The Master of Philosophy is a one year research-based degree in which candidates undertake a programme of supervised research which critically investigates a topic of substance and significance. The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree has a status higher than that of other Masters degrees but lower than that of the PhD degree. It is a research degree designed to recognise an original contribution to knowledge and the comments on the originality and significance of the PhD thesis apply here too. However, it is intended that an MPhil thesis be the product of only one year of full-time research (though in practice candidates invariably take longer) and the original contribution to knowledge will therefore be less than would be expected in a PhD thesis. Mathematics Mathematics is a subject of vital importance that underpins many activities of our modern world. Employers recognise University of Waikato Mathematics graduates for their analytical and problem solving skills as well as their high level of numeracy, which are critical skills for a broad range of jobs. If you are a graduate with a Mathematics degree, or even with a strong Mathematical component to your degree, you will be a valuable person in today's workforce, with a qualification that appeals to a wide range of employers including banks, insurance companies, schools and government departments. There is strong employer demand for Mathematicians, due to a shortage of Mathematics graduates and in particular a critical shortage of Mathematics teachers. Studying Mathematics in combination with another subject means you can work in a number of different fields, such as Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Earth Sciences, Economics, Finance, Engineering (Chemical and Biological Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Materials and Process Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering), Physics, Electronics, Banking and Meteorology. Capable students should consider the flexible double major options in Mathematics and Computer Science, or Mathematics and Data Analytics. Career opportunities Data Analyst Financial Analyst IT or Computing Analyst Mathematical Modeller Meteorologist Research Scientist Secondary School Teacher