Bachelor of Mathematics Queensland University of Technology

Overview

As this course is being implemented progressively over time, prospective students who intend to apply for advanced standing should contact the faculty to seek advice on whether suitable units will be available for enrolment.

• Equip yourself with the specialist analytical skills required to tackle today's complex scientific, computational and modelling problems.
• Learn from people who deliver world-class teaching and research outcomes.
• Play an integral role in the workplace with a modern, relevant and engaging mathematics degree designed for the real world and underpinned by our award-winning research.
• Major in Applied and Computational Mathematics, Operations Research or Statistics.
• Gain practical skills using the latest computer technology to enable you to solve real-world problems and prepare you for a career in a wide range of areas such as finance, investment, information technology, environmental management, health, marketing, logistics, defence, and media, education, and research.

Specializations

Your mathematics degree features common units in the first year, giving you the opportunity to explore the full range of mathematics majors before you choose your career specialization.

Bachelor of Mathematics (Applied and Computational Mathematics)

Be at the frontline of scientific and technological advancement. Apply theory to real-world issues in the physical and chemical sciences, engineering and social sciences.

Highlights

• Gain specialist analytical skills recognized by employers as essential for today's complex world.
• Combine underlying mathematical theory with modelling, computational skills, and the latest computer technology to solve real-world problems.
• Develop communication, problem-solving, critical thinking and teamwork skills.
• Be involved in real-world applications and computer simulations in research projects.
• Find employment opportunities across a wide range of areas, such as finance, investment, information technology, environmental management, health, marketing, logistics, defence, media, education, and research.

Why choose this course?

This course provides high-quality learning for students who want to combine their studies in mathematics with considerable involvement in real-world applications and computational simulations. Computer simulation and visualization techniques can be used in many research projects including bone fracture and wound healing, and modelling saltwater intrusion in coastal systems.

This major introduces you to a wide range of concepts in mathematical foundations, modelling, and computational methods, and provides strong links between theory and application. You will investigate underlying mathematical theory to see how it can be applied to real-world scenarios from many fields of study including the physical and chemical sciences, biology, engineering, and the social sciences. You will also develop computational solution and simulation methods to couple with modelling skills in order to investigate large-scale applied problems.

Bachelor of Mathematics (Operations Research)

Design, operate and predict the behaviour of complex systems, using operations research, stochastic and mathematical modelling and optimization.

Highlights

• Learn to design, operate and/or predict the behaviour of complex systems like people, machinery, materials, and money in the industry, business, finance, education, government, and defence.
• Use mathematical models and numerical algorithms to make appropriate and better decisions in complex decision-making problems.
• Employ advanced analytical methods such as operations research, financial mathematics, stochastic and mathematical modelling, and mathematical optimization.
• Work within different industries including manufacturing and production, management, health care, finance and economics, goods and services, infrastructure, transportation and logistics, mining and defence.

Why choose this course?

The operations research major encompasses the study of quantitative techniques relevant to decision-making in its broadest sense. You will employ a problem-solving approach, using advanced analytical methods such as operations research, financial mathematics, stochastic and mathematical modelling, and mathematical optimization. You will also use a variety of software and improve your information technology skills. Because of its emphasis on human-technology interaction and its focus on practical applications, operations research overlaps with other disciplines, notably industrial engineering and operations management, economics and finance, so it is a multidisciplinary field.

The coursework also introduces you to different industries and processes that greatly contribute to the economy and environment of nations around the world. These include manufacturing and production, management, health care, finance and economics, goods and services, infrastructure, transportation and logistics, mining and defence. This study area provides a foundation for a variety of careers and further study.

Career outcomes

Operations research graduates typically have a wide range of choices for employment. The job markets for actuaries, finance and operations research analysts have been quite strong in recent years and are expected to remain so in the near future. In addition, students with excellent grades who desire more education in these areas will find a large number of opportunities for postgraduate study. The decision science major prepares you for careers or for further postgraduate study in such technical fields as operations research, management science, information technology, industrial engineering, strategic planning, systems analysis, financial analysis, and actuarial science.

Bachelor of Mathematics (Statistics)

Highlights

• Develop analytical and problem-solving skills for use in a vast array of roles and settings to gain insights into many real-world problems of significant importance.
• Work closely with academics who are world leaders in research with strong industry ties, ensuring relevant and high-quality learning experiences.
• Be provided with the methodology for analyzing data using empirical, theoretical and computational tools.
• Discover complex statistical techniques, and develop a fundamental and thorough understanding of statistics and statistical methodologies for use in real-world scenarios in industry, government and/or research.

Why choose this course?

Many of our academics are world leaders in research and have strong industry ties that ensure the relevance of teaching material and high-quality learning experiences. The statistics major will provide you with the methodology for analyzing data using empirical, theoretical and computational tools. You will discover complex statistical techniques and concepts through applications and datasets from the real world, providing strong links between theory and application.

You will also gain a fundamental and thorough understanding of statistics and statistical methodology, and the ability to apply such quantitative skills in real-world scenarios, preparing you for a career in industry, government and/or research.

Course Design

Your QUT Bachelor of Mathematics degree consists of 288 credit points (24 units) arranged as follows:

• 96 credit points (8 units) of core units, which include a core option unit selected from an approved list.
• 96 credit points (8 units) of major units.
• 96 credit points of complementary studies comprising of either a second major (8 unit set) or two minors (4 unit set each).

Mathematics Core Units

These units give you the grounding in mathematical theory and practice upon which your major units will build, and also provide an introductory taste of each of the three majors: applied and computational mathematics; operations research; and statistics.

Core Option Units

You may choose from a wide variety of introductory units from other disciplines offered at QUT, or you may choose additional mathematics units. The additional mathematics units include a unit specially designed to assist students without a background of successful study in Mathematics C at high school; an alternative unit aimed at high achieving students that explores some interesting and unusual aspects of mathematics in some detail; and a unit introducing the field of computational and simulation science which combines mathematics, science and computing to simulate real-world problems.

Major Units

Your major is your area of specialization, in which you will acquire in-depth knowledge and expertise, preparing you for your entry into the workforce or for further study. All majors share the same introductory and advanced units in algebra and calculus, meaning you do not need to decide on your major until your second year of study.

Second Major or Minors

You may choose to undertake a second major: an 8 unit set in which you will acquire a significant depth of knowledge and expertise in an area to complement your major. You may choose a second major in applied and computational mathematics, operations research, statistics, computational and simulation science, accountancy, applied economics and finance, physics, chemistry, biological science, earth science or environmental science.

Alternatively, you may choose to undertake two minors: 4 unit sets with intermediate to advanced level content which extends or supplements studies in your major. Minors are available from a range of inter-and intra-faculty disciplines, as well as experiential minors such as an international exchange.

As a graduate of the Bachelor of Mathematics (Applied and Computational Mathematics) you will find employment opportunities across a wide range of areas, such as finance, investment, information technology, environmental management, health, marketing, logistics, defence, media, education, and research. In addition to your knowledge and abilities in mathematics, you will also be highly valued for your analytical and problem-solving skills.

Career outcomes for graduates of the Bachelor of Mathematics (Statistics) include data analyst, quantitative analyst, researcher, risk analyst and statistician. Positions of this nature are often found with employers such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Queensland Treasury, state and Commonwealth governments, financial institutions, CSIRO, insurance companies, and medical companies.