Course details

Summary

With so many options to choose from, the Bachelor of Science degree (BSc) is your opportunity to create a good foundation for your study in the Earth, Chemical, Computational, Human, Life, Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

Modern science relies absolutely on applied mathematics. It is the job of an applied mathematician to show how mathematical techniques can be applied to science and technology to answer interesting questions. Our goal is to use mathematical equations to study real-world problems rather than to study equations for their own sake.

The Department of Mathematics uses mathematics to study such diverse areas as physiology, ice flow, floating runways, astronomy, quantum chemistry, nonlinear systems, the human genome and many other areas. Elements of these research areas are incorporated into our courses wherever possible.

Each of the courses in the Applied Mathematics programme deals with some aspect of the "Mathematical Models" that are used for describing problems from a variety of areas within Science and Technology. The core skills taught in these courses are:

• How to build mathematical models.
• The mathematical ideas most useful for modeling
• Solution of models, often by computation.

There is a wealth of subjects on offer within the Bachelor of Science (BSc). The main areas include biological sciences, human sciences, earth sciences, computational sciences, physical sciences and health-orientated sciences. As well as skills that are part of your academic learning in your chosen major, you’ll have exposure to new technologies. This is the degree for you if you’re science-minded and want to keep your options open.

Programme highlights

• Take advantage of a huge variety of subjects and customize your degree to incorporate different areas of interest and expertise.
• Develop skills in independent research, working in teams, and writing and presenting work.
• Strongly emphasize your development of core transferable skills, which improve your employment opportunities.
• Connect with working scientists throughout your degree.

Career opportunities

With a good degree in quantitative methods (mathematics, statistics, operations research and computing), career opportunities may include industry or government, computer development, insurance, meteorology, traffic engineering, systems analysis, computing programming, statistics, biometrics or operations research, and many other fields.

There is also currently a strong demand for mathematics teachers. You should aim for a balanced mathematics programme and bear in mind that versatility may be of more value to an employer than deep knowledge of one or two specialized topics.

Recent University of Auckland graduates work as/in:

• Actuaries or actuarial associates
• NIWA scientists
• Ag Research
• Investment Banks
• Financial, Business and Risk Analysts
• National Institute of Health, USA
• Biotech companies
• Academic careers

Further study options

• Bachelor of Science (Honours)
• Graduate Diploma in Science (GradDipSci)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Science (PGDipSci)
• Master of Science (MSc)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Structure

Single or first major must include:

45 points: MATHS 253, 260, 270

45 points: MATHS 340, 361, 363

at least 15 points from MATHS 332, 333, 362, STATS 310, 325, 370, ENGSCI 343, 391 and any other courses approved by the Head of Department

Second major must include:

at least 30 points from MATHS 253, 260, 270

45 points: MATHS 340, 361, 363

Entry criteria

Secondary school qualifications

You need to have one of the following:

International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum total score of 24.

General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level. You must have completed a minimum of three A-Level subjects with at least a 'C' grade or higher. General Studies or similar general papers cannot be included.

GCE ‘A’ Level requirements apply to ‘A’ Level qualifications examined by bodies such as AQA, OCR, Edexcel, WJEC, CCEA, Pearson Education Limited and CIE taken outside of New Zealand.

English language requirements:

IELTS 6.0; TOEFL (iBT) 80; TOEFL (paper-based) 550; CAE or CPE 169; PTE 50; MELAB 80.