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In the Mathematical Sciences one explores in both qualitative and quantitative terms the themes of change and evolution, chance, choice and shape. Archaeological evidence shows that Mathematical Sciences have been practised continuously for more than 4,000 years, from the ancient civilisations of Mesopotamia to the research laboratories of Silicon Valley.
Mathematics is the oldest of the exact sciences, and among the oldest of all intellectual disciplines. It has been valued as the training ground for the development of systematic, logical and analytical modes of thought, and it contains ideas as profound and beautiful as may be encountered anywhere.
Statistics is a more recent development. It involves the investigation of data and the study of randomness, probability, estimation and prediction. Statistics is an increasingly important field of study. This is because greater and greater amounts of data are produced each year, as society becomes more complex and computers make it easier to store and analyse data.
A knowledge of Mathematics and Statistics is invaluable for professional life - in the pure and applied sciences as well as in commerce and industry. Mathematics and Statistics are the foundation of much of modern technology, and their study prepares the student for life in an increasingly technological and complex world.
Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts who have majored in Mathematics and Statistics find employment in the following areas: in biology (population modelling), in business (quality management and improvement), in demography and behavioural science (survey sampling, analysis and prediction of human populations), in finance, commerce and economics (the study an forecasting of production, consumer behaviour and stock prices), in engineering (design and testing of structures, flood control and prediction, analysis of computer networks), in education (secondary and tertiary teaching), and in the medical sciences (epidemiology and analysis of medical research data).
Mathematicians and statisticians work for companies of any size, government departments or statutory authorities, educational institutions, or they can work independently as consultants. They assist their employers or clients in making optimal decisions in production, distribution, storage, scheduling, facility planning, pricing, investment, and many other areas of commerce and industry. They model industrial processes, and collaborate with scientists in all areas of research and development. Some will choose to deal with a narrow range of problems - for example, economic statistics. Others may be employed by a large company to solve any of a broad range of problems which may inevitably arise in the research and development activities of the company. Similar roles exist in medical research institutions and some government authorities.
Mathematicians and statisticians are also valued for their well-developed analytical skills. People with a degree in Mathematics and Statistics are well qualified as general problem solvers and for management roles.
First year: First-year subjects in Mathematics and Statistics generally require VCE Mathematics at level 3/4. Students planning to study Mathematics or Statistics within the Bachelor of Arts degree should read the description of first-year courses given below to understand the available first-year selections, before turning to the separate course entries.
Later years: Entry into Mathematics and Statistics subjects is controlled by a system of prerequisites and corequisites. Students limiting their selection to 12.5 or 25 points in first year Mathematics and Statistics have limited options in later years, and it is usually preferable for students wishing to pursue substantial studies in Mathematics and Statistics to select 37.5 or 50 points in Mathematics and Statistics in first-year.
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
(c) Emphasising studies in industrial and applied mathematics
(d) Emphasising statistical applications
(e) Emphasising mathematics education
Options are considerably enhanced by taking more than two first-year subjects from the offerings of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
There is no distinction between pass and honours streams in first, second, or third year, although some Mathematics subjects, designated as 'Advanced' and only available by invitation, are especially suited for potential honours candidates.
The prerequisites for entry into the fourth-year Honours program in Mathematics and Statistics requires four third-year Mathematics and Statistics subjects. Because of the prerequisite requirements, the choice of third-year subjects is largely determined by the three Mathematics and Statistics subjects chosen in second-year. The range of Mathematics and Statistics subjects available to Arts students in second and third-year is restricted as a double major in Mathematics and Statistics is not permitted. As a consequence, students wishing to proceed to Honours need to choose their first and second-year Mathematics and Statistics subjects with some care - as these choices will determine the honours program they may take.
Bachelor of Arts students contemplating Honours studies in Mathematics and Statistics, or any combined honours program involving Mathematics and 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 program, or the degree of Bachelor of Arts and Sciences (BASc) offered for the first time in 1998.
Postgraduate Diploma, Masters and PhD programs are available in Mathematics and Statistics. Details of these programs can be obtained from the Department.
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics has a First-year Learning Centre through which teaching and administration of its first-year subjects is coordinated. This centre is located on the ground floor of the Richard Berry Building. Near this centre, students will find notice-boards 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, offices of tutors in Mathematics and Statistics, tutorial rooms, a student waiting area, and a consultation room.
Arts students wishing to study Mathematics and Statistics in first-year may choose from a range of subjects.
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 below, with the semester in which they are offered. 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 620-130, 620-142 and 620-160. The subjects 620-130 and 620-142 are normally taken in semester 2, but are also offered in semester 1 primarily to accommodate the needs of students who need, for whatever reason, to undertake it in semester 1 of their second year.
Permitted combinations of subjects are controlled by prerequisites and corequisites. Incoming students will normally include one of the following subjects covering calculus and linear algebra in first semester, listed in decreasing order of difficulty:
620-111, 620-121, 620-141, 620-161
All incoming students with VCE Mathematical Methods 3/4 (or an equivalent secondary school subject) are entitled to enrol in 620-141 Intermediate Mathematics A, although students who have not studied VCE Specialist Mathematics 3/4 (or an equivalent secondary school subject) are normally encouraged to enrol instead in 620-161. Entry into the subjects 620-111 Mathematics 1A (Advanced) and 620-121 Mathematics 1A requires the permission of the Mathematics and Statistics Department's Director of First-year Studies. The subject 620-161 represents the least challenging point of entry into Mathematics subjects. Permission to enter this subject is not normally granted to students who have completed VCE Specialist Mathematics 3/4. 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.
Students wishing to pursue studies in Probability and Statistics should include one of 620-131 Scientific Programming and Simulation or 620-140 Probability and Applications - for each of which VCE Specialist Mathematics is recommended; or 620-160 Experimental Design and Data Analysis for which VCE Mathematical Methods is sufficient.
Students who wish to have a limited introduction to tertiary-level Mathematics and Statistics at 100-level, but do not anticipate continuing studies in this discipline should consider taking one or both of 620-150 or 620-160.
Students who studied 618-120 MUPHAS Mathematics (1997 Handbook) at school as part of the Melbourne University Program for High Achieving Students (MUPHAS) should consult the Director of First-year Studies for advice on subject selection, including the possibility of direct entry into 200-level subjects.
In all but the first selection listed below, the subject 620-131 Scientific Programming and Simulation may be replaced with 620-160 Experimental Design and Data Analysis or 620-140 Probability and Applications.
For further suggestions, see the entry for the Department of Mathematics and Statistics in the Science Faculty section of the Handbook. Students are encouraged to consult course advisers from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
The following list shows second-year subjects offered in 1998. Further details of these subjects may be found in the Science Faculty section of the University of Melbourne Undergraduate Studies Handbook.
| Second year Mathematics and Statistics Subjects | ||
|---|---|---|
| 620-200 Mathematics 2 | 12.5 | |
| 620-201 Probability | 12.5 | |
| 620-202 Statistics | 12.5 | |
| 620-211 Mathematics 2 (Advanced) | 12.5 | |
| 620-221 Real and Complex Analysis | 12.5 | |
| 620-222 Linear and Abstract Algebra | 12.5 | |
| 620-231 Vector Analysis | 12.5 | |
| 620-232 Mathematical Methods | 12.5 | |
| 620-252 Analysis | 12.5 | |
| 620-261 Introduction to Operations Research | 12.5 | |
| 620-262 Decision-Making | 12.5 | |
| 620-270 Applied Statistics | 12.5 | |
| 620-291 Mathematics and Statistics Project A (Advanced) | 12.5 | |
| 620-292 Mathematics and Statistics Project B (Advanced) | 12.5 | |
The following list shows third-year subjects offered in 1998. Further details of these subjects may be found in the Science Faculty section of the University of Melbourne Undergraduate Studies Handbook.
Entry into the Mathematics and Statistics Honours program at fourth year requires the permission of the Head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. The student is usually required to have obtained adequate results in four subjects chosen from among 620-301, 620-302, 620-311, 620-312, 620-321, 620-322, 620-331, 620-332, 620-341, 620-342, 620-361, 620-362, although it may be possible, with the permission of the Fourth-year Coordinator (Professor Neumann), to replace one of these subjects with either 620-352 or 620-381. Bachelor of Arts students, having taken only three Mathematics and Statistics subjects in second-year, will have a restricted choice from these third-year subjects. This restricted choice will determine the honours program of Mathematics and Statistics to which the student may proceed. Consequently the student's choice of Mathematics and Statistics subjects at second-year level is crucial and should only be done after consulting a course advisor.
Enquiries should be directed to the Department of Mathematics and Statistics Fourth-year Coordinator (Professor Neumann). Honours students are encouraged to undertake some part-time tutoring within the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. 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 (Professor Neumann).
Search : Index : Faculty of Arts
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