The fourth year Honours degree consists of 16 units, and is generally done in
one year, or two consecutive semesters. If you wish to do Honours part-time,
please enquire at the office of the School of Physical Sciences.
From 2002 onwards, you enrol in a single code for honours, such as MATH6000.
This code varies according to whether you commence in the first or second semester of a year, and whether you are in Arts or Science.
The Honours year involves an Honours Project worth 4 units
(generally spread over both semesters) and a further 12 units of coursework,
usually in the form of three 2 unit courses each semester.
Some level 3 courses can be included, especially those offered only
in alternate years, since they are designed for honours or intending
honours students, as well as pass students.
A maximum of two "ordinary" level 3 courses may be included.
Other courses without MATH/STAT codes must be approved by the Head
of Department, Associate Professor Mark Gould.
It is necessary to gain credit for each and every course taken in your fourth year, among the 16 units, in order that you can be awarded your honours degree. You should therefore make sure that you take an appropriate 12 units of courses besides the 4 unit project, and ensure that your project supervisor is aware of all the courses you are taking.
First Semester, first Monday 2pm:
A meeting for all new (and continuing) Honours students is held,
at which information is given about such things as
honours projects, honours talks,
various courses and timetable details for unlisted courses,
rooms for honours students, and computer accounts within the department.
Some new honours students will have already
seen their proposed supervisor before
the start of semester, and already have organised keys, their desk in the
Honours Room, and a computer account.
Early in First Semester:
There will be a couple of library sessions in the PSE Library, at which you
can learn all about such things as MathSciNet and the Web of Science.
The first Monday of Second Semester, 2pm:
There will be a meeting of all honours students, about preparing for
and presenting their talk based on their project work.
In the second half of Second Semester the honours students present their talks (two per 50 minute session) to the department; these talks are followed by afternoon tea with time then for more informal discussions. Depending upon numbers of students involved, these usually run for about six to eight weeks, on Mondays at 2pm.
The Honours thesis is intended primarily to be a survey of the research literature associated with a particular topic, to be decided upon with your supervisor. In addition, students are encouraged to expand on this material through their own investigations. An Honours thesis is not normally expected to contain original research (this is the domain of a Masters or a PhD degree!) but a novel presentation of the research in the chosen area is encouraged, and might involve new proofs of known results, extra calculation, some numerical experimentation, etc. This is where the library sessions on MathSciNet prove extremely useful!
The thesis should be written in the style of an extended research paper, and should present a coherent account of the material studied. For the 4 unit honours project, a thesis of around 15,000 - 25,000 words or equivalent would normally be expected.
The Mathematics Department requires you to have a substantial amount of written work to show your supervisor by the end of your first semester, along with an outline of the thesis. This requirement is really to protect you against any misunderstanding that could arise, and to ensure that the project you undertake will be achievable by the end of the year. Two copies of the thesis itself are required by 9am on the Monday of the second week of examinations in your final semester. (In 2002 second semester, this is 9am on Monday 18 November.)
Most students prefer to produce the final version of their Honours Thesis in LaTeX. This does give an extremely professional finish, and help and LaTeX handouts are given out at the first meeting of the year. Other word processors may also be used. Neat handwritten copies are also acceptable, provided that care has been taken to ensure good legibility.
A guide to the format of the thesis can be found either by looking at previous Honours theses within the Department (remember that in previous years theses were worth different amounts, and so were of varying lengths), or else by referring to good survey articles in Journals such as the Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society.
It is a good idea to arrange regular meeting times (at least weekly) with your supervisor, to discuss the work for your thesis as it progresses.
Your thesis will be read and marked by two examiners, usually your supervisor, and one other person familiar with your chosen area.
If you are unsure whom to approach regarding an Honours Project, you could talk to a lecturer in a Mathematics Course which interests you, or else see one of the following people:
For general queries regarding Honours in the Department, see the
Honours' Coordinator, A/Prof Elizabeth Billington, room 653,
phone 3365 2313.
March 2002.