2020 Unit Selection Thread (Monash University)

[VanillaRice]

Since there was a December VTAC round this year, I thought now would be a good time to get this thread started!  This thread can be used to share the units that you're planning to complete in 2020, or ask for advice about selecting your units. Feel free to post if you're unsure about whether you've picked your units correctly, or are tossing up between a few options. Link to last year's thread.


Important dates:
Allocate+ preferences close - 9am Tuesday 28 January, 2020
Allocate+ adjustments open - 10am Tuesday 4 February, 2020

Units for my final year (yay!):
Semester 1
BMS3031 - Molecular mechanisms of disease (12 points)
MTH3241 - Random processes in the sciences and engineering
SCI2010 - Scientific practice and communication

Semester 2
BMS3052 - Biomedical basis and epidemiology of human disease (12 points)
MTH3230 - Time series and random processes in linear systems
MTH3260 - Statistics of stochastic processes

Excited to finally start my 3rd year BMS and maths units! Spent awhile picking two from MTH3230/3260/3251, and decided not to do MTH3251 since it appeared to be the least interesting for me. I'm open to hearing about anyone's experience with any of the 3rd year stats/probability units though!

[Edged]

Hey all!

I'll be a first-year computer science student next year and was looking for advice on taking MTH3170 (Network mathematics) in Semester 2. The prerequisite I'll have will be MTH1035 and I'm also taking MTH2010 in the same semester as MTH3170. Will the third-year unit be too difficult to handle? What have been other people's experience with this unit? (Note: The reason I've considered this unit is because it seems very relevant to computer science and it involves mathematics which I want to pursue) Any advice is appreciated!

[Springyboy]

Thanks for posting this up VanillaRice, 2020 will be my last year of undergrad too.

I'll be doing

Semester 1

BFC3170 - Management of Financial Intermediaries
BFC3540 - Modelling in Finance
ETC3510 - Modelling in Finance and Insurance
ETC3550 - Applied forecasting

Semester 2
BTF3601 - Banking Law - Very excited to do a finance law related subject even at Caulfield
ETC3530 - Contingencies in insurance and pensions
ETC3580 - Advanced statistical modelling

[LifeisaConstantStruggle]

2020 is my final year too!

S1 2020
ETC3550 - Applied forecasting for economics and business
ETC3430 - Financial mathematics under uncertainty
ETC3460 - Financial econometrics
MTH3241 - Random processes in the sciences and engineering

S2 2020
ETC3400 - Principles of econometrics
ETC3420 - Applied insurance methods
ETC3580 - Advanced statistical modelling
MTH3260 - Statistics for stochastic processes

Moving away from finance centric units to more probability and statistics + MTH units as well. I guess I'm stronger in the stats/econometrics aspects of actuarial science so hopefully things will be better for me next semester onwards!

[VanillaRice]

Hey all!

I'll be a first-year computer science student next year and was looking for advice on taking MTH3170 (Network mathematics) in Semester 2. The prerequisite I'll have will be MTH1035 and I'm also taking MTH2010 in the same semester as MTH3170. Will the third-year unit be too difficult to handle? What have been other people's experience with this unit? (Note: The reason I've considered this unit is because it seems very relevant to computer science and it involves mathematics which I want to pursue) Any advice is appreciated!

I'm not sure if there's any specific course rule preventing you from studying a level 2 or 3 unit in your second semester (I know that for Science, you have to complete your level 1 sequences before you can begin your level 2s), but there doesn't appear to be anything stopping you from a quick glance at the Computer Science handbook entry. I would recommend asking your course advisor about this though. In terms of the difficulty, I wouldn't recommend doing a level 3 unit in your first year, as there will often be higher standards and expectations (on top of the fact that the content will be much higher-level). I don't really have any experience with MTH3170, but hopefully someone else is able to comment. Either way, you can see how you go with your first semester and then change your semester 2 units around later

Thanks for posting this up VanillaRice, 2020 will be my last year of undergrad too.

Good luck with your final year!

S1 2020
MTH3241 - Random processes in the sciences and engineering

See you in the Friday 4pm tute

[achre]

Summer A:
Sentencing & Sanctions

Semester 1:
Nations at War: Revolution & Empire
Commercial Law
Research Project

And then that's it! 6.5 years later I'll be graduating

[Vaike]

Hey all!

I'll be a first-year computer science student next year and was looking for advice on taking MTH3170 (Network mathematics) in Semester 2. The prerequisite I'll have will be MTH1035 and I'm also taking MTH2010 in the same semester as MTH3170. Will the third-year unit be too difficult to handle? What have been other people's experience with this unit? (Note: The reason I've considered this unit is because it seems very relevant to computer science and it involves mathematics which I want to pursue) Any advice is appreciated!

