Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the student will have acquired the knowledge of the discipline and the transferable skills needed to practise the many professional activities that require substantial mathematical skills: research and teaching, but also highly varied professions in which mathematics interacts with oteco fields and mathematicians collaborate with people who come from different intellectual backgrounds.

The skills acquired during the course will allow him to adapt to different professional contexts (linked, for example, to economic sciences, to the engineering sciences, to health sciences) and to acquire rapidly the techniques specific to his profession.

The programme offers a general education in the important fields of fundamental mathematics, including recent advanced subjects, and allows the student to deal in depth with closely related fields that have already been introduced in the Bachelor in Mathematics (especially physics, but also statistics, actuarial science, and computing).
Depending on the choice of option, by the end of the course the graduate will also have acquired a deeper knowledge of a field of research (research focus) or the skills required to teach mathematics in secondary schools (teaching focus).

As with any UCL graduate, the graduate Master in Mathematics will be capable of taking a critical, constructive and innovative view of the present-day world and its problems, of acting as a responsible and competent citizen in society and in his professional milieu, of independently acquiring and using new knowledge and skills throughout his professional life, and of managing major projects in all their aspects, both individually and as part of a team.

On successful completion of this programme, each student is able to :

Finalité spécialisée - Grâce aux cours de l'option choisie, les étudiants de deux options auront aussi acquis la capacité d'analyser, en profondeur et sous divers points de vue, un problème mathématique ou un système complexe relevant de disciplines scientifiques autres que les mathématiques, pour en extraire les points essentiels et les mettre en relation avec les outils théoriques les mieux adaptés.

pas d'acquis d'apprentissage détaillés

1) master the disciplinary knowledge and basic transferable skills whose acquisition began in the Bachelor programme. He will have expanded his basic disciplinary knowledge and skills.

• Choose and use the fundamental methods and tools of calculation to solve mathematical problems.
• Recognise the fundamental concepts of important current mathematical theories.
• Establish the main connections between these theories, analyse them and explain them through the use of examples.

2) show evidence of abstract thinking and of a critical spirit.

• Recognise the fundamental concepts of important current mathematical theories.
• Identify the unifying aspects of different situations and experiences.
• Argue within the context of the axiomatic method.
• Construct and draw up a proof independently, clearly and rigorously.

3) communicate in a scientific manner.

• Write a mathematical text in French according to the conventions of the discipline.
• Structure an oral presentation and adapt it to the listeners’ level of understanding.
• Communicate in English (level C1 for reading comprehension, level B2 for listening comprehension and for oral and written expression, CEFR).

4) show evidence of independent learning.

• Find sources in the mathematical literature and assess their relevance.
• Correctly locate an advanced mathematical text in relation to knowledge acquired.
• Ask himself relevant and lucid questions on a mathematical topic in an independent manner.

5) analyse a mathematical problem and suggest appropriate tools for studying it in depth

  • Rédiger un texte mathématique selon les conventions de la discipline.
  • Structurer un exposé oral en l'adaptant au niveau d'expertise des interlocuteurs.

Finalité approfondie - L'étudiant qui se destine à la recherche aura acquis une connaissance plus approfondie d'un ou de plusieurs domaines des mathématiques actuelles et de ses problématiques. Ces connaissances visent à lui permettre d'interagir avec d'autres chercheurs dans le cadre d'une recherche de niveau doctoral.

  • Développer de façon autonome son intuition mathématique en anticipant les résultats attendus (formuler des conjectures) et en vérifiant la cohérence avec des résultats déjà existants.
  • Se documenter et résumer l'état des connaissances actuelles concernant un problème mathématique.
  • Poser de façon autonome des questions pertinentes et lucides sur un sujet avancé de mathématique.
  • Analyser un problème de recherche et proposer des outils adéquats pour l'étudier de façon approfondie et originale.

6) if the research focus is chosen, begin a research project thanks to a deeper knowledge of one or more fields and their problematic issues in current mathematics. This knowledge aims at allowing the student to interact with other researchers in the context of a research project at doctoral level.

• Develop in an independent way his mathematical intuition by anticipating the expected results (formulating conjectures) and by verifying their consistency with already existing results.
• Gather material and summarise the current state of knowledge relating to a mathematical problem.
• Ask relevant and lucid questions on an advanced mathematical topic in an independent manner.

Finalité didactique - L'étudiant qui se destine à l'enseignement sera prêt à assumer des tâches professionnelles dans l'enseignement secondaire et à apporter ses compétences pédagogiques et disciplinaires.

  • Mettre en relation les contenus mathématiques du programme de l’enseignement secondaire et ceux de la formation universitaire.
  • Comparer et intégrer différentes approches possibles aux principaux sujets du programme de mathématique de l'école secondaire, identifier les étapes clef et les points délicats du programme.
  • Mettre en place des dispositifs d'apprentissage adaptés, originaux et pertinents tant du point de vue de la rigueur que du point de vue de l'intuition.
  • Proposer des problèmes provenant de différents domaines permettant d’introduire, illustrer et mettre en œuvre des notions mathématiques du programme.

7) if the teaching focus is chosen, bring together the skills needed to successfully begin the career of teacher of mathematics in upper secondary school and to make positive progress.

• Take action in the school setting, in partnership with other involved parties.
• Teach in real and observed situations.

In a more specific way, in regard to the teaching of mathematics, the graduate is able:

  • To link the mathematical content of the secondary school teaching programme with that of university education.
  • Compare and integrate different possible approaches to the main subjects of secondary school mathematics, identify the key stages and the sensitive points of the programme.
  • Employ learning methods that are appropriate, original and relevant both from the point of view of precision and from that of intuition.
  • Formulate interdisciplinary examples in the form of problems to introduce, illustrate and put into practice the mathematical concepts of the programme.
  • Be self-critical and plan with continuous development in mind. For more details, see Teacher training certificate (upper secondary education) (Mathematics).

Depending on the chosen focus, he will be able to adapt to various professional contexts and he will be able to :

  • Do a statistical analysis of large sets of data with the help of softwares.
  • Master several fields of current probability and mathematical statistics and their problems.
  • Use basic concepts and models in survival analysis, specific tools of biostatistics and techniques and standards of clinical tests.
  • Exploit in an integrated way various know-hows in actuarial sciences and in financial mathematics in order to analyse complex problems in quantitative management of risks.
  • Use fundamental tools of computing and programming in order to solve management problems involved in the financial impact of risks.