University of Oxford Crest

SPECIAL REGULATIONS FOR THE HONOUR SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS

To search within this page: Press CTRL + F (PC) or APPLE + F (Mac)

A

In the following ‘the Course Handbook’ refers to the Mathematics Undergraduate Handbook and supplements to this published by the Mathematics Teaching Committee and also posted on the website at: http://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/current-students/undergraduates/handbooks-synopses.

  1. 1. The subject of the Honour School of Mathematics shall be Mathematics, its applications and related subjects.
  2. 2. No candidate shall be admitted to examination in this School unless he or she has either passed or been exempted from the First Public Examination.
  3. 3. The Examination in Mathematics shall be under the supervision of the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Board. The Board shall have the power, subject to this decree, from time to time to frame and vary regulations for the different parts and subjects of the examination.
  4. 4.
    1. (a) The examination in Mathematics shall consist of three parts (A, B, C) for the four-year course, and of two parts (A, B) for the three-year course.
    2. (b) Parts A, B, and C shall be taken at times not less than three, six, and nine terms, respectively, after passing or being exempted from the First Public Examination.
  5. 5. The Examiners shall classify and publish the combined results of the examinations in Part A and Part B, and in respect of candidates taking the four-year course shall separately classify and publish results in Part C.
  6. 6.
    1. (a) Part A shall be taken on one occasion only. No candidate shall enter for Part B until he or she has completed Part A of the examination.
    2. (b) In order to proceed to Part C, a candidate must achieve upper second class Honours or higher in Parts A and B together.
    3. (c) A candidate on the three-year course who obtains only a Pass or fails to satisfy the Examiners in Part B may retake Part B on at most one subsequent occasion; a candidate on the four-year course who fails to satisfy the Examiners in Part C may retake Part C on at most one subsequent occasion. A candidate on the four-year course shall take Part B on one occasion only.
  7. 7. A candidate adjudged worthy of Honours on both Parts A and B together, and on Part C may supplicate for the degree of Master of Mathematics provided that the candidate has fulfilled all the conditions for admission to a degree of the University.
  8. 8. A candidate in the final year of the four-year course, adjudged worthy of Honours in both Parts A and B together, but who does not enter Part C, or who fails to obtain Honours in Part C, is permitted to supplicate for the Honours degree of Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with the classification obtained in Parts A and B together; provided that no such candidate may later enter or re-enter the Part C year or supplicate for the degree of Master of Mathematics; and provided in each case that the candidate has fulfilled all the conditions for admission to a degree of the University.

[From 1 October 2013: Transfer to the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics

  1. 9. Subject to the regulations for the Honour School in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics, candidates on the four-year course in Mathematics may apply to the Supervisory Committee for Mathematics and Physics to transfer, after their Part B examination, to the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics for their Part C examination. Such a candidate will need to achieve at least an upper second class or higher at the end of Part B, and be accepted by the Supervisory Committee for Mathematics and Physics under the procedures referred to in the regulations for the Master of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics and set out in the course handbook for that degree. Acceptance is not automatic. As specified in the regulations for that degree, Part C in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics must be taken in the academic year following the candidate's Part B examination, and on successful completion of Part C of the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics candidates will be awarded the Master of Mathematics and Physics in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics.
  2. 10. The Handbook for Mathematical and Theoretical Physics shall set out the options that candidates should follow to maximize their chances of being accepted for transfer to Mathematical and Theoretical Physics for their Part C examination. This Handbook shall be available by the start of Michaelmas Term in the year in which a candidate starts Part A in Mathematics.
  3. 11. A candidate who has transferred from the Honour School of Mathematics to the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics for their Part C examination in accordance with cl.9 above is permitted transfer to the Honour School of Mathematics for their Part C examination up to the end of Week 4 of the Michaelmas Term in which he or she first registered for Part C in the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics, so long as that candidate has not opted to supplicate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics under the regulations for the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics.
  4. 12. The regulations for the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics set out how the results obtained in Parts A and B in the Honour School of Mathematics are published for candidates who transfer to the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics for their Part C examination.]

B

  1. 1. In Part A each candidate shall be required to offer [Until 1 October 2013: the four written papers] [From 1 October 2013: A1, A2, ASO and five papers from A3-A11] from the schedule of papers for Part A (see ‘Schedule’ below).
  2. 2. In Part B each candidate shall offer a total of [Until 1 October 2013: four] [From 1 October 2013: eight] units from the schedule of units [Until 1 October 2013: and half units] for Part B (see below).
    1. (a) A total of at least [Until 1 October 2013: three] [From 1 October 2013: six] units offered should be from the schedule of Mathematics Department units.
    2. (b) Candidates may offer [Until 1 October 2013: one] [From 1 October 2013: a double] unit which is an Extended Essay or a Structured Project.
  3. 3. In Part C each candidate shall offer a total of [Until 1 October 2013: three] [From 1 October 2013: eight] units from the schedule of units [Until 1 October 2013: and half units] for Part C (see below).
    1. (a) All [Until 1 October 2013: three] [From 1 October 2013: eight] units offered should be from those designated as M level.
    2. (b) A total of at least [Until 1 October 2013: two] [From 1 October 2013: six] of the units offered should be from the schedule of Mathematics Department units.
    3. (c) Candidates may offer either one [Until 1 October 2013: whole] unit or one [Until 1 October 2013: half] [From 1 October 2013: double] unit which is a Dissertation. If the Dissertation is a mathematical topic this would be offered under the schedule of Mathematics Department units. If the Dissertation is on a mathematics-related topic, this would be offered under the schedule of ‘other units'.
  4. 4. No candidate shall offer any unit [Until 1 October 2013: or half unit] for Part C that he or she has also offered in Part B.
  5. 5. The use of calculators is generally not permitted for written papers. However, their use may be permitted for certain exceptional examinations. The specification of calculators permitted for these exceptional examinations will be announced by the Examiners in the Hilary Term preceding the examination.

Schedule

Papers in Part A

  1. [Until 1 October 2013: AC1 Algebra, Analysis and Differential Equations
  2. AC2 Algebra, Analysis and Differential Equations
  3. AO1 Options
  4. AO2 Options]
  5. [From 1 October 2013: A1 Algebra 1 and Differential Equations 1
  6. A2 Metric Spaces and Complex Analysis
  7. A3 Algebra 2
  8. A4 Integration
  9. A5 Topology
  10. A6 Differential Equations 2
  11. A7 Numerical Analysis
  12. A8 Probability
  13. A9 Statistics
  14. A10 Waves and Fluids
  15. A11 Quantum Theory
  16. ASO Short Options]

Syllabus details will be published in the Course Handbook by the beginning of the Michaelmas Full Term in the academic year of the examination for Part A.

Units [Until 1 October 2013: and half units] for Part B and Part C

The final list of units [Until 1 October 2013: and half units] will be published in the Course Handbook by the beginning of the Michaelmas Full Term in the academic year of the examination concerned, together with the following details.

  1. 1. Designation as either ‘H’ level or ‘M’ level.
  2. 2. ‘Weight’ as either a [Until 1 October 2013: whole] unit or [Until 1 October 2013: half-] [From 1 October 2013: double] unit.
  3. 3. Method of assessment. Details of methods of assessment for Other Mathematics or Other Non-Mathematical units [Until 1 October 2013: or half units] will be given elsewhere. Some options may require assessment by oral presentation. The Course handbook will indicate where such details will be specified.
  4. 4. Rules governing submission of any extended essay, dissertation or mini-project, including deadlines, provided that these shall always be submitted to the Chair of Examiners, Honour School of Mathematics, c/o Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford. [From 1 October 2013: In addition an electronic copy must be submitted to the Mathematical Institue’s website, details will be included in the relevant Notice to Candidates.] No part of any extended essay, dissertation or mini-project submitted may include work previously submitted for this or any other degree.
  5. 5. Syllabus content.
  6. 6. Whether there is a requirement to register or apply for a place to take a unit [Until 1 October 2013: or half unit], and details of any registration or application procedure.