• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

Advanced Science or Advanced Mathematics? (1 Viewer)

Trebla

Administrator
Administrator
Joined
Feb 16, 2005
Messages
8,401
Gender
Male
HSC
2006
Hi,
I am in Year 12 at the moment (and naive about university lol) and I am considering taking the Bachelor of Science (Advanced) degree at USYD next year. I am also having a look at Bachelor of Science (Advanced Mathematics) degree as well.
I am currently having a juggle between the two. Presumably the Advanced Mathematics course means you must study the Mathematics unit at an advanced level as well as science, whereas the Advanced Science course focuses more on Science areas of study.....right?
So, can anyone who is doing either of the courses at the moment (or has done) give a brief outline of what it is like and what is studied? (and if possible give any advice/recommendations)
Thanks....
 

SeDaTeD

Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
571
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
They essentially have the same structure, with the difference with Adv Maths being that you must have at least one major being Mathematics or Statistics. Both maintain the flexibility of subject choices of a regular science degree (of course with the Adv Maths ones you must plan your degree so that you are allowed to major in maths). A science major is basically doing half a normal full time load of 3rd year subjects in one subject area, so most people do 2 majors. Of couurse both are Adv streams so that means you have to do a minimum of some number of units at the adv level and also at least one major being made of Adv level units (eg. maths if you are doing adv maths).

So, to make a decision between the two, it doesn't really matter since you can still graduate with a BSc(Adv maths) if you do the BSc(adv) and major in maths (adv). So choose adv maths if you are sure you intend to have maths for at least one of your majors, otherwise, do Adv Sci to keep you options more open.

One advantage of being enrolled in Adv maths is that you are automatically invited to the 1st year Maths Special Studies classes, which are just 1 extra hour per week doing extra curricular topics of interest. If you are not, then selection will be based on your 4u marks and UAI.
 

withoutaface

Premium Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2004
Messages
15,098
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
Do adv maths for the SSP then you can change to regular adv if you decide not to do a maths major.
 

Templar

P vs NP
Joined
Aug 11, 2004
Messages
1,979
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
Just do adv science. What can adv science do? Everything. What can adv maths do? A strictly smaller subset of adv science.
 

casebash

Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2005
Messages
101
Gender
Male
HSC
2005
Wrong. Advanced Maths gets you automatically into the SSP and you can downgrade to Advanced Science at any time (in fact you are automatically downgraded if you don't meet the prerequisites).
 

Templar

P vs NP
Joined
Aug 11, 2004
Messages
1,979
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
Should you achieve the requirements as adv maths entry but do adv science, you can still get into ssp very easily. Plus half of the first year maths ssp topics were crap anyway.

If your marks are sufficient, you can do everything under adv science. Can you do two non maths majors in adv maths? No. Hence adv maths is a strictly smaller subset of adv science.
 

Trebla

Administrator
Administrator
Joined
Feb 16, 2005
Messages
8,401
Gender
Male
HSC
2006
What is SSP? lol
On a side note, I'm considering applying for scholarship for science. Can someone please provide information about this?
Also, in regards to HECS what does it mean when "Students who choose to pay their student contribution upfront receive a 20 per cent discount"?
Sorry for my naivety......
Thanks again......
 
Last edited:

Trebla

Administrator
Administrator
Joined
Feb 16, 2005
Messages
8,401
Gender
Male
HSC
2006
Um....Hello?.......*echoes*
 

Templar

P vs NP
Joined
Aug 11, 2004
Messages
1,979
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
SSP, not to be confused with TSP, is the special studies program. Refer to USyd maths site for more information.

Just look at the scholarship site and forms. They should be available late next month at the lastest.

Suppose your HECS is $1000. Should you choose to pay upfront, you only have to pay $800 ie 20% discount.
 

KeypadSDM

B4nn3d
Joined
Apr 9, 2003
Messages
2,631
Location
Sydney, Inner West
Gender
Male
HSC
2003
casebash said:
Wrong. Advanced Maths gets you automatically into the SSP and you can downgrade to Advanced Science at any time (in fact you are automatically downgraded if you don't meet the prerequisites).
Templar's point still holds. If you can get in to the ADV maths degree, then you qualify for SSP anyway.

Moreover anyone who does a combined degree can't do "advanced" or "advanced (maths)" in any case.
 

Templar

P vs NP
Joined
Aug 11, 2004
Messages
1,979
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
KeypadSDM said:
Moreover anyone who does a combined degree can't do "advanced" or "advanced (maths)" in any case.
Nah, I think that only applies to us (or just you), since for other combined degrees the science faculty is in charge, as opposed to engineering in BE BSc
 

Super Pig

Full time Bludger
Joined
Mar 16, 2004
Messages
180
Location
Next to infinity
Gender
Male
HSC
2002
BSc (Adv Maths) is merely a marketing device to attract more ppl into maths. They could have easily introduced BSc (Adv Biology) or BSc (Adv Bludging) or whatever else they wanna promote. BSc (Adv) is more flexible, in case you wanna dump maths and major in a related subject area (e.g. physics). The title of your degree does not matter much at all when you get into the job market. Employers care more about whether you can solve practical problems using your quantitative skills.
 

KeypadSDM

B4nn3d
Joined
Apr 9, 2003
Messages
2,631
Location
Sydney, Inner West
Gender
Male
HSC
2003
Everything's a marketing trick, I was considering doing the degree. In hindsight, I'm glad I've got the option of a physics major now...
 

xiao1985

Active Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2003
Messages
5,704
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
doesn't matter any way... even if you ARE in b sci (adv maths) and you don't major in math (adv) and stat (adv), you'd be "downgraded" (supposingly) to the appropriate stream..
 

GrandArmee

New Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2006
Messages
3
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
Look peoples, I got a UAI<95 (only just), but was accepted into B Sc (adv) and SSP 2nd Year (a lot of ppl said SSP 1sts was crap and it was just boring assignments) whereas 2nd Yr is hour speeches and 20 page reports (grooooovy). Neway my point is that BSc(adv) and BSc(adv math) are nearly the same except you must major in adv maths in 3rds.
 

KeypadSDM

B4nn3d
Joined
Apr 9, 2003
Messages
2,631
Location
Sydney, Inner West
Gender
Male
HSC
2003
Wait, let me get this straight, you LIKED DOING REPORTS instead of piss easy ASSIGNMENTS?
It's a +3 bonus on top of your integral/differential calc marks...
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top