diverse range of backgrounds, ability levels and interests of first-year students cause problems with subject selection in Mathematics. To guide students into subjects as appropriate as possible to their needs, two tests are offered to incoming students, and all students planning to study any Mathematics subject should register at the First-year Learning Centre (see below) for one of these tests before the start of Orientation Week.
Students who have studied VCE Mathematical Methods in year 12 but not VCE Specialist Mathematics should undertake the Diagnostic Test. On the basis of this test, students will be directed to the more appropriate of the subjects 618-141 Intermediate Mathematics A and 618-161 Introductory Mathematics A. Students with less previous mathematics than VCE Mathematical Methods are usually directed to 618-161, but should still sit for the Diagnostic Test.
Students who have studied VCE Specialist Mathematics should undertake the Exemption Test. A satisfactory result in this test will permit students to enrol in 618-121 rather than 618-141, and an outstanding result on this test may lead to an invitation to enrol in one or more of the 100-level subjects designated as 'Advanced', including 618-111 Mathematics 1A (Advanced).
Neither the Diagnostic Test nor the Exemption Test is to be regarded as a conventional examination, and it is counterproductive to study for these tests, which are designed to test the retention of basic skills, and used by the Director of First-year Studies to direct students to subjects appropriate to their needs and abilities. A good result on one of these tests following a period of extensive preparation for them gives an unrealistically inflated idea of the student's level of preparedness for tertiary mathematics studies, and may lead to inappropriate subject selection.
The School of Mathematical Sciences, and the constituent Departments of Mathematics and Statistics, have established a First-year Learning Centre through which teaching and administration of their first-year subjects is coordinated. This centre is located on the ground floor of the Richard Berry Building. Near this centre students will find noticeboards relevant to first year, boxes for the submission of assignments, and the room from which printed material is usually distributed. Within the centre are the office of the Director of First-year Studies (Dr Barrington), offices of tutors in Mathematics and Statistics, tutorial rooms, a student waiting area, and a consultation room. First-year students should visit the First-year Learning Centre before the start of Orientation Week to register for one of the Diagnostic Test or the Exemption Test described above.
Arts students wishing to study Mathematics or Mathematical Sciences in first year choose from a number of subjects offered by
The details of these subjects can be found in the Science Faculty section of the University of Melbourne Undergraduate Studies Handbook. The subjects are shown, with the semester in which they are offered, in Table 1. Each subject is semester-length, and valued at 12.5 points. The last digit of the subject code indicates the semester in which the subject is normally taken, and the only subjects available to first-year students in both semesters are 618-130 and 619-100. The subject 618-142 Intermediate Mathematics B is normally taken in semester 2, but is also offered in semester 1 to accommodate the needs of students who need, for whatever reason, to undertake it in semester 1 of their second year.
TABLE 1.
Permitted combinations of subjects are controlled by prerequisites and corequisites. Incoming students will normally include one of the following subjects in first semester, listed in decreasing order of difficulty:
618-111, 618-121, 618-141, 618-151, 618-161.
All incoming students are entitled to enrol in one of 618-141 Intermediate Mathematics A or 618-151 Mathematics for Economics. Entry into the subjects 618-111 Mathematics 1A (Advanced), 618-121 Mathematics 1A and 618-161 Introductory Mathematics A is controlled. The structure of first-year mathematics subjects is such that students may transfer early in the semester to either a less challenging or a more challenging subject selection without serious disruption to their studies.
The principles for the selection of the appropriate one of these subjects 618-111, 618-121, 618-141, 618-151 or 618-161 will now be described.
Students who studied 618-101 Mathematics 1A (1995 Handbook) at school as part of the Melbourne University Programme for High Achieving Students (MUPHAS) should consult the Director of First-year Studies for advice on subject selection.
In all but the first selection listed below, the subject 617-141 Scientific Programming and Simulation may be replaced with 619-100 Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis.
(a) Mathematics (Advanced) [by invitation only]
This selection is especially suited to well-qualified students who may wish to proceed to the fourth-year Honours programme in Mathematics. Exceptionally well-qualified students may be permitted to replace one of 618-111 or 618-131 with 618-191 Mathematics Project (Advanced).
(b) Mathematical Sciences (Advanced) [by invitation only]
This selection is especially suited to well-qualified students who may wish to proceed to the fourth-year Honours programme in Mathematics or Statistics, or Combined Honours in Mathematics and Statistics. Exceptionally well-qualified students may be permitted to replace 618-111 with 618-191 Mathematics Project (Advanced).
(c) Mathematical Sciences [Exemption Test required]
This selection is suitable for students who may wish to proceed to the fourth-year Honours programme in Mathematics, Statistics, or Combined Honours in Mathematics and Statistics, or at least to pursue substantial studies in these disciplines to third-year level. Students with outstanding results in 618-121 should discuss with the Director of First-year Studies the possibility of replacing 618-122 with 618-112, or 618-130 with 618-132.
(d) Mathematical Sciences
This selection is suitable for students who may wish to pursue substantial studies in these disciplines in later years. At the end of their first year, students taking this selection who achieve outstanding results in 618-142 and 618-130 should discuss with the Director of First-year Studies possible arrangements for catching up with the three higher-level streams described above.
For further suggestions, see the entries for the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics in this volume of the University of Melbourne Undergraduate Studies Handbook, and also the corresponding entries in the Science Faculty section of the University of Melbourne Undergraduate Studies Handbook. Students are encouraged to consult course advisors from the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics.
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Handbook 1996 : Faculty of Arts
Status: Official 1996 Date created: Oct 10 1995 Last modified: Oct 10 1995 Authorised by: Academic Registrar Email enquiries: Course_Information@registrar.unimelb.edu.au
Maintained by: Faculty of Arts
Copyright © University of Melbourne 1995,1996.