Course details

Summary

The subject of Mathematics has many faces: it can be challenging, beautiful, powerful, fascinating, even mysterious to some people, but above all it is useful. Mathematics interacts with other disciplines and makes essential contributions to science, medicine and commerce as well as to many important contemporary areas of technology such as communications, linguistics and genetics. Wherever problems need to be solved, Mathematics has a role to play. For this reason, Mathematics is an excellent major in its own right, or as a second major or supporting subject for many other disciplines.

First-year courses in Mathematics are designed to provide you with a range of concepts, theoretical results, and analytical, computational and modelling skills that may be applied in a wide variety of areas. By studying Mathematics you gain increased analytical ability, comprehension of abstract concepts and creative thinking. These skills are highly valued in the business, financial, industrial, social and academic worlds.

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 career paths of Mathematics graduates include information analysis (MSD), information systems or computer science, operations research, biostatistics, chemistry, ecological modelling (AgResearch), resource accounting analysis (Landcorp), electrical or computer engineer, scientist-modeller/statistics (NIWA), statistical analysis (Statistics New Zealand), meteorology (Met service), commercial banking graduate programmes, research, analysis with policy focus, business analysis, sustainability analysis (Landcorp).

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:

At least 30 points from MATHS 253, 255, 260

At least 30 points from MATHS 302–360

A further 30 points from MATHS 302–360, STATS 310, 325, 370, ENGSCI 391, PHIL 305 and any other courses approved by the Head of Department

Second major must include:

At least 30 points from MATHS 253, 255, 260

At least 30 points from MATHS 302–360

A further 15 points from MATHS 302–360, STATS 310, 325, 370, ENGSCI 391, PHIL 305 and any other courses approved by the Head of Department

Note that students intending to continue to postgraduate study must include MATHS 332 and one of MATHS 320 and 328 in their Mathematics major.

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.