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Why study Mathematics?

• it is the way we make sense of the world in terms of quantity, space and relationships
• advancements in science, medicine, commerce and technology rely heavily on mathematics
• it is the language through which nature, technology and reality is described
• it is thus essential for almost every sphere of knowledge and activity in the modern world.

Mathematics leads to perhaps more diverse potential careers than any other discipline:

• from foreign affairs, through research in science, the social sciences and medicine, to commerce, computing and information technology
• Mathematics degrees, especially combined with a background in other computational sciences (Statistics, Computer Science, Physics) open numerous, exciting and well-payed career perspectives.
• Mathematician is the top job in 2009, in the USA. It is followed by Actuary and Statistician
• employers value your problem-solving skills, comprehension of abstract concepts and analytical and creative thinking.

"I advise my students to listen carefully the moment they decide to take no more mathematics courses. They might be able to hear the sound of closing doors."

- James Caballero, "Everybody a mathematician?", in CAIP Quarterly, Fall 1989, 2(2), p.2

Why take Mathematics at The University of Auckland?

You will study with:

• some of the top mathematicians in their field in the world

You will be offered:

• a wide range of Courses for students with very diverse mathematical backgrounds and levels
• degrees and diplomas in Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and Mathematics Education.
• support through several programmes:

• Small group tutorials
• Assistance room
• Maori and Pacific Island Programme including mentoring, a study and assistance room and various scholarships
• One-to-one tutorials

• the possibility to study towards a mathematics major, or to add several Mathematics courses to your current major
• a chance to play around mathematical ideas through two General Education courses

About Mathematics and Mathematicians

• "Mathematics is not a careful march down a well-cleared highway, but a journey into a strange wilderness, where the explorers often get lost."

- W.S. Anglin

• "If it's green, it's biology, If it stinks, it's chemistry,If it has numbers it's math, If it doesn't work, it's technology."

- Unknown

What is a Mathematician?

• "A Mathematician is a machine for turning coffee into theorems."

- Paul Erdös

• "A mathematician is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat which isn't there"

- Charles R. Darwin

Most common assumptions about Mathematics students?

"They are training to be a teacher" or "They are training to be an accountant."

Actually, mathematics graduates take possibly more different avenues than any other subject.

Common assumptions about Mathematics?

"Too hard - don't understand it" and "Why bother? What practical use does it have?"