Honours program

Handbook

This document contains all of the information needed to take part in our Honours Program. It includes all details about entry requirements, application procedures, scholarships and full details of lecture topics, projects and essays. A PDF version can be found here.

Lecture topics

All honours students will need to complete a number of lecture topics (the exact number will depend on which honours program is taken). A complete list of lecture topics can be found here.

Projects and essays

Each honours student will need to complete one project and one essay. A complete list of the available essays and projects can be found here.

The remainder of this web page is a summary of the material contained in the handbook. Students who intend to undertake honours should read the following only as a guide. The handbook is the official source.

Information Session for Prospective Honours students for 2008

The School of Mathematical Sciences will be holding a general information session for all prospective honours in 2008. This session will be held on Thursday 11 October, 2008 from 3.00pm to 4.30pm in Seminar Room 345, 3rd Floor, Building 28, Clayton Campus.

Honours convenors will present information about honours in their respective area of Mathematics. Staff will be available for you to ask questions about the Honours programme in Mathematics.

Scholarships and subsidies available in the Honours programme for 2008

The School of Mathematical Sciences offers Honours Scholarships to all third year students who have obtained an average of 85% or above in 24 points of relevant 3rd year units as required for honours entry.

For students who have received an average of at least 90% in these units, the value of this scholarship is $2,500.

For students who have received an average of 85 - 89%, the value of this scholarship is $2,000.

School of Mathematical Sciences - Externally Funded Scholarships

In addition, honours students undertaking honours projects that are externally funded may be offered an additional $2,500.

Monash Vice-Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Scholarships

The Monash Vice-Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Scholarships are awarded to students of exceptional calibre who have demonstrated a high level of research potential. For more information on eligibility, the value and tenure of the award, please click here

ICE-EM/AMSI 2008 Summer School Subsidies

The International Centre of Excellence for Education in Mathematics/ Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (ICE-EM/AMSI) will be offering subsidies for 2008 which entitles, students from all AMSI member institutions, travel and accommodation subsidies for the courses run by ICE-EM / AMSI - 2008 Summer School. More details about the subsidies can be found at: http://www.maths.monash.edu.au/amsiss08/support.html

Special Activities in the Honours Programme for 2008

ICE-EM / AMSI Summer School 2008

The International Centre of Excellence for Education in Mathematics / Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (ICE-EM/AMSI) will be running a Summer School which is going to be held at the School of Mathematical Sciences, Monash University Clayton from 14 January - 8 February 2008.

The specialist courses being offered in this summer school are taught by specialists in mathematics and can be credited towards your Honours degree. Travel and accommodation costs are subsidised.

To receive information from about the summer school, please visit: http://www.maths.monash.edu.au/amsiss08/support.html

If you are interested please contact Dr Maria Athanassenas at: Maria Athanassenas, Phone: 9905 4462, Room 419, Building 28.

Key Centre for Statistical Science

Students taking Honours in Statistics are invited and advised to take units offered by the Key Centre in Statistical Sciences. This is a joint co-operative venture involving Monash, Melbourne and La Trobe Universities and RMIT. The Key Centre provides a wide variety of units in both theoretical and practical aspects of statistics. The range of topics includes Bioinformatics, Exploratory Data Analysis, Design and Analysis of Experiments, Time Series Analysis and the Mathematics of Options Pricing, and is much wider than what could be offered by any university department by itself. Students taking Key Centre courses have a valuable opportunity to interact with staff and students from the other universities in the centre.

Astrophysics observation/theory project: The dynamical evolution of globular clusters

The observation project combines theory with experiment and this project is compulsory to all students enrolled in the Honours Astrophysics programme. Students spend 3 nights at Siding Spring Observatory doing surface brightness photometry of several bright globular clusters. These include both core-collapsed and un-core-collapsed clusters. The aims of this project are:

• To gain experience in observing and data reduction.
• To fit empirical and theoretical curves to the surface of brightness data.
• To study the theory of two-body relaxation and hence understand why the surface brightness profiles are similar for all un-collapsed clusters.
• To use model data as input for a simple (supplied) N-body code to demonstrate that equilibrium is obtained.
• To discuss the theory of long-term evolution, the phenomenon of core collapse, and the roles of binary stars in the subsequent evolution.

Forecasting training at the Bureau of Meteorology Training Centre

Every year the Bureau of Meteorology holds a weeklong programme during which they demonstrate some of the theory and techniques used in producing weather forecasts. This programme is run at the Bureau of Meteorology usually during the semester break.

CDMO (Centre for Dynamical Meteorology and Oceanography) Winter School

Every year the Centre for Dynamical Meteorology and Oceanography holds a weeklong programme to bring in national expertise on a meteorological phenomena. Guest lecturers are brought in from the Bureau of Meteorology, CSIRO and other universities to provide both background knowledge and insight into current research on a selected topic.

2008 Honours Applications

Application forms for entry into Honours 2008 are now available from the Faculty of Science Office, Building 19, Faculty of Science website or from Linda Mayer, School of Mathematical Sciences, Room 406, 4th floor, Mathematics Building 28. The deadline for submitting applications to the Science Faculty Office for School of Mathematical Sciences students is Friday 26 October 2007.

Please ensure you complete Section B of the Application in conjunction with the Honours Coordinator: Dr Maria Athanassenas Room 419, Mathematics Building 28.

2008 Entry requirements and enrolment

The normal minimum requirement for honours (fourth year) in mathematics is an average of at least 70 in 24 points of relevant third year units, or equivalent. A list of relevant units that can be counted in this average is available from the Honours Coordinator.

How to apply

1. Obtain an application form from the School Office (Room 406, Building 28) or from the Faculty of Science (Building 19).
2. Discuss your options with the Honours Coordinator and complete Section A and B of the application form.
3. Return the completed application form to either the School of Mathematical Sciences (Room 406, Building 28) by Tuesday 23 October or the Science Faculty Office (Building 19) by Friday 26 October (after consultation with the Honours Coorindator as noted above).
4. Successful applicants will be notified by the Faculty of Science during mid to late December 2007 or early January 2008. Honours applicants will be advised of the exact dates later in the year via a letter from the school. This letter will also outline the procedure for enrolling into your honours units at the Science Faculty. You then need to contact the School's Honours coordinator Maria Athanassenas, Room 419, Building 28, to discuss your choice of lecturing topics, essays, projects etc. You will be posted the School's internal Lecture Topic / Project enrolment form or you can obtain this form directly from Room 406, building 28 (Clayton). This form is for internal school records only.
5. Each honours program, whether full-time or part-time consists of three units:
Astrophysics honours: ASP4210 / ASP4220 / ASP4100
Atmospheric science honours: ATM4210 / ATM4220 / ATM4100
Mathematics and Statistics honours: MTH4210 / MTH4220 / MTH4100

Honours unit requirements

These vary slightly according to the area of study:

There is a list of honours lecture topics to choose from. For Statistics, the honours lecture topics may be chosen from those available from the Key Centre for Statistical Science. For Astrophysics, one third-year lecture unit may be counted to replace an honours lecture topic. For Atmospheric Science depending on the student's previous experience and interests, one of the honours and masters coursework lecture topics listed may be replaced by a third-year atmospheric science or mathematics lecture unit. Otherwise, up to two third-year mathematics lecture units may be counted, with the permission of the Honours Coordinator. If more than the total required number of honours lecture topics (including third-year lecture units) are taken, then those with the best final results will be used to determine your final overall grade in Honours.

Your choice of lecture topics appears only in the School records; you are allowed to change it in the first few weeks of the semester. The important thing is to make sure you meet the honours unit requirements listed above. If in doubt, check your choice of topics with the Honours Coordinator.

There are additional honours topics offered externally. Further details are available in the 2007 Honours Handbook or from the Honours Coordinator.

Essays and projects

As outlined above, the general requirements for completing the honours year in the School of Mathematical Sciences include an essay, a major project and various lecture topics.

In Mathematics, Astrophysics and Atmospheric Science the essays are worth 1 lecture topic (i.e. 4 points), Statistics students are not required to do an essay but do an extra lecture topic in place of this. In Mathematics, Statistics and Astrophysics the projects are worth 4 lecture topics (i.e. 16 points). In Atmospheric Science the project is worth 6 lecture topics (i.e. 24 points).

The essay must be completed in the first semester, and its recommended length is 15-20 pages, with a maximum of 25. Neat handwritten essays are accepted, but you are encouraged to use LaTeX, because it is easier to backup and revise, and it gives superior presentation. At the end of the semester you will be required to give a 25 minute talk on your essay, which counts 20% towards the overall essay mark.

The project is due at the end of second semester and includes a talk, which counts 10% towards the overall project mark. There is also a short talk given at the beginning of second semester, which is not assessed, the purpose of the non-assessed talk is to help students clarify their goals and obtain feedback before writing up their work. The recommended length of the written project is 40-50 pages.

The time you spend on the essay and project should be similar to the time spent on the equivalent number of lecture topics. It is therefore clear that the project should be commenced at the beginning of your first semester, alongside the essay (which may be on a related topic). You should choose a topic and find a supervisor during January or February. It is also advisable to meet your supervisor regularly, say once a week, as soon as lectures begin.

The School offers some essay and project topics in advance. However, we will also attempt to satisfy your own interests, provided a supervisor with the appropriate expertise is available. Further information may be obtained when you enrol, but it is not necessary to wait that long. You are welcome to consult the Honours Coordinator or Honours Advisors.