MTH3170 is a great unit; its really well run and it is super interesting, but it is also quite difficult. It's essentially a pure math units consisting almost entirely of proofs (there are some algorithms in there but they aren't focused on too much). I think I personally would have struggled with it if I did it first year (still struggled doing it in second year to be fair haha). If you have strong foundations in proofs go for it, otherwise I'd say this unit would be better left to your second or third year.

[JeromeTT]

Doing Computer Science Advanced (Honours)
Free electives are in bold.

Semester 1
FIT1047 Introduction to computer systems, networks and security
FIT1053 Algorithms and programming in python (advanced)   
MAT1830 Discrete mathematics for computer science
MTH1030 Techniques for modelling

Semester 2
FIT1049 IT professional practice
FIT1054 Computer science (advanced)   
MAT1841 Continuous mathematics for computer science
MTH2010 Multivariable calculus

MTH2010 Multivariable calculus requires a 60% MTH1030 as a prerequisite, am I allowed to do MTH2010 in Semester 2, (the semester right after MTH1030)?

[Sine]

-snip-

Yes it is perfectly fine to do MTH1030 in semester 1 and then MTH2010 in the second semester. I did the exact same sequence in my first year of uni.

[Edged]

In terms of the difficulty, I wouldn't recommend doing a level 3 unit in your first year, as there will often be higher standards and expectations (on top of the fact that the content will be much higher-level). I don't really have any experience with MTH3170, but hopefully someone else is able to comment. Either way, you can see how you go with your first semester and then change your semester 2 units around later

If you have strong foundations in proofs go for it, otherwise I'd say this unit would be better left to your second or third year.

I don't have much experience with proofs so I'll take your advice and take it in my later years! (Taking it easy during my transition to uni sounds like a good idea)

Thanks both for the advice!

MAT1841 Continuous mathematics for computer science

Oh! We're in the same course and almost have the same electives! Also, I don't think you have to take MTH1841 if you're taking MTH1030 in Semester 1 already, according to this and a friend I've asked.

[JeromeTT]

Finally, found another compsci hons student after weeks of searching!

Also, I don't think you have to take MTH1841 if you're taking MTH1030 in Semester 1 already, according to this and a friend I've asked.

Oh wow I didn't this, thanks for telling me now I can free up an elective

On the course handbook it states:
If you require other mathematics for a non-computer science elective major or minor you may replace MAT1830/MAT1841, with approval.
Do I need approval to swap out MTH1841 to MTH1030? Or can I just change it on WES?

[Edged]

Do I need approval to swap out MTH1841 to MTH1030? Or can I just change it on WES?

I'm not entirely sure on this one, contacting Monash Connect would probably be the best to confirm this, but if you can change it on WES it should be fine.

Note: If you decide to swap out MTH1841 for MTH1030 then you'd be doing it in Semester One since by the looks of it you'll be taking MTH2010 in Semester Two (MTH1030 is a prerequisite). Which means your free elective would be in Semester Two.

[sweetiepi]

Got a couple of honours units haha- the last ever year a 'PSC' coded unit will ever run for any pharmsci course as they've restructured and have new 'BPS' codes.

PSC4211- Advanced Formulation Science (12cp)
PSC4212- Research in Formulation Science (36cp)

Technically they're not focused on formulation science, but drug disposition, delivery and dynamics- but that's a mouthful and probably breaks the character limits in WES haha 😂

[$noopDodd]

Just a couple of quick questions that I'm really struggling to find answers for:

I've received an offer for comm/biomed - would it be possible to structure the units in such a way that I could finish the biomed component of this degree in 3 years and apply to med/dent to other unis?

I know it's possible to exit early at the end of 3rd year and apply to graduate med at monash, but I'm not sure whether I could still apply to other unis in a similar manner - would they still recognise it as completing the degree? Or would I have to complete the commerce component of the degree as well in 4th year before being able to apply for Melbourne uni + interstate?

[Sine]

Just a couple of quick questions that I'm really struggling to find answers for:

I've received an offer for comm/biomed - would it be possible to structure the units in such a way that I could finish the biomed component of this degree in 3 years and apply to med/dent to other unis?

I know it's possible to exit early at the end of 3rd year and apply to graduate med at monash, but I'm not sure whether I could still apply to other unis in a similar manner - would they still recognise it as completing the degree? Or would I have to complete the commerce component of the degree as well in 4th year before being able to apply for Melbourne uni + interstate?

Yep it is possible to structure your units in that way. You need to select 6 core biomed units in the first year and use the slots which would've been electives if you did a single degree for your commerce units. You can then do that in your second year as well.

However, it is important that when you get closer to the end of the three years that you drop the commerce degree as they won’t let you apply anywhere that doesn't allow early exits if you are only in the 3rd year of a 4 year degree. I know someone who had a problem like this recently and they cut it quite close in terms of dropping the commerce part of their course and applying for postgraduate courses.

So for your last question yes you need to be completing a degree in the same year you apply for postgrad for the most part.