Course details

Summary

To fully appreciate mathematics you must transcend beyond bare formulae to understand the ideas that lie behind them. Mathematical thought is one of the greatest human achievements and has been around for over 4,000 years.

Mathematics is a living subject with new processes, techniques and theories constantly being devised, tested and explored. The extensive use of computers in a wide range of academic areas has led to an increasing demand for statistical and mathematical analysis in many new fields.

Modern mathematicians and statisticians are being asked to develop new tools and techniques to deal with problems in areas from business management to biology. New insights are also being opened up in the more traditional areas of physical science and engineering. All this activity leads to new applications of mathematics and statistics, as well as new theoretical work on the structure of the mathematics involved.

Mathematics provides skills in independent thinking and problem solving, which are of use in many fields of employment and in Science, Engineering, and Commerce.

This diploma offers people who hold a bachelor's degree in a major in an unrelated area the opportunity to study science in-depth. It is designed to provide a qualification for graduates seeking to qualify for entry to postgraduate qualifications in science, change career direction, or to extend or upgrade their existing qualifications.

The GradDipSc may be awarded with Distinction.

Qualification structure and duration

Students take courses from the Bachelor of Science schedule and are required to pass courses totalling a minimum of 120 points including 90 points at 300-level.

Further study

This qualification is an ideal pathway into postgraduate study.

Higher level study can be in Mathematics, Statistics, Mathematics and Statistics, Computational and Applied Mathematical Sciences, Economics and Mathematics, Finance and Mathematics, Finance and Statistics, Mathematics and Philosophy, and Mathematical Physics.

Career opportunities

Perhaps the most important quality that a Mathematics graduate develops is the ability to reason logically and in-depth. Vocational courses provide expertise with an immediate usefulness, but technological change is rapid and what is learnt one year may be superseded within a decade. On the other hand, the habits of thought promoted by a study of Mathematics are of permanent value.

Many Mathematics graduates move into teaching and significant numbers are absorbed by computing, finance, commerce, insurance and scientific establishments, such as the Crown Research Institutes.

Employment opportunities are particularly good for people who combine qualifications in Mathematics with qualifications in other disciplines such as the Physical Sciences, Statistics, Computer Science, Engineering, Management and Economics.

Entry criteria

Graduate diplomas require a bachelor's degree. If you gained your qualifications overseas, these will need to be assessed to ensure they are of an equivalent standard.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 550 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum C+ grade; CAE or CPE minimum score of 169 with at least 162 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 57 and no PTE communicative skills score below 50.