Then Study Mathematics and Education at UNSW.

Major in Mathematics in the Science Education Program (BSc/BEd).

Administered by the School of Education and Faculty of Science, this is combined degree in Mathematics and Education designed to give future mathematics teachers a solid grounding in the essentials of mathematics and education.

The combined Science and Education Degree Program is a 4 year course with an opportunity for students with excellent results to continue for another year (total 5 years) to obtain an Honours degree.

Having a BSc/BEd will give you a solid grounding in both mathematics and education. Upon graduation, you will most likely have an enjoyable and rewarding career teaching mathematics at secondary school. Your mathematical knowledge will help you become a good teacher and therefore help with promotions. It will also assist you in other areas such as keeping up with constantly changing syllabi.

Teaching will not be your only avenue though as you will have obtained both a Science Degree and an Education Degree. Studying mathematics prepares you for a wide variety of careers because it provides you with the problem solving, computing and communication skills that employers want. See the Careers page.

However, Secondary school mathematics teachers are in short supply, both here and overseas. This is a secure career choice relative to other possible options in todays economic climate.

In first year you will study the core mathematical topics that any student at UNSW needs if their degree involves mathematics. You also study some computing as this is a vital skill to have and will increase your employment options. You may choose your elective courses from several other Schools so that you can follow or cultivate other interests (see the more detailed BSc/BEd program for details).

In later years you have the opportunity to experience a broad range of mathematics. As a teacher, you should know areas from pure mathematics, applied mathematics, statistics and computing so courses in all these four disciplines are encouraged. You should indulge yourself by following your own particular interest in mathematics since you will pass on to your students, whether you wish or not, your true level of enjoyment of, and enthusiasm for, mathematics.

To find out the formal requirements (in terms of courses that you have to study), see Requirements for the BSc/BEd in Mathematics.

For more details of individual Mathematics courses, see the Details of Courses page.

Mathematics can be studied at the Ordinary level or at the Higher level depending on your interests and abilities, but study at the Higher level is recommended and may be necessary for certain courses in later years.

If you do the extra Honours year of the Science Program, you will do some course work but will also spend time writing a thesis. The aim of the thesis is for you to become involved in an active area of research of your choice. You could even discover something new, which is not as uncommon as you might think!

You must meet the appropriate UAI cutoff:

School of Mathematics
phone: (02) 9385 7111
fax: (02) 9385 7123
email: ug.MathsStats followed by @unsw.edu.au

School of Education
phone: (02) 9385 1988
fax: (02) 9385 1946
email: education followed by @unsw.edu.au
web: http://education.arts.unsw.edu.au