Master of Arts (Thesis) (MA(Thesis)) in Mathematics

Summary

The Master of Arts (MA) degree normally requires at least one year of full-time study and entails completion of a thesis. The thesis is a major piece of supervised research on a topic of current interest.

The primary aim of the programme is to develop in a candidate skills needed to identify a significant topic, design and implement an extended piece of research, and present the findings in a form acceptable to an expert readership. It prepares candidates for employment in education, regional and national government agencies, the private sector, and industry. The degree is also an possible qualification for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

Why study Mathematics?

You build a solid foundation for analysing and understanding the mass of quantitative data that is available these days. You develop problem solving and organisational skills that are highly sought after by employers. You learn to think both logically and creatively. You discover an amazingly varied and profoundly rich science that has an intrinsic beauty. You get your mind around some of the ancient problems that have fascinated humans for centuries.

Career opportunities

Career options for Mathematics graduates are much wider than you might think. Many students take jobs where mathematics is not the main focus of the business, and yet their mathematical skills are their greatest asset. That is because mathematics and the analytical and logical thinking that it teaches are vital in understanding and solving all manner of quantitative problems, from electricity generation to data compression, from weather forecasting to the study of bone density loss.

Mathematics graduates, especially those with a well-rounded background in mathematical, statistical, and computer skills, have a qualification that integrates perfectly into the modern, technology-based world.

Applied mathematicians are in demand wherever employers need deterministic models, for example, in seismology and the earth sciences, meteorology, the chemical and forensic industries, health, ecology and conservation, transportation and scheduling, engineering, and computing, to name a few. And for those with both applied Mathematics and Statistics, i.e. a background in both deterministic and stochastic models, one can add to the above list the areas of social science, financial services and insurance, epidemiology, quality assurance, economics, policy, government, and many others.