Mathematics Honours Research Project (MATH6030)

Course overview

Supervised project on research topic in mathematics, approved by Head, Mathematics. Student selects supervisor and project topic from advertised list, in negotiation with academic staff. Thesis to be written, and oral presentation to be given, on the research topic. Students commencing year project in sem 1 enrol in MATH6100; students commencing year project in sem 2 enrol in MATH6101; students completing project within one semester enrol in MATH6030 in Semester 1 or 2.

Supervised project on research topic in mathematics.

MATH6030 is for students doing their complete honours thesis in mathematics in one semester.

In the School of Mathematics and Physics we are committed to creating an inclusive and empowering learning environment for all students. We value and respect the diverse range of experiences our students bring to their education, and we believe that this diversity is crucial for fostering a rich culture of knowledge sharing and meaningful exploration. We hold both students and staff accountable for actively contributing to the establishment of a respectful and supportive learning environment.

Bullying, harassment, and discrimination in any form are strictly against our principles and againstﾠUQ Policy,ﾠand will not be tolerated. We have developed aﾠsuite of resources to assist you in recognising, reporting, and addressing such behaviour. If you have any concerns about your experience in this course, we encourage you to tell a member of the course teaching team, or alternatively contact an SMP Classroom Inclusivity Champion (see Blackboard for contact details). Our Inclusivity Champions are here to listen, to understand your concerns, and to explore potential actions that can be taken to resolve them. Your well-being and a positive learning atmosphere are of utmost importance to us.

Course requirements

Assumed background

Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Art degree of this University, or an award recognized by the Executive Dean as equivalent.

GPA of at least 4.5 fromﾠat least #8 units (4 courses) ofﾠlevel 3 courses from the BSc program and requirements list, considered by the Executive Dean and the Head of School to be relevant to the proposed programme of study. If you are in doubt about this, please ask at the office of the School of Physical Sciences.

The Application Procedure for admission to Honours can be found from the School of Mathematics and Physics webpage http://www.smp.uq.edu.au/student/honours.html

Restrictions

Enrolment restricted to BSc(Hons) and BA(Hons) in Mathematics or BMath(Hons).

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

Additional timetable information

Students will usually meet weekly with their advisor.

Aims and outcomes

The aim of the honours project in mathematics/statistics is to for the student to develop the following skills:

• A comprehensive and well-founded knowledge of the topic of study and relevant research literature.
• The ability to collect, analyse, and organise information, ideas, and experimental data and to convey those ideas clearly and fluently, through a written thesis and oral seminar.
• The ability to interact effectively with supervisor, associates and peers in order to work towards a common outcome.
• The ability to select and use the appropriate level, style and means of communication for the written thesis and oral seminar.
• The ability to plan and carry out an independent project.
• The ability to generate ideas and think creatively for solution to problems posed within the project.
• The ability to identify problems, create solutions, review research literature and apply knowledge to project topic.
• The ability to define and analyse problems arising through the project.

• The ability to apply critical reasoning to issues relating to the project topic through independent thought, analysis of literature and informed decisions on project results.

• The ability to evaluate opinions presented in research literature, make decisions on findings and to reflect critically on the justifications for decisions.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

Literature Survey/Progress Report

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

10%

Due date

31/03/2025 - 4/04/2025

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03

Task description

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for further extension/deferral information relating to this assessment item. 

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item then the listed penalty will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due. 

Honours Talk

Mode

Oral

Category

Essay/ Critique, Presentation

Weight

10%

Due date

26/05/2025 - 30/05/2025

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for further extension/deferral information relating to this assessment item. 

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item then the listed penalty will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due. 

Honours Thesis

Mode

Written

Category

Thesis

Weight

70%

Due date

11/06/2025 4:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04

Task description

Submission guidelines

4 electronic copies to be submitted at the end of the second semester of the honours project.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for further extension/deferral information relating to this assessment item. 

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item then the listed penalty will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due. 

Honours Project Defence

Mode

Oral

Category

Thesis

Weight

10%

Due date

16/06/2025 - 20/06/2025

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for further extension/deferral information relating to this assessment item. 

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item then the listed penalty will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due. 

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply. 

Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.  

If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.  Supplementary assessment(s) may be in the form of an additional written report and/or oral exam. The specific form of any supplementary assessment will be determined by the Honours Coordinator in conjunction with the project supervisor(s).

Additional assessment information

Artificial Inteligence

The assessment tasks in this course evaluate students’ abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Applications of Extensions

Extension requests are submitted online via my.UQ – applying for an extension. Extension requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with extension requests, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons, may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Requests for an extension to an assessment due date must be submitted through your my.UQ portal and you must provide documentation of your circumstances, as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed. Your application must be submitted on or before the assessment item's due date and time.
• Applications for extension can take time to be processed so you should continue to work on your assessment item while awaiting a decision. We recommend that you submit any completed work by the due date, and this will be marked if your application is not approved. Should your application be approved, then you will be able to resubmit by the agreed revised due date.
• If an extension is approved, you will be notified via your my.UQ portal and the new date for submission provided. It is important that you check the revised date as it may differ from the date that you requested.
• If the basis of the application is a medical condition, applications should be accompanied by a medical certificate dated prior to the assignment due date.
• If an extension is being sought on the basis of exceptional circumstances, it must be accompanied by supporting documentation (eg. Statutory declaration).
• For extensions based on a SAP - your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, additional extension requests for the assessment item will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.
• Students may be asked to submit evidence of work completed to date. Lack of adequate progress on your assessment item may result in an extension being denied. 
• If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 14 days, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses this semester. You might be eligible to withdraw without academic penalty. We strongly recommend you seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.
• There are no provisions for exemption from an assessment item within UQ rules. If you are unable to submit an assessment piece then, under special circumstances, you may be granted an exemption, but may be required to submit alternative assessment to ensure all learning outcomes are met.

Applications to defer an exam

In certain circumstances you can apply to take a deferred examination for in-semester and end-of-semester exams. You'll need to demonstrate through supporting documentation how unavoidable circumstances prevented you from sitting your exam. If you can’t, you can apply for a one-off discretionary deferred exam.

Deferred Exam requests are submitted online via mySi-net. Requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with deferred examinations, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Applications can be submitted no later than 5 calendar days after the date of the original exam.
• There are no provisions to defer a deferred exam. You need to be available to sit your deferred examination.
• Your deferred examination request(s) must have a status of "submitted" in mySI-net to be assessed.
• All applications for deferred in-semester examinations are assessed by the relevant school. Applications for deferred end-of-semester examinations are assessed by the Academic Services Division.
• You’ll receive an email to your student email account when the status of your application is updated.
• If you have a medical condition, mental health condition or disability and require alternative arrangements for your deferred exam you’ll need to complete the online alternative exam arrangements through my.UQ. This is in addition to your deferred examinations request. You need to submit this request on the same day as your request for a deferred exam or supplementary assessment. Contact Student Services if you need assistance completing your alternative exam arrangements request.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Additional learning activity information

Students will be required to carry out an independent project on a topic agreed between the supervisor and the student.  The project is largely self-directed but students should meet regularly with their supervisor to discuss progress, problems and direction of their research. Students will be required to conduct a search of the relevant literature and present their findings through a written thesis and oral seminar.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.