Handbook 1996 : Faculty of Arts
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Mathematics is the oldest of the exact sciences, and among the oldest of all intellectual disciplines. It has long been valued as the training ground for systematic, logical and analytical thought and it contains ideas as profound and beautiful as may be encountered anywhere. A knowledge of Mathematics is invaluable for professional life in the pure and applied sciences, as well as in commerce and industry, and an understanding of Mathematics is invaluable in making sense of a rapidly changing and increasingly technologically complex world
Available first-year subjects are listed under the preceding Mathematical Sciences entry, to which the reader's attention is directed. Particular note should be taken of the details of the Exemption and Diagnostic Tests, which are used by the Department of Mathematics to direct students into subjects appropriate to their current level of mastery of pre-university mathematics.
The only requirements for entry into second year are those associated with the prerequisites and corequisites for individual second-year subjects.
The Mathematics single major requires the following sequence.
Second year:
Third year:
Subjects chosen must be consistent with prerequisite requirements. Examples, given for illustrative purposes only, are as follows
(a) Emphasising advanced pure mathematics (entry requires the invitation of the Head of the Department of Mathematics)
(b) Emphasising studies in Operations Research (Exemption Test required)
(c) Emphasising studies in Operations Research
(d) Emphasising industrial and applied mathematics (if both of 618-311, 618-342 taken), or mathematics education
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.
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 require more third-year Mathematics 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 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 any combined honours programme involving Mathematics 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. Enquiries should be directed in the first place to the Department of Mathematics Fourth-year Coordinator (Dr Ecker). 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.
For more information, please contact:
Department of Mathematics
The University of Melbourne
telephone: 344-5550
fax: 344 4599
World-Wide-Web: http://www. maths. mu. oz. au/
Tables 1 shows second-year subjects offered in 1996. Further details of these subjects may be found in the Science Faculty section of the University of Melbourne Undergraduate Studies Handbook.
TABLE 1: Second year Mathematics subjects
Table 2 shows third-year subjects offered in 1996. Further details of these subjects may be found in the Science Faculty section of the University of Melbourne Undergraduate Studies Handbook.
TABLE 2: Third year Mathematics subjects
(First semester)
(Second semester)
Entry into the Mathematics Honours programme at fourth year requires the permission of the Head of the Department of Mathematics. The student is usually required to have obtained adequate results in six subjects chosen from among 618-301, 618-302, 618-321, 618-322, 618-331, 618-332, 618-340, 618-341, 618-342, 618-361, 618-362. Bachelor of Arts students will not normally be able to meet these requirements without an overload beyond the normal 100 points in third year, but students with outstanding previous achievement in Mathematics may be accepted into Honours in Mathematics, or Combined Honours in Mathematics and another Arts discipline with fewer than six third-year Mathematics subjects. Enquiries should be directed to the Department of Mathematics Fourth-year Coordinator (Dr Ecker).
Honours students are encouraged to undertake some part-time tutoring within the Department of Mathematics. For further details, consult the Director of First-year Studies (Dr Barrington). Students should discuss any financial difficulties with the HECS Charge with the Fourth-year Coordinator (Dr Ecker).
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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.