The study of mathematics at Honours level will help you develop the skills required for independent and original research.

Your supervised research project will develop your ability to think rigorously and logically while teaching you how to tackle problems with insight and imagination.

1. Outcomes
2. Entry into Honours
3. Standard Honours program
4. Joint Honours programs

Outcomes

Graduating with Honours allows you to be eligible to go on to postgraduate research.

It is expected that after completing your Honours project you will have:

• obtained an understanding of research methods in an area of mathematics or statistics
• developed the confidence and ability to work independently
• learned to evaluate relevant literature and incorporate it appropriately when introducing the background to a piece of work
• developed the ability to communicate technical ideas effectively, both in your writing and also in an oral/visual presentation

Employers value the additional skills gained during Honours study, so completion of the Honours program should also enhance job your prospects.

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Entry into Honours

To be eligible for entry into Honours, you must have obtained an average mark of at least 65% in the level 3 units of your mathematics major.

Most students taking Honours do so during their fourth year of study at UWA.

However, BSc/BE students (and some other combined course students) may take an Honours degree in Mathematics or Statistics by including an extra year in their course, usually as the 4th, 5th or the 6th year.

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Standard Honours program

The Honours year officially begins one week before lectures begin, during which there will be:

• Meeting of all Honours students and lecturing staff to organise the lecture timetable
• Library Orientation Program (compulsory)
• Start of Scientific Communication Course (compulsory) to help with the writing of the dissertation

Honours project and dissertation

• All Honours students must choose a supervisor and notify the Honours Co-ordinator by the first day of the first teaching week. 
• Students are encouraged to speak widely with staff members about choosing a topic for their project and dissertation. 
• There are assessment guidelines on producing a dissertation.
• Student seminars will be given in the weeks of semester following the submission date. If there is a large number of honours students some seminars may be in the week before or after that stated above.

Areas of study

In the Honours year a student may specialise in:

• Applied Mathematics
• Applied Statistics
• Discrete Mathematics
• Mathematical Statistics
• Operations Research
• Pure Mathematics

It is possible to take the more general Honours in Mathematical Sciences degree.

Lecture sub-units

As well as the supervised project and dissertation the Honours year includes five lecture sub-units.

The sub-units must be chosen to comply with the following conditions:

1. For a student electing to specialise in one area, at least three of the five sub-units should be chosen within that area. At least two of those three must be fourth year sub-units.
2. Any of the units or sub-units referred to above may be replaced by a suitable unit outside the School of Mathematics and Statistics with the approval of the Head of School.

Choice of lecture topics

• Review the list of the fourth year (Honours) units.
• In recent years, third or fourth year units from Computer Science, Physics, Engineering, Econometrics, Accounting, and Finance and Epidemiology have been approved for inclusion among the five lecture sub-units.
• The final selection of lecture sub-units must be approved by the Honours Co-ordinator after consultation with the appropriate Honours advisers. Any student wishing to change his/her enrolment during the academic year should first consult the Honours Co-ordinator.
• Each of the Honours lecture sub-units consists of one semester of up to three class hours per week.
• It is recommended that, where possible, students take three lecture sub-units in their first semester of enrolment and two lecture sub-units in their second semester to allow sufficient time for the writing of the project dissertation.
• Overloading is not allowed.

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Joint Honours programs

It is possible to do Honours programs jointly between the School of Mathematics and Statistics and another School. For example, Computer Science, Physics, Geology or Accounting and Finance, if the dissertation topic requires expertise from both Schools and joint supervision of the Honours project is needed.

The structure of the program of study and the assessment rules for joint Honours students will be determined by the two Schools concerned, and may differ slightly from those for Honours students based entirely within the School of Mathematics and Statistics. 

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