Department of Mathematics
HONOURS PROGRAM IN MATHEMATICS
Program Details
Overview
The coursework requirements are that each student takes six semester units. In addition to these units, the student will write an honours essay which will contribute the equivalent of 30% towards the final grade of honours. The essay topic will be chosen in consultation with a member of the mathematics staff who has agreed to supervise the student. The choice of topic is usually confirmed early in the first semester and the student will have consulted members of the mathematics staff before settling on a final choice of topic. The deadline for submission of essays is normally towards the end of October. The student will give an oral presentation of the essay. This presentation is assessed and will contribute the equivalent of 5% towards the final grade of honours.
The full-time honours program takes one year and the part-time honours program takes two years. For the full-time program, the student will take three coursework units in each half year and work on the honours essay at the same time. For the part-time program, the student will take two units in each of the first three semesters and devote the final semester to the honours essay.
The honours program usually commences in February, but it may be possible for some programs to commence at mid-year.
Coursework Units
Four coursework units, two per semester, comprise a core of the honours program. These are:
In both semesters a third unit is offered. These units may vary from year to year and often contain topics which are applications of the core units. Some typical recent examples are:
An outline of the honours units offered in Semester 1, 2009 is available here.
Each coursework unit involves three class contact hours per week. Some of these units may be offered as reading courses in case of small enrolments.
Assesment may vary but usually is based on assignments and take-home-exams.
Grades of Honours
Honours are awarded with the following grades:
The classification is based on the average percentage marks achieved in all components.
The lower cut-offs for each grade of honours are:
Very occasionally, a candidate will not satisfy the requirements for award of any grade of honours. This is often the case where no essay has been submitted or the essay has been assessed as unsatisfactory.
Normally, to be considered for an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA), a candidate must have been awarded a grade of First Class Honours